Maestro Dong-hyun Kim & the Queensboro Symphony Orchestra
Dong-Hyun Kim (10/15/1974-12/12/2020): my dear friend, and co-conspirator in all things orchestral.
Although his life was way too short, he accomplished his life’s work – and his dream. Through his immense talent, devotion and determination, … he basically accomplished the impossible. And he fulfilled the highest purpose of humanity: to bring beauty into the world!
I had the privilege of working with him in various capacities over the last 2 decades in each of the 3 orchestras he founded: the Queens Philharmonia (as guest composer), the Nova Philharmonic (as Public Relations Director) and his crowning achievement and greatest love: the Queensboro Symphony Orchestra (as Publicity Director, Concert Coordinator & Composer-In-Residence).
In his last 5 years, we worked closely together in his Queensboro Symphony Orchestra. He founded this wonderful community orchestra and I coordinated the concerts at my church. We did about 8 concerts each year (attendance usually ranged from 100-300 people) and he was able to conduct a vast amount of the greatest repertoire including concertos featuring soloists from the orchestra. He also conducted many premieres of my compositions which are documented on my YouTube channel. He made a lot of concertgoers (and musicians) very happy, and he'll be missed by so many who he probably didn't realize were affected by and appreciative of him. His musicians and his audience loved him.
Queensboro Symphony Orchestra
Because of his determination, great talent and an immeasurable passion for music, Korean born conductor Dong-Hyun Kim founded the Queensboro Symphony Orchestra as their Music Director and Conductor in 2015. They rapidly emerged as one of the most exciting ensembles in New York’s classical music scene, as they were dedicated to bringing vibrant and inspiring symphonic music at the highest level of artistic expression to a broad and diverse audience, as well as contributing to the benefit of the local and global community. They have successfully fulfilled this mission in various ways.
When a devastating earthquake struck Nepal in 2015, the orchestra responded by presenting the NY Concert for Nepal to help the victims. As well as providing financial aid, they also were able to provide spiritual aid by paying homage to their culture. The concert opened with a new arrangement of the Nepali National Anthem, the video of which went viral on YouTube within the Nepali community, attracting over 20,000 views and contributing a sense of solidarity.
The Queensboro Symphony Orchestra actively worked with composers within the Queens community. Highlights include performances of the multidisciplinary extravaganza The King of the Mask by Composer-in-residence Paul Joseph, the 4th Symphony by renowned composer James Cohn and The Last Waltz by talented young orchestra member Sharon Cha.
The orchestra never charged for admission to their concerts which were regularly attended by large audiences of hundreds of fans enthralled by the intensity of this energetic and vibrant orchestra, as visionary conductor Dong-hyun Kim lifted the inspired musicians to the highest level of music-making as they performed the monumental masterworks of the symphonic repertoire as well as concertos featuring soloists from within the orchestra. Their performance home was one of Queens’ great architectural treasures, the exquisite Mary’s Nativity Church. But they also have performed at other noteworthy venues such as Flushing Town Hall and the Korean Mission to the UN where they performed a culturally diverse program as part of the 2018 High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
The orchestra also expanded into opera and choral music. They collaborated with Queens’ innovative performing arts organization Opera Pomme Rouge in November of 2015 to present an interactive opera – a fully staged production of the beloved “Hansel and Gretel.” Another exciting development was the creation of the Queensboro Symphonic Choir which had its official debut in May of 2017, at Mary’s Nativity Church. This was another step in the formation of the Queensboro Music Society in Queens which originated with a Town Hall Series of chamber music concerts presented by the orchestra members.
This unique orchestra attracted a great deal of attention in Queens and the New York City region as demonstrated by many feature articles, glowing reviews and a ever-growing fan base.
Pre-QSO
The Queensboro Symphony Orchestra marks the third time Maestro Kim had accomplished the near impossible task of successfully forming, sustaining and leading a full symphonic orchestra, as he had previously done with New York’s Nova Philharmonic and the Queens Philharmonia who had their music featured on WNYC classical radio and performed in one of the world’s finest acoustical halls for four years in the previous decade. Maestro Kim’s previous Music Directorships also include the Bethel Chamber Orchestra and the Aaron Copland School of Music Chamber Orchestra, and he served as assistant conductor of the New York Symphony. He had also been featured as guest conductor with the Korea University Orchestra in Seoul and the Astoria Symphony Orchestra. Some highlights from the canon of his conducting accomplishments include the complete Beethoven symphonic cycle, Tchaikovsky’s monumental final two symphonies and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. His operatic accomplishments include The Marriage of Figaro with the Kaliope Opera Company and The Magic Flute, as well as assistant conductor responsibility for Hansel and Gretyl and Orpheus Descending. Maestro Kim received his M.A. in Conducting from the Aaron Copland School of Music, where he graduated with High Distinction honors and where he also served as assistant orchestra conductor. Other notable achievements include conducting the Ruth Laredo Memorial Concert and organizing and presenting benefit concerts such as the Japan Disaster Relief Concert (the precursor to the QSO’s NY Concert for Nepal).
Posthumous
Maestro Kim had scheduled a concert to be live streamed on Sunday Dec. 20th, 2020 from Mokyang Church where he was Music Director. He had one wish a few days before he passed—he didn’t want this concert to be cancelled because he had only done one concert this year, and was not happy about that. So the members and close associates of his Queensboro Symphony Orchestra decided to carry on with the plan to stream the concert live and conductorless - he was irreplaceable at that point. The event began with a memorial service by the pastor of Mokyang Church. The orchestra did a lot of beautiful concerts that touched a lot of people - but this was probably the most touching and beautiful, and definitely the most special.
Maestro Kim's posthumous Xmas concert was performed exactly the way he wanted to thanks to the members of the Queensboro Symphony Orchestra. Thanks to all of them for their desire and commitment to go through with this concert. His close friend and cellist Sinhwa Choi pulled everything together and led the rehearsal. And another close friend and violinist Fung Chern Hwei created a brilliant arrangement of a Xmas medley as per the Maestro’s specifications. This incredible event was a sad but beautiful celebration of Maestro Kim and his legacy.
He lived a rough life, a difficult life, but at the same time he was LARGER than life.
Because of his audience and his musicians, he was able to realize his dream - to be THE MAESTRO OF A GREAT ORCHESTRA! I am so grateful that I also got the opportunity and honor to help him realize this dream.
We’ll all miss him, … but the departed never leave their loved ones. He’ll be with us all, always – conducting the eternal symphony in heaven!
Dong-Hyun Kim (10/15/1974-12/12/2020): my dear friend, and co-conspirator in all things orchestral.
Although his life was way too short, he accomplished his life’s work – and his dream. Through his immense talent, devotion and determination, … he basically accomplished the impossible. And he fulfilled the highest purpose of humanity: to bring beauty into the world!
I had the privilege of working with him in various capacities over the last 2 decades in each of the 3 orchestras he founded: the Queens Philharmonia (as guest composer), the Nova Philharmonic (as Public Relations Director) and his crowning achievement and greatest love: the Queensboro Symphony Orchestra (as Publicity Director, Concert Coordinator & Composer-In-Residence).
In his last 5 years, we worked closely together in his Queensboro Symphony Orchestra. He founded this wonderful community orchestra and I coordinated the concerts at my church. We did about 8 concerts each year (attendance usually ranged from 100-300 people) and he was able to conduct a vast amount of the greatest repertoire including concertos featuring soloists from the orchestra. He also conducted many premieres of my compositions which are documented on my YouTube channel. He made a lot of concertgoers (and musicians) very happy, and he'll be missed by so many who he probably didn't realize were affected by and appreciative of him. His musicians and his audience loved him.
Queensboro Symphony Orchestra
Because of his determination, great talent and an immeasurable passion for music, Korean born conductor Dong-Hyun Kim founded the Queensboro Symphony Orchestra as their Music Director and Conductor in 2015. They rapidly emerged as one of the most exciting ensembles in New York’s classical music scene, as they were dedicated to bringing vibrant and inspiring symphonic music at the highest level of artistic expression to a broad and diverse audience, as well as contributing to the benefit of the local and global community. They have successfully fulfilled this mission in various ways.
When a devastating earthquake struck Nepal in 2015, the orchestra responded by presenting the NY Concert for Nepal to help the victims. As well as providing financial aid, they also were able to provide spiritual aid by paying homage to their culture. The concert opened with a new arrangement of the Nepali National Anthem, the video of which went viral on YouTube within the Nepali community, attracting over 20,000 views and contributing a sense of solidarity.
The Queensboro Symphony Orchestra actively worked with composers within the Queens community. Highlights include performances of the multidisciplinary extravaganza The King of the Mask by Composer-in-residence Paul Joseph, the 4th Symphony by renowned composer James Cohn and The Last Waltz by talented young orchestra member Sharon Cha.
The orchestra never charged for admission to their concerts which were regularly attended by large audiences of hundreds of fans enthralled by the intensity of this energetic and vibrant orchestra, as visionary conductor Dong-hyun Kim lifted the inspired musicians to the highest level of music-making as they performed the monumental masterworks of the symphonic repertoire as well as concertos featuring soloists from within the orchestra. Their performance home was one of Queens’ great architectural treasures, the exquisite Mary’s Nativity Church. But they also have performed at other noteworthy venues such as Flushing Town Hall and the Korean Mission to the UN where they performed a culturally diverse program as part of the 2018 High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
The orchestra also expanded into opera and choral music. They collaborated with Queens’ innovative performing arts organization Opera Pomme Rouge in November of 2015 to present an interactive opera – a fully staged production of the beloved “Hansel and Gretel.” Another exciting development was the creation of the Queensboro Symphonic Choir which had its official debut in May of 2017, at Mary’s Nativity Church. This was another step in the formation of the Queensboro Music Society in Queens which originated with a Town Hall Series of chamber music concerts presented by the orchestra members.
This unique orchestra attracted a great deal of attention in Queens and the New York City region as demonstrated by many feature articles, glowing reviews and a ever-growing fan base.
Pre-QSO
The Queensboro Symphony Orchestra marks the third time Maestro Kim had accomplished the near impossible task of successfully forming, sustaining and leading a full symphonic orchestra, as he had previously done with New York’s Nova Philharmonic and the Queens Philharmonia who had their music featured on WNYC classical radio and performed in one of the world’s finest acoustical halls for four years in the previous decade. Maestro Kim’s previous Music Directorships also include the Bethel Chamber Orchestra and the Aaron Copland School of Music Chamber Orchestra, and he served as assistant conductor of the New York Symphony. He had also been featured as guest conductor with the Korea University Orchestra in Seoul and the Astoria Symphony Orchestra. Some highlights from the canon of his conducting accomplishments include the complete Beethoven symphonic cycle, Tchaikovsky’s monumental final two symphonies and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. His operatic accomplishments include The Marriage of Figaro with the Kaliope Opera Company and The Magic Flute, as well as assistant conductor responsibility for Hansel and Gretyl and Orpheus Descending. Maestro Kim received his M.A. in Conducting from the Aaron Copland School of Music, where he graduated with High Distinction honors and where he also served as assistant orchestra conductor. Other notable achievements include conducting the Ruth Laredo Memorial Concert and organizing and presenting benefit concerts such as the Japan Disaster Relief Concert (the precursor to the QSO’s NY Concert for Nepal).
Posthumous
Maestro Kim had scheduled a concert to be live streamed on Sunday Dec. 20th, 2020 from Mokyang Church where he was Music Director. He had one wish a few days before he passed—he didn’t want this concert to be cancelled because he had only done one concert this year, and was not happy about that. So the members and close associates of his Queensboro Symphony Orchestra decided to carry on with the plan to stream the concert live and conductorless - he was irreplaceable at that point. The event began with a memorial service by the pastor of Mokyang Church. The orchestra did a lot of beautiful concerts that touched a lot of people - but this was probably the most touching and beautiful, and definitely the most special.
Maestro Kim's posthumous Xmas concert was performed exactly the way he wanted to thanks to the members of the Queensboro Symphony Orchestra. Thanks to all of them for their desire and commitment to go through with this concert. His close friend and cellist Sinhwa Choi pulled everything together and led the rehearsal. And another close friend and violinist Fung Chern Hwei created a brilliant arrangement of a Xmas medley as per the Maestro’s specifications. This incredible event was a sad but beautiful celebration of Maestro Kim and his legacy.
He lived a rough life, a difficult life, but at the same time he was LARGER than life.
Because of his audience and his musicians, he was able to realize his dream - to be THE MAESTRO OF A GREAT ORCHESTRA! I am so grateful that I also got the opportunity and honor to help him realize this dream.
We’ll all miss him, … but the departed never leave their loved ones. He’ll be with us all, always – conducting the eternal symphony in heaven!
Feature newspaper articles In Memoriam: Queens Gazette: https://www.qgazette.com/.../remembering-conductor.../ Forest Hill Times: http://www.foresthillstimes.com/.../article-Remembering... |