Program features the best of John Williams’s film music from every episode in the series, plus selections from Michael Giacchino’s score for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Tickets on sale now at dso.org
Detroit, (September 26, 2024) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) will kick off it’s 2024–2025 PNC Pops Series with The Music of Star Wars at Orchestra Hall on October 4 through 6. The program will be conducted by Principal Pops Conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez and marks his first concerts in the role.
The Music of Star Wars will take place Friday, October 4 at 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m., Saturday, October 5 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, October 6 at 3 p.m. at Orchestra Hall and feature John Williams favorites from every episode in the Star Wars series, plus selections from Michael Giacchino’s score for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased at dso.org or by calling the Box Office at 313.576.5111, open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Throughout the season, the PNC Pops Series will bring favorites from Broadway, film and TV, rock, pop, and more to the Orchestra Hall stage. As previously announced, Lopez-Yañez begins his tenure as Principal Pops Conductor (Devereaux Family Chair) in the 2024–2025 season with an initial three-year contract, overseeing the artistic vision of the PNC Pops Series. He will conduct five of the season’s 11 PNC Pops weeks, including Under the Streetlamp on November 15 through 17, which features old-school hits by The Drifters, Roy Orbison, Nat King Cole, The Beach Boys, and The Beatles; and the beloved Home for the Holidays concerts on December 13 through 15. He will also conduct La Vida Loca and a family concert in March, and a program with acclaimed singer-songwriter Ben Folds in May.
The title sponsor of the DSO’s PNC Pops Series is PNC Bank.
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PNC Pops Series
Friday, October 4 at 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Saturday, October 5 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, October 6 at 3 p.m.
Orchestra Hall
Feel the force of the entire Star Wars saga as the DSO performs the best of John Williams’s film music from every episode in the series. Plus, selections from Michael Giacchino’s score for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
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About Enrico Lopez-Yañez
Enrico Lopez-Yañez is Principal Pops Conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He also serves in the same role with the Nashville and Pacific symphonies, and as Principal Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Presents. Lopez-Yañez has quickly established himself as one of the nation’s leading conductors of popular music and become known for his unique style of audience engagement. Also an active composer/arranger, he has been commissioned by prominent orchestras across the United States. Lopez-Yañez has conducted concerts with a broad spectrum of artists from Nas and Patti LaBelle to Itzhak Perlman, The Beach Boys, Kenny G, and more.
An advocate for Latin music, Lopez- Yañez was the recipient of the 2023 “Mexicanos Distinguidos” Award by the Mexican government, an award granted to Mexican citizens living abroad for outstanding career accomplishments in their field.
As Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Symphonica Productions, LLC, Lopez-Yañez curates and leads programs designed to cultivate new audiences. Symphonica’s show offerings range from pops shows to family and educational productions and have been performed by major orchestra across North America.
As a producer, composer, and arranger, Lopez-Yañez’s work can be heard on numerous albums including the UNESCO benefit album Action Moves People United and children’s music albums including The Spaceship that Fell in My Backyard and Kokowanda Bay.
Follow Enrico online @enricolopezyanez
About the DSO
The acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for trailblazing performances, collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists, and a deep connection to its city. Led by Music Director Jader Bignamini since 2020, the DSO makes its home at historic Orchestra Hall within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, offering a performance schedule that features the PVS Classical, PNC Pops, Paradise Jazz, and Young People’s Family Concert series. In addition, the DSO presents the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series in metro area venues, as well as eclectic multi-genre performances in its mid-size venue The Cube, constructed and curated with support from Peter D. & Julie F. Cummings. A dedication to broadcast innovation began in 1922, when the DSO became the first orchestra in the world to present a live radio broadcast of a concert and continues today with the groundbreaking Live from Orchestra Hall series of free webcasts.
Since its first school concerts a century ago, and particularly since the founding of the Civic Youth Ensembles in 1970, the DSO has been a national leader in bringing the benefits of music education to students, teachers, and families in Detroit and surrounding communities. The DSO remains committed to expanding its participation in the growth and well-being of Detroit through programs like its Detroit Neighborhood Initiative—cultural events co-created with community partners and residents—and Detroit Harmony, a promise to provide an instrument and instruction to any student in the city who wants to learn. With unwavering support from the people of Detroit, the DSO actively pursues a mission to impact lives through the power of unforgettable musical experiences.