Music Director Andrew J. Kim Believes It's All About The Journey, Not Just One Performance - Even If It's At Carnegie Hall

Music Director Andrew J. Kim Makes His Conducting Debut with New York Youth Symphony with His Parents Watching Him Conduct for the Very First Time

New York, NY – Andrew Jinhong Kim, the new Music Director for the New York Youth Symphony, fondly remembers one of his mentors telling him that every performance and audition are just dots on a page called Life. And while this may be a very big dot on Mr. Kim’s page of life, he looks at it just the same. Mr. Kim, the practicing Buddhist, believes, “A day like performing at Carnegie Hall is not just about me, it's about the musicians. The less it's about me, the more I can enjoy it.”

The Korean-born conductor is definitely planning on enjoying the concert to the fullest as his parents, who have never seen him conduct, will be flying in from South Korea and will be in attendance, cheering him on. The concert, at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage on Sunday, November 19^th, at 2:00 PM, will feature violinist virtuosos Augustin Hadelich, performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. The 60th Anniversary Celebration will also feature the world premiere of Christian Quiñones’s Fever is How the Body Prays, and will conclude with Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2.

“I came to the United States with my parents when I was 11 years old and loved it so much that I ended up staying, while they returned to Korea.” added Mr. Kim, who went to boarding school in Pennsylvania. “School is quite rigid in Korea and as a young kid, I did not enjoy it all. Luckily, my parents allowed me to pursue a different path.” And quite a different path it was. In his new environment, Mr. Kim explored various directions for his future, ranging from becoming an investment banker to an English professor. In the end, a transformative performance experience set him on the path of becoming a conductor. 

“In high school, I took a class on Buddhism and didn’t think much about it,” explained Mr. Kim. “But it was that class that I really learned how to become a happier conductor in understanding the true definition of an ensemble and what is both in my control and not in my control.” If you are ever lucky enough to sit in on a rehearsal with Mr. Kim, you will see that belief in action. His compassion and openness with the musicians are unlike most other conductors and he has a special ability to push people to reach their highest potential in a completely collaborative way. And while his delivery might be calm and non-conformist, Mr. Kim works harder and understands the music in a deeper way than many others. “In high school, I had a mentor that told me to find what you love and let it kill you,” added Mr. Kim. “I am so fortunate that I have had the chance to find something that I love so much, but at the same time that love drives me to work harder and harder every day challenging myself and those around me.”

So, as Mr. Kim steps onto the stage at Carnegie in a few weeks it will be the culmination of the journey that began when he was just 11 years old coming to the United States for the first time. And since that time, he has schooled himself in music by getting a master's and a doctorate degree, working hard to ensure that his understanding of the music he conducts allows him to guide the musicians in a way that they both feel the music and play it from their hearts. “I still remember the day I fell in love with music when singing with my choir in high school for a concert when I felt something I never felt before – all the sounds were connected, and it was both profound and extraordinary. And at that moment, I knew that was what music was all about and I thought to myself, “is there any way I can try to do this?”” The answer is a definite yes when Mr. Kim raises his baton right at 2:00 PM on November 19^th. He will happily add another dot on his page of life, with his parents watching him proudly.

About Andrew

Andrew Jinhong Kim is a conductor dedicated to passionate and joyful collaboration. He started his tenure as the Music Director of the New York Youth Symphony Orchestra in Fall 2023. In this role, he has worked with talented young musicians to perform cornerstone repertoire as well as premiering new works by young American composers at Carnegie Hall. In addition, he continues his passion for educating young conductors through the Robert L. Poster Apprentice Conducting Program. Mr. Kim also serves on the faculty of the Conducting Institute, a comprehensive training program led by his mentor Miguel Harth-Bedoya. In this role, he teaches classes on aural skills, keyboard skills, and other topics, in addition to helping with curricular planning and execution. Mr. Kim has conducted orchestras in the United States and beyond, including Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, and more. He served as the Assistant Conductor of Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra and as a Cover Conductor with Minnesota Orchestra. He has twice participated in the Conductor’s Workshop at Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music with Cristian Macelaru, in Internationale Sommerakademie Radolfzell with Johannes Schlaefli, and appeared in performances at PRISMA Festival in Powell River, Canada and Wintergreen Festival in Virginia.

Mr. Kim studied with Mark Russell Smith at the University of Minnesota, with Octavio Más-Arocas at Ithaca College, and with Andrew Hauze at Swarthmore College. His other teachers include Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Matthew Caretti, Joseph Gregorio, Gary Gress, and Richard Rotz. He is deeply grateful for all the excellent guidance and mentorship he has received thus far in his life as a musician.

About NYYS

The New York Youth Symphony is one of the most awarded youth programs of its kind in the nation, including the 2022 Grammy award for Best Orchestral Performance. It is recognized for its innovative, educational programs for talented young musicians. Founded in 1963 as an orchestra to showcase the metropolitan area’s most gifted musicians ages 12-22, its activities have since grown to encompass programs in chamber music, conducting, composition, jazz, and musical theater songwriting with performances at world class venues including Carnegie Hall and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Through its commissioning program, First Music, the NYYS has commissioned over 170 works from young composers since 1984.

Interviews, additional information and/or tickets to the concert available upon request. Contact Ian Madover at imadover@nyys.org or 917-566-9621.

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