Powerful, precise, and deeply expressive, American conductor Joseph Young stands out with dynamic performances that boldly reframe the classical canon, pairing established composers with new and emergent voices to create contemporary narratives that consistently draw new and diverse audiences.

In the 2024–25 season, Young has debuts and return engagements with the National Philharmonic, Orquesta Sinfónica RTVE, the Liverpool Philharmonic, and the Louisville Orchestra, among many others. He makes his Lyric Opera of Chicago debut conducting Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson’s opera Blue, which he led to great acclaim with the Washington National Opera. In summer 2024, he led the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in the Cincinnati Opera’s world-premiere staging of Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio.

Recent engagements include debuts with the San Francisco Symphony, Seattle Symphony, the LA Phil at the Hollywood Bowl, National Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Detroit Symphony, the Sphinx Symphony, Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música (Portugal), and the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra (South Africa).

Young is the Music Director of the Berkeley Symphony, a role he has held since 2019. Also a noted music educator, he is the Artistic Director of Ensembles and Chair of the Conducting program at the Peabody Conservatory. His long-time affiliation with Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra (NYO2) culminated in 2023 with his Carnegie Hall debut, followed by the group’s first international tour to the Dominican Republic.

Young began his career as a League of American Orchestras Conducting Fellow with the Baltimore Symphony and Buffalo Philharmonic, and went on to roles with the Atlanta and the Phoenix symphonies. He holds an Artist’s Diploma from the Peabody Conservatory. Mentors include Jorma Panula, Robert Spano, and Marin Alsop, with whom he maintains an artistic partnership. He sits on the board of New Music USA.