NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — For Enrico Lopez-Yañez, his art is more than just waving a baton in the air.
"I basically conduct the things that are not straightforward classical concerts, so that can mean collaborations with rock bands and/or rap artists; it means family concerts; it means movies; it means a little bit of everything," he said.
No stranger to the spotlight, Lopez-Yanez grew up in a musical family. His father is an opera singer and his mother a pianist.
"For me, childhood was growing up in the opera houses around the world. We traveled a lot with my dad, and I got to see some of the best orchestras, some of the best singers, in the most beautiful concert halls. And I feel so fortunate that I was exposed to that," Lopez-Yañez said.
Now, his mission is to help expose others to that.
"A lot of the things we offer are really geared towards being inclusive of all ages, of all demographics in Nashville, to serve as many people and get as many people excited about music as we can," he said.
And he'll do just about anything to get people excited about music as the Nashville Symphony's Pops Conductor.
"I have no qualms with dressing up and being goofy on stage," he said.
His passion is to make orchestra music inclusive, something it's struggled with, historically.
"We are trying to break the old stereotype of, 'you have to be super dressed up and stodgy and serious and don't move or don't clap or don't be too loud,'" Lopez-Yañez said.
As a conductor, Lopez-Yanez isn't just breaking barriers in the classical world, he's also become a fearless advocate for music education.
"Everything takes work and dedication of course, but where there is a will there is a way, and especially for music. The world is full of endless possibilities of how you can be involved in the music industry, the kind of impact and the kind of creativity you can bring to it," he said.
He hopes he can inspire people to rethink the way they perceive classical music and give it a chance.
