Biography

Carolyn Kuan

Carolyn Kuan is internationally recognized for her extraordinary versatility, innovative programming, and dedication to contemporary music. Throughout her distinguished career, she has developed strong relationships with leading orchestras, opera and ballet companies, and music festivals worldwide. Since 2011, Kuan has been Music Director of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, significantly expanding its artistic reach and reputation.

In May 2024, Carolyn Kuan conducted the critically acclaimed New York premiere of Huang Ruo’s An American Soldier, a co-production of the Boston Lyric Opera and the American Composers Orchestra. In July 2024, she made her highly anticipated debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Upcoming highlights include M. Butterfly with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at London’s Barbican Centre, as well as debut performances with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, and Rheinische Philharmonie in Germany.

In North America, Kuan has led renowned ensembles such as the Baltimore Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Omaha Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Seattle Symphony, and Toronto Symphony. Her work also includes engagements with the New York City Ballet, the Florida Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, and appearances at the Colorado Music Festival and Glimmerglass Opera Festival.

Internationally, she has worked with prestigious orchestras including the Bournemouth Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, Singapore Symphony, Residentie Orkest, and the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo. She has also collaborated with the Royal Danish Ballet, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, and Borusan Philharmonic Orchestra in Istanbul.

As an opera conductor, Carolyn Kuan has distinguished herself with a diverse repertoire. She conducted Stewart Wallace’s Harvey Milk at Opera Theatre of St. Louis and Huang Ruo’s M. Butterfly at Santa Fe Opera. In the same season, she made her critically acclaimed debut at English National Opera with Philip Glass’s Satyagraha. She also made a significant impact with New York City Opera's 2019 production of Iain Bell’s Stonewall, marking the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Earlier, she debuted with Portland Opera in 2018, conducting La Cenerentola.

A recognized expert in Asian contemporary music, Carolyn Kuan directed the San Francisco Symphony’s annual Chinese New Year concert from 2007 to 2012 and launched the Celebrate Asia! program with the Seattle Symphony. She has led world premieres with Music from Japan and multimedia productions like the Butterfly Lovers Concerto and A Monkey’s Tale as part of the Detroit Symphony’s World Music Series.

Carolyn Kuan’s passion for multimedia collaborations shines in Life: A Journey Through Time, a project with Philip Glass and National Geographic photographer Frans Lanting. Developed with the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, this production merged music and photography to spotlight environmental issues. Notable performances include the Ninth World Wilderness Congress and the CERN Large Hadron Collider inauguration, where she led the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in front of global leaders and Nobel laureates.

Carolyn Kuan’s past roles include Associate Conductor of the Seattle Symphony, Artist-in-Residence at the New York City Ballet, and Assistant Conductor of the Baltimore Opera. Her recording with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, featuring works by Chinese composers, debuted in 2012 on the Naxos label.

A recipient of numerous awards, Carolyn Kuan was the first woman to receive the Herbert von Karajan Conducting Fellowship in 2003, leading to her residency at the 2004 Salzburg Festival. She was also the inaugural winner of the Taki Concordia Fellowship and has received honors from the Women’s Philharmonic, Conductors Guild, and Susan W. Rose Fund for Music.

Born in Taiwan, Carolyn Kuan moved to the U.S. at age 14 to pursue her music studies. She graduated cum laude from Smith College, earned a Master of Music from the University of Illinois, and a Performance Diploma from the Peabody Conservatory.

October 2024