PRESS RELEASE:
John Williams Withdraws as San Diego Symphony Guest Conductor for January
30, 31 Concerts; Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart Will Lead the Orchestra
in His Place
It is with deep regret that we announce John Williams must withdraw from conducting the
special concerts scheduled with the San Diego Symphony at the Jacobs Music Center on Friday and Saturday, January 30 and 31, 2015.
Having led the San Diego Symphony twice in recent years, Maestro Williams has such deep respect for this orchestra and the San Diego audiences. He very much regrets not being able to lead these concerts but must withdraw due to a temporary minor health issue.
Maestro Williams had been looking forward to these performances since his San Diego engagement was announced last spring. The concerts, which will still take place, will be led by Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart. The program of Maestro Williams’ music will remain the same, including his captivating suite from Memoirs of Geisha with acclaimed cellist Johannes Moser as soloist, along with selections from Harry Potter, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars and more of his beloved film scores. As originally planned, the performances will feature a selection of film clips from Academy Award-winning movies to accompany several of the musical pieces, heightening the concert-going experience, as we salute one of the most honored and respected composers of our time.
Keith Lockhart Steps In
John Williams’ successor as conductor of the Boston Pops, Keith Lockhart, will lead the San Diego Symphony for these special concerts. Lockhart has worked with wide array of established artists from virtually every corner of the entertainment world, while promoting programs that focus on talented young musicians from the Tanglewood Music Center, Boston Conservatory and Berklee College of Music. During his 19-year tenure, he has conducted more than 1,500 Boston Pops concerts and introduced concert performances of full-length Broadway shows including Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel and Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music. Keith Lockhart also currently serves as principal conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra in London, which he led in the June 2012 Diamond Jubilee Concert for Queen Elizabeth II.
Lockhart has appeared as a guest conductor with nearly every major symphonic ensemble in North America, as well as several in Europe and Asia.
To purchase tickets, please contact the San Diego Symphony box office at 619.235.0804, or visit www.sandiegosymphony.com.