An up-and-coming young conductor and versatile arts advocate, Ryo Hasegawa currently serves as the Music Director of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra (Indiana), the Conductor of the Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the Chair & Founder of Mudita Corporation. Under the mentorship of the world-renowned conductor, Marin Alsop, Hasegawa has performed at numerous concerts in the U.S., Europe, and Asia and launched several projects to promote interdisciplinary collaborations and advocate diversity in music and art education.
Concertmaster, Principal Pops Conductor, Artistic Director
Yuriy Bekker is a critically-acclaimed violinist and conductor, and an impassioned community ambassador. Bekker has been a mainstay of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra (CSO) for 17 years. He has led the CSO as Artistic Director since 2021 and concurrently leads as Concertmaster (2007) and Principal Pops Conductor (2016). Bekker previously served as the orchestra’s Acting Artistic Director from 2010-2014 and has a long history of dedication and vision for the CSO. In 2011, he was given the Outstanding Artistic Achievement award from the city of Charleston to honor his cultural contributions to the community.
