Conductor

After more than 50 years of outstanding success, America’s favorite conductor comes to Brevard County as the new Principal Conductor and Music Director for the Space Coast Pops! With Mr. Hayman’s brilliant compositions, colorful attire, and outstanding guest artists, Brevard can get ready for an odyssey into the outer limits of the music world.

For over 30 years Richard Hayman was the chief arranger for the Boston Pops Orchestra during Arthur Fiedler’s tenure, providing special arrangements for dozens of their hit albums and famous singles as well as conducting the Orchestra. Under John Williams’ and Keith Lockhart’s direction, the orchestra continues to program his award-winning arrangements and orchestrations today.

At eighteen Mr. Hayman began his career touring with the harmonica group, Borrah Minevitch Harmonica Rascals. Hired as a musician, he was soon writing all the music for this large ensemble. His unique writing and arranging caught the ear of MGM Studios music director George Stoll, who put him to work orchestrating for such pictures as Girl Crazy (with Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney), Meet me in St. Louis (with Miss Garland) and As Thousands Cheer. He also worked with many notable giants in Hollywood including Twentieth Century Fox’s Alfred Newman, Paramount’s Victor Young, MGM’s George Stoll and Herbert Stothart, and Warner Brother’s Max Steiner and Eric Wolfgang.

His sparkling background in musical arrangements for recordings resulted in Mercury Record Corporation signing him to an exclusive recording contract. The successful recordings that followed soon placed the young maestro in the musical major leagues. Dozens of Mr. Hayman’s original compositions have been recorded by various artists all over the world. He has arranged and conducted recordings for more then 50 stars of motion pictures, stage, radio and television and over 50 Naxos International CD’s.

In 1960 Richard Hayman was honored with his own star in Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, an honor he cherishes to this day. He is considered the world’s most renowned Harmonica player, not only because of his melodious and powerful sound, but also because of his arrangements that have brought renewed interest in the harmonica. One of his most famous achievements is Ruby from the motion picture Ruby Gentry. Ruby broke every success record and brought about a renewed interest in the harmonica, an interest that has continued throughout the years with everything from rock groups to full symphony orchestras. His famous harmonica will be with him on stage, so get ready for the best of the best with Richard Hayman and the Space Coast Pops Orchestra.