ABOUT
Known for his outstanding interpretations of American music, Berlin-based conductor Caleb Young has gained international renown as one of today’s most exciting American artists. A former mentee of legendary Finnish conductor Jukka-Pekka Saraste, his rigorous training in the European classical tradition collides with his passion for the viscerality of American music, resulting in daring and fresh renditions of both. In the 2023-2024 season, Young sees debuts with the Aalborg Symphony in Denmark, Hamilton Philharmonic in Canada as a Music Director Candidate, and the National Symphony Orchestra in Dublin; he also returns to American orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Kansas City Symphony, Cleveland Ballet, and Bozeman Symphony. Furthermore, following his successful step-in performances during their previous season, the Kansas City Symphony will feature Young leading varied programs throughout the 2023-24 season.
“Young led members of the Master Chorale in a spectacular rendering, their voices unearthly, sustained, and reaching a fever pitch that seemed to reverberate throughout the Cahuenga Pass.”
Young has become known for a wide breadth of repertoire, born out of a desire to tap into the full spectrum of American composition. Under Young’s baton, Copland, Bernstein, Joan Tower, and Carlos Simon receive artistic treatment equal to Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Mahler, Stravinsky, and Shostakovich. In keeping with this versatility, Young has led a number of the world’s leading orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Finnish Chamber Orchestra, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Russian National Orchestra, and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra; as cover conductor, he works regularly with John Williams, Gustavo Dudamel, and orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic, and has served the Cincinnati Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Atlanta Opera, and the National Music Festival.
A major breakthrough in Young’s European career came following his reception of the 2016 Ansbacher Fellowship for Young Conductors Prize. given by the Salzburg Festival and members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Having worked closely with maestro Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Young was handpicked by the Finnish legend to join the inaugural class of the highly selective two year Lead! Artists programme, where he received mentorship from Saraste and other renowned conductors Esa-Pekka Salonen, Hannu Lintu, and Sakari Oramo. As an alumni of the LEAD! Foundation Academy's conductors' masterclass, Young was named part of “the next generation of leaders in classical music” by Finland’s Fiskars Summer Festival, and was further awarded the honor of conducting the Finnish Chamber Orchestra alongside Saraste and Salonen, a performance which received glowing reviews.
“ A natural talent ... ”
Alongside his mounting career in Europe, Young’s engagements frequently take him to the United States, including his ongoing appointment as Guest Conductor for Engagement for the Fort Wayne Philharmonic since the 2021-22 season. He formerly served as the Philharmonic’s Associate Conductor, an award-winning five year tenure that includes more than 200 performances conducted as well as founding the “Music and Mixology” series which continues to engage young professionals with orchestral music. In 2018, he earned an Emerging Artist Award, an honour bestowed to the region’s “arts and cultural leaders” by Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne—one of the oldest nonprofit artistic funding initiatives in the United States.
“Guest conductor Caleb Young was water on stage, conducting with great fluidity and
incredible deftness.”
Caleb holds a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University; his former pedagogues include David Effron, Arthur Fagen, Demondrae Thurman, and John Ratledge. During the COVID pandemic, he was the host of “Classically Versed with Caleb Young” on National Public Radio. A weekly classical music show that aired across the United States, his radio programming matched his repertoire selection as conductor: great yet overlooked works alongside traditional repertoire.
Caleb wears Coregami exclusively in performance.
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