Artistic DIRECTOR
Kin "Desmond" Siu
Hong Kong-American conductor and violinist Kin (Desmond) Siu was appointed to the position of Music Director for the Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra in May 2024. The appointment was particularly special as it involved the input of every musician in the orchestra. He was subsequently promoted to Artistic Director after his first season.
Desmond is also the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor with the Orchestra Northern Arizona and serves as Part-Time Faculty at Northern Arizona University (NAU). As a violinist, Desmond currently performs with the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, Arizona Philharmonic, San Juan Symphony, and Sedona Symphony. A Master of Music graduate of NAU, Desmond was invited as Visiting Guest Artist and Music Director of NAU Lyric Theater’s 2022 production of Mark Adamo’s Little Women. Desmond has appeared as guest conductor with the White Mountain Symphony Orchestra, Gwinnett Symphony Chamber Orchestra, and act as Cover Conductor with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra’s season. Desmond’s past positions include acting Music Director for Arizona Pro Arte, Assistant Conductor of the NAU Orchestras, Assistant Conductor of the Skidmore Orchestra, as well as Music Director and founder of the Skidmore Chamber Orchestra.
His attendance of numerous conducting workshops and masterclasses all around the world led Desmond to study with well-known conducting pedagogues such as Ludovic Morlot, Kensho Watanabe, Tiffany Lu, Nemee Jarvi, Jin Wang, Michael Jinbo, Victor Yampolsky, Neil Varon, and Mark Gibson. His private conducting teachers include Daniel O’Bryant and Chris Younghoon Kim. Desmond won first prize in the 2022 winter edition of the International Conducting Workshop and Competition
