Stéphane Denève and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra announces three new full-time musicians

(September 10, 2024, St. Louis, MO) – The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Stéphane Denève are pleased to announce the appointments of three new full-time musicians, and the promotion of one current musician, as the SLSO begins its 2024/2025 season, the orchestra’s 145th.

The SLSO’s 24/25 season begins on September 19 with the annual free community concert in Forest Park.

Promoted is:

Brendan Fitzgerald, Assistant Principal Double Bass, most recently held a position in the SLSO’s double bass section, to which he was appointed in 2019. Fitzgerald was appointed to the Assistant Principal Double Bass chair in April 2024, assuming the position vacated by Christopher Carson, who retired at the conclusion of the 2022/2023 season.

The SLSO’s new musicians are:

George Goad, Second Trumpet, comes to St. Louis from across the Show-Me State, where he most recently held the Acting Associate Principal Trumpet and Third/Utility Trumpet positions in the Kansas City Symphony. He previously held positions with the Grand Rapids Symphony, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and Columbus (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra. Goad has also performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, and was a fellow with the New World Symphony. He received a Bachelor of Music from the Curtis Institute of Music and a Master of Music from Rice University.

Goad fills the chair vacated by Jeffrey Strong in 2019.

Yoojin Lee, first violin, comes to St. Louis from New York, where she was a section violinist with the Syracuse Orchestra. Previously, Lee was a semi-finalist in the Indianapolis Violin Competition in 2022 and was the youngest semi-finalist in the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2019. She also achieved Fifth Prize at the Seoul International Music Competition in 2018 and Second Prize in the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians in 2012. Lee received her Bachelor and Master of Music from Korea National University of Arts. She received her Professional Performance Diploma in Classical Violin from the Manhattan School of Music. Lee continues her pursuit of an Artist Diploma in Classical Violin from the Manhattan School of Music.

Charlie Lin, first violin, won the SLSO position as a section violinist in the Long Beach Symphony. He has orchestral experience with the Pacific Music Festival orchestra in Japan, where he performed as Principal Second Violin, as well as with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. A native of Dallas, Lin attended Northwestern University where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Violin Performance. He also received his Master of Music and Graduate Certificate from the University of Southern California.

Appointments to the violin section fill positions vacated by several retired musicians.

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