Jahja Ling
Encyclopedia
Jahja Ling is an orchestra
conductor. He is of Chinese
descent and is now an American
citizen. He began to play the piano at age 4 and studied at the Yayasan Pendidikan Musik School of Music. At age 17, he won the Jakarta Piano Competition and, one year later, was awarded a Rockefeller grant to attend The Juilliard School. There he completed a master's degree and studied piano with Mieczyslaw Munz and conducting with John Nelson
. He then studied orchestral conducting at the Yale School of Music under Otto-Werner Mueller and received a doctor of musical arts degree. He was a conducting fellow at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute
.
Ling founded the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra in 1981, and served as its first Music Director from 1981-1984. Ling was on the conducting roster of the Cleveland Orchestra
from 1984–2005, serving as Resident Conductor from 1985-2002. During that time, he also founded the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and was its first music director from 1986-1993. From 2000-2005, Ling was Music Director of the Blossom Festival
, the last person to serve with that title.
From 1988-2002, Ling was Music Director of the Florida Orchestra
, and is now its Music Director Laureate. Since 2004, he has been the Music Director of the San Diego Symphony
, with an initial contract for 5 years. In October 2007, Ling extended his contract with the San Diego Symphony to 2012.
Ling has been married twice. He and his late first wife, Jane, had two sons, Gabriel and Daniel His second wife, since 2001, is the pianist Jessie Chang, and they have two daughters.
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
conductor. He is of Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
descent and is now an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
citizen. He began to play the piano at age 4 and studied at the Yayasan Pendidikan Musik School of Music. At age 17, he won the Jakarta Piano Competition and, one year later, was awarded a Rockefeller grant to attend The Juilliard School. There he completed a master's degree and studied piano with Mieczyslaw Munz and conducting with John Nelson
John Nelson (conductor)
John Wilton Nelson is an American conductor. Nelson studied at Wheaton College, and later at the Juilliard School of Music with Jean Morel ....
. He then studied orchestral conducting at the Yale School of Music under Otto-Werner Mueller and received a doctor of musical arts degree. He was a conducting fellow at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute
Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute
The Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute was a summer training program held in Los Angeles, California for conservatory aged orchestral instrumentalists and conductors...
.
Ling founded the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra in 1981, and served as its first Music Director from 1981-1984. Ling was on the conducting roster of the Cleveland Orchestra
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1918, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall...
from 1984–2005, serving as Resident Conductor from 1985-2002. During that time, he also founded the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and was its first music director from 1986-1993. From 2000-2005, Ling was Music Director of the Blossom Festival
Blossom Festival
The Blossom Festival is a summer music festival of orchestral music located at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The festival was originally created to provide a summer concert vehicle for the Cleveland Orchestra and the Blossom Music Center was specifically built to host the festival...
, the last person to serve with that title.
From 1988-2002, Ling was Music Director of the Florida Orchestra
The Florida Orchestra
The Florida Orchestra is a performing arts company located in Tampa Bay, Florida. It is one of the leading professional symphony orchestras in Florida, and one of the best regional orchestras in America....
, and is now its Music Director Laureate. Since 2004, he has been the Music Director of the San Diego Symphony
San Diego Symphony
The San Diego Symphony is an American symphony orchestra, based in San Diego, California. On 6 December 1910, it gave its first concert as the San Diego Civic Orchestra.Currently, the Symphony performs over 100 concerts each season...
, with an initial contract for 5 years. In October 2007, Ling extended his contract with the San Diego Symphony to 2012.
Ling has been married twice. He and his late first wife, Jane, had two sons, Gabriel and Daniel His second wife, since 2001, is the pianist Jessie Chang, and they have two daughters.