Artists

• Jerry Hou

  Conductor

  Born in Taiwan and raised in a small town in Arkansas, Taiwanese-American conductor Jerry Hou had a late start in music. Beginning on trombone in middle school band, he went on to work professionally in American and European orchestras before his playing career was ended by injury. He returned to school to study conducting, and is now recognized for his dynamic presence, insightful interpretations, versatility, and commanding technique on the podium.

  Hou is the resident conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) and music director of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. He leads the ASO in classical, family, and education concerts. Since joining the ASO in 2020 he has created innovative programs for young people’s concerts, expanded the orchestra’s educational reach through digital initiatives, and formed collaborations with local arts organizations. In March 2023 he makes his official subscription concert debut with works by Joan Tower, Jessie Montgomery, and Bartók.

  In 2022 he began working closely with the New York Philharmonic and music director Jaap van Zweden as an assistant conductor, and recently conducted the orchestra in some of the tuning sessions of the newly renovated David Geffen Hall. He makes his New York Philharmonic debut on a Young People’s Concert in March 2023.

  Known for his flexibility in many styles and genres, he has conducted a wide range of repertoire, from classical to contemporary. In the spring of 2019 Hou led performances of a new collaboration between composer Steve Reich and artist Gerhard Richter to commemorate the opening of The Shed, New York City’s new performing arts space and center for artistic invention. A leading interpreter and conductor of contemporary music, he has collaborated with acclaimed composers such as Anthony Davis, Melinda Wagner, Joel Thompson, Unsuk Chin, George Lewis, Bernard Rands, Steve Reich, and Carlos Simon. Hou is the resident conductor of the Grand Teton Music Festival and serves on the faculty of Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.

  Learn more about Jerry Hou

• Etienne Charles

  Host

  Etienne Charles is a performer, composer, and storyteller who is continuously searching for untold stories and sounds with which to tell them. His lush trumpet tone, varied compositional textures, and pulsating percussive grooves enable him to invoke trance, soothing and exciting listeners while referencing touchy and sometimes controversial subjects in his music. A 2015 Guggenheim Fellow and 2022 Creative Capital Awardee, he researches his compositions by travelling to the regions on which he is focused, meeting with musicians and cultural leaders, then observing and participating in rituals to be fully immersed into the cultures that he is studying. As an Afro-descendant, his work is actively connecting the diaspora and drawing lines to regions at the roots of migrations. Highlighting marginalized communities and engaging with them has been his mission, evident with projects such as Carnival: The Sound of a People Vol. 1, San Jose Suite, Creole Soul, and Folklore. His concerts engage, enlighten, educate, and enrich audiences with energized multidisciplinary performance utilizing original composition, thematic improvisation, dance, short films, and spoken word to create a holistic experience. A firm believer in music and performance as a tool for provoking thought and dialogue, Charles’s themes speak to the status quo while drawing parallels to history. With his latest commissioned project, San Juan Hill, he goes a step further by exploring the storied New York neighborhood to bring the culture of San Juan Hill to the mainstage.

  
  Learn more about Etienne Charles

• Etienne Charles & Creole Soul

  Ensemble

  Trinidad-born Etienne Charles is a performer, composer, and storyteller continuously searching for untold stories and sounds with which to tell them. His lush trumpet sound, varied compositional textures, and pulsating percussive grooves enable him to invoke trance, soothing and exciting listeners while referencing controversial subjects. A 2015 Guggenheim Fellow and 2022 Creative Capital Awardee, he researches his compositions by traveling to the regions on which he is focused, meeting with musicians and cultural leaders, then observing and participating in rituals to be fully immersed in the culture. As an Afro-descendant, his work connects the diaspora and draws lines to regions at the roots of migrations. Highlighting marginalized communities has been his mission, evident in projects such as Carnival: The Sound of a People, Vol. 1; San Jose Suite; Creole Soul; and Folklore. His concerts engage, enlighten, and enrich audiences with energized, multidisciplinary performance using original composition, thematic improvisation, dance, short films, and spoken word to create a holistic experience. Etienne Charles has been featured as a bandleader at major festivals, including the Newport Jazz Festival and Monterey Jazz Festival, and he is an associate professor of studio music and jazz at the University of Miami. Creole Soul, a band of global citizens, explores grooves, song forms, and rituals of the Caribbean and greater African Diaspora through original compositions and improvisation. Through the themes of the compositions, the group’s performances spark thought, newfound interest, and sometimes debate regarding historical events and their effects on society. The goal is engagement with audiences — on spiritual, intellectual, and primal levels. The ensemble is made up of interpreters and improvisers who, in addition to their adept musicianship, are connected to the immigrant experience and with the cultures from whence their families came. Creole Soul can be heard recorded on Carnival: The Sound of a People, Vol. 1, by Etienne Charles. As a group these musicians have been featured at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Koerner Hall, Monterey Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Atlanta Jazz Festival, and Java Jazz Festival (in Indonesia). The members have performed with a plethora of luminaries of the idiom, including Wynton Marsalis, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Madonna, Roberta Flack, and SFJAZZ Collective.