Conductors

Thomas Hong
Seatlte Symphony Orchestra, Associate Conductor
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Conductor

As an educator, Mr. Hong was on the faculty of The Shepherd School Pre-College at Rice University, teaching piano to young students.  He was also a part of the Just for U Music Program (JUMP!) at the university, dialoging and interacting with children as well as performing for them.  In 2006, he was an integral part of forming a new musical organization, working closely with the executive and artistic directors as the founding conductor.  Based in Greenwich, Connecticut, Youth Symphony for United Nations or YSUN’s guiding principle continues to be ‘a gathering of sound for world peace.’  Thomas was born in Incheon, Korea and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1978.  He began his musical training at the age of 15 on the piano and continued his studies with Dr. Samuel Hsu at Philadelphia Biblical University.  Later, he went on to earn a master degree in choral conducting at Temple University and an artist diploma in orchestral conducting from The Curtis Institute of Music, studying with Maestro Otto Werner Mueller.  He concluded his artistic training with Maestro Larry Rachleff at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.

Louis Scaglione - Special Guest Conductor
President and Music Director
Philadelphia Orchestra

Yoon Jae Lee
Founder & Artistic Director
Ensemble 212

Yoon Jae Lee enjoys a multi-faceted career as conductor, arranger, and pianist. He is the Founder & Artistic Director of Ensemble 212, a New York-based orchestra. Under his baton, Ensemble 212 has quickly established itself as one of New York's most exciting young orchestras. His wide repertoire ranges from the Baroque era to the present and he collaborates with instrumentalists, vocalists, and composers from the concert hall to the operatic stage. In 2008, Mr. Lee was appointed Music Director of the Old York Road Symphony in Philadelphia and adjunct faculty at City College of New York (CUNY). As an arranger, his chamber versions of Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune and Mahler's Fourth Symphony have been frequently performed and highly acclaimed. The New York Times described his Mahler arrangement as “Illuminating.....with solos leaping out in unusually bold detail.” Most recently, Mr. Lee orchestrated Mendelssohn's Octet for full orchestra in honor of the composer's 200th anniversary.

A native of New York City, Mr. Lee began his musical studies on the violin and piano. At age 17, he began his conducting career and two years later, participated in a masterclass by Kurt Masur at Alice Tully Hall. He received degrees in piano and conducting from the Mannes College of Music receiving the N.T. Milani Memorial Conducting Fellowship and the Peter M. Gross Fund. Mr. Lee also studied at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg in Austria. During that time, he appeared as guest conductor with the Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg, Bruckner Orchester Linz, and served as Assistant Conductor to the Salzburger Kammerphilharmonie. Mr. Lee attended the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen under the tutelage of David Zinman and Murry Sidlin. His keen interest in Baroque performance practice led him to study at the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute. Principal conducting teachers include Dennis Russell Davies, Samuel Wong, David Hayes, and Michael Charry.

Photo credit: Natalie Devore

Jonathan Carney
Concertmaster
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra 

BSO Concertmaster Jonathan Carney begins his eighth season with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra after 12 seasons in the same position with London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Born in New Jersey, Mr. Carney hails from a musical family with all six members having graduated from The Juilliard School. After completing his studies with Ivan Galamian and Christine Dethier, he was awarded a Leverhulme Fellowship to continue his studies in London at the Royal College of Music. After enjoying critically acclaimed international tours as both concertmaster and soloist with numerous ensembles, Mr. Carney was invited by Vladimir Ashkenazy to become concertmaster of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1991. He was also appointed concertmaster of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in 1994 and the Basque National Orchestra in 1996. Recent solo performances have included concertos by Bruch, Korngold, Khatchaturian, Sibelius, Nielsen, the Brahms Double Concerto and Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending, which was featured as a live BBC broadcast from London's Barbican Hall. He has made a number of recordings, including concertos by Mozart, Vivaldi and Nielsen, sonatas by Brahms, Beethoven and Franck, and a disc of virtuoso works of by Sarasate and Kreisler with his mother Gloria Carney as pianist. New releases include Beethoven’s Archduke and Ghost trios, the cello quintet of Schubert and a Dvorak disc with the Terzetto and four Romantic pieces for violin. Mr. Carney is passionate about music education and currently serves as artistic advisor for the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras. He is also an artist in residence at the Baltimore School for the Arts, one of the country's premier high schools and also serves on its Board of Directors.