Pittsburgh Symphony appoints new pops conductor
Jazz trumpter Byron Stripling has been appointed the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s principal pops conductor, it was announced Tuesday.
This is only the second time in the orchestra’s history that a principal pops conductor has been named. Stripling has performed with more than 100 orchestras, and conducted the Pittsburgh Symphony last June when it presented “Nat and Natalie: Unforgettable.” Stripling is also the artistic director for the Columbus Jazz Orchestra in Ohio. He was the lead trumpter and soloist with the Count Basie Orchestra and has played with the bands of Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Dave Brubeck, Lionel Hampton, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band.
Melia Tourangeau, the president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, said in a news release that Stripling is “an exceptional musician, showman and orchestra leader whose infectious joy for making and sharing music has made him one of the most sought-after artists with pops orchestras.”
She added, “Byron’s incredible jazz chops will also open new opportunities for the orchestra and the audience.”
The Pittsburgh Symphony’s principal pops conductor is a steward of the orchestra’s popular programming, which presents music from Broadway, movies, jazz, rock and soul, often with popular soloists. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s first principal pops conductor was Marvin Hamlisch, who was appointed in 1994 and served in that position until his death in 2012.