Gerald Steichen has been a frequent guest conductor with the Utah Symphony. And starting this fall, he will be formalizing his relationship with the organization as its new principal pops conductor.
Last week, the Utah Symphony announced that Steichen will assume the position with the start of the 2009-10 season.
"I am so excited about coming to Utah regularly," he told the Deseret News in a phone interview from his home in New York. "I've had an informal relationship with the Utah Symphony for years, and I'm looking forward to being a regular."
Although Steichen has been a frequent guest conductor at the Utah Festival Opera in Logan for the past decade, he didn't make his Salt Lake debut until 2002, when he conducted Stephen Sondheim's "A Little Night Music" for Utah Opera.
Since then his guest engagements have been frequent, including appearances at the Deer Valley Music Festival, where he has conducted each of the four Gilbert and Sullivan operettas that have been performed.
Symphony management and Steichen had been discussing the job for the past two years, but it wasn't until a couple of months ago that the talks were finalized.
While Steichen is currently on a year-to-year contract with the Utah Symphony, he said his appointment will certainly be long-term.
"The next three years are pretty well set already." (The search for a new music director to replace Keith Lockhart, who leaves the Utah Symphony at the end of the current season in May, is still ongoing.)
Steichen is scheduled to conduct four of the five pops concerts each season. And while he's going to be conducting concerts at this summer's Deer Valley Music Festival, he doesn't make his official debut in his new position until the first pops concert in September.
"My first concert will be Sept. 18," he said. "It's going to be the 'Cirque de la Symphonie,' which has been getting great reviews. I'm so happy to be doing it."
While he can't divulge the rest of the pops season yet, he promised it will make everyone happy.
"The new season will have something for everyone. There's going to be some nostalgia, some Broadway and something cutting edge. You know with pops, the sky's the limit."
As to the Deer Valley Music Festival, Steichen said he will be doing a little bit of everything.
"We're still talking about the programs, but I'll conduct a concert with a headliner and do a Broadway program and conduct some of the chamber music at St. Mary's."
Steichen's career up to now has prepared him well for tackling both classical and pops programs. Currently, he is the associate conductor of the New Haven Symphony and the music director of the Ridgefield (Conn.) Symphony.
He has also conducted pops concerts in the United States and abroad, including holiday programs with the Boston Pops and Viennese favorites with the Hong Kong Philharmonic.
"It's a busy schedule, and I love it," he said.
But whenever he's asked what his favorite music is — if it happens to be classical or opera or pops — he always replies with, "Whatever I'm doing at this precise minute." He knows it's a clich? but he insists it's true.
"I love all kinds of music, and whatever I do I am committed to it 100 percent."
Right now he's committed to giving pops audiences in Utah what they want and to have a bigger and more visible presence in the community.
"This is a great group of people and musicians," he said.
"The community really supports the orchestra, and I'm looking forward to becoming more of a part of that community. I'm excited to be spending more time (in Salt Lake City) and getting to know everyone better."
E-mail: ereichel@desnews.com