Orchestral Fireworks

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, Hou went on to work professionally as a trombonist in American and European orchestras before his playing career was ended by injury. Turning to conducting studies with Jorma Panula in Finland, he is now recognized for his dynamic presence, insightful interpretations, versatility and commanding technique on the podium.

In 2021, Hou began working with the New York Philharmonic and their music director Jaap van Zweden, and conducted the orchestra in the tuning of the newly renovated David Geffen Hall. Hou continues to serve as an assistant conductor and made his debut with the orchestra this past spring. He was immediately reengaged and will lead a Young People’s Concert in January 2023 along with six educational concerts.

Hou recently concluded his successful tenure as Resident Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the first person in the orchestra’s history to hold that title, and Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. He conducted the ASO in classical, family, and education concerts, and this past March, made his official subscription debut in a program of music by Joan Tower, Jessie Montgomery, and Bela Bartok. Committed to developing the Atlanta music community, Hou created a Second Atlanta School of Composers, featuring native Atlantans, Carlos Simon, Joel Thompson, Viet Cuong, Sarah Gibson, TJ Cole, and Elise Arancio. He worked closely with these composers and performed their music in concerts and recordings. Hou returns to the ASO next season for another subscription concert.  He also served as Resident Conductor of the Grand Teton Music Festival for seven summers.

Known for his flexibility in many styles and genres, Hou has conducted a wide range of repertoire from classical to contemporary. A leading advocate, interpreter, and conductor of contemporary music, he has collaborated with acclaimed composers such as Kevin Puts, Anthony Davis, Steve Reich, Andrew Norman, Melinda Wagner, John Harbison, George Lewis, Bernard Rands, Unsuk Chin, Gyorgy Kurtag, Brett Dean, Mark Anthony-Turnage, and Helmut Lachenmann. Hou has conducted leading contemporary music ensembles Ensemble Modern, Ensemble Signal, Grossman Ensemble, Remix Ensemble, and Alarm Will Sound

Hou is on the faculty of Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, where he is Artist Teacher of Orchestras and Ensembles. He lives in Houston with his wife Jenny and son Remy, and has competed on the game show Jeopardy!

Joel Thompson is an Atlanta-based composer, conductor, pianist, and educator, best known for the choral work, Seven Last Words of the Unarmed, which was premiered in November 2015 by the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club and Dr. Eugene Rogers and won the 2018 American Prize for Choral Composition. In August 2021 he premiered another new work in Boulder at the Colorado Music Festival; the piece sets the writings of James Baldwin to music.

Thompson’s works have been performed by esteemed ensembles such as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Master Chorale, Los Angeles Master Chorale, EXIGENCE, and the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. Currently a doctoral student at the Yale School of Music, Thompson was also a 2017 post-graduate fellow in Arizona State University’s Ensemble Lab/Projecting All Voices Initiative and a composition fellow at the 2017 Aspen Music Festival and School, where he studied with composers Stephen Hartke and Christopher Theofanidis and won the 2017 Hermitage Prize.

Thompson taught at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School in Atlanta from 2015 to 2017, and also served as Director of Choral Studies and Assistant Professor of Music at Andrew College from 2013 to 2015. Thompson has a B.A. in Music and an M.M. in Choral Conducting, both from Emory University.