"Programming and conducting pops concerts is a particular niche in symphonic music," said orchestra president Ryan Fleur. "We feel it is time in our cultural life to draw on the expertise of people who can lead us to better and more consistent pops performances."
The creation of the new position coincides with the departure of Vincent Danner, the orchestra's associate conductor. "We've been very fortunate to hang on to a conductor like Vince for 12 years," Fleur said. "We already negotiated some concert dates with Vince for next season, so he won't be completely absent from our schedule."