Tituss Burgess with the DSO: celebrate Pride at Orchestra Hall on June 29

DSO hosts first annual Pride concert with Tituss Burgess and Principal Pops Conductor Designate Enrico Lopez-Yañez, featuring musical selections from Broadway and film

Tickets on sale now at dso.org

Detroit, (May 6, 2024) – On June 29, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) will celebrate Pride with a concert at Orchestra Hall conducted by Principal Pops Conductor Designate Enrico Lopez-Yañez and featuring actor and vocalist Tituss Burgess.

Burgess is best known for his role as Titus Andromedon on the Netflix comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015–2020), for which he received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations. On Broadway, he originated the role of Sebastian in The Little Mermaid and played the roles of Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls and Harold Zidler in Moulin Rouge! Burgess’s concert with the DSO will feature musical selections from Broadway and film.

The event will celebrate the vibrant spectrum of identities within the LGBTQIA2S+ community and marks the first official Pride concert by the DSO, a tradition the symphony intends to continue.

At the event, the DSO will host local LGBTQIA2S+ organizations and will spotlight artwork that embodies the essence of Pride and the beauty, resilience, and diversity within the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Artists interested in submitting works to be displayed may click here for more information. The DSO will also return to host booths at Motor City Pride (June 8–9) and Ferndale Pride (June 1), featuring activities and opportunities to learn more about the DSO. Learn more about the history of Pride in Detroit from our friends at Motor City Pride by clicking here Additional LGBTQIA2S+ resources can be found here (from The Gender and Sexuality Campus Center at Michigan State University) and here (from Affirmations).

TITUSS BURGESS WITH THE DSO will take place Saturday, June 29 at 8 p.m. at Orchestra Hall.

Tickets for this performance are on sale now and start at $29. They 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.

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TITUSS BURGESS WITH THE DSO
Saturday, June 29, 2024 at 8 p.m.
Orchestra Hall
Enrico Lopez-Yañez, conductor
Tituss Burgess, vocalist
The inimitable Tituss Burgess joins the DSO and Principal Pops Conductor Designate Enrico Lopez-Yañez for a fabulous evening of song! With his incredible high-tenor voice and dynamic stage presence, Burgess sings selections from Broadway and film in this concert celebration of Pride.

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About Enrico Lopez-Yañez
Enrico Lopez-Yañez is the Principal Pops Conductor of the Nashville Symphony and Pacific Symphony, as well as the Principal Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Presents. This season, Lopez-Yañez has been named Principal Pops Conductor Designate of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, a position he will begin in the 2024–2025 season. Lopez-Yañez is quickly establishing himself as one of the nation’s leading conductors of popular music and becoming known for his unique style of audience engagement. Also an active composer and arranger, he has been commissioned to write for the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Houston Symphony, San Diego Symphony and Omaha Symphony, and has had his works performed by orchestras including the Atlanta Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, National Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Seattle Symphony, and Utah Symphony, among others.

Lopez-Yañez has conducted concerts with a broad spectrum of artists including Nas, Patti LaBelle, Ledisi, Itzhak Perlman, Stewart Copeland, Kenny Loggins, Trisha Yearwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Leslie Odom Jr., Renee Elise Goldsberry, Portugal. The Man, Cody Fry, Hanson, The Beach Boys, Kenny G, and more. Lopez-Yañez also conducts the annual Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th fireworks show, which is televised annually on CMT, reaching millions of viewers across the nation.

This season Lopez-Yañez will collaborate with artists including Ben Rector, Cypress Hill, Tituss Burgess, Vanessa Williams, Lyle Lovett, Jefferson Starship, Guster, Ben Folds, and Arturo Sandoval. He will appear with the Minnesota Orchestra and Milwaukee Symphony, as well as make return appearances with the Indianapolis Symphony, National Symphony, The Philadelphia Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, and more. Previously, Lopez-Yañez has appeared with orchestras throughout North America including the Baltimore Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Houston Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, and the Seattle Symphony, among others.

Lopez-Yañez is the recipient of the 2023 “Mexicanos Distiguidos” Award by the Mexican government, an award granted to Mexican citizens living abroad for outstanding career accomplishments in their field. As an advocate for Latin music, he has arranged and produced shows for Latin Fire, Mariachi Los Camperos, and The Three Mexican Tenors, and collaborated with artists including Aida Cuevas and Lila Downs.

As Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Symphonica Productions, LLC, Lopez-Yañez curates and leads programs designed to cultivate new audiences. Symphonica manages a wide breadth of pops, family, and educational productions that “breathe new, exuberant life into classical programming for kids and families” (Nashville Parent Magazine). Symphonica’s productions have been described as “incredibly special—and something that needs to become the new norm” (Lima Symphony). As a sheet music publishing house, Symphonica Productions represents a diverse offering of genres and composers, including Grammy Award nominee Clarice Assad, Sverre Indris Joner, Andres Soto, Charles Cozens, Vinicio Meza, and more.

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, winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Hollywood Music and Media Awards, and Family Choice Awards; and Kokowanda Bay, winner of a Global Media Award as well as a Parents’ Choice Award, where Lopez-Yañez was lauded for his “catchy arrangements” (Parents’ Choice Foundation).

Connect on social media @enricolopezyanez or visit enricolopezyanez.com for more information.

About Tituss Burgess
Emmy and SAG-nominated actor, musician, and writer Tituss Burgess is quickly emerging as one of the entertainment industry’s most versatile and dynamic performers, with his work in television and theater generating both critical and commercial acclaim.

Burgess was nominated for an Emmy® for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for reprising his iconic role as ‘Titus Andromedon’ in Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend interactive special, which featured the characters from the Emmy®-nominated comedy series, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

He can also be seen in Central Park, an animated musical comedy series that follows the Tillermans, a family that lives in Central Park. Burgess stars alongside Josh Gad, Daveed Diggs, Stanley Tucci, Kathryn Hahn, and Leslie Odom Jr. The animated comedy globally premiered on Apple TV+. Burgess was nominated for the 2021 Emmy® for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance for his portrayal of Cole Tillerman, his sixth Emmy® nomination.

Burgess appears as Reverend Dr. James Cleveland in MGM’s Aretha Franklin biopic Respect. The film also stars Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Forest Whitaker, and Marc Maron.

Previously, Burgess appeared in Netflix’s Dolemite Is My Name, alongside Eddie Murphy, Keegan Michael Key, Mike Epps, and Craig Robinson. The film tells the story of performer Rudy Ray Moore, who assumed the role of an iconic pimp named Dolemite during the 1970s and was released Fall 2019. Additionally, he appeared in the Netflix romantic comedy Set It Up alongside Taye Diggs, Lucy Liu, Glen Powell, and Zoey Deutch, and lent his voice to two major studio films: The Angry Birds Movie and Smurfs: The Lost Village. Burgess also served as the host of Quibi/Roku’s hit cooking competition, Dishmantled

Most notably, Burgess starred as ‘Titus Andromedon' in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Recognized for the actor’s scene-stealing performance in the series’ four seasons, Burgess was nominated for four Emmy® Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series, and two Critics’ Choice TV Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He was also awarded Best Actor at the 2015 Webby Awards and Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy at the 2015 Gold Derby TV Awards.

First introduced to television audiences in Tina Fey's Emmy®-winning NBC series 30 Rock, where he played the scene-stealing ‘D’Fwan,’ a vivacious hairdresser and the sidekick of Angie Jordan (Sherri Shepherd), Burgess quickly became a breakout star in the series' fifth and sixth seasons. His other television credits include A Gifted ManBlue Bloods, and Royal Pains.

A veteran of the stage, Burgess made his Broadway debut in 2005 as Eddie in Good Vibrations. Since then, he has held many memorable roles on the Broadway stage including Hal Miller in Jersey Boys, Sebastian the Crab in The Little Mermaid, and Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the 2009 revival of Guys and Dolls.

In 2019, Burgess acquired the rights to the beloved film The Preacher’s Wife. The movie turned Broadway Musical includes an original score and lyrics by Burgess.

In music, Burgess debuted his third album, Saint Tituss. In its opening week, it was No. 16 on the Billboard Top 100 album sales chart. Most recently, he released his first official dance track, “Dance M.F.” that’s a sultry sexy stomper with an attitude.

He currently resides in New Jersey.

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.

MISSION: The Detroit Symphony Orchestra impacts lives through the power of unforgettable musical experiences by sustaining a world class orchestra for our city and the global community.

VISION: The Detroit Symphony Orchestra is an inclusive and culturally relevant community where all people can experience their world through music.

VALUES:

Excellence: We value a consistently high level of performance, both artistically and organizationally.

Collaboration: We partner to achieve collective positive impact within our organization and throughout our community.

Diversity: We identify, understand, and invite a multitude of voices, views, and values into our organizational process and artistic outputs.

Innovation: We proactively look for novel ways to advance opportunities.

Resilience: We flourish in new and uncertain environments.