Larger Performance Space for 2024-25 Season Opens 30 New Spots; Auditions Now Open
Newport News, VA — August 6, 2024 — Soundscapes, a nonprofit organization that provides immersive, engaging, music-making, and ensemble performance opportunities for young people, has named conductor, composer, and violinist Paul Sanho Kim as the concert director for the Peninsula Youth Orchestra (PYO) — an ensemble of young musicians ranging from ages 10 to 25.
Kim is best known locally as conductor of the Old Dominion University Symphony Orchestra, where he is also an associate professor. Named the Virginia Music Teachers Association’s 2022 Commissioned Composer, Kim has composed over 30 original works and has been featured on NPR’s ”Performance Today” and by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Symphonicity. His arrangements have also been performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. In addition, Kim serves as the music director of the Orchestra of the Eastern Shore and previously served as the symphony orchestra conductor of the Czech Music Camp for Youth for five years. As a violinist, Kim was a 15-year member of the Roanoke Symphony and has performed with the Virginia Symphony and Maryland Symphony as well as internationally.
Dr. Kim completed a doctorate in musical arts in conducting from Shenandoah Conservatory and earned a master’s in music in orchestral conducting from the University of Maryland, and a master’s in music and a bachelor’s in chemistry from the University of Virginia. He also served as a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.
“Dr. Kim brings a wealth of experience to Soundscapes and the Peninsula Youth, and we look forward to seeing our young musicians grow and develop under his fine leadership,” said Ron Boucher, Peninsula Youth Orchestra Program Manager.
Founded in 1960, the Peninsula Youth Orchestra became an official program of Soundscapes in 2020. PYO cultivates learning and creativity, as well as social and motivational skills. The program functions as a large symphony format which allows all students the opportunity to make music together, regardless of whether their ability is intermediate or advanced.
The 2024-2025 PYO performance season will take place in the Peebles Theater of the Ferguson Center for the Arts, offering a larger stage and greater capacity for musicians. With access to a much larger stage, the program can now accommodate up to 80 musicians.
Auditions are currently open to students interested in joining the ensemble. For audition information or to learn more about upcoming performances, visit soundscapes.org.
