Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II created a string of outstanding Broadway musical successes in the 1940s and ‘50s during what is considered by most the “Golden Age” of musical theater.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s outstanding Broadway successes include “Oklahoma!,” “Carousel,” “South Pacific,” “The King And I” and “The Sound Of Music.”

With Rodgers composing the music and Hammerstein writing the lyrics, the songwriting team garnered 34 Tony Awards, 15 Academy Awards, the Pulitzer Prize and two Grammy Awards.

Most would agree that “Their musical theater-writing partnership has been the greatest of the 20th century,” as stated by Mark Lubbock, in “American Musical Theatre: An Introduction,” from his book “The Complete Book Of Light Opera” (Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1962).

I will conduct the Allentown Symphony Orchestra in “Rodgers & Hammerstein Celebration,” the first Pops Concert of the 2015-16 season, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17, Miller Symphony Hall, Allentown.

Three outstanding talents, Sarah Pfisterer, Sean MacLaughlin and Oscar “Andy” Hammerstein, grandson of the lyricist, join with the Allentown Symphony to celebrate the amazing productivity of Rodgers and Hammerstein by presenting many of the favorite songs of this dynamic duo.

The ASO Rodgers and Hammerstein program includes the songs “The Carousel Waltz,” “Hello Young Lovers,” “We Kiss In A Shadow,” “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over,” “If I Loved You,” “Out Of My Dreams,” “People Will Say We’re In Love,” “Soliloquy,” “Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin’,” “The Surrey With The Fringe On Top,” “A Wonderful Guy,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” “My Favorite Things,” “Climb Every Mountain,” “Edelweiss,” “Shall We Dance,” “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and more.

Pfisterer has played more than 1,000 performances in the role of Christine in “The Phantom Of The Opera” on Broadway and its national tour. On Broadway, she played Magnolia in “Show Boat” and was seen in “Children And Art,” directed by Richard Maltby, celebrating Stephen Sondheim’s 75th birthday. Off-Broadway, she played Anna Smith in “Meet Me In St. Louis,” directed by Charlotte Moore, at the Irish Repertory Theatre. Pfisterer, a Metropolitan Opera semi-finalist, has worked with conductors Michael Tilson Thomas and John McGlinn and did a recording of Jerome Kern’s “Oh Boy” in London under the direction of McGlinn.

MacLaughlin starred as Juan Peron on the national tour of “Evita” and appeared as Raoul on Broadway in “The Phantom Of The Opera,” “Bombay Dreams” and “The Woman In White.” Other stage work includes “Tut,” “Requiem For William,” “The Audience,” “Baby: In Concert,” “Camelot,” “The Rainmaker,” “The Rink,” “Floyd Collins” and “Merrily We Roll Along.”

Oscar “Andy” Hammerstein is a painter, writer, lecturer and family historian. He has devoted much of his life to studying and preserving his family’s heritage and their contribution to American culture. He lectures frequently at universities, theaters and civic organizations on his family’s pivotal role in shaping the development of musical theater and popular entertainment in the United States. In 1997, he curated the exhibit, “Direct From Broadway: A 200-Year History of New York City Theatre,” at the Paine-Weber Gallery, New York City.

Oscar Hammerstein II is credited with inaugurating the 20th century American musical form in 1927 with “Show Boat,” a collaboration with composer Jerome Kern.

“Oklahoma!” was the first musical written by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The production, which opened on Broadway in 1943, was a box office smash and ran for a then unprecedented 2,212 performances, later enjoying award-winning revivals, national tours, foreign productions and an Academy Award-winning 1955 film adaptation. Rodgers and Hammerstein won a Pulitzer Prize for “Oklahoma!” in 1944. The musical epitomized the development of the “book musical,” a musical play where the songs and dances are fully integrated into a story.

“Carousel” opened on Broadway in 1945 and ran for 890 performances. A film version was released in 1956.

“South Pacific,” based on James Michener’s 1947 novel, “Tales Of The South Pacific,” premiered in 1949 and was an immediate hit, running for 1,925 performances. The Broadway production enjoyed immense critical and box-office success and became the second-longest running Broadway musical at that point (behind “Oklahoma!”). The show received 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Libretto, and is the only musical production to win in all four acting categories. There have been many successful revivals and tours, a 1958 film version and television adaptations.

“The King And I” premiered in 1951 and ran for nearly three years with 1,246 performances, then the fourth longest-running Broadway musical in history, and has had many tours and revivals. The musical was an immediate hit and also gained critical acclaim, receiving three Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Actress and Best Featured Actor. A film version was released in 1956. Yul Brynner came to dominate the role of the King and the musical, starring in the Broadway production for three years, a 1955 national tour and a 1975 national revival tour that went on to London and culminated in a 1985 Broadway run.

“The Sound Of Music” opened on Broadway in 1959 and received five Tony Awards. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the 1965 film adaptation, which received five Academy Awards.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s other musicals include “Flower Drum Song” (1957) and for television, “Cinderella” (1957) and for movies, “State Fair” (1945).

Ronald Demkee is Associate Conductor, Pops Conductor, Principal Tuba and Personnel Manager of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra and Conductor-Music Director and Personnel Manager of the Allentown Band.

Allentown Symphony Orchestra concert tickets: Miller Symphony Hall Box Office, 23 N. Sixth St., Allentown; allentownsymphony.org; 610-432-6715