Interview: Ron Spigelman
My Conversation With The BPO’s New Principal Pops Conductor
Ron Spigelman is an interesting guy. An Australian native, he is an Honors graduate of the Royal Academy of Music (London) and has conducted orchestras all over the world.
He currently resides in Tulsa with his wife Laura and their children. He is Board President of Harmony Project Tulsa, whose mission is to bring music instruction to underserved youth in the Tulsa Public Schools.
He recently graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Human Development and received the Dean’s Medal for Academic Excellence. He is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Liberal Studies.
Ron has conducted symphonic, ballet, opera, musical theatre, pops concerts, and more than 30 live-to-film productions, including all of the Harry Potter movies.
Ron was recently named Principal Pops Conductor at The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. On February 4, 2025 he met with me online from his home in Tulsa.
The interview below was edited for length and clarity.
Frank Housh: Congratulations on your appointment as Principal Pops Conductor at the BPO and thank you for taking the time to speak with me today.
Ron Spigelman: Thank you. It’s my pleasure.
Frank Housh: You have a history with the BPO, obviously. You were an Assistant Conductor for four years and Associate Conductor for another four. Is that right?
Ron Spigelman: That's right.
Frank Housh: Can you explain what that means? What do Assistant and Associate Conductors do?
Ron Spigelman: It varies by organization, but at the BPO Assistant and Associate Conductors act in support of the Music Director (JoAnn Falletta) who directs the Orchestra’s artistic direction and personnel decisions.
The Assistant is a kind a cover conductor. They're always in the hall watching the rehearsals and in case something happens to any of the conductors that come through then you're kind of required to step in at a moment's notice.
Frank Housh: Like a backup quarterback?
Ron Spigelman: Yes. At the same time, the Assistant leads children's educational concerts, outreach performances, summer concerts, the occasional Pops and Classics concert.
Assistant and Associate Conductors also support the music library, serve on the BPO Education Committee, help formulate programming choices for schools, and act as a liaison to community.
Frank Housh: What does an Associate Conductor do?
Ron Spigelman: It’s pretty much the same as Assistant Conductors. The title is a sort of recognition that you're no longer an apprentice.
My last Associate position was with Buffalo. I left during the 2004-05 Season and I've been a Music Director in various organizations and a freelance conductor since 2018.
Frank Housh: How have classical concerts changed in that time?
Ron Spigelman: What I've noticed is that with so much music available online a concert has to offer something that people truly want to see before they will put their coat on and leave the house. There are lots of reasons to stay home.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Media Room - The Arts in Real Life to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.