Keith Lockhart Discusses 25 Years At The Boston Pops

Arjun Singh is a producer for Boston Public Radio. A California native, Arjun moved to Boston to study international relations at Boston University. Prior to working at WGBH, Arjun worked at a tech company and for a political campaign.

February 28, 2020

Updated August 07, 2023

Keith Lockhart has been the conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra for 25 years. When he first came to Boston, the Big Dig was still in progress, the Top of the Hub was open and Ted Kennedy served Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate. Though Boston has changed, Lockhart continues to helm the orchestra.

On Friday, he joined Boston Public Radio to look back on his career. Reflecting on his first months as the conductor, Lockhart said that one moment stuck out to him as particularly memorable: the first time he conducted during the city’s iconic Fourth of July celebrations.

“I think the first day I really noticed I had the job was the Fourth of July,” Lockhart said. “Walking out on that stage for the first time and seeing that sea of humanity. This incredible sociological phenomenon of all those people coming together really gave me an idea of how important the orchestra was to how many people.”