SFCV.org: Joseph Young Named Music Director of Berkeley Symphony

Joseph Young conducting the Berkeley Symphony in January Credit: David S. Weiland
Fred Onovwerosuoke writes:
Great news to share with your readers about conductor Joseph Young!https://www.sfcv.org/music-news/joseph-young-named-music-director-of-berkeley-symphony
San Francisco Classical Voice

By Janos Gereben

April 17, 2019

Berkeley Symphony Orchestra today named Joseph Young music director, beginning with the 2019–2020 season, for a three-year term. He succeeds the intendancy of Kent Nagano (1978-2008) and Joana Carneiro (2009–2018).

Three months ago, when a conductor who was to substitute for Carneiro canceled, Young came to the rescue and conducted Berkeley Symphony on a 48-hour notice, in a challenging program of a world premiere, Bernstein’s Symphony No. 2, and Britten’s Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes.

There is another significant local connection in Young’s career, a major factor in his current positions. As described by Mai Sennaar in Baltimore Art, Young was attending the Cabrillo Music Festival’s conducting workshop in Santa Cruz, led by Marin Alsop:

Not only did he learn from Alsop, but he also discovered his personal passion for conducting through her instruction and guidance. He asked her the question, that, in his own words, would change his life forever. “I said to her, I really want to do this for the rest of my life, what should I do?” 

“Why don’t you come study with me?” she replied. The timing was perfect, as Alsop was in the process of developing a fellowship between the Peabody Conservatory and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Young would become the first-ever BSO-Peabody conducting fellow. Alsop would continue to be what Young refers to as one of his most supportive and impactful mentors.

Currently, Young is the Ruth Blaustein Rosenberg artistic director of ensembles at the Peabody Conservatory and resident conductor of the National Youth Orchestra (USA). From 2014 to 2017, he served as the assistant conductor of the Atlanta Symphony, where he conducted more than 50 concerts per season.

Young also served as the music director of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, resident conductor of the Phoenix Symphony, and the League of American Orchestras conducting fellow with Buffalo Philharmonic and Baltimore Symphony.

As guest conductor, Young has led the Saint Louis Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Bamberger Symphoniker, New World Symphony Orchestra, Spoleto Festival Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música, and the Orquesta Sinfonica y Coro de RTVE (Madrid), among others.