MANSFIELD – The Mansfield Symphony Orchestra is sad to announce that Maestro Thomas Hong will be leaving his position as Mansfield Symphony Orchestra Music Director at the end of the 2015-2016 symphony season on June 25. The announcement rings bittersweet while the symphony prepares to celebrate its 85th season, as the Maestro will be leaving the position by his own request and on amicable terms to take on new professional challenges with his other conducting positions across the country.
Since beginning his tenure with the Mansfield Symphony in 2012, Maestro Hong has been delighting audiences and musicians alike with his keen musical sensitivity and charming sense of humor. Under his leadership, Maestro Hong made significant strides in building a strong foundation for the orchestra, growing the symphony series from three concerts in its 2012-2013 season to six concerts in its 2015-2016 season.
Chelsie Thompson, Renaissance Director of Operations, said, “Maestro Hong was a critical part of our success over the past four seasons. He will be greatly missed, and we are grateful for his contributions. We wish him the very best as his career continues to grow, and we thank him for the groundwork he has laid that will allow the orchestra to flourish in the coming years.”
Along with being Music Director in Mansfield, he is also currently Artistic Director and Conductor of the University of Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra. Recent activities include being principal conductor for the inaugural season of the DSO on the GO series with the Dallas Symphony, performing in neighboring venues of the North Texas area, and a re-engagement with the Utah Symphony, where he was the conductor for the 2014 Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition in Salt Lake City.
Hong was born in Incheon, Korea and immigrated to the United States with his family. He began his musical training as a pianist and continued his studies with Dr. Samuel Hsu at Cairn University. Later, he went on to earn a masters degree in choral conducting at Temple University and an artist diploma in orchestral conducting from The Curtis Institute of Music, studying with Alan Harler and Otto Werner Mueller, respectively. He concluded his artistic training with Larry Rachleff at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. Thomas currently lives in Philadelphia with his wife Rachel Ku and their daughter Esther.
In the coming weeks, the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra will announce a national search for its next Music Director. Information on the search will be available on the Renaissance Performing Arts’ website.
