Tianjin Juilliard has appointed conductor Ken Lam as director of orchestral studies and resident conductor of the Tianjin Juilliard Orchestra.
Lam is also artistic adviser to the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, resident conductor of the Brevard Music Center in North Carolina and serves as artistic director of Hong Kong Voices. He was music director of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra from 2015 to 2022 and music director of Illinois Symphony Orchestra from 2017 to 2022. Previously, Lam also held positions as associate conductor for education of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, assistant conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and principal conductor of the Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra.
CEO and Artistic Director of The Tianjin Juilliard School Wei He said to the Tianjin Juilliard community that he was thrilled to welcome Ken Lam, and noted that he is “a highly accomplished conductor and educator, whose presence will strengthen our orchestral program and enrich the collaboration culture we thrive in.”
Katherine Chu, dean of The Tianjin Juilliard School said, “After a long and vigorous search, we are very excited that Ken Lam is finally joining the Tianjin Juilliard community as the director of orchestral studies. Under his musical stewardship, Tianjin Juilliard will build an orchestral culture that represents the highest standard of musical excellence and embodies Tianjin Juilliard ethos of collaborative music-making and pedagogy. At Tianjin Juilliard, we nurture cross-cultural engagement and interdisciplinary dialogues. Ken Lam’s work across varied disciplines and cultures: in economics, law and music, places him in a unique position to share the diversity and richness of his professional experiences with our student body and faculty alike. Please join me in welcoming Maestro Lam to Tianjin Juilliard.”
Ken Lam said, “I am very honored to join The Tianjin Juilliard School this fall. It is incredibly exciting to have this opportunity to help shape the development of our orchestral studies program. Asia has experienced tremendous growth in its enthusiasm for orchestral music – I know from my own formative years how important it is for students to have access to the highest caliber of arts education. The talent pool is deep and strong, and I look forward to bringing my experiences to Tianjin and working with our wonderful students and faculty.”
The Tianjin Juilliard School is uniquely focused on collaborative musicianship, offering graduate studies in orchestral studies, chamber music, and collaborative piano. The orchestral studies major revolves around participation in the Tianjin Juilliard Orchestra. Led by renowned conductors from both China and abroad, the Tianjin Juilliard Orchestra presents up to 10 concerts each season. Resident faculty and visiting artists lead discussions, coach sectionals and play side-by-side with students in rehearsals and performances. In previous performance seasons, guest conductors included Yu Long, Shao En, Rachel Zhang, Chen Lin, Lin Daye, and Jing Huan.