Two conductors to join Pittsburgh Symphony
Two new staff conductors will join the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra at the start of the 2015-16 season. Andres Franco and Francesco Lecce-Chong will hold the titles of assistant conductors and succeed Lawrence Loh and Fawzi Haimor, who complete their tenures this summer.
Franco is artistic director of the Fort Worth Symphony's summer festival and is in his fifth year as principal conductor of the multimedia project Caminos del Inka, founded by conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya and also based in Fort Worth, Texas.
Franco earned his bachelor's degree in piano performance in his native Colombia and master's degrees in piano performance and conducting at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.
Lecce-Chong has been associate conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony for the past four years and will continue as associate conductor of the Grand Teton Music Festival in Teton Village, Wyo.
Lecce-Chong began conducting at 16, earned a bachelor's degree with honors in piano and orchestral conducting from the Mannes College of Music in New York City and a holds a diploma from the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia.
The new conductors will share responsibility for Tiny Tots, Schooltime and outreach concerts.
Lecce-Chong also will conduct the Fiddlesticks Family Concerts and has been named music director of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, which rehearses and gives concerts at Heinz Hall.
Franco also will lead the Audience of the Future and Student Side-by Side programs.
