Keith!

Update:   Keith Lockhart and his wife Emiley welcomed their first child, a son, at 4:12 AM on Thursday, April 1, 2010 at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. The baby's name is Edward Kellan Lockhart, who weighed in at 8 lbs. 7 oz. and measured 21 inches. "Mother and son are doing fine." 
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Keith Lockhart

When the dashing young Keith Lockhart, then 35, became conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra in 1995, he had been music director of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra for three years.  He not only remained with the CCO for four more years (until 1999), he made it prosper.  During that time, he doubled the number of CCO performances, took it to New York for its New York City debut (at Town Hall) and made two compact disc recordings, the orchestra's first.
  

Lockhart’s commitment to Cincinnati and the CCO is being honored at a gala event, “Memories and Music,” April 9 at the Hilton Netherland Plaza Hotel.  At that time, the CCO will present him with its “Pinnacle Award” for service to the arts in Cincinnati.

Lockhart’s appearance will be unlike the ones he is accustomed to as conductor of the BPO, which he has led in Boston, Tanglewood, on tour nationwide and around the world, on compact disc and DVD, at sporting events including the Olympic Games, and annually on TV.   He will be an audience member this time, a role he is looking forward to playing for a change.

Lockhart, who turned 50 in November, is also looking forward to seeing old friends, including members of the Cincinnati Symphony/Pops Orchestra, which he served as assistant, then associate conductor from 1990-95.  (He, in fact, continued to oversee educational activities for the CSO for one year into his BPO tenure.)

His Cincinnati visit will be a quick one, since his wife Emiley is expecting their first child any minute.

Tickets are still available for the event, which is a benefit for the CCO.   Regular seating is $125.  Patron seating is $250.  Sign up online at www.ccocincinnati.org