Emil Kang
Emil J. Kang | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1968 New York City |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Rochester |
| Occupation | Arts Administrator and Foundation Executive |
| Spouse | Lisa Marie Kang |
| Children | Emma Kang |
Emil J. Kang (born 1968) is an American arts administrator and cultural strategist who currently serves as the Agnes Gund Visiting Professor of the Practice of Arts at Brown University. He previously served as program director for arts and culture at The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation from 2019 to 2024, where he orchestrated transformative grant-making initiatives across the cultural landscape.
Early Life and Background
[edit]Born in New York City to Korean immigrant parents, Kang is a descendant of the historic Jinju Kang clan. His multicultural upbringing would later inform his boundary-crossing approach to arts programming and cultural bridge-building.
Education
[edit]Kang earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Rochester, with a minor in Art History. He also completed a Certificate of Management Studies in Accounting/Finance from the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration at Rochester.
Career
[edit]Early Career in Orchestra Management (1995-2003)
[edit]Kang began his professional career through the League of American Orchestra's competitive Orchestra Management Fellowship program (1995-1996) gaining experience with the San Francisco Symphony, Houston Symphony, and Grand Rapids Symphony orchestras.
Seattle Symphony (1996-1999)
[edit]Kang served as Orchestra Manager at the Seattle Symphony, where he managed the day-to-day operations of the 89-member orchestra and supervised all symphony productions. During his tenure, he played a key role in collective bargaining with the musicians' union and managed operational aspects of the design and construction of Benaroya Hall.
Detroit Symphony Orchestra (1999-2003)
[edit]Kang was hired as Vice President in 1999 and then promoted to President and Executive Director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) in 2000, becoming one of the youngest and first Asian-American leaders of a major American orchestra. His leadership focused on repositioning the DSO as "Detroit's Symphony Orchestra" through innovative programming and community partnerships.
Key accomplishments during his tenure included:
- Leading the $60 million restoration and expansion of Orchestra Hall into the Max M. Fisher Music Center
- Directing a $125 million capital and endowment campaign
- Establishing a pioneering partnership with Detroit Public Schools and Detroit Public Television to develop the Ford Detroit High School for the Fine, Performing, and Communication Arts
- Creating the nation's first youth jazz orchestra under a symphony orchestra umbrella
- Commissioning works from composers including Wayne Shorter, Yusef Lateef, and Michael Daugherty
In 2003, the DSO received the John S. Edwards Award for Strongest Commitment to New American Music from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and the American Symphony Orchestra League (ASOL), recognizing the orchestra's commitment to works by African-American composers.
University Leadership at UNC-Chapel Hill (2005-2019)
[edit]In 2005, Kang was appointed as the first Executive Director for the Arts at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, later becoming Executive and Artistic Director of Carolina Performing Arts. He simultaneously served as Special Assistant to the Chancellor for the Arts (2016-2019) and Professor of the Practice in the Department of Music (2007-2019).
Carolina Performing Arts
[edit]Under Kang's leadership, Carolina Performing Arts became one of the nation's largest and most prominent university-based performing arts programs. He programmed and presented thousands of artists from around the world and spearheaded over 60 commissioned works by internationally renowned artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Taylor Mac, and the Netherlands Dans Theater.
Major Initiatives
[edit]The Rite of Spring at 100 (2013): Kang developed and launched this comprehensive festival celebrating the centennial of Stravinsky's masterpiece, featuring 12 newly-commissioned works by 20 internationally renowned artists, 100 performances, academic conferences in Chapel Hill and Moscow, and integrated curricula spanning 25 courses across campus.
Arts@TheCore: He launched UNC's first major initiative integrating arts into the academy, establishing the university's first Mellon Distinguished Scholar position and artist residency programs.
During his tenure, Kang secured nearly $5 million in grants from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and built a department of 23 staff managing an annual budget of $7.5 million.
Philanthropy and National Leadership
[edit]National Council on the Arts (2012-Present)
[edit]In 2012, President Barack Obama appointed Kang to the National Council on the Arts, the advisory body to the National Endowment for the Arts, making him the first Korean-American to serve in this role. The Council reviews grant applications and advises on national arts policy.
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (2019-2024)
[edit]Kang served as Program Director for Arts and Culture at The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the largest arts and humanities funder in the United States. He directed a team of 18 and managed $125 million in annual grantmaking, serving as a member of the Foundation's senior leadership team.
His tenure was marked by a strategic programmatic shift toward social justice, comprehensively repopulating the grantee portfolio to center equity and justice. He more than doubled the annual grantmaking budget from $60 million to $125 million and conceived and developed the $125 million "Creatives Rebuild New York" initiative, which included the largest guaranteed income program for artists in the United States.
Current Role
[edit]Brown University (2024-Present)
[edit]Kang currently serves as the Agnes Gund Visiting Professor of the Practice of Arts at Brown University's Brown Arts Institute, where he teaches courses on artistic innovation and entrepreneurship.
National Recognition and Service
[edit]Presidential Appointment
In 2012, President Barack Obama recognized Kang's contributions to American cultural life by nominating him to serve on the National Council on the Arts, making him the first Korean-American to hold this position.
Board Leadership and Cultural Advocacy
Kang's influence permeates the cultural ecosystem through his extensive board service. He currently serves on the board of directors of Silkroad, the innovative arts collective founded by Yo-Yo Ma, and maintains active roles as Vice Chair of the New York City Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission and as a Council Member of the Council of Korean Americans.
His previous board affiliations span the cultural spectrum, including the Martha Graham Dance Company, the International Society for the Performing Arts, EMCArts, the Association of Performing Arts Professionals, the North Carolina Symphony, and the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Awards and Recognition
Kang has received numerous honors including the William S. Dawson Award for Programmatic Excellence from the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (2020), the Centennial Medal from the International Institute of Education for service to the Artist Protection Fund (2020), and induction into The Watauga Club, North Carolina (2015) and the Order of the Golden Fleece at UNC-Chapel Hill (2013).
Legacy and Impact
[edit]Kang's career exemplifies the evolution of cultural leadership in 21st-century America. His pioneering work has consistently dissolved traditional boundaries—between academic and professional spheres, between classical and contemporary art forms, and between institutional and community-based cultural programming. Through his visionary leadership, he has helped redefine what it means to be a cultural steward in an increasingly interconnected world.
His influence extends beyond administrative excellence to encompass a deeper commitment to cultural equity and artistic innovation, positioning him as one of the most significant voices in contemporary American arts leadership.
External Links
References
[edit]- "EMIL KANG". Crain's Detroit Business. July 20, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
External links
[edit]- "Your First Classical Music Crush" - The New York Times on July 18, 2013
- "UNC Arts Director Sets His Own Path" - News and Observer
- "Meet Emil Kang, 'Elevating the Arts'" - WUNC North Carolina Public Radio
- "Indies Arts Awards: Carolina Performing Arts’ Emil Kang brings the global avant-garde to Chapel Hill through personal determination"
- UNC-Chapel Hill names Emil J. Kang Special Assistant to the Chancellor for the Arts Archived September 29, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
- "Force of Nature," Walter Ma[1][2]gazine
- ^ globalFEST (February 24, 2021). Wavelengths 2021 - An Opening Reflection from Emil Kang. Retrieved June 6, 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ Intern, Editorial (February 1, 2018). "Force of Nature: Emil Kang". WALTER Magazine. Retrieved June 6, 2025.