Hendersonville – Paul Conroy, Executive Director of the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra, said, “We are thrilled to have John Young Shik Concklin on board as our new music director.” His talent and experience are just what our organization needs to take us into our 50th season. We truly feel that this will be a new musical era for the HSO. Our new season will be announced in the next few weeks. A typical concert with this orchestra has 60-70 talented musicians, many of whom reside in Henderson County.
Others come from neighboring communities in Western North Carolina and South Carolina. As David Huff, the co-director of the search process, said, “We are very excited about our choice of John Young Shik Concklin as our new music director and look forward to the wonderful music he and the HSO will create together.” The first concert will be this fall, with specific dates for the season to be announced shortly.
More than 60 candidates were considered during a nationwide search for the new music director and conductor. The finalists were all asked to conduct the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra this past year at Blue Ridge Community College, and surveys with comments from the audience and the musicians were received and considered. On May 21, Concklin conducted the Hendersonville Symphony with his program New Beginnings. The guest cellist, Miriam Smith, played Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E Minor. The evening closed with the spirited Dvorák “Symphony No. 9 in E minor from the New World.”
Concklin, a Korean who was adopted early on by an American family, grew up in Atlanta and is now living in Greenville. He is an active violist and, together with his wife, Lauren Maxwell, co-founded Mozart for a Cause, an annual benefit concert that highlights chamber music. He is currently the conductor of the Piedmont Chamber Orchestra and conductor of the Atlanta Music Project. He was the music director of the Hendersonville Youth Orchestra from 2012–2014. Other more light-hearted musical activities had him also performing as concertmaster of the Super Bowl Halftime Show, being engaged to conduct the national anthem at the 2020 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship (canceled due to COVID-19), and collaborating with Monica, the Grammy-winning artist.
Concklin has had a number of conducting and teaching positions, including as a teaching assistant at the Brevard Music Center, an associate conductor of the Georgia Symphony, and an Assistant Conductor of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra. He studied at Vanderbilt University, Yale University, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. He is grateful to his mentors, which include David Zinman, Carl Topilow, Shinik Hahm, and Robin Fountain. He received further training from Lorin Maazel and Michael Tilson-Thomas.
A Fundraiser at Marked Tree Vineyard in Flat Rock
Over the weekend of June 10th, 11th, and 12th, a La Vie en Rosé Festival was held at Marked Tree Vineyard in Flat Rock, which is held every year in June. Marked Tree Vineyard has been a strong supporter of the Symphony for a number of years.
Part of the weekend Arts and Music Festival was a Saturday concert with the Hendersonville Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Cafe String Quartet, presented by Marked Tree Vineyards and the Arts Council of Henderson County. Portions of the proceeds from this concert on Saturday are going to support the Youth Scholarship Fund. The CSQ consists of members of the Orchestra, Monique Pinelli (violin), Elizabeth Terry (violin), Amanda Tant (viola) and Eric Scheider (cello). Elizabeth Terry is also the conductor of our Youth Orchestra.
Marked Tree Vineyard at 623 Deep Gap Road, is Flat Rock’s first winery and is a boutique vineyard located at an elevation of 2,300 feet on the Eastern Continental Divide. It is located between Mt. Pisgah and Tryon Peak in Flat Rock, North Carolina, in the AVA Crest of the Blue Ridge, Henderson County. The Vineyard’s grape varietals were selected to thrive in this region’s rocky, sandy, loam soil and the cool mountainous climate of this area. Some grape varietals from other regions will not ripen in this mountainous climate. Marked Tree has selected Vinifera and French hybrid vines which will ripen and produce the sugars, tannins, colors, and flavors to create a superior glass of wine on the Eastern Continental Divide. 2022 will be their fifth vintage.
The Vineyard offers 10 wine varieties made with European vinifera and French-American hybrid grapes in a picturesque setting, surrounded by panoramic views. These include Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Grüner Veltliner, Chardonel, and Vidal Blanc. The Chardonel won Best Hybrid Wine in the NC Fine Wines Competition. This summer, Sunset Parties, where one can enjoy a beautiful sunset over Mount Pisgah with a glass of wine and friends, are planned. On July 2, there will be a Sunset Party with fireworks open to the public. In addition, Marked Tree Vineyard has a satellite tasting room in Asheville at 14 Aston Street, just off Biltmore Avenue. It is open, Monday through Thursday 2-8 pm, Friday-Saturday 1-9 pm, and Sunday 1-7 pm. If you can’t make the trip to the lush and lovely vineyards in Flat Rock, a delicious glass of their wine can be tasted and enjoyed in downtown Asheville.