New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra

Spring Splendor

The New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra welcomes back guest conductor Julius Akira Mauldin for the third concert in its 50th-anniversary season. The program opens with Emilie Mayer's Faust Overture, which has recently "attracted wider attention as its themes are gripping and the orchestral writing is masterly," according to music critic and pianist Rob Challinor. Next on the program is Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major—featuring pianist Jiwon Yang—which Boston Baroque music director Martin Pearlman called "a charming and delightful work." The concert concludes with Sibelius' Symphony No. 5 in E-flat major, which conductor and Sticky Notes podcast host Joshua Weilerstein called "one of the most remarkable fusions of modernism and romanticism I’ve ever heard."

Julius Akira Mauldin is a Japanese-American conductor, currently based in Manchester, UK. He is the Artistic Director of the Westside Chamber Players, a chamber orchestra in New York City committed to giving free performances of classical music. He co-founded the ensemble in the fall 2022 with Adeline Baban. In the UK, Julius works with the BBC Philharmonic and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra as an Assistant Conductor, assisting John Storgårds, Domingo Hindoyan, Andrew Manze, Adam Hickox, Elena Schwarz, Anja Bihlmaier, Lidiya Yankovskaya, Ben Gernon and Geoffrey Paterson. Julius has also conducted the Hallé and the Manchester Camerata, as well as assisting Dinis Sousa and the Royal Northern Sinfonia at the BBC Proms. Before moving to Manchester, he was a Julius Rudel Fellow with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, assisting JoAnn Falletta throughout the season and making his debut with the orchestra in summer 2024. Julius has participated in masterclasses taught by conductors such as Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Eva Ollikainen, Gustavo Gimeno, Dinis Sousa, and Nuno Coelho. He is currently pursuing his Masters Degree at the Royal Northern College of Music with Mark Heron and Clark Rundell, while also receiving guidance from visiting conductors such as Nicolas Pasquet, John Storgårds, Ludovic Morlot, Anja Bihlmaier, Antony Hermus, and David Hill.

Jiwon Yang debuted in January 2012 at just nine years old with solo recitals at Mozart Hall and Kumho Art Hall in Seoul, South Korea. By the age of 17, she had already won numerous awards, including third prize at the 2019 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and the 2018 Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Pianists, along with first prize at the 2017 Dong-a Competition and second prize at the Astana Piano Passion. Yang has performed with prestigious orchestras such as the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Camerata New York Orchestra, collaborating with renowned conductors such as Richard Owen and Ruth Reinhardt. Notable performances include a solo recital at Kumho Art Hall, and appearances at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, and the Irkutsk ‘Stars on Baikal Festival’ in 2018. Since fall 2020, Yang has performed in various concerts in New York, including Steinway Hall and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. Since 2023, she has been regularly invited to perform at numerous venues in New York such as the Frick Collection, Penn Club, and University Club. In addition, she has been featured in the ‘Young Artist Showcase’ in WQXR Classical Radio.