San Francisco Symphony Chorus Names New Director

Choral director Jenny Wong will step into the role

Conductor Jenny Wong will become the San Francisco Symphony Chorus' fourth Director. She will step into the role in October 2023, thus filling a post that has been left open since the resignation of Ragnar Bohlin in 2021.

Wong will be responsible for preparing the Chorus for all concerts and will work closely with the Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony, Esa-Pekka Salonen. In addition, she will conduct the Chorus in its annual standalone concert, as well as recruiting and auditioning prospective members of the 152-voice ensemble.

As chorus director, Jenny Wong has prepared ensembles for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel, Susanna Mälkki, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and Jaime Martín, Maria Guinand, Eric Whitacre, and the Music Academy of the West.

She holds an undergraduate degree in vocal performance from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, as well as a master's degree and doctorate from the University of Southern California.

"Working with Jenny last season on the Orchestra and Chorus’s performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Kaija Saariaho’s Adriana Mater, and the Busoni Piano Concerto was musically inspiring, and I hugely enjoyed her thoughtful and collaborative approach," said Esa-Pekka Salonen. "I know she’s going to bring a great deal of energy, expertise, and joy to the Chorus in her new role and I look forward to working with her as she quickly becomes an integral part of the San Francisco Symphony."

"I am thrilled and honored to be the San Francisco Symphony’s new Chorus Director, and equally excited to be working with Esa-Pekka Salonen," said Wong. "The San Francisco Symphony is renowned for its dynamic artistic programming, its championing of a wide range of music and stellar artists, and its exemplary musicianship. I have witnessed not only the Chorus’s legacy of excellence and versatility, but also their tremendous openness and warmth of community. I look forward to leading the Symphony Chorus in raising our voices together in exceptional, harmonious, and meaningful ways."