On November 12, Boston Lyric Opera was proud to honor Keith Lockhart as the Artistic Honoree at our 2025 Opera Gala, recognizing his remarkable contributions to the opera community in Boston and beyond. We sat down with him to talk about opera, storytelling, and his time with BLO.
About Keith Lockhart:
Keith Lockhart marks his 30th anniversary as Conductor of the Boston Pops in 2025, a tenure that includes over 2,250 performances, 45 national tours to over 150 cities, five international tours, and high-profile events like the annual July 4 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular and Super Bowl XXXVI. He is also Artistic Director of the Brevard Music Center. Lockhart’s first collaboration with Boston Lyric Opera was in 2004 when he conducted Tosca, returning in subsequent years for Madama Butterfly, Tales of Hoffmann, and Carmen. He has conducted nearly every major orchestra in North America, as well as various orchestras internationally. As Principal Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra, he conducted annual Proms performances, as well as Queen Elizabeth II’s gala Diamond Jubilee Concert. During his tenure as Music Director of the Utah Symphony, he stood at the front of that organization’s historic merger with Utah Opera and led the symphony during Opening Ceremonies of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Lockhart holds degrees from Furman University and Carnegie Mellon University, as well as numerous honorary doctorates. He was the 2006 recipient of the Bob Hope Patriot Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, and was a recipient of the 2017 Commonwealth Award, Massachusetts’ highest cultural honor.