Since 1997, Bob Bernhardt has been principal pops conductor of the Louisville Orchestra; before then, beginning in 1981, he was principal guest conductor of Kentucky Opera and the LO’s assistant and associate conductor. He has been the Pops Conductor for the Grand Rapids Symphony since 2015 and conductor of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony Under the Sky Festival since 2006; he has also been an annual guest on several of the ESO’s subscription series during his tenure there.

Previously, he was music director of the Tucson Symphony, the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera and the Amarillo Symphony; he was also artistic director of the Rochester Philharmonic and Lake Placid Sinfonietta. He served as an artist-in-residence at Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn.

His 40 seasons as a music director, 35 years in the opera pit and nearly 50 years conducting pops orchestras give him a unique perspective and insight into all of his work. He is grateful to be a musical omnivore, a fan of almost all music he has been fortunate enough to encounter.

He has been a frequent guest conductor with the Detroit Symphony, Florida Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, Boston Pops and many others. He made his Pops debut in Boston in 1992 at John Williams’ invitation and has been a frequent guest since then.

Born in Rochester, N.Y., he holds a master’s degree from the University of Southern California School of Music, where he studied with Daniel Lewis. He is also a Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., where he played four years of varsity soccer and baseball. In his senior year, he was captain of the soccer team and was selected as an Academic All-American baseball player (third base). While all the research is not yet in, Bernhardt believes he is the only symphony conductor in the history of music to be invited to spring training with the Kansas City Royals. After four days, the Royals suggested a life in music for him. He and his wife, Nora, live in Signal Mountain, Tenn.