Bravo, Maestro!
- Anastasia Stanmeyer
- Aug 14
- 8 min read
Updated: Sep 4
AN AUGUST 22 CELEBRATION AT TANGLEWOOD HERALDS KEITH LOCKHART’S 30 YEARS AS CONDUCTOR OF THE BOSTON POPS
By Anastasia Stanmeyer
On May 10, 1995, Keith Lockhart opened his very first Boston Pops season at Symphony Hall. He was only 35 years old and dubbed “The Kid” by longtime Pops Associate Conductor Harry Ellis Dickson. Born in Poughkeepsie, New York, Lockhart began his musical studies on piano at the age of seven and holds degrees from Furman University and Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to taking on the conducting post with the Boston Pops, he was an associate conductor for the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops.
In July 1995, Lockhart conducted the Boston Pops in his first appearance at Tanglewood. Since then, he has brought full musicals such as Carousel and Ragtime to Tanglewood, as well as revues of the music of Gershwin, Rodgers, and Sondheim. He also has introduced full movies in concert, including live orchestral performances of The Empire Strikes Back, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., Jurassic Park, and The Wizard of Oz. Lockhart, who holds the Julian and Eunice Cohen Boston Pops Conductor chair, has led the Boston Pops in more than 2,200 concerts in every imaginable setting and has collaborated with nearly 300 guest artists drawn from the worlds of classical and popular music, rock, jazz, sports, politics, Broadway, and Hollywood.
“The Boston Pops Orchestra performs the best music of the past and present, appealing to the widest possible audience with a broad spectrum of styles,” says Lockhart, “making it the perfect orchestra for people who don't know they like orchestras!”
The maestro will be celebrated with a special concert at Tanglewood on Friday, August 22, at 8 p.m. The performance will feature special guests, including Lynn Ahrens, Jason Danieley, Ben Folds, Mandy Gonzalez, Bernadette Peters, Ryan Miller, John Pizzarelli, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Time for Three. We reached out to some of the artists who have performed beside Lockhart or will be performing for him at the special Tanglewood event. There is no question that the respect and adoration of Lockhart runs deep and wide.
American actor and singer
Brian Stokes Mitchell, a Tony® Award winner and Grammy® Award nominee
“I've always been a big fan of the magnificent John Williams. Only an extraordinary person combined with a very special and versatile talent could hope to fill those enormous shoes. Thank God Keith Lockhart was available and willing to give it a go. And now, 30 years later, it's clear to me and everyone else who's had the pleasure to work with Keith and the Pops that Keith has fulfilled all our hopes and more. And whether the music was Broadway, American Songbook, country, rock, or classical, the time with Keith onstage has always been the very best kind of collaboration and a lot of fun to boot!”
Tony® Award-winning stage and screen star Kelli O’Hara
“Keith is wonderful. Many, many years ago, 15 or so, I did a tour with him. I started in Boston, and we did a whole evening of Cole Porter, and then we took it to Florida, and we took it back to Tanglewood. And it was just a really fun time in my life to get to tour with an orchestra—and with Keith—and perform great, great music. Keith’s always been, really, a favorite of mine—very supportive.”
Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez
(Hamilton, In the Heights, Wicked)
“Keith Lockhart has a way of making every performance feel like an event, something truly special. That energy is contagious, and it elevates everyone onstage. Working with Keith, the incredible cast, and the Boston Pops at Tanglewood was an absolute dream. Even more special, I got to share it with my parents and daughter in the audience. The weather had its own performance: sunshine, rain, thunder, and back to sunshine again. Somehow, it followed the music perfectly. A truly unforgettable night.
“One of my favorite memories working with Keith was performing ‘Lady of the Underground’ from Hadestown, where I got to step into Persephone’s shoes. In that number, she gets to tease ‘The Boss’ a bit, and Keith couldn’t have been more fun in that role! He completely played along, bringing both authority and humor to the moment. The whole thing felt electric, and the orchestra sounded unbelievable. It was one of those nights where everything just clicked.”
Chad Smith, President/CEO of the BSO
“For 30 years, Keith Lockhart has embodied the pioneering spirit of the Boston Pops, building on the groundbreaking work of his iconic predecessors John Williams and Arthur Fiedler and continually innovating to redefine our programs for 21st Century audiences. We’re celebrating Keith’s extraordinary accomplishments this year with a wide range of programs and guest artists. Keith’s 30th Anniversary Concert caps the Pops’ 140th season with an inspiring evening of music reflecting the creative vision he has brought to the Pops over the past three decades.”
Renowned French pianist
Jean-Yves Thibaudet
“Keith Lockhart is an absolutely fantastic musician. If you have had the opportunity to see him conduct very serious classical music, you know that he stands out as one of the greatest conductors of his generation. And as someone with an appreciation of film music and jazz, I have always admired how he brings this same standard of musicianship to that material, as well. His work with the Pops has been legendary; no one is more tapped into what American audiences want to hear, and no one delivers it with the same care and attention to detail. It has been an honor to join Keith and the Pops onstage for more than 20 years, and I look forward to many more!”
Grammy®- and Tony Award®-winning actress and Broadway performer
Bernadette Peters
“The very, very special aspect of Keith, which is monumentally important, is he can follow you. He really listens. I never sing anything the same way twice because I’m usually in the moment. Well, you can count on him to be in the moment with you. BUT what is remarkable is he gets 80 or more musicians to be in the moment with you, too! He can get that beautiful, beautiful orchestra to play as if they are one stream of consciousness....Every time I work with Keith, it’s a big thrill and always so exciting! I feel what happens is a bit of a miracle.”
John Pizzarelli,
Jazz Guitarist & Vocalist
“I first met Keith when we did a ‘jazz’ Gershwin show and then I was asked to participate in his first album [with the Boston Pops], Runnin' Wild. I had a great time making the CD with him at Orchestra Hall. It was a very exciting atmosphere being it was his first album with his new ‘band’! ... I don’t believe I have performed [with Keith] at Tanglewood. I’m excited to play there.
“He so enjoys what each artist has to offer and is terrific at bringing those strengths to the fore. I hope he continues to steer the ship, bringing great music and happiness to all those he encounters. He is a true gift.”
The Texas Tenors: JC Fisher,
Marcus Collins, and John Hagen
“We first met Keith working with him at the Boston July 4 spectacular in 2019. He was really gracious and kind to us. There were a lot of high-profile people there, and he treated us like royalty, and we never forget that. It was such an honor and thrill to sing with an orchestra of that caliber. That’s not something we get to do every day. It was such an easy rehearsal process and every interaction before we even got there was fantastic; he is a consummate professional. Congratulations on 30 incredible years! We can’t wait to return and perform with you again! Here’s to 30 more years!”
Grammy®- and Emmy®-winning
Time for Three:
Ranaan Meyer, Nick Kendall, and Charles Yang
“It was the summer of 2008, when Keith was the music director of the Utah Symphony, and he had taken a chance on us by programming Time for Three as soloists for the symphony’s summer series at Deer Valley. It was a huge opportunity for us, and it was also pretty much love at first….hear? lol. But we fell in love then, and it’s been a tremendous partnership ever since! This will actually be our first time performing at Tanglewood! We’ve performed with Keith and the Boston Pops both at Symphony Hall and Carnegie Hall.
“The first thing that always stands out about Keith is how great of a musician he is. Every time we perform together, it’s like playing chamber music with him, except that it's with a full orchestra under his baton! He is so dynamic, flexible, and decisive with his ideas and musical intention. Having this kind of collaboration allows for every moment to be ‘in the moment,’ and never predictable, and is what music making is all about! With a lot of Time for Three’s repertoire that we've either written for ourselves, or has been written specifically for us, there is a lot of bending of time and attention to groove. It is very rare to have a Maestro who can so masterfully live within all of these vast worlds. Another outstanding quality that we value is how much of a mentor he has been in our careers. He has brought us as guest artists to many of our first international dates, and has been such a steadfast advocate for what we do as an American band, coming from classical roots, but finding our own way in the world. His love and support has meant EVERYTHING, and we are so grateful.
“BRAVO MAESTRO!!! You are one of THE GREATEST, and we find ourselves so lucky to call you a friend. We love you, and congratulations on this momentous marker!”
Lockhart & Ben Folds (Winslow Townson); Lockhart, Billy Idol, Alfie Boe (Hilary Scott); Lockhart, Chris Botti, Sy Smith, Tim Lefebvre (Hilary
Scott); Lockhart, John Williams, Seiji Ozawa (Miro Vintoniv); The Wizard of Oz (Hilary Scott); Lockhart & Cindi Lauper (Stu Rosner); John Williams'
80th Birthday Celebration with Jessye Norman, Williams, Steven Speilberg, Yo-Yo Ma, Lockhart, James Taylor (Hilary Scott)
Broadway actor and concert performer/director
Jason Danieley
“I met Keith in 1998 when I was asked to be a guest artist for a concert The Pops was doing of music inspired by and scenes from Shakespeare. I had just starred on Broadway in Leonard Bernstein's Candide, and they wanted someone to sing from West Side Story.
“Since then, I’ve performed with Keith numerous times at Tanglewood, as well as now having created and directed four concerts over the last four years. Two highlights were when I performed ‘An Evening of Cole Porter’ with Kelli O'Hara and ‘An Evening of Sondheim’ with Kate Baldwin. Both were amazing concerts and made all the more special because of Keith's affinity and love for both of those amazing songwriters. Keith and I co-created and I directed another tribute a little after Sondheim had passed, Remembering Sondheim. That was particularly memorable as we both admire his music so much, and there was an amazing outpouring of love and admiration from the audience for his body of work.
“Another favorite memory would have to be any time my late wife, Marin Mazzie, and I sang with Keith. We played Boston’s Symphony Hall, two ‘4ths’ at the Hatch Shell, Tanglewood, toured Florida, toured the Northeast region of the States and, without the Pops, we traveled with him to Abu Dhabi and the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Dining in the gardens of the Emirates Palace after a performance or riding in the back of a van after an arena performance with the Czech Philharmonic, telling stories and playing games will always be incredible memories.
“Keith, 30 years is an amazing milestone, and the love for you from the people of Boston and in the Berkshires is well-earned. Your artistry, humor, and good will is unsurpassed. Congratulations! Thanks for the 28-year ride as a performer and now as a director. I’m always only a phone call away—for anything.”