Berkeley Symphony Renews Contract with Music Director Joseph Young

Berkeley Symphony announced today that it renewed its contract with Music Director Joseph Young through the 2024-25 season. Young made his debut with the Berkeley Symphony in February 2019 and is the fourth Music Director in its 51-year history. The three-year extension furthers Berkeley Symphony's commitment to presenting unique and accessible musical experiences that respond to the shifting needs of the community, led by Maestro Young's work to continue a legacy of innovation and inclusion and create a greater sense of belonging through music.

Kate Kammeyer, Executive Director of Berkeley Symphony said, "We are thrilled that Joseph's time as Music Director has been extended. His thoughtful creativity, incredible talent, and commitment to our community are vital to Berkeley Symphony's future as we continue to reinforce its role as an indispensable artistic and cultural resource."

Paul Bennett, President of the Berkeley Symphony Board of Directors said, "Maestro Young's musical brilliance and unparalleled virtuosity have built upon Berkeley Symphony's celebrated history through innovative programming that exemplifies the Berkeley community. Since 2019, Joseph has served as an exceptional ambassador for the City of Berkeley and beyond. We look forward to his continued leadership as Berkeley Symphony embarks on its next chapter."

Joseph Young, Music Director of Berkeley Symphony said, "Berkeley is an incredible hub of musical talent and passionate audiences. I am inspired by the organization's and community's extraordinary history of innovation and energy, and look forward to deepening my relationship here as we continue to push boundaries by reimagining classics and sharing some of the most ambitious music by today's artists."

Maestro Young first appeared with Berkeley Symphony to conduct the second symphonic concert of the 2018-19 Season in January 2019. When the concert's original guest conductor became ill, Young had two days to prepare for the first rehearsal. He ended up leading a successful performance, which included Disillusioned Dreamer, a world premiere composed by Hannah Kendall, Bernstein's Symphony No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra, and Britten's Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes.

Appointed as Music Director in April 2019, Young has conducted 9 Berkeley Symphony performances, including 3 free community concerts, such as Downtown Berkeley's Front Row Festival in 2022. While in-person performances were on hold, his partnership was pivotal in Berkeley Symphony's innovative virtual programming, including REAL Berkeley, a virtual film series that highlighted unique aspects of Berkeley that impact the orchestra and the community; and Reading Is Instrumental, a weekly musical storytime series for all ages. Under Young's direction, the final performance of Berkeley Symphony's 50th anniversary season was proclaimed an "exultant shout of triumph," by San Francisco Chronicle's Joshua Kosman.

Joseph Young, Music Director of Berkeley Symphony

Praised for his suavely adventurous programming, Joseph Young is increasingly recognized as "one of the most gifted conductors of his generation." Joseph is Music Director of the Berkeley Symphony, Artistic Director of Ensembles for the Peabody Conservatory, and Resident Conductor of the National Youth Orchestra-USA at Carnegie Hall. In recent years, he has made appearances with the Saint Louis Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Bamberger Symphoniker, New World Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Spoleto Festival Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música, and the Orquesta Sinfonica y Coro de RTVE (Madrid); among others in the U.S. and Europe. As Joseph continues to be in demand he makes his debuts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl and the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center during the 22-23 season.

Prior to Berkeley Symphony, Joseph served as the Assistant Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony where he conducted more than 50 concerts per season Mr. Young also served as the Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, where he was the driving force behind the ensemble's artistic growth. Previous appointments have included Resident Conductor of the Phoenix Symphony, and the League of American Orchestras Conducting Fellow with Buffalo Philharmonic and Baltimore Symphony.

Joseph is a recipient of the 2015 Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award for young conductors, an award he also won in 2008 and 2014. In 2013, Joseph was a Semi-finalist in the Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition (Bamberg, Germany). In 2011, he was one out of six conductors featured in the League of American Orchestras' prestigious Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview.

ABOUT BERKELEY SYMPHONY

Berkeley Symphony is unique among Bay Area and American orchestras for its commitment to innovation, community, and excellence. Founded in 1971 in the intellectual and artistic nexus of Berkeley, California, the Orchestra is committed to performing, premiering, and commissioning new music that reflects the culturally diverse people and the heady creative climate of its home city.

In the 2019-2020 season, Berkeley Symphony entered a new era under the leadership of Joseph Young, the Orchestra's fourth Music Director in its 50-year history, following a highly successful February 2019 debut that was acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. In addition to building on the Orchestra's artistic innovation, creativity and adventurous programming, Maestro Young is committed to amplifying the voices of underrepresented composers and artists as well as continuing to tell diverse stories that reflect the local Berkeley community.

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