Scott Yoo is a familiar name to those interested in Classical Orchestra music. The Asian-American conductor earned his limelight not only due to his amazing talents in playing the violin but also as the first chief conductor for the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra (MCPO) of Asian ethnicity.

Dive in to know more about the master's conductor roots and his career trajectory leading up to his pinnacle career moment.

Scott Yoo Became The Chief Conductor Of The Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra In 2016

When Scott Yoo, at the age of 26, became Dallas Symphony Orchestra's assistant conductor, he never had an idea of what he would accomplish shortly. But, after conducting at several orchestras for over 19 years, including the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra, and getting fully experienced, his fate changed.

In 2016, the career of the now-music director of the Mozaic Festival got further boosted when he was appointed as the chief conductor of the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra — making him the first foreign-born or Asian chief conductor of the orchestra.

Some of Scott's most notable works include conducting the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Additionally, he has also conducted at different orchestras across the world, such as the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, L’Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris. Furthermore, he has also premiered 76 works by 39 composers.

Conductor Scott Has A Long History With The Violin

The talented Conductor was into playing the violin from a young age. When he was three, his parents gifted him his first violin, and by the time he was eight years old, he was serious about the craft. At 11, Scott got his first chance to play the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, as the violin soloist, with the Boston Symphony.

In 1988, at the age of 17, Scott competed at the Josef Gingold International Violin Competition and successfully won the first prize. In the next year, he grabbed another title as he won the Young Concert Artists International Auditions.

Following such a promising start, it was sure that he would have a very successful career in the near future. Unfortunately, in an incident at a party where he was celebrating college acceptance with his friends, someone mistakenly stepped on his left index finger and broke it. Due to that, the now-musician decided to focus more on his studies and enrolled at Harvard University for his degree in physics.

But, while studying at Harvard, Scott got another chance to still make a career in the field he loved. When the music professor got sick and could no longer take part as a conductor, Scott was asked to take his place for the day. He agreed, and following hours of studying, he successfully conducted Mozart’s 35th symphony and Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring.” 

When the rehearsal ended, the next thing that came into the music master's mind was to be a conductor instead of a violinist. So, at the young age of 26, he became the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s assistant conductor, and after that, the rest became history. 

What Ethnicity Do Scott Yoo's Family Belong To?

The Violinist-conductor Scott Yoo was born on April 25, 1971, in Tokyo, Japan. He is the son of a Japanese mother and a Korean father. Though born in Tokyo, Japan, Scott didn’t quite spend his childhood there. When he was just two weeks old, his parents left Japan and shifted to the United States — settling down in Glastonbury, Connecticut.

Unfortunately, when Scott was just a teenager, his parents separated. Nonetheless, both of them gave their best to co-parent Scott and raised him. 

Apart from his parents, the talented musician also has a lovely wife, Alice Dade. Like him, his wife is a musician and a flute professor at the University of Missouri. The duo shared the wedding vows in 2014. As of now, the married couple happily resides in Columbia, Missouri.

Scott Yoo with his wife Alice Dade

Scott Yoo with his wife, Alice Dade (Source: facebook.com/festivalmozaic)