Soon Hee Newbold is an American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Biology and medicine * Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear * Conduction aphasia, a language disorder Mathematics * Conductor (ring theory) * Conductor of an abelian variety * Cond ...

musician A musician is someone who Composer, composes, Conducting, conducts, or Performing arts#Performers, performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general Terminology, term used to designate a person who fol ...

, film producer, and

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

Early life

Newbold was born in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

and adopted as an infant. She spent her childhood growing up in

Frederick, Maryland Frederick is a city in, and the county seat of, Frederick County, Maryland, United States. Frederick's population was 78,171 people as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Maryland, second-largest ...

with two sisters. Newbold began studying piano at age five and

Suzuki is a Japanese multinational mobility manufacturer headquartered in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Shizuoka. It manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a va ...

violin at age seven winning prestigious competitions and performing as a concert artist at an early age.FJHmusic.com , Composers & Writers , Newbold Newbold
/ref> As a soloist and in professional orchestras throughout the world, Newbold appeared in venues such as

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

The Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...

Wolf Trap A wolf trap (Spanish ''lobera'', Italian ''luparia'', Portuguese ''fojo'') was a chase ending in a pit with trapdoor and stakes used by beaters in hunting wolves in medieval Europe.Towards a History of the Basque Language José Ignacio Hualde, J ...

Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort is an entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Walt Disney Company. ...

Aspen Music Festival The Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) is a classical music festival held annually in Aspen, Colorado. It is noted both for its concert programming and the musical training it offers to mostly young-adult music students. Founded in 1949, th ...

Tanglewood Tanglewood is a music venue and Music festival, festival in the towns of Lenox, Massachusetts, Lenox and Stockbridge, Massachusetts, Stockbridge in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts. It has been the summer home of the Boston Symphony ...

, and numerous countries.Luck's Music Library - Spotlight Arranger - Newbold Newbold
Newbold attended Frederick High SchoolFrederick County Public Schools
where her interests included science, languages, and drama. She studied German, French, and Russian and completed an internship in

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

and

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

research at the

National Institutes of Health The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in 1887 and is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Service ...

Fort Detrick Fort Detrick () is a United States Army Futures Command installation located in Frederick, Maryland. Fort Detrick was the center of the U.S. biological weapons program from 1943 to 1969. Since the discontinuation of that program, it has hosted m ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, under Dr. David Derse. Newbold received her

Bachelor of Music A Bachelor of Music (BMus; sometimes conferred as Bachelor of Musical Arts) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. The degree may be awarded for performance, music ed ...

degree from

James Madison University James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public university, public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1908, the institution was renamed in 1938 in honor of the fourth president of the ...

JMU - Arts Through the Years Banner
/ref> where she concentrated on film scoring, orchestration, and audio production. During college, she also performed in professional symphonies in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, and

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

and was the winner twice of the JMU School of Music Concerto Competition performing the Khachaturian Violin Concerto her

Freshman A freshman, fresher, first year, or colloquially frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational in ...

year and Ravel's

Tzigane ''Tzigane'' is a rhapsodic composition by the French composer Maurice Ravel featuring a virtuosic violin part. The original instrumentation was for violin and piano (with optional luthéal attachment). The first performance took place in Londo ...

as a

Senior Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...

.JMU Library
/ref>

Career

Upon graduation, Newbold worked in entertainment for

Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort is an destination resort, entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Wa ...

and performed in various symphonies in

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. She also produced albums and wrote for recording projects and ensembles. As an

actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

, Newbold expanded her experiences to film and television. She got her first break in the film, ''

The Waterboy ''The Waterboy'' is a 1998 American sports comedy film directed by Frank Coraci. It was written by Adam Sandler as well as Tim Herlihy and produced by Robert Simonds and Jack Giarraputo. Sandler also stars as the title character while Kathy Ba ...

'', starring

Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. Primarily a comedic leading actor in films, List of awards and nominations received by Adam Sandler, his accolades include an Independent Sp ...

, and first major role in the family comedy, ''Camp Tanglefoot'' with Gregg Russell,

Drew Seeley Andrew Michael Edgar Seeley (born April 30, 1982) is a Canadian actor, singer and dancer. He has recorded many songs for the Walt Disney Company. He danced as a child in Ontario until he was about preteen age and then moved to Florida. Early an ...

, and Michael Andrew. Newbold is a highly sought after prolific and published composer. Her compositions can be heard around the world in film, orchestras, and other performing groups.SAS Hosts AMIS International Festival
She frequently travels the world as a guest composer, conductor, clinician, and keynote speaker.
Her works have been performed at

,MidAmerica Productions - Carnegie Hall Concert Series

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

Walt Disney Concert Hall The Walt Disney Concert Hall at 111 South Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, California, is the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center and was designed by Frank Gehry. It was opened on October 23, 2003. Bounded by Hope Street, Grand Av ...

and the

Midwest Clinic The Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference is the world's largest instrumental music education conference, annually drawing approximately 17,000 attendees to Chicago from all 50 states and as many as forty countries. It is he ...

.The Midwest Clinic - 2004 Orchestra Concert Programs
In 2014, Newbold was highlighted among prominent alumni in James Madison University’s “Be The Change” campaign and for years had a featured poster in the lobby of the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts. In 2019, the Boston Music Project increased their number of orchestras, traditionally named for iconic and celebrated composers such as

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

, and Boulanger, and chose Newbold as the name for their newest ensemble. Notable commissions include works for Atlanta Symphony's The Merian Ensemble, Brevard Symphony Orchestra, and youth orchestras for the

Columbus Symphony The Columbus Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Columbus, Ohio. The oldest performing arts organization in the city, its home is the Ohio Theatre. The orchestra's current executive director is Denise Rehg. R ...

and

LA Phil The Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil) is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. The orchestra holds a regular concert season from October until June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from ...

. Newbold was inducted into the

Women Songwriters Hall of Fame The Women Songwriters Hall of Fame (WSHOF) is a non-profit organization founded by entrepreneur and songwriter, Dr. Janice McLean DeLoatch. WSHOF honors women songwriters, composers, and writers worldwide that have made a significant impact in the ...

in 2024. The awards show was held in

Washington D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

at the

National Museum of Women in the Arts The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), located in Washington, D.C., is "the first museum in the world solely dedicated" to championing women through the arts. NMWA was incorporated in 1981 by Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay. Since openi ...

Personal life

Newbold currently lives in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

. She makes appearances worldwide as a guest composer and conductor but also works in film, television, and commercial projects as a producer and director. Newbold is also a proficient martial artist and trained in various weapons. She has a 3rd degree black belt in

Tae Kwon Do Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In a ...

,Kukkiwon
/ref> 2nd degree black belt in

Hapkido Hapkido ( , , ), also spelled ''hap ki do'' or ''hapki-do'' is a Korean martial art. It is a hybrid form of self-defense that employs joint locks, grappling, chokeholds, throwing techniques, kicks, punches, and other striking attacks. ...

,JK Taekwondo Blackbelts
and a black belt in Kigumdo.Kigumdo
Her mother was diagnosed with

Huntington's disease Huntington's disease (HD), also known as Huntington's chorea, is an incurable neurodegenerative disease that is mostly Genetic disorder#Autosomal dominant, inherited. It typically presents as a triad of progressive psychiatric, cognitive, and ...

, a terminal genetic neurological illness for which there is very little treatment and no cure. Newbold wrote the song ''Endless Dreams'', and dedicated it to those affected by Huntington's to spread awareness and hope.Faces of Huntington's

Music

String orchestra

*''Alis volat propiis (She flies with her own wings)'' (2024) *''American Landscape'' (2006) *''Angel City'' (2025) *''Appalachian Hymn'' (2005) *''Arabian Dreams'' (2003) *''Battle'' (2023) *''BlueFire Fiddler'' (2003) *''Calypso Sea'' (2019) *''Celtic Roots'' (2002) *''Celtic Sunrise'' (2020) *''Country Hoedown'' (2011) *''Dance of the Samodivi'' (2007) *''Desert Sands'' (2008) *''Dragon Dances'' (2003) *''Egyptian Legacy'' (2006) *''Elementa: I. Flights of Fancy, II. Terra, III. Fire and Ice'' (2022) *''Equuleus'' (2008) *''Fan Dance'' (2012) *''Fantasía Española'' (2005) *''Fire Dance'' (2007) *''Gaelic Castle'' (2009) *''Gravitas'' (2024) *''A Gypsy Tale'' (2005) *''The Haunted Carousel'' (2009) *''A Hero's Journey'' (2007) *''Hiawatha'' (2003) *''Honor and Glory'' (2008) *''Iditarod'' (2010) *''The Iliad: Fall of Troy'' (2025) *''Invicta: for Solo Violin and Orchestra'' (2021) *''Irish Faire'' (2011) *''Jubilee Fanfare'' (2016) *''A Knight's Quest'' (2005) *''Le froid de l'hiver (The Cold of the Winter)'' (2004) *''Legend of Dark Mountain'' (2007) *''Lion City'' (2009) *''Medieval Kings'' (2010) *''Mystic Caravan'' (2012) *''Mythos'' (2006) *''North Star to Freedom'' (2008) *''The Odyssey: Journey of Odysseus'' (2004) *''Orion and the Scorpion'' (2012) *''Perseus'' (2009) *''A Pirate's Legend'' (2004) *''Rhythm 'n' Blues'' (2006) *''Rhythms of Africa'' (2010) *''Riders in the Night (Life of a Cowboy)'' (2008) *''Rock Riffs'' (2011) *''Rockin' Jammin' Swingin (2002) *''The Russian Music Box'' (2004) *''Ships of Ireland'' (2004) *''A Soldier's Hymn'' (2008) *''Song of the Sea Mariner'' (2006) *''Spirit of the American West'' (2003) *''Storm'' (2015) *''Viking'' (2014) *''Voyager'' (2020) *''Warrior Legacy'' (2010) *''The Wild Western Frontier'' (2007)

Full orchestra

*''Aeternus Solaris'' (2026) *''Alpha and Omega'' (2020) *''Angel City'' (2025) *''American Landscape'' (2017) *''Egyptian Legacy'' orch. by Carl Rydlund (2014) *''

Han'gŭl The Korean alphabet is the modern writing system for the Korean language. In North Korea, the alphabet is known as (), and in South Korea, it is known as (). The letters for the five basic consonants reflect the shape of the speech organs ...

한글 The Korean alphabet is the modern writing system for the Korean language. In North Korea, the alphabet is known as (), and in South Korea, it is known as (). The letters for the five basic consonants reflect the shape of the speech organs ...

(2026) *''The Iliad: Fall of Troy'' (2025) *''Gravitas'' (2024) *''A Pirate's Legend'' orch. by Carl Rydlund (2014) *''Warrior Legacy'' (2013)

Concert band

*''Gravitas'' (2025) *''Storm'' (2020)

Solo and ensemble

*''Alis volat propiis (She flies with her own wings)'' for Quintet: harp, flute, oboe, viola, and bass clarinet (2024) *''Invicta'': for solo violin or viola and piano (2021)

Arrangements

*''

Hallelujah Chorus ''Messiah'' ( HWV 56), the English-language oratorio composed by George Frideric Handel in 1741, is structured in three parts. This listing covers Part II in a table and comments on individual movements, reflecting the relation of the musical se ...

from "Messiah"'' by

G.F. Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well-known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...

(2009) *''

Herr Mannelig ''Herr Mannelig'' (also known as ''Bergatrollets frieri'' "The Courting of the Mountain Troll") is a Swedish folk ballad ( SMB 26; TSB A 59) that tells the story of a female mountain troll (''bergatroll'') who proposes marriage to a young ...

'' by Swedish Traditional (2023) *''Irish Legend'' by Robert Kerr (2008) *''Olaf and the Elf Maiden (

Ólafur Liljurós "Elveskud" or "Elverskud" (; Danish for "Elf-shot") is the Danish, and most widely used, name for one of the most popular ballads in Scandinavia. Origins and distribution The origins of the ballad are agreed to be considerably earlier than th ...

)'' by Icelandic Traditional (2014) *''

Salut d'Amour ''Salut d'Amour'' (''Liebesgruß''), Op. 12, is a musical work composed by Edward Elgar in 1888, originally written for violin and piano. History Elgar finished the piece in July 1888, when he was romantically involved with Caroline Alice Ro ...

'' by

Edward Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...

(2024) *''

Slane Slane () is a village in County Meath, in Ireland. The village stands on a steep hillside on the left bank of the River Boyne at the intersection of the N2 (Dublin to Monaghan road) and the N51 (Drogheda to Navan road). As of the 2022 census ...

(

Be Thou My Vision "Be Thou My Vision" ( or ''Rob tú mo bhoile'') is a traditional Christian hymn of Irish origin. The words are based on a Middle Irish lorica that has sometimes been attributed to Dallán Forgaill. The best-known English version, with some min ...

)'' by Irish Traditional (2010) *''

Sleepers Wake Sleepers or The Sleepers may refer to: * The plural form of any type of Sleeper (disambiguation), sleeper __NOTOC__ Film and television * Sleepers (film), ''Sleepers'' (film), a 1996 American crime film * Sleepers (TV series), ''Sleepers'' (TV seri ...

'' by J.S. Bach (2009) *''

Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

'' (as performed by

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

) by

Rod Temperton Rodney Lynn Temperton (9 October 1949 – 25 September 2016) was an English musician, songwriter, and record producer. Temperton was the keyboardist and principal songwriter for the 1970s funk band Heatwave, writing songs including "Star of a ...

(2023)

Film scores

*''Forever Home: A Glimpse Into Dog Rescue'' (2014) *''Ghost Rock'' (2004)

Songs

*''Endless Dreams'' (1999) *''Johnny, Come On Home'' (2004) *''Pinches of Salt, Prisms of Light'' (2000) *''True Friends'' (1992)

Method books and collections

*''New Directions for Strings'' (The FJH Music Company, Inc.)

Filmography

References

External links

Official website
*
Alfred Music Soon Hee NewboldThe FJH Music Company Soon Hee Newbold
{{DEFAULTSORT:Newbold, Soon Hee American women classical composers American classical composers Living people American film actresses Musicians from Seoul People from Frederick, Maryland Actresses from Maryland American adoptees South Korean adoptees South Korean emigrants to the United States American classical pianists American women classical pianists American television actresses American women conductors (music) South Korean women conductors (music) American actresses of Korean descent Musicians from Maryland James Madison University alumni Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American conductors (music) 21st-century classical pianists 21st-century American women pianists 21st-century American pianists American female taekwondo practitioners American hapkido practitioners South Korean hapkido practitioners 21st-century American classical violinists