Pittsburgh Pops Conductor Marvin Hamlisch Dies at 68

Principal pops conductor for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Marvin Hamlisch died on Monday at age 68.

Oscar, Grammy, Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and conductor collapsed Monday after a brief illness and passed away in Los Angeles.

"Marvin Hamlisch's passing is a tremendous shock to all of us at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra," the PSO said in a statement released Tuesday.

"He was a true and great friend who absolutely loved the PSO, our audiences and this city. He considered it his second hometown and it clearly showed, whether he was taking in a Pirates game, dining at his favorite restaurants or patronizing stores," the statement continued.

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The American musical genius was one of the eleven people to have been awarded an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. Hamlisch was also one of only two people to have won those four prizes and a Pulitzer Prize. He also won two Golden Globes.

As a conductor, Hamlisch served six national orchestras as principal pops conductor including Dallas Symphony.  He last performed at the Star Spangled Pops summer concert series in June.

Best known for his Academy Award-winning work "The Way We Were," from the movie with the same title, Hamlisch was also known for his film and theater scores such as "The Way We Were" and "A Streetcar Named Desire."