Ken Hsieh Biography
Music Director, Principal Conductor
A Charming, Passionate and Compelling presence on the podium, Award Winning Conductor Kenneth Hsieh, has gained widespread attention for his vibrant performances, making him one of the most exciting and versatile young conductors on the international stage today. The 2023-2024 season marks his 21st season as Music Director of the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra in addition to his many international guest conducting engagements. In recent years he has made his debuts with Boston Ballet, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, Sichuan Symphony Orchestra only to name a few. In his 13th year, he continues his regular summer performances with the Toronto Festival Orchestra at HarbourFront Center.
Born in Edmonton, Canada, Ken is the winner of several prestigious conducting prizes including: the Heinz Unger Award in Conducting, and the Jean-Marie Beaudet Award in Orchestral Conducting. His conducting teachers and coaches have included: Kurt Masur, Kazuyoshi Akiyama, Morihiro Okabe, Yuji Yuasa, Ronald Zollman, and Jorma Panula. A graduate of both the Royal Conservatory of Music and the University of British Columbia, he completed his post-graduate studies in orchestral conducting in Japan at the prestigious Toho Gakuen School of Music, and Senzoku College of Music on full scholarship. He furthered his conducting studies in Vienna, Austria with Yuji Yuasa, and in masterclass with Seiji Ozawa and Pinchas Zukermann.
At the age of 22, Ken was appointed Assistant Conductor of the Pacific Music Festival (founded by Leonard Bernstein) where he worked with the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra and the Pacific Music Festival Orchestra, as well as serving as an assistant and collaborator to: Bernard Haitink, Edo De Waart, Krzysztof Penderecki, Yutaka Sado, Ken Takaseki, and Wen-Pin Chien. The following year, he became the Assistant Conductor at the National Academy Orchestra and the youngest Conductor-in-residence/Assistant Conductor with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (2004-2007), where he conducted over 100 performances from the main subscription series to lighter and pop series concerts. A regular guest conductor with major orchestras around the world, he had worked in close relations with the Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra and Sichuan Philharmonic Orchestra, where he has conducted their subscription, masterworks, chamber and educational series. Comfortable conducting in several genres, he enjoys conducting orchestral, opera, ballet, film music, and pop music. Succeeding Yutaka Sado, he has since 2011, led the Japan Century Orchestra (formerly Osaka Century Orchestra) in Beethoven Symphony 9 series at The Symphony Hall in Osaka, produced by Asahi Broadcasting Corporation and sponsored by Air Canada.
In addition to conducting many of Canada`s orchestra in Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, London, Vancouver, and Victoria; Ken has been a guest conductor with international orchestras including Boston Ballet, l’orchestre Lamroureux, Tokyo Ballet (NBS), Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, Vancouver Opera Orchestra, Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Osaka Century Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gunma Symphony Orchestra, Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Philharmonic, Sichuan Philharmonic, Hyogo Performing Arts Centre Orchestra, CBC Radio Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra London, Siena Wind Orchestra, Evergreen Symphony Orchestra, and has made two recordings with the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa on Avex Label. He has toured with the Kyushu Symphony Orchestra, and the Siena Wind Orchestra on several occasions.
Remaining dedicated to promoting young artists and music education; Ken works often with youth and training orchestras including: Shanghai City Youth Orchestra, Fukuoka Student Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra, Surrey Youth Orchestra, BCMEA Honour Orchestra, Saskatchewan Honour Orchestra, as well as the Japan Junior Philharmonic Orchestra as their summer session conductor that included a benefit concert for the United Nations World Food Program in the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space. He has been a guest professor and conductor with the National Tainan University, and has worked with the Geidai Philharmonia (National University of Arts in Tokyo), preparing them for the Martha Argerich Festival in Beppu, which was later conducted by Antonio Pappano and Seikyo Kim.
He has collaborated with a wide range of distinguished artists from: Cyprien Katsaris, Janina Fialkowska, Ryu Goto to Holly Cole, Natalie McMaster, and John Pizzarelli. Several of his concerts have been recorded live and broadcasted on CBC Radio across Canada. His concerts have also been broadcasted on television in Taiwan, Japan, Canada, and the USA. Ken made his European France debut with the historical l’orchestre Lamoureux, performing at their subscription concert at the Theatre Champs-Elysee in Paris, France.
Among other honours and recognitions, he has been awarded the Order of Merit for Outstanding Young Leaders from the Lions Club, Named Top 100 most influential Asian-Canadians by Vancouver Sun, Top 10 Most Beautiful People by TV Weeks Magazine (which included Michael Buble), as well as most recently Top 33 most influential leaders by Sing Tao News and most recently Top 10 Elite Chinese-Canadians. Ken also served as the 2019 Co-Chair of the Liver Foundation of Canada Gala.
指挥家谢建得Ken Hsieh
指挥谢建得（Ken Hsieh)22 岁即活耀于世界各乐坛,连续20年受邀驻温哥华大都会管弦乐团音
谢建得出生于加拿大爱明顿市（Edmonton),2005年荣
谢建得22岁首次荣获太平洋音乐节助理指挥职,此世界知名音乐节
历经指挥Montreal交响乐团,Toronto 交响乐团,Hamilton 交响乐团Regina 交响乐团，Saskatoon 交响乐团,London 交响乐团,Victoria 交响乐团，波士顿芭蕾乐团,法国L’orchestre Lamroueux, Tokyo 芭蕾乐团，Tokyo 交响乐团,Hiroshima 交响乐团，Kyoto 交响乐团New Japan 交响乐团,Sendai 交响乐团,Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa交响乐团,Vancouver Opera 交响乐团,,Osaka Century 交响乐团,Finnish Radio 交响乐团,Gunma 交响乐团,Suzhou 交响乐团,上海交响乐团,四川爱乐交响乐团Hyogo performing Arts Center 交响乐团,CBC Radio 交响乐团,National Arts Center 交响乐团,National Taiwan 交响乐团,Siena Wind 交响乐团,Evergreen 交响乐团；曾与金泽管弦乐团在Avex名唱片集团录制两张唱片。
延续恩师冈部守弘对教育的重视,常至校园讲座及作音乐教育推广,
温哥华夏季户外音乐会,每年乐迷引颈期盼的城中演出,更是谢建得
To learn more about Maestro Ken Hsieh, Please visit: www.kenhsieh.com