Wilson Ng

Following his début with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO), Wilson Ng’s performance of Shostakovich’s symphony was praised by Yonhap News “as if he had become Shostakovich himself”. He has led the orchestra at subsequent high-profile events, including the Seoul Arts Center Orchestra Festival in 2019 and 2020, and Lotte Classic Revolution Festival 2022, where he conducted the Korean première of Korngold’s Symphony in F#. His widespread success has led him to conduct other major Korean orchestras, such as the KBS Symphony, Korean National Symphony, Bucheon, Gyeonggi, and Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestras.

During the pandemic, Wilson Ng has taken the baton as substitute for SPO’s Music Director Osmo Vänskä to conduct three performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Went through multiple quartines, he also stood in for the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HKPhil)'s Music Director Jaap van Zweden to lead the city’s largest outdoor musical event ‘Symphony Under the Stars’ and to conduct Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony subscription concert (“Ng’s performance was infectious and full of surprises… under his baton, the HKPhil displayed a sinewy refinement” acclaimed Radio Television Hong Kong).

Wilson Ng has had an ongoing relationship with the HKPhil since 2018. He was invited to conduct the HKPhil at the Hong Kong Arts Festival’s 50th anniversary opening performance, and led the orchestra again this year for 2 performances at the festival. Other highlights of his 2023 season include leading the first public performance at the newly built Bucheon Arts Center in Korea, debut performances with the Tongyeong Festival Orchestra, and revisiting the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, with which he made a recording with Mandolinist Julien Martineau, and it will be released under the French label Naïve in September.

Wilson Ng has worked with many leading European orchestras, including the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. His début with the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie at the Alte Oper Frankfurt New Year’s concert, with Scriabin’s Poem of Ecstasy on the program, was critically acclaimed by the Frankfurter Rundschau, which headlined his concert as “The Pinnacle of Ecstasy”.

Born in Hong Kong, Wilson Ng began his musical journey at the age of 11 learning the flute, which first led him to Paris and Lausanne. He performed as a guest solo flutist with the Lyon National Opera Ballet and gave a recital at the 41st Hong Kong Arts Festival prior to specializing in conducting. He advanced his conducting studies at the Universität der Künste Berlin and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He was handpicked for the conducting academies at the Pacific Music Festival and Aspen Music Festival, where he was awarded the James Colon Conductor Prize. His mentors have included Osmo Vänskä, Markus Stenz and John Nelson, with other important influences including Bernard Haitink, David Zinman, Robert Spano and Roger Norrington. He founded the Gustav Mahler Orchestra in Hong Kong in 2015, and serves as its Artistic Director.