Enrico Lopez-Yañez
Specialty: conductor
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, a position he will begin in the 24/25 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/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, 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, Gladys Knight, Ledisi, Itzhak Perlman, Stewart Copeland, Kenny Loggins, Toby Keith, Mickey Guyton, Kelsea Ballerini, Leslie Odom Jr., Renee Elise Goldsberry, Hanson, The Beach Boys, Kenny G and more. Lopez-Yañez also conducts the annual Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th fireworks show which was first televised on CMT in 2019 reaching millions of viewers across the nation.
This season, Lopez-Yañez will collaborate with artists including Ben Rector, Cody Fry, Patti LaBelle, Trisha Yearwood, Tituss Burgess, Vanesa Williams, Lyle Lovett, Jefferson Starship, Portugal. The Man, Guster, Ben Folds, Aida Cuevas, Lila Downs and Arturo Sandoval. Lopez-Yañez will appear with the Colorado Symphony, Houston Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra and Milwaukee Symphony as well as make return appearances with the Detroit Symphony, National Symphony, 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, Indianapolis 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, 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 and Family/Education 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). Symphonica Productions is also a sheet music publishing house representing a diverse offering of genres and composers. Their roster of composers includes GRAMMY® nominated composer 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, 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).