"Concklin’s beat is clear, his sense of rhythm strong...Copland’s masterpiece emerged freshly scrubbed, as vital as ever."

John Young Shik Concklin is Music Director of the Spartanburg Philharmonic and Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra. He also serves as Conductor with the Atlanta Music Project, an organization focused on social justice and music. John is known for truly connecting with audiences––classical music fans or not––and helping them enjoy music through storytelling. Every group John leads is known for creating unforgettable nights.  

Recently, John led a community-wide project in Spartanburg, SC entitled “The Moons” to coincide with the opening of a planetarium, which was awarded an NEA grant. To accompany Gustav Holst’s The Planets, John commissioned a local composer to write a work exploring the moons of the solar system. The Spartanburg Philharmonic held a writing contest for students to compose prose or poetry for each moon, which served as narration for the piece. Audience members were thrilled by the experience. 

John is especially excited about the Festival of American Voices, a year-long series at the Spartanburg Philharmonic in 2026.  The festival celebrates America 250 by highlighting musical narratives and sounds unique to our nation. Celebrated genres include music by Native American composers, spirituals, jazz, blues, bluegrass, broadway, canonical orchestral favorites, and commissioned works for orchestra. In April, the headliner concert of the festival tells the story of individuals who were not born in the United States, but found refuge and success here.This story is personal to John, a Korean-American adoptee. 

John believes there is a unique path to success for every orchestra in every community. He seeks to humanize the orchestral experience for audiences through storytelling, relationship building, and culture shifts. Organizations he leads have seen unprecedented artistic growth, increased ticket sales, and an intangible lift that translates across the organization and community. He sees music as a pathway to meaningful collaboration and greater understanding among neighbors.

John has twice won National Endowment for the Arts awards. He won second prize twice times at the American Prize, for conducting and programming. He has served as conductor for Grammy-nominated productions. He is also deeply committed to teaching and engaging schools in communities where he works. 

A dynamic musician, John loved performing at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, collaborating with Monica, the Grammy-winning R&B artist, and appearing with the Kruger Brothers, among other artists. John studied at Yale University, Vanderbilt University, and the Cleveland Institute of Music.

His mentors include David Zinman, Carl Topilow, Shinik Hahm, and Robin Fountain. He received further training from Lorin Maazel and Michael Tilson-Thomas. 

John and his wife, Lauren Maxwell, co-founded Mozart for a Cause, a multi genre chamber music concert that fundraises for local causes.