“A conductor's happiness does not come from only his own story and his joy of the music. The joy is about enabling other people's stories to be heard at the same time.”
— Itay Talgam, author of The Ignorant Maestro, on conducting and leadership.
At Stanford, I studied orchestral conducting with Prof. Paul Phillips, the Gretchen B. Kimball Director of Orchestral Studies, as well as opera conducting, voice, and string studies with Dr. Marie-Louise Catsalis. I often enjoy collaborating with singers and dancers as opposed to conducting purely instrumental music. There is an art to serving as a bridge, with much more yielding and listening than being the sole commander of an orchestra.
*Previous performances:
Apr 5, 2025 R. Qin Touching Water (Electroacoustic)
R. Qin At the Edge of Time (Live Audiovisual)
Feb 21, 2025 Strauss II Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka (Saratoga Symphony)
Lehár Gold and Silver Waltz (Saratoga Symphony)
Apr 13, 2024 Gomez Ave Maria
H. Qin Symphony No. 1 “Stanford”, Op. 37
Apr 28, 2023 Bizet Habanera from Carmen
Gomez Ave Maria
Feb 25, 2023 Tchaikovsky Pas de deux from Swan Lake (Cardinal Ballet)
Oct 28, 2022 Copland “Saturday Night Waltz” from Rodeo (SSO)
May 13 & 15, 2022 Mahler Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection” (SSO)
Mar 31-Apr 3, 2022 Mozart Le nozze di Figaro
*Upcoming readings/rehearsals:
Jun 10, 2025 Mozart Symphony No. 35 “Haffner” (Maestri Masterclass NYC)
Jun 12, 2025 Wagner Siegfried Idyll (Maestri Masterclass NYC)
Jun 13, 2025 Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 (Maestri Masterclass NYC)
*Previous readings/rehearsals:
May 16, 2023 H. Qin Symphony No. 1 “Stanford”, Op. 37 (SP)
Dec 8, 2022 Schumann Symphony No. 1 “Spring”, Mvt. I (SSO)
Oct 16, 2022 Beethoven Symphony No. 3 “Eroica”, Mvt. I (SSO)
Dec 2, 2021 Brahms Symphony No. 1, Mvt. I (SSO)
Nov 9, 2021 Beethoven Symphony No. 7, Mvt. II (SP)
SSO = Stanford Symphony Orchestra
SP = Stanford Philharmonia
At Main Quad, by Renée Qin, Nov 2021
Excerpt: Susanna’s Aria “Deh vieni, non tardar”
↑ Opera ↑
↓ Ballet ↓
This collaboration was initiated by Cardinal Ballet’s Artistic Director Trudy Kim '23 and harpist & opening member Oliver Sibal '24. Over winter 2022-23, I arranged “Pas de deux” from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake for string quintet. Together with Bradley Moon '25 (danseur), Roger Xia '24 (violin), Michelle Fu '24 (violin), Peyton Lee '24 (viola), and Jessica Lee '24 (cello), we performed at the opening of the 45th Stanford Viennese Ball (2023).
Brahms Symphony No. 1, mvt. I
With Stanford Symphony Orchestra in December 2021.