Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart was born in Poughkeepsie, NY in November 1959 and began piano lessons at the age of seven, later studying music at Furman University and Carnegie-Mellon University. After concurrently serving as Carnegie-Mellon's Director of Orchestral Activities and as Conductor of the Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra, in 1988 Lockhart was named Assistant Conductor of the Akron Symphony Orchestra and Conductor of the Akron Youth Symphony; a year later, he was tapped as one of two Conducting Fellows of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute, and in 1990 relocated again to accept the position of Assistant Conductor with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Beginning in 1992, Lockhart additionally served as Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Pops and as Music Director of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra; in 1993, he toured with singer Mandy Patinkin, and later that year made his commercial recorded debut conducting the Cincinnati Sinfonietta and featured performer Mel Torm