Berkeley Symphony Celebrates Music Director Joseph Young's Transformative Leadership

BERKELEY SYMPHONY PRESENTS "TRIUMPH" — CELEBRATING MUSIC DIRECTOR JOSEPH YOUNG AT HIS FINAL CONCERT AFTER SIX TRANSFORMATIVE SEASONS

Sunday, June 1 at 4 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall

BERKELEY, CA (May 2, 2025) – Berkeley Symphony will close its 2024–25 Symphonic Series with Triumph on Sunday, June 1 at 4 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall (101 Zellerbach Hall #4800, Berkeley, CA 94720). This season finale marks Music Director Joseph Young's final performance with Berkeley Symphony, who concludes his extraordinary tenure with Berkeley Symphony after six seasons of innovative programming, artistic excellence, and community engagement.

A powerful reflection on human resilience and artistic courage, Triumph showcases a stirring program that underscores Young’s signature blend of bold programming and emotional resonance. Gity Razaz’s Methuselah (In Chains of Time), will have its Bay Area premiere, evoking ancient bristlecone pines found in the mountains of California’s Inyo County. South America’s dramatic landscapes come to life in Astor Piazzolla’s Aconcagua, featuring acclaimed accordion virtuoso Hanzhi Wang. Triumph concludes with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, a powerful testament to redemption, enduring hope, and perseverance against overwhelming odds.

“Like all of our programs, this concert highlights the remarkable range of the Orchestra and the storytelling power of pairing new and lesser-known works with established masterworks," says Young. "More than anything, it reflects the spirit of our Berkeley Symphony community—our audiences, supporters, and creative partners—who embrace orchestral music in all its forms, spanning eras, styles, and even place. That, for me, is the triumph we are celebrating. And that same adventurous spirit will continue to carry both me and Berkeley Symphony into the future.”

"Joseph Young's artistic vision has elevated Berkeley Symphony to new heights," says Executive Director Marion Atherton. "Under his leadership, we've cultivated a more diverse audience, including families and younger community members. His commitment to contemporary American voices has brought us five commissioned works and eight World or West Coast premieres. Nearly half of all performed works during his tenure were composed by American artists, with 27 composers making their Berkeley Symphony debuts. His legacy of musical excellence and inclusive programming will continue to inspire us long after his final performance."

A pre-concert chat led by composer Paul Dresher will take place one hour before the performance. Featuring live interviews with Maestro Young, guest artists, composers, and orchestra musicians, the informative talk provides insights about the cultural and historical context of the music, along with guided listening. Admission is free to all ticket holders.

Prior to the final symphonic concert, Berkeley Symphony will celebrate Maestro Joseph Young at its annual Spring Gala on Saturday, May 10, at the Unitarian Universalist Church, Kensington. Tickets are available at berkeleysymphony.org/event/2025gala/ or through the box office, at (510) 841-2800.

Tickets for Triumph start at $30 and are available now at berkeleysymphony.org or by phone at (510) 841-2800.

ABOUT JOSEPH YOUNG

American conductor Joseph Young is acclaimed for powerful, precise, and deeply expressive performances that reframe the classical canon. His 2024-2025 season includes debuts and return engagements with the Orquesta Sinfónica RTVE, Liverpool Philharmonic, Louisville Orchestra, and London Symphony Orchestra, as well as his Lyric Opera of Chicago debut with Blue, which he also conducted at Washington National Opera. Recent highlights include appearances with the San Francisco Symphony, LA Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, National Symphony, and international orchestras in Portugal and South Africa. In June 2025, he concludes his tenure as Music Director of the Berkeley Symphony, an orchestra he has proudly led since 2019. 

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 cultural diversity and heady creative climate of its home city. 

Berkeley Symphony entered a new era in the 2019–2020 season under the leadership of Joseph Young, whose February 2019 debut was acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. In addition to building on the Orchestra’s artistic innovation, creativity, and adventurous programming, Maestro Young, Berkeley Symphony’s fourth Music Director in its 53-year history, is committed to amplifying the voices of underrepresented artists as well as telling diverse stories that reflect the local community.

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Press Contacts

Julie Richter for the Berkeley Symphony | julie@julierichter.co

Michelle Pendoley for Joseph Young | michelle@pencomms.com