Music Direction
Music Director
Jin Zhang
Jin Zhang (Jack) is an internationally awarded artist. His recent acknowledgements are receiving AVIFF Award Cannes in France for his film score of “Lama in the West”, and the composition “Fire” received a nomination for Eclectic Song in the 17th International Independent Music Awards in USA.
Jin Zhang, associate composer of the Canadian Music Centre, received his first musical education at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Then he traveled to Japan and studied at Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo, Japan. He also studied conducting in master classes with maestro Kazuyoshi Akiyama and Seiji Ozawa.
Jin is a multiple recipient of commissioning grants from the Canada Council for the Arts. In 2006, he was selected by the Canadian Music Centre to be part of their new online initiative entitled "Composer Portraits - Influences of Many Musics." This project focuses on Canadian composers who have come to Canada from other countries, highlighting their valuable contributions to Canadian music. In 2004, Jin Zhang was honored by the City of New Westminster for ten years of distinguished service to the New Westminster Symphony Orchestra. In 2001, the film he composed music for - "Nu Shu - A Hidden Language of Women in China" - received the Audience Award and Best Documentary at the Festival Internazionale Cinema Delle Donne in Torino, Italy.
In 1986, a composition of his won second prize in a competition in the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing. In 1984, he won the third prize in a nationwide composition competition in China. He also received an Artistic Achievement Awards issued by Vancouver Chinese Culture Centre. In 2016, the multimedia project “High Muck A Muck” that he did composition and sound design received Main Prize in an international competition in England. His compositions have been played by many major orchestras that include Vancouver Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic Symphony, Victoria Symphony and San Francisco Symphony.
Currently Jin Zhang holds the position of Music Director and Conductor in the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Westminster Symphony Orchestra and the Vancouver Youth Symphony Intermediate Orchestra. He is also an artistic director of Canada Chinese Performing Arts Society and New World Han Orchestra. He was a resident composer in Casalmaggiore International Music Festival 2015 in Italy, Artistic Director of Golden Maple International Film Festival in Vancouver and White Rock City Moon Festival 2019.
Assistant Conductor
Samuel Ivory
Samuel Ivory is a conductor, composer and brass player from Grand Rapids, Michigan USA. He graduated with a Bachelors of Music in Composition from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota USA where he performed and sang in many ensembles. Having a wide range of interests, Sam has performed music written from the 1500s through 2024 on the sackbut, trumpet, baroque trumpet and voice. He values engaging with music from a variety of styles, and believes that each of these informs himself as a conductor and musician.
Sam is currently pursuing a Masters of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting at the University of British Columbia studying under the direction of Dr. Jonathan Girard. He serves as Assistant Conductor for the UBC Symphony Orchestra, and was recently appointed the Assistant Conductor of the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra. He has participated in conducting workshops led by Charles Peltz, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Dr. Jeffery Meyer, and Gary Lewis. His previous teachers in conducting include Steven Amundson and Dr. Chung Park.
Sam has conducted, performed, and been commissioned in tours across the United States and internationally including Trinidad and Tobago, Iceland, and Ireland. As an active composer, Sam has written for various ensembles including the Høyde String Quartet, Synergy Musicians’ Collective, Grand Rapids Youth Chorus, and Grand Rapids Christian High School.
Since his early years, Sam has had a passion for conducting. He pursued conducting through high school and college and conducted numerous school ensembles and in Minnesota communities. In his sophomore year at St. Olaf College, Sam co-founded and conducted the student-led ensemble Synergy Musicians’ Collective, a group committed to providing performance opportunities for composers, conductors and performers. After his time at UBC, Sam plans on continuing to pursue conducting, and hopes to create more opportunities like Synergy at the professional level.