Conductor Laureate Gala

CONDUCTOR
Josep Caballé-Domenech

Josep Caballé-Domenech concluded his tenure as Music Director of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic in 2022, after eleven successful seasons. Since 2018, he has been the Chief Conductor of the Moritzburg Festival Orchestra (Germany) and continues to enjoy a dynamic career that spans both symphonic and operatic performances. His previous roles include General Music Director of the Staatskapelle Halle (2013–2018), Artistic Director of the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra (2018), and Principal Guest Conductor of the Norrköping Symphony (2005–2007).

As a guest conductor, Caballé-Domenech has led many prestigious orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic, with whom he recorded Respighi’s “Roman Trilogy” on Onyx Classics, as well as the BBC Philharmonic, Tonhalle Orchester Zurich, hr-Sinfonieorchester, Bayerischen Rundfunk, Bamberg Symphony, WDR Sinfonieorchester, DSO Berlin, Czech Philharmonic, RSO Wien, Tonkünstler Symphony, Belgian National Symphony, Antwerp Symphony, LaVerdi Milano, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Swedish Radio Symphony, Spanish National Symphony, and orchestras in Baltimore, Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth, Sichuan, and many more.

Recognized for his exceptional work with operatic repertoire, he made his debut at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona and has conducted at renowned festivals and venues such as the Savonlinna Festival, La Fenice in Venice, Staatsoper Berlin,Hamburg Staatsoper, State Opera Stuttgart, and Dresden Semperoper, among others.

Recent highlights include productions of Wagner’s Ring, The Flying Dutchman, Aida, Tosca, and Adriana Lecouvreur at Oper Halle; Fanciulla del West, Pagliacci, and Cavalleria Rusticana at Hamburg Staatsoper; and Salomé and Rosenkavalier at Teatro Mayor in Bogotá. He has collaborated with artists like Bryn Terfel, Lang Lang, and Yo-Yo Ma, including a special 90th Anniversary Gala concert with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic. Notably, he also conducted a benefit concert for the Gute Tat Foundation with the Moritzburg Festival Orchestra at the Berlin Philharmonie, and performed at the Palau de la Música in Barcelona with the Jove Symphony.

Born in Barcelona into a family of musicians, Caballé-Domenech studied piano, percussion, singing, and violin. He received conducting training from David Zinman, Jorma Panula, and Sergiu Comissiona, and continued his studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. He was awarded the Aspen Prize by the American Academy of Conducting at AMFS and was selected as “Protégé” in the inaugural cycle of the Sir Colin Davis Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative.

PIANO
Yekwon Sunwoo

Yekwon Sunwoo has been hailed for his “unfailingly consistent excellence” (International Piano) and celebrated as “a pianist who commands a comprehensive technical arsenal that allows him to thunder without breaking a sweat” (Chicago Tribune). A powerful and virtuosic performer, he also, in his own words, “strives to reach for the truth and pure beauty in music.”

The first Korean Gold medalist of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Yekwon’s 24/25 season includes appearances with Ann Arbor Symphony, New York Classical Players, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Armenian Symphony as well as recitals at the University of Michigan, Bechstein Hall and Carnegie Hall.

Recent highlights include concertos with the Macao, Kalamazoo & Victoria Symphonies, Slovak Philharmonic, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris as well as a US tour with the Esme String Quartet.

In previous seasons, he has performed as a soloist with the Munich Philharmonic and Valery Gergiev, Royal Danish Orchestra with Thomas Søndergard, Fort Worth and Tucson Symphonies, Washington Chamber Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, National Orchestra of Belgium, Sendai Philharmonic and Royal Scottish National Orchestra amongst others. Recital appearances include Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Elbphilharmonie, Salle Cortot, Hong Kong Arts Festival, and a tour of Japan.

An avid chamber musician, Yekwon’s collaborators include Clara Jumi Kang, Sebastian Bohren, Benjamin Beilman, Linus Roth, Andrei lonita, Sebastian Bohren, lsang Enders, Tobias Feldmann, Gary HoAman, Anne-Marie McDermott and the Jerusalem and Brentano Quartets. He has also toured Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama with the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation and performed at Chamber Music of Lincoln Center’s Inside Chamber Music Lectures.

In addition to the Cliburn Gold Medal, Yekwon won first prizes at the 2015 International German Piano Award, the 2014 Vendome Prize held at the Verbier Festival, the 2013 Sendai International Music Competition and the 2012 William Kapell International Piano Competition.

Born in Anyang, South Korea, Yekwon began learning the piano at the age of 8 and made his recital and orchestral debuts in Seoul at 15. His teachers include Seymour Lipkin, Robert McDonald, Richard Goode and Bernd Goetzke.

In September 2023, Yekwon released his second album for Decca Universal Music Korea featuring works by Rachmaninov following his first album in 2020 of works by Mozart. In 2017, Decca Gold released Cliburn Gold 2017 two weeks after Yekwon was awarded the Gold Medal and includes his award-winning performances of Ravel’s La Valse and Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Sonata.

Started in 1980 as a small junior high school orchestra performing only one concert, who could have foreseen that, led by founder Gary Nicholson, the Colorado Springs Youth Sym phony Association would grow into one of the premier Youth Orchestra Programs in the country? Now, in our 44th year, the CSYSA features ten large Auditioned Ensembles, many high-level Chamber Music Groups, and a strong Mozart Strings introductory grade school program. It has long been the Mission of the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony Association: To inspire young musicians in the Pikes Peak Region to become future leaders, to provide artistic and personal development as well as diverse musical experiences for young musicians, and to collaboratively create and share excellent music that bridges cultures and communities. We are the most comprehensive instrumental music program for youth in this part of the country. Our mission compels us to provide for artistic development through high quality, diverse music experiences that enrich the cultural environment of local, national and international communities.

MUSIC DIRECTOR /CONDUCTOR
Gary Nicholson

Gary Nicholson, music director of the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony Association and conductor of its top orchestra, co-founded the organization in 1980. Mr. Nicholson came to Colorado Springs in 1976 after graduating from Wichita State University, Magna cum Laude, with degrees in Music Education and Music Performance with honors.

As a trumpeter, Mr. Nicholson has performed with the Aspen Music Festival, the Wichita Symphony, the Colorado Opera Festival, the Colorado College Conservatory of Music, the Colorado Springs Chorale, Music Theater of the Rockies, the Fine Arts Center Repertory Theater, and the Colorado Springs Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Nicholson has also performed with Abendmusik, a professional level vocal ensemble. Mr. Nicholson has served as a guest conductor/clinician in Wisconsin, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Japan, and Australia. From 1995 to 1998, he was the Music Director and Conductor of the Colorado College Chamber Orchestra.

In addition to his work with the Youth Symphony, Mr. Nicholson is a strong proponent of music education, just recently retiring from 26 years of teaching band and orchestra in Colorado Springs School District #11 and, most recently, Cheyenne Mountain School District #12. He and his wife, Donna Sheldon, enjoy living in Colorado Springs and have a son and daughter-in-law, Aaron and Kaori, who both work in School District #11. Outside of the world of music, he enjoys traveling, skiing, reading, landscaping/gardening, hiking, camping, and great food.