Described as bringing an “artisan storyteller’s sensitivity… shaping passages with clarity and power via beautifully sculpted dynamics… revealing orchestral character not seen or heard before” (Arts Knoxville), Lawrence Loh enjoys a dynamic career as a conductor of orchestras around the world.
After an extensive two-year search, Mr. Loh was appointed Music Director of the Waco Symphony Orchestra in the spring of 2024. He was also named Conductor Laureate of The Syracuse Orchestra, following his decade-long tenure as Music Director (2015–2025). As Syracuse.com observed, “The connection between the organization and its audience is one of the qualities that’s come to define Syracuse’s symphony as it wraps up its 10th season, a milestone that might have seemed impossible at the beginning.” Under Loh’s leadership, The Syracuse Orchestra demonstrated that it is possible to build a “new, more sustainable artistic institution from the ground up.”
Appointed Assistant Conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 2005, Mr. Loh was quickly promoted to Associate and Resident Conductor within his first three years. Always a favorite among Pittsburgh audiences, he continues to return regularly to conduct the PSO in a wide range of programs.
Mr. Loh previously served as Music Director of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Syracuse Opera, Music Director of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, Associate Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Associate Conductor of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, and Music Director of the Denver Young Artists Orchestra.
His recent guest conducting appearances include the Albany Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Calgary Philharmonic, Cathedral Choral Society at the Washington National Cathedral, Dallas Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Florida Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, National Symphony (D.C.), New Jersey Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Sarasota Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, and Utah Symphony.
His summer festival appearances include the Bravo! Vail Music Festival, the Chautauqua Institution Summer Music Festival, the Grant Park Music Festival, the Kinhaven Music School Summer Festival, the Performing Arts Institute of Wyoming Seminary (Pennsylvania), the Shippensburg Festival Series, the Sun Valley Music Festival, and Tanglewood (both the Boston Pops and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute).
A self-described “Star Wars geek” and film music enthusiast, Mr. Loh has conducted numerous sold-out John Williams and film music tribute concerts, often serving as both host and conductor. As the Pittsburgh Tribune noted, “It is his enthusiasm for Williams’ music and the films for which it was written that is Loh’s great strength in this program. A fan’s enthusiasm drives his performances in broad strokes and details and fills his speaking to the audience with irresistible appeal. He used no cue cards. One felt he could speak at filibuster length on Williams’ music.”
Mr. Loh has assisted John Williams on multiple occasions and has worked with a wide range of pops artists, from Chris Botti and Ann Hampton Callaway to Jason Alexander and Idina Menzel. He is one of the most sought-after conductors for Films in Concert presentations, having led performances of Black Panther, Star Wars (Episodes IV–VI), Jaws, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Jurassic Park, Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, and Singin’ in the Rain, among others.
Lawrence Loh received his Artist Diploma in Orchestral Conducting from Yale University, his Master’s in Choral Conducting from Indiana University, and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Rochester. Born in Southern California to Korean parents and raised in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, he and his wife Jennifer have a son, Charlie, and a daughter, Hilary.
Follow him on Instagram @conductorlarryloh, on Facebook @lawrencelohconductor, or visit lawrenceloh.com.
