Conducting Post Filled at Pacific Symphony

Lucas Richman will be offered the position of assistant conductor of the Pacific Symphony for the 1988-89 season, executive director Louis G. Spisto confirmed Thursday.

“We are very excited about Lucas coming on board,” Spisto said. “The final offer has not been made yet. But it will be made after we discuss the position in a bit more detail today.”

Richman, 24, is expected to sign a one-year contract on Friday and will be responsible for conducting a mix of pops, educational, summer and run-out concerts, Spisto said. His duties will also include developing outreach efforts such as a student-apprenticeship program and a new chamber music series.

Richman completed graduate studies in conducting at USC’s School of Music in 1987 and was the conductor-in-training of the Young Musicians Foundation Orchestra for three years until 1987. He also shared podiums with Leonard Bernstein in Europe and Moscow during the summer, and guest-conducted the Houston Symphony.

Spisto said that Richman was one of four finalists selected from a field of about 20 applicants. According to Spisto, orchestra members first reviewed the applicants; they were then reviewed in rehearsal by the eight-member search committee that has been appointed to find a new music director for the orchestra upon founding director Keith Clark’s departure at the end of next season. Clark was not involved in the selection process.

Spisto declined to name any of the other finalists or applicants.

“Lucas was, we felt, the best qualified in terms of his conducting abilities, his experience with youth programs and developing programs, and he also has a great experience in musical theater and light classical programming, which will assist our pops programs. . . . He is a terrific talent,” Spisto said.