Pittsburgh Names Jazz Trumpeter as New Principal Pops Conductor

On Tuesday, January 7, 2020, the Pittsburgh Symphony announced Byron Stripling to be their new Principal Pops Conductor. Stripling is only the second person to hold this position, following in the footsteps of the great Marvin Hamlisch who died in 2012.

Currently the Artistic Director of the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, Stripling was the lead trumpeter of the Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of Thad Jones and Frank Foster. He has also either recorded or performed with countless jazz legends such as Woody Herman, J.J. Johnson, Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Dave Brubeck, and many others.

As a bandleader, Stripling has a way of carefully crafting concerts and shows that allow audiences around the world to fall in love with the sounds of jazz, swing, and pop music. By adding his versatility as a vocalist, he has conducted shows with the Boston Pops (Evening at Pops),  National Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, Seattle Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Dallas Symphony, and many, many others. During Tuesday’s announcement at Pittsburgh’s PNC Plaza, Stripling said he hopes to bring his knowledge and expertise to the stage and “uplift this community” in Pittsburgh.

An advocate for education, Stripling teaches trumpet in the Ohio State University’s jazz studies department and has helped propel the Columbus Jazz Arts Group into being one of the premier jazz education organizations in the country.

Read the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review article to learn more about this announcement.