Overture Magazine - 2015-2016 Season January-February 2016 | Page 6

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The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

NEWS OF NOTE

{I n Q u e ry}

Through a Window

Joseph Young’s career began with the BSO

You have to watch conductors closely to
understand the body language and the
dance that they do.

Now you run the Youth Orchestra
at the Atlanta Symphony.
Education was always important to me, but
I didn’t know the impact it could have in the
symphonic context until meeting Marin.
I had the image of a symphony orchestra
being stuffy. I had no idea how much I
would be looked to as a role model for
young people.

How did you end up as the first
BSO-Peabody conducting fellow?
I tried to apply to Peabody, but I never
got an audition, so I applied through the
League of American Orchestras. They
saw someone who was not as experienced but willing to learn. I auditioned
with The Rite of Spring. It was one of the
scariest experiences of my life.

How does it feel to be back in Baltimore?
I’m excited to hear the orchestra and see
the players I got to know. I’m also looking forward to just thanking them. The
fellowship honestly changed my life. I don’t
know what kind of career I would have had
without it. Marin always said, “if you can’t
get in through the front door, go through
the window.”

Joseph Young was an assistant band director at a high school in Clemson, SC when
he won the first ever Baltimore Symphony Orchestra-Peabody Institute Conducting
Fellowship in 2007. He went on to become assistant conductor of the Atlanta
Symphony and music director of its Youth Orchestra. Mr. Young returns to the BSO
in January as a special guest conducting Alan Shulman’s A Laurentian Overture.
How did you become interested
in conducting?
I played trumpet in a band growing up.
Band is a big deal in the south. I fell in love
with orchestral music for some reason,
and when I was 16 someone put a baton in
my hand and asked m