Joseph Young

Joseph Young (born 9 April 1982 in Goose Creek, South Carolina, USA) is an American orchestra conductor.

Biography From a family of 3 children, with a military father, Young played trumpet as a youth in South Carolina. His interest in conducting began at age 16. At Peabody, he studied conducting under Gustav Meier and Markand Thakar, graduating in 2009. He participated in a conducting workshop at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, and subsequently became a conducting student of Marin Alsop. He was also a conducting fellow with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra for one year. He served in these Atlanta posts until 2018. He is also the resident conductor of the National Youth Orchestra (USA) at Carnegie Hall, and director of ensembles at the Peabody Conservatory.

In January 2019, Young first guest-conducted the Berkeley Symphony, as an emergency substitute conductor. Based on this concert, in April 2019, the Berkeley Symphony announced the appointment of Young as its next music director, effective with the 2019-2020 season, with an initial contract of 3 years. In November 2024, the Berkeley Symphony announced that Young is to conclude his tenure as its music director at the close of the 2024–2025 season.

In 2022, Young conducted the then-newly-formed Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra in South Africa. His work in contemporary music has included conducting the premiere of William Menefield and Sheila Williams' Fierce with Cincinnati Opera. In July 2024, Young conducted the stage premiere of Sir Paul McCartney's and Carl Davis' Liverpool Oratorio for Cincinnati Opera.