American conductor and violinist Scott Yoo is the Music Director of Festival Mozaic and Music Director of the Orquesta Filarmónica de la UNAM, the oldest symphonic group in Mexico City. He was Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Mexico City Philharmonic from 2016 to 2026. He is the host and executive producer of the PBS series Now Hear This, the first classical music show on American prime-time TV in 50 years. Now in its seventh season, this popular program, which received an Emmy nomination in 2021, reveals the histories of some of the greatest music ever written.

In addition he is also the Conductor of the Colorado College Music Festival, and the founder of the Medellín Festicámara, a chamber music program that brings together world-class artists with underprivileged young musicians. In 2020 he inaugurated a similar program in Mexico City. Since 2004, he has served as Music Director of Festival Mozaic, an orchestral and chamber music festival in the Central Coast of California. Mr. Yoo has conducted the Colorado, Dallas, Indianapolis, Minnesota, New World, San Francisco and Utah Symphonies, and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in their Elliott Carter Festival and in his Carnegie Hall debut. In Europe, he conducted the London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, English Chamber Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, and the Estonian National Symphony. In Asia, Mr. Yoo has led the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo and the Seoul Philharmonic and Busan Philharmonic in Korea. Mr. Yoo recently conducted the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in recordings for Sony Classical. His discography includes over 20 recordings on Bridge, Naxos, New World, and Sony Classical.

A proponent of the music of our time, Mr. Yoo has premiered 79 works by 41 composers. With the Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra, which he founded, Mr. Yoo has toured extensively and recorded: Mark O'Connor's American Seasons for Sony Classical, John Harbison's chamber orchestra works with soprano Dawn Upshaw for Bridge Records (nominated for a National Public Radio Performance Today Award), and song cycles of Earl Kim with sopranos Benita Valente and Karol Bennett for New World. The latter recording was named a Critics Choice by The New York Times. Other projects include complete orchestral works of Earl Kim with the RTE National Orchestra of Ireland for Naxos; the works of Carter, Lieberson, and Ruders; and the cycle of Mozart Piano Concertos.

As a violinist, Mr. Yoo has appeared as soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Colorado Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, New World Symphony, and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He has also made guest appearances with chamber music festivals throughout the United
States, including Bargemusic, Boston Chamber Music Society, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Kingston Chamber Music Festival, Laurel Music Festival, New Hampshire Music Festival, and Seattle Chamber Music Festival.

Scott Yoo was born in Tokyo and raised in Glastonbury, CT. After beginning his musical studies at age three, Mr. Yoo performed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Boston Symphony at age 12. He studied violin with Roman Totenberg, Albert Markov, Paul Kantor and Dorothy DeLay, and conducting with Michael Gilbert and Michael Tilson-Thomas. He attended Harvard University, where he received a bachelor’s degree. He received First Prize in the 1988 Josef Gingold International Violin Competition, the 1989 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, and the 1994 Avery Fisher Career Grant. In 2021 he received an honorary doctorate from Colorado College.​​​​​​​

Learn more about Now Hear This.

Past performances featuring Scott Yoo