LAWRENCE LOH
Lawrence Loh is the newly appointed inaugural Music Director of Symphoria, founded by former members of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra. He also holds the position of Music Director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic. Additionally, Loh was recently named Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Syracuse Opera. He recently concluded a decade-long association with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, promoted from Assistant to Associate and later, Resident Conductor. While in Pittsburgh, Lawrence Loh was also Music Director of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra
Since his appointment as Music Director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic in 2005, the orchestra has made its mark as an ensemble of superb musicianship, performing electrifying concerts year-round. Off the podium, Loh is very active in the region as an arts leader and music advocate. He created a very successful Apprentice Conductor Program in 2012, designed to help identify and train the next generation of young conductors.
From 2005-2015, Lawrence Loh had a very successful association with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as Assistant, Associate and Resident Conductor. He worked closely with Music Director Manfred Honeck and conducted a wide range of concerts including classical, educational and pops. He was active in the PSO’s Community Engagement Concerts, extending the PSO’s reach into other communities and led the groundbreaking Sensory Friendly concert in 2015, one of the first of its kind. He made his debut on the main classical series conducting Handel’s Messiah in December 2008. Loh worked closely with the PSO composers of the year, including John Corigliano, Mason Bates, Joan Tower, Steven Stucky and Christopher Theofanidis. For many years, Loh led the enormously popular Fiddlesticks Family Concert Series, playing the part of script writer, host and conductor. He was awarded the Pittsburgh Symphony's Paul Ross Award for Excellence in Education and Community Engagement in 2015. Upon ending his tenure with the PSO in 2015, Loh was immediately reengaged for two weeks in both the 2015-16 and 2016-2017 seasons.
While in Pittsburgh, Lawrence Loh was also Music Director of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra. He led this world-renowned orchestra in concerts at Heinz Hall and throughout the Pittsburgh community. He led PYSO on two international tours to Central Europe and Italy.
Lawrence Loh is active as a guest conductor, both in the U.S. and abroad. Recent engagements include the National (Washington D.C.), Naples, Knoxville, Florida, Dallas, El Paso, San Luis Obispo, Edmonton, Colorado, Charleston (SC), Detroit, Malaysia, Daejeon (South Korea), and Greater Bridgeport Orchestras. His summer appearances include the festivals of Bravo Vail Valley, Aspen (CO), Mann Center in Philadelphia, Breckenridge, Las Vegas, Hot Springs (AR), the Kinhaven Music School (VT) and the Performing Arts Institute (PA). In the summer of 2016, he will make his debut at Tanglewood, conducting Shostakovich 5th Symphony with the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Orchestra.
Lawrence Loh held the positions of Assistant and Associate Conductor of the Dallas Symphony from 2001-2005. He was brought to national attention in February 2004 when he stepped in to conduct on short notice for an ailing Charles Dutoit, conducting Stravinsky's Petrouchka and Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique. Prior to his Dallas appointment, Lawrence Loh was appointed by Music Director Marin Alsop to be Associate Conductor of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and was also Music Director of the Denver Young Artists Orchestra.
Having a particular affinity for pops programming, Lawrence Loh has been engaged for repeat performances with Chris Botti, Idina Menzel, Ann Hampton Callaway, the Texas Tenors and more. He has assisted John Williams on multiple occasions and conducted numerous sold out John Williams tribute concerts. He is particularly adept at conducting concerts synchronizing live orchestral music with film and has led Pixar in Concert, Disney in Concert, Wizard of Oz and Singin’ in the Rain among others.
In May 1998, Lawrence Loh received his Artist Diploma in Orchestral Conducting from Yale School of Music, earning the Eleazar de Carvalho Prize, given to the most outstanding conductor in the Yale graduating class. He received further training at the world-renowned Aspen Music Festival and School. He received his MM in Choral Conducting from Indiana University while also studying clarinet with Howard Klug and voice with Roy Samuelsen. He began the DMA program in Opera and Instrumental Conducting at IU before transferring to Yale. His received his BA and Certificate of Management Studies from the University of Rochester. In 2001, Lawrence Loh was the Guest Curator at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science for “What Makes Music?” an interactive exhibit, offering the opportunity to explore the science of music and sound, as well as the role of music in culture.
Lawrence Loh was born in southern California of Korean parentage and raised in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He and his wife Jennifer have a son, Charlie, and a daughter, Hilary. Follow him on instagram @conductorlarryloh or twitter @lawrenceloh or visit his website www.lawrenceloh.com