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One World Symphony Founders

As Artistic Director and Composer-Conductor, Sung Jin Hong is dedicated to integrating One World Symphony into the fabric of the community through adventurous programming, inspiring performances, benefit concerts, and audience engagement. The symphony has extended its activism with benefit concerts and civic events that serve to heal, uplift, and empower. Hong and One World Symphony have collaborated with many local and global organizations, such as SAVI (Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Program of Mount Sinai), NY Presbyterian Weill Cornell’s Heart Institute, Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, The Humane Society of NY, Ramakrishna Vivekananda Center of NY, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Harlem Children's Zone, United Spinal Association, Coalition for the Homeless, Uniformed Firefighter’s Association Widows’ and Children’s Fund (9/11), and the American Red Cross: Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Relief Fund, Haiti Relief and Development Fund, Hurricane Katrina Victims Relief Fund, and the Tsunami Victims Fund.

Hong’s conducting engagements included Lyrique-en-mer in France, Stadt Wien Konservatorium in Vienna, Royal Northern Conservatory in Manchester, Tulsa Symphony, Tulsa Ballet, Manhattan School of Music, Mannes, CUNY Grad Center, Bard College, Illinois Wesleyan University, Redlands University, Bradley University, and Western Illinois University. He had the honor of being chosen by Kurt Masur to conduct in masterclasses and a concert with Manhattan School of Music Symphony. Hong made his international recording debut as a conductor under the Naxos record label.

As a conductor, he has had the honor of presenting world premieres and works by living composers such as John Adams, John Corigliano, George Crumb, Michael Daugherty, Harold Farberman, Kyle Gann, John Harbison, George Perle, Andre Previn, Steve Reich, Kaija Saariaho, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Joan Tower, Rob Adler, Keith Bailey, Lisa Burke, Jason Candler, John Craven, James Cross, Jerry DeVore, Peter Gilbert, Leonard Goldfine, Stanley Grill, Sean Hickey, Jihwan Kim, Justin Lee, Michael Mandrin, Masashi Mori, Andrew Struck-Marcell, and Margarita Zelenaia. After conducting works by many composers during One World Symphony’s first nine seasons, Sung Jin Hong programmed From The Alchemist, inspired by Paulo Coelho’s novel, in September 2009, which also was his first work that was publicly performed by One World Symphony. The work was later heard at the NY International Fringe Festival.

Besides the acclaimed world premiere Operasodes® Breaking Bad—Ozymandias (2014) and Hannibal (2015), Hong has been committed to exploring resonating human issues and “defending equality and human values through powerful art and civic action” through his compositions: mental illness and suicide in Edge (2013, based on Sylvia Plath’s final poem), impermanence and the life cycle in Rite of Cicada (2013), and reclaiming one’s identity in Eye of the Storm (2010, inspired by his return to his homeland and his experience visiting the DMZ). Hong’s most recent composition DEFIANT (2017) was inspired by Michelle Obama’s speech “Shaken me to my core,” Chaplin’s The Great Dictator, Langston Hughes’ Dream Deferred, and Hangang (한강).

Hong’s writing has been published by Toronto’s Schmopera, San Francisco Classical Voice, The Brooklyn Paper, and Berlin’s VAN Magazine, which examined the works of Saariaho, Undine Smith Moore, Messiaen, Britten, Beethoven, Isang Yun, and Han Yong-un and how they speak to “eternal truths about time, longing, and justice.”

Hong and his work with One World Symphony has been featured by Schmopera, Classicalite, BBC, Classic FM, El Pais, The Independent, The Guardian, BThaber, Berliner Zeitung, Louis Le Classique, Indiewire, Esquire, CUNY TV’s Arts in the City, NPR’s Illinois Public Media WILL, Time Out New York, WQXR, The Daily Dot, Textura, The Mary Sue, Operaticus, Lucid Culture, Composers of Sibelius, Tuxedo Revolt, Very Nerdy Curly, Delmarva Public Radio, CKCU FM, WPRB FM, Korea Herald, NYCulture Beat, NY Japion, The Record, Courier-Life, I Care If You Listen, The New York Times, CNN, and TIME.

 

Adrienne Metzinger

Adrienne Metzinger is a founding member, graphic designer, managing director, and stage director of One World Symphony. TimeOut New York reviewed One World Symphony’s production of Janácek’s The Cunning Little Vixen: “Tempering some ingenuity with a sense of humor, stage director Adrienne Metzinger created a fanciful world evocative of the Bohemian woods. Dragonflies buzzed down one aisle while fox cubs scampered down another; a drunken schoolmaster found ample stumbling space, and a keen amount of tension was created when Vixen was shot.” The Salon reviewed her performance as a vocalist: “In a beautiful soprano, she [Ms. Metzinger] sang a legit-jazz version of Any Place I Hang My Hat is Home, and although she said she was new to the Cabaret world, she sang in this intimate setting like a pro.”

Ms. Metzinger had the honor of singing our National Anthem to begin New York City’s televised 2003 Veteran’s Day Parade as well as at a ceremony honoring Senator Hillary Clinton held by the United Spinal Association (formerly Eastern Paralyzed Veterans’ Association.). In June of 2003, she made her Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall debut singing the music of Kurt Weill in a benefit concert for the American Red Cross.

Ms. Metzinger has made numerous appearances in One World Symphony’s opera productions: Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde (Brangäne), Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites (First Prioress), Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus (Orlofsky), Barber’s Vanessa (The Baroness), Richard Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos (Dryade) and Elektra (Clytemnestra’s Trainbearer), Verdi’sOtello (Emilia), Janácek’s The Cunning Little Vixen (Forester’s Wife, Dog), Tchaikovsky’sEugene Onegin (Larina), and Handel’sGiulio Cesare (Cornelia). Her solo concert repertoire with One World Symphony include Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’Été, Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, Bach’s Magnificat, and Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Her opera performance credits with various organizations in the New York region include Mercedes (Carmen), Lola (Cavalleria Rusticana), Prince Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), Flora and Annina (La Traviata), Peep-Bo (The Mikado), Countess Ceprano (Rigoletto), Kate (Madama Butterfly), The Sandman/Dew Fairy (Hansel and Gretel), and Kate (Ballad of Baby Doe) as well as Barbarina (Le Nozze di Figaro). Ms. Metzinger has also performed world premiere works by Kyle Gann (orchestrated by Sung Jin Hong), Joan Dawidziak and a piece written for her by New York composer Stan Grill for soprano, harp, and cello based on poems by John McKenzie.

Ms. Metzinger is Design Director of Stan Adler Associates in Manhattan. She also designs all posters and marketing materials for One World Symphony.