Wilbur Lin (Chinese: ) is a Taiwanese–American conductor best known for his work with orchestras and operas in the United States and

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

. As of 2023, he is the music director of the

Missouri Symphony The Missouri Symphony Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra based in Columbia, Missouri. Founded in 1970 as the Missouri Symphony Society the professional orchestra brings symphonic classics, pops, and guest artist to Mid-Missouri. The orc ...

Columbia, Missouri Columbia is a city in Missouri, United States. It was founded in 1821 as the county seat of Boone County, Missouri, Boone County and had a population of 126,254 as recorded in the 2020 United States census, making it the List of cities in Misso ...

, Music Director of the Denver Young Artists Orchestra, and assistant conductor of the

Colorado Symphony Orchestra The Colorado Symphony is an American symphony orchestra located in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1989 as the successor to the Denver Symphony Orchestra, the Colorado Symphony performs in Boettcher Concert Hall, located in the Denver Perfor ...

. Previously, he was assistant conductor of the

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its primary concert venue is Music Hall. In addition to its symphony concerts, the orchestra gives pops concerts as the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. The Cinc ...

and a professor at

Northern Illinois University Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a public research university in DeKalb, Illinois, United States. It was founded as "Northern Illinois State Normal School" in 1895 by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld, initially to provide the state with c ...

DeKalb, Illinois DeKalb ( ) is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,290 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is named after decorated Franconian-French war hero Johann de Kalb, who died during the Ameri ...

. Lin was born in

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

and moved to Taiwan at age six. In 2008, while attending

National Taiwan Normal University National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) is a National university, national comprehensive university in Taipei and New Taipei City, Taiwan. The university enrolls approximately 17,000 students each year. Approximately 1,600 students are Intern ...

, he founded the Chamber Philharmonic Taipei. Lin has conducted ensembles in Europe, Latin America, East Asia, and the United States, including the

Taipei Symphony Orchestra The Taipei Symphony Orchestra (TSO, ), founded in 1969, is one of the leading orchestras based in Taipei, Taiwan. TSO works with European music directors and conductors, such as Reinhard Goebel, Martin Fischer-Dieskau, and Maurice Steger. O ...

Cincinnati Ballet The Cincinnati Ballet is a professional ballet company founded as Cincinnati Civic Ballet in 1958, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. After being registered as a company, it had its first performance in 1964. Founding Organizing founde ...

Manchester Camerata The Manchester Camerata is a British chamber orchestra based in Manchester, England. A sub-group from the orchestra, the Manchester Camerata Ensemble, specialises in chamber music performances. The orchestra's primary concert venue is The Bridg ...

Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is an American orchestra based in the city of Rochester, New York. Its primary concert venue is the Eastman Theatre at the Eastman School of Music. History George Eastman, founder of Eastman Kodak Compan ...

Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra (A2SO) is an American orchestra based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is one of two symphony orchestras in Southeast Michigan alongside the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Founded in 1928, the A2SO plays most of its con ...

, and Richmond Symphony Orchestra of Indiana.

Childhood and education

Born in

, United States, Wilbur Lin moved to

at age six with his parents. His father was an amateur choir conductor. Lin has credited the musical environment at churches he attended with influencing his career choice. He was a boy soprano and began playing piano at age six. Lin went on to study piano and harpsichord at the

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

, receiving his undergraduate degree in 2011. At school he would study with Apo Hsu, who was formerly music director of the Springfield Symphony in

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the List of cities in Missouri, third most populous city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County, Missouri, Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 censu ...

-the same U.S state as the Missouri Symphony Lin would later lead. In 2013, Lin received a master of music degree in conducting from the

Royal Northern College of Music The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) is a conservatoire located in Manchester, England. It is one of four conservatoires associated with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. In addition to being a centre of music education ...

in Manchester, United Kingdom. He holds a doctoral degree in orchestral conducting from

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...

Jacobs School of Music The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana, is a music conservatory established in 1921. Until 2005, it was known as the Indiana University School of Music. It has more than 1,500 students, approximately half of whom ar ...

, where he studied with David Effron and Arthur Fagen. His dissertation is titled: Performing Bach Cantatas with Modern Orchestras: A Modern Conductor's Handbook for Applying Historically Informed Practice to Today's Ensembles. Lin has been coached by

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Yannick Nézet-Séguin, CC (; born Yannick Séguin;David Patrick Stearns, "Nezet-Seguin signs Philadelphia Orchestra contract". ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', 19 June 2010. 6 March 1975) is a Canadian conductor and pianist. He is the music dir ...

Mark Elder Sir Mark Philip Elder (born 2 June 1947) is a British conductor. Life and career Elder was born in Hexham, Northumberland, the son of a dentist. He played the bassoon when in primary school, at Bryanston School, Dorset, and in the National ...

, and

Helmuth Rilling Helmuth Rilling (born 29 May 1933) is a German choral conductor and an academic teacher. He is the founder of the Gächinger Kantorei (1954), the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart (1965), the Oregon Bach Festival (1970), the Internationale Bachakade ...

and is a graduate of the

Riccardo Muti Riccardo Muti (; born 28 July 1941) is an Italian conductor. He is current music director of the Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini. Muti has previously held posts at the Maggio Musicale in Florence, the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, the ...

's Italian Opera Academy in

Ravenna Ravenna ( ; , also ; ) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century until its Fall of Rome, collapse in 476, after which ...

, Italy.

Career

In 2008, as an undergraduate student, Lin founded the Chamber Philharmonic Taipei. Originally composed of students, the orchestra became fully professional in 2013; he continues to conduct the ensemble as of 2022. Lin was employed as assistant conductor of the

from 2019 to 2022. In 2022, he became an assistant professor at

, where he directs the University Philharmonic and Opera Theatre. Lin becomes the third music director of the

in 2023. He is the third Taiwanese to lead a symphony orchestra in the United States.

References

External links

Official websiteThe Missouri SymphonyChamber Philharmonic Taipei
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lin, Wilbur Living people American musicians of Taiwanese descent Musicians from New Jersey Taiwanese emigrants to the United States American male conductors (music) 21st-century American conductors (music) National Taiwan Normal University alumni Alumni of the Royal Northern College of Music Jacobs School of Music alumni Northern Illinois University faculty Year of birth missing (living people)