The Cleveland Women’s Orchestra has selected Kent State University’s Dr. Jungho Kim as Music Director. He is currently the Director of the Orchestra and an Assistant Professor at the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music at Kent State University. He succeeds the orchestra’s Music Director of 28 years, Robert Cronquist. Kim has conducted orchestras across North America, Asia, and Europe, including the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in NY, National Arts Centre Orchestra in Canada, Omaha Symphony Orchestra in Nebraska, Dohnanyi Orchestra Budafok and Savaria Symphony Orchestra in Hungary, as well as North Czech Philharmonic in the Czech Republic. In 2004, he was the Assistant Conductor of the Lucca Opera Festival in Italy.
Kim completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Eastman School of Music under the direction of Maestro Neil Varon. He served as the Assistant Conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic and was awarded the Walter Hagen Conducting Prize during his doctoral studies. Additionally, he has had the chance to study alongside world-famous artists such as Maestro Kurt Masur and Pinchas Zukerman.
The historic Cleveland Women’s Orchestra serves Greater Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. Founded in 1935, it is the last of the many women’s orchestras that flourished during the early part of the 20th Century. The orchestra offers performance opportunities for women musicians and showcases talented young soloists. Often, they perform a series of free “Gift of Music” outreach concerts for various social service agencies, schools, hospitals, retirement homes and nursing homes. Over its many years, the orchestra has performed over 500 free outreach concerts — a record unmatched by any other orchestra in the area. Jungho Kim has been directing for the orchestra’s upcoming season which will conclude with a gala 88th Anniversary Concert at Severance Hall on April 30, 2023.