Pop conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez joins Pacific Symphony

There are a lot of expectations for any new conductor, however donning an Anakin Skywalker costume isn’t usually chief amongst them.

Pacific Symphony’s new pops conductor, Enrico Lopez-Yañez, isn’t a typical conductor, nevertheless. Lopez-Yañez made his debut at Renée and Henry Segerstrom Live performance Corridor over the weekend with a two-night efficiency of the “Music of Star Wars,” which included themes from John Williams and Michael Giacchino.

“On stage within the second half, I dressed up in my Anakin Skywalker outfit and we pulled up viewers members from the home and I led them in a lightsaber Jedi coaching sort of second,” Lopez-Yañez stated.

Enrico Lopez-Yañez leads the primary half of the rehearsal for the Pacific Symphony’s “Music of Star Wars” live performance on the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Live performance Corridor in Costa Mesa Friday.

(Don Leach / Workers Photographer)

The Pacific Symphony was based in 1978 as a collaboration between Cal State Fullerton and north Orange County neighborhood leaders led by Marcy Mulville. Music director Carl St. Clair has led the Pacific Symphony for the previous 34 years, and the group stays devoted to performing inspiring, entertaining and numerous programming. Pacific Symphony has been the resident orchestra of the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Live performance Corridor since 2009, with a repertoire that features orchestral masterworks and the music of in the present day’s up to date composers.

Up to now, Lopez-Yañez stated he has felt warmly welcomed in his new position and hopes to stability bringing a contemporary take to the Pacific Symphony whereas persevering with to honor its traditions.

“I’m very excited that folks have been so welcoming in embracing a few of my new concepts and my new strategy to issues whereas nonetheless making an attempt to embrace what has labored so properly for therefore lengthy,” Lopez-Yañez stated. “I feel that’s all the time a problem for any new conductor coming into a corporation.”

Born in San Diego and a UCLA music pupil, Lopez-Yañez can also be the principal pops conductor for the Nashville and Dallas symphonies. The 34-year-old is an completed composer and arranger, with expertise conducting for a wide-range of performers, together with Patti LaBelle, Itzhak Perlman, Nas, Kelsea Ballerini, and Portugal the Man. He’s the 2023 recipient “Mexicanos Distiguidos Award” for his advocacy for Latin music.

Enrico Lopez-Yañez leads the primary half of the rehearsal for the Pacific Symphony’s “Music of Star Wars” live performance on the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Live performance Corridor in Costa Mesa Friday.

(Don Leach / Workers Photographer)

“I’ve a present developing this season at Pacific Symphony known as ‘Latin Fireplace,’ and the primary half of that present options preparations that I did together with trumpet participant José Sibaja ” stated Lopez-Yañez.

Because the inventive director and co-founder of Symphonica Productions, LLC, Lopez-Yañez creates applications with the intention of reaching new audiences, and he’s turning into well-known for his his distinctive fashion of viewers engagement and talent to fuse orchestral music and leisure.

“I feel a number of my concepts that I introduced even within the first weekend that had been accepted had been much less conventional than what a number of orchestras have carried out or are doing,” stated Lopez-Yañez.

Earlier than every efficiency this previous weekend for instance, Lopez-Yañez hosted a ‘Cocktails with the Conductor’ occasion, which gave viewers members an opportunity to attach with Lopez-Yañez and musicians. Lopez-Yañez is decided to convey lightheartedness and pleasure to orchestral performances, and he set the tone this weekend for his season with the Pacific Symphony.

The violin part rehearses the Pacific Symphony’s “Music of Star Wars” live performance on the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Live performance Corridor in Costa Mesa Friday.

(Don Leach / Workers Photographer)

“Pops is without doubt one of the simplest and accessible methods to connect with an enormous viewers and a much less conventional Symphony-going viewers, primarily as a result of “pops” is such a catchall time period,” stated Lopez-Yañez. “All that it actually means is each style of music … non-classical music, but additionally typically it contains classical music.”

Lopez-Yañez stated he’s wanting ahead to working in Orange County with the Pacific Symphony this season, which features a efficiency with Latin and jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval on Feb. 16 and 17, Lyle Lovett on March 8 and 9 and viral sensations Ben Rector and Cody Fry on Could 10 and 11.

Enrico Lopez-Yañez leads the primary half of the rehearsal for the Pacific Symphony’s “Music of Star Wars” live performance on the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Live performance Corridor in Costa Mesa Friday.

(Don Leach / Workers Photographer)

“The chance for orchestras just like the Pacific Symphony is to essentially serve the neighborhood by representing all types and genres of music and to serve the musical pursuits of that specific neighborhood,” stated Lopez-Yañez. “A very powerful a part of our mission is serving the neighborhood of Orange County.”

Tickets for the 2023-24 Classical & Pops season may be discovered at pacificsymphony.org.