Dallas is turning up the volume! The Dallas Symphony Orchestra has named conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez as its new Creative Director & Principal Conductor of Pops and Specials — a brand-new artistic leadership role created to make the symphony bolder, livelier, and even more fun.
The three-year appointment, announced August 31, 2026 and effective September 1, expands Lopez-Yañez’s role with the DSO, where he has served as Principal Conductor of Dallas Symphony Presents since the 2023/24 season. His mission: grow the orchestra’s non-classical programming and welcome brand-new audiences — with movies in concert, Broadway hits, blues, rock, jazz, and tribute nights.
This season he leads “Disco Fever,” the vibrant “La Vida Loca” program of symphonic arrangements of 1990s and 2000s Latin pop hits, and the DSO’s beloved annual Día de los Muertos concert on October 30. A passionate champion of Latin music and a recipient of Mexico’s 2023 “Mexicanos Distinguidos” honor, Lopez-Yañez fits Dallas’s vibrant, diverse spirit perfectly.
Even better news: he and his wife, vocalist Cassandra Pinataro, are moving to Dallas to connect more deeply with the community. From the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in the Dallas Arts District, a thrilling new chapter of music begins!
Photo: Dallas Symphony Orchestra
