About

About the JHO

The Jackson Heights Orchestra (JHO) was established in 2012 by founding Music Director Patricia Glunt in collaboration with the Jackson Heights Beautification Group (JHBG). During her tenure from 2012 to 2023, Glunt grew the ensemble to be one of the premiere orchestras of Queens. The JHO is proud to be a program of the JHBG and to serve the Jackson Heights community. Visit https://jhorchestra.org to learn more.

Our Mission

The Jackson Heights Orchestra (JHO) is dedicated to enriching and elevating the dynamic cultural landscape of the Jackson Heights community through its live performances. Our ensemble is composed of musicians from diverse backgrounds, united by a shared passion for music-making. We are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive environment where our musicians can hone their skills, collaborate, and continue their artistic journey.

Alex Wen, Artistic Director (2023 - Present)

Alex Wen, newly appointed as Artistic Director of the Jackson Heights Orchestra, most recently served as assistant conductor of the Massapequa Philharmonic and the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony under the mentorship of Maestro David Bernard, and concluded five seasons as Principal Conductor of the Golden Rose Opera. He has worked with contemporary music groups such as PinkNoise Ensemble and the NYsoundCircuit as their appointed music director. An avid opera conductor, Alex has led performances of La Bohème, Carmen, Suor Angelica, Cavalleria Rusticana, and Madama Butterfly with the Golden Rose Opera, and led the New York premieres of Huang Ruo’s Bound with Fresh Squeezed Opera in 2019 and Eric Moe’s Artwork of the Future this spring of 2023.

Alex has conducted performances with Rhymes With Opera, the Queens College Orchestra, Queens College Opera, Litha Symphony Orchestra, and has cover conducted for the Queer Urban Orchestra and Yonkers Philharmonic. Recent engagements also include performances with the Sound Symphony Orchestra and guest clinician and conductor for the All-County Festival Orchestra of the National Music Educators Association (NMEA), with regular guest conducting appearances with the New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra.

A graduate of the Masters program in Orchestral Conducting at the Aaron Copland School of Music, Alex studied with Maurice Peress and managed the Queens College Conductors Workshop collaborating with composers David Amram, Bruce Saylor, and George Tsontakis. Wen was selected as a participant in the 2019 Conductors Workshop of the Cabrillo Festival for Contemporary Music where he worked with Cristian Măcelaru and Octavio Más-Arocas. Alex holds a Bachelor of Music in viola performance from Azusa Pacific University (APU) where he served as an assistant conductor to the APU Chamber Singers, responsible for preparing the orchestra for the National Collegiate Choral Organization’s national conference.

For more information about Alex, please visit his Personal Website.