ANDRÉS FRANCO and FRANCESCO LECCE-CHONG, assistant conductors at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra since September 2015, have both been promoted to associate conductor. In their new roles, Franco and Lecce-Chong will assist Music Director Manfred Honeck and PSO guest conductors, while also leading education, outreach, parks, and other concerts.
Andrés Franco has agreed to a two-year contract. A native of Colombia, Franco has led many performances of works by Latin American composers, such as Jimmy López, Diego Luzuriaga, and Astor Piazzolla. He previously was music director of the Philharmonia of Kansas City, associate and resident conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and assistant conductor to Leonard Slatkin during the 14th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.
Francesco Lecce-Chong has signed a one-year contract and will continue in his role as principal conductor for the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, as he transitions to his new position as music director of the Eugene Symphony in Oregon in 2017-18. A native of Boulder, Colorado, he was associate conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra from 2011-2015, where he commissioned new works and helped create the first MSO Composer Institute, providing performance opportunities for young American composers, and launched the orchestra’s Arts in Community Education program
Posted July 28, 2017
