Enrico Lopez-Yañez conducted the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and drummer Stewart Copeland in music by the Police on Oct. 8. Lopez-Yañez is the orchestra’s incoming principal pops conductor.
In Thursday’s (10/26) Detroit Free Press, Brian McCollum writes, “Hailed for his theatrical style and innovative production approach, Enrico Lopez-Yañez has been named the new principal pops conductor for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Lopez-Yañez will succeed Jeff Tyzik, a fellow trumpeter who has held the post for more than a decade, and he’ll join a DSO artistic team that includes music director Jader Bignamini, jazz chair Terence Blanchard and assistant conductor Na’Zir McFadden. Born in the U.S. to what he calls a ‘very musical household’—his father is an opera singer, his mother a pianist—Lopez-Yañez, 34, grew up in Europe and California with wide-ranging musical tastes. He gravitated to orchestral pops early in his career … ‘[Pops] seemed like such an innovative space for being creative, designing new programming and collaborating with new artists,’ says Lopez-Yañez. ‘I was just really drawn to all the potential that existed in the pops space.’ His DSO work this season will include several programs … and he’ll assume the role full-time with the 2024-25 season.” Yañez is also principal pops conductor of the Nashville Symphony and Pacific Symphony as well as principal conductor of Dallas Symphony Presents.
