ANN ARBOR – After a three-year search, the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra announced that Earl Lee has been appointed its 14th music director.
More than 225 candidates from around the world applied for the position.
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“We’re thrilled by Earl’s appointment as the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra’s next Music Director, and look forward to authoring a new, groundbreaking chapter in the orchestra’s storied history,” A2SO executive director Sarah Calderini said in a statement.
“From our first discussions and rehearsals with Earl, it was clear that he was a musician and artist of uncommon quality, and I could not be more excited for the community and region to benefit from his leadership and vision.”
Lee hails from Yeosu, South Korea, and has been serving as the assistant conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. A cellist, he studied at the Curtis Institute of Music, The Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music.
He has led the San Francisco Symphony and the Seoul Philharmonic and has performed at New York’s Lincoln Center.
Lee was one of six finalists for the position and spent time with A2SO musicians and staff in April as part of his audition.
“I’m so excited and grateful to be a part of this great organization,” Lee said in a statement. “Even during the short period of a week spending time with the orchestra, staff and the board members, it was so clear to me that I want to do something here with this group and to become a part of this community.”
A2SO’s 2022-2023 season kicks off on Sept. 9.
For more information, to preview performances and to purchase tickets, visit www.a2so.com.