Keith Lockhart

Keith Lockhart, conductor of the Boston Pops, was born in Poughkeepsie, New York in November 1959. Piano lessons started for him at age seven, and he later completed his musical training at Furman University and Carnegie-Mellon University. While serving simultaneously as Carnegie-Mellon’s Director of Orchestral Activities and as Conductor of the Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra, he was appointed in 1988 to the posts of Assistant Conductor of the Akron Symphony Orchestra and Conductor of the Akron Youth Symphony. The following year he was chosen as one of two Conducting Fellows at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute, and in 1990 he moved once more to become Assistant Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Beginning in 1992 he also held the title of Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Pops while acting as Music Director of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. During 1993 he toured with singer Mandy Patinkin; later the same year he made his first commercial recording, directing the Cincinnati Sinfonietta with featured performer Mel Tormé. In June of that year Lockhart made his Boston Pops debut, succeeding the renowned John Williams in becoming the twentieth conductor in the orchestra’s illustrious history, after which hundreds of concerts as well as dozens of television specials and albums ensued. He further appeared as guest conductor with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Toronto Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and others, and in 1997 he made his debut with the New York Philharmonic.