Jahja Ling International Artistic Consultant

Jahja Ling's distinguished career as an internationally renowned conductor has earned him an exceptional reputation for musical integrity, intensity, and expressivity. Mr. Ling is the first and only conductor of Chinese descent who has conducted all of the major orchestras in the North America including Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, Cincinnati, Houston, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, St. Louis, and most of prominent orchestras in Asia and Europe.

Mr. Ling holds one of the longest continuous relationship with one of the world greatest orchestras, The Cleveland Orchestra. He first served as Associate Conductor in 1984-85 season, and then as Resident Conductor for 17 years from 1985 to 2002 and as Blossom Festival Director for 6 seasons (2000-2005). Since then he has continued to appear as guest conductor of the Orchestra in every season for the last 25 years. This season he is returning to both Severance Hall and Blossom Festival to celebrate his 25th anniversary with that esteemed ensemble. In addition, he has conducted the Orchestra in over 450 concerts and 600 works in all types of concerts including tours and many world premiere performances.

Mr. Ling made his European debut with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra in 1988 to great acclaim. His other engagements abroad have taken him to the Chamber Orchestra of Lausanne, the China Philharmonic in Beijing, the Copenhagen Philharmonic, the Guangzhou Symphony, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Malaysia Philharmonic, the MDR Symphony Orchestra in Leipzig, the Netherlands radio Philharmonic, the NDR Radio-Philharmonie in Hannover, the NDR Symphony Orchestra in Hamburg, the Orchestre Nationale du Capitole de Toulouse, The Philharmonia Taiwan, the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Belin, the Shanghai Symphony, the Singapore Symphony, the Sydney Symphony, the Stockholm Philharmonic, and Tokyo's Yomiuri Nippon Symphony.

Mr. Ling is acclaimed not only for his interpretation of the standard repertoire, but also for the breadth of contemporary music included in his programs. Among the world premieres he has conducted are works by William Bolcom, Paul Chihara, Daniel Kellogg, George Perle, Bright Sheng, Alvin Singleton, Augusta Read Thomas, Mark Anthony Turnage, and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich.