New York Youth Symphony Announces New Music Director

The New York Youth Symphony (NYYS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Andrew Jinhong Kim as Music Director of the Orchestra beginning in the 2023/2024 season. The position is currently held by Michael Repper, who completing his tenure at the end of this season after six years. Mr. Kim is joining an illustrious roster of prior NYYS Music Directors, including Leonard Slatkin, David Alan Miller, Samuel Wong, and Miguel-Bedoya.

NYYS conducted an international search for its new music director, led by A. Slade Mills, co-chair of the NYYS board. More than 85 candidates were reviewed and vetted by the search committee and NYYS staff. The live auditions held in October with the orchestra allowed for the students' opinions to be heard as well.

"The position of music director for our orchestra is a very important position within our organization," explained NYYS Board President, Bill Kapell. "The preparation, rehearsal and inspiration that these musicians need to play three times at Carnegie Hall takes quite a lot of dedication and we truly believe that Andrew is the perfect person for the job."

Mr. Kim is a conductor dedicated to passionate and joyful collaboration. Having had his life transformed by music, he strives to create and share extraordinary musical moments with others and to cultivate a vibrant musical community wherever he goes.

Shauna Quill, Executive Director of NYYS, added "Andrew embodies everything that NYYS stands for - the goals of inspiring and educating the next generation of musical citizens are ones that he truly takes to heart. We look forward to partnering with him on this next phase of growth at the NYYS."

"Working with passionate young musicians is one of the most meaningful aspects of my life, so I'm thrilled and honored to be joining the distinguished NYYS family. I am immensely looking forward to creating a memorable journey from the first rehearsal to the concert and to engaging the community with the love of music and pursuit of excellence that everyone in the organization shares." said Mr. Kim

Currently, Mr. Kim is a James Sample Fellow of Orchestral Conducting at University of Minnesota, studying with Mark Russell Smith. At UMN, he serves as the assistant conductor of the University Symphony Orchestra and the Opera Theatre, and his recent performances include Ralph Vaughan Williams's Symphony No. 5 and Giacomo Puccini's Il tabarro. He brings his passion for education to his role as the co-director of its Campus Orchestra program, which helps nearly 200 non-major students every semester to stay engaged with music during their studies and beyond.

In the 2021-2022 season, Mr. Kim was the Assistant Conductor of Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra and the Youth Symphony Conductor of Duluth Superior Symphony Youth Orchestras. In this joint role, he appeared in pops and subscription concerts throughout the season with DSSO and led the top ensemble of its youth orchestra program.

Beyond Minnesota, Mr. Kim is mentored by international artist and educator Miguel Harth-Bedoya and has been serving as his teaching assistant at The Conducting Institute since 2020. In this role, Mr. Kim teaches classes on aural skills, keyboard skills, and other topics, in addition to helping with curricular planning and preparation.

Mr. Kim has worked with professional orchestras in the US and beyond, including Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz in Germany, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, among others. He was an associate conductor at the Conductor's Workshop at Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music and appeared in performances at PRISMA Festival in Powell River, Canada and Wintergreen Festival in Virginia.

He received his master's degree at Ithaca College under the mentorship of Octavio Más-Arocas. In addition to assisting IC Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, he worked with IC Sinfonietta and the Contemporary Ensemble and enjoyed frequent collaborations with his friends for recital performances and composition premieres.

Before Ithaca, Mr. Kim studied Music and English Literature at Swarthmore College and was mentored by Andrew Hauze and Joseph Gregorio in orchestral and choral conducting, respectively. Liberal arts education strongly shaped his life, and he values interdisciplinary thinking in programming and helping audiences discover personal connections to music.

His other teachers include Matthew Caretti, Gary Gress, Vadim Serebryany, and Richard Rotz. In masterclasses and festivals, he has been taught by renowned artists and pedagogues such as Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Johannes Schlaefli, Cristian Macelaru, Jeffery Meyer, Jerry Blackstone, and others. He is deeply grateful for all the excellent guidance and mentorship he has received thus far in his life as a musician.