Alex Deng is an American conductor, composer, violist, and arts advocate whose work sits at the

intersection of symphonic music, civic leadership, and public affairs. As the Co-Founder and Artistic

Director of the San Gabriel Symphony, Alex leads with a mission to reimagine what a symphony can

be—expanding access, amplifying unheard voices, and using music as a tool for civic engagement. He

views the orchestra not just as a performing ensemble, but as a mutual aid organization for the arts:

responsive to community needs, built on solidarity, and grounded in cultural equity.

Founded in 2025, the San Gabriel Symphony is a new professional regional orchestra based in Los

Angeles County, just 10 miles east of Downtown LA. It brings together a coalition of civic leaders,

professional musicians, and arts advocates committed to building a vibrant cultural home for the San

Gabriel Valley. The orchestra is dedicated to community resilience, equitable access, and the

transformative power of public performance.

Alex made his international conducting debut in 2022 with the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa

Rica, taking the stage in a sold-out program that featured the premiere of his original work Torch of

Dreams, performed alongside music by John Williams. He has since conducted the Royal Bangkok

Symphony Orchestra, Sofia Philharmonic, and Vratsa Symphony, among others.

As a composer and conductor, Alex has led numerous professional studio recording sessions for film and

video game projects, working with ensembles such as the Northern Film Orchestra (UK), European

Recording Orchestra (Bulgaria), and Budapest Scoring Orchestra (Hungary). He conducted his

original works as well as commercial scores, blending cinematic and classical idioms. His recent

compositions include Victory, Love, and Farewell—a tribute to the victims of the Monterey Park mass

shooting—and Winds of Solidarity, commissioned for the Stanislaus County Honor Band.

Outside the concert hall, Alex produces large-scale live events for classical musicians and educators, and

supports national touring productions across the United States. His arts administration experience

includes work with the American Youth Symphony, Boston Festival Orchestra, and Pacific

Symphony, as well as founding the Jazz on Main Street concert series in Alhambra, which brings

professional musicians directly into local spaces to foster cultural vitality and civic pride. Beyond

performance and composition, Alex has been active in arts administration and music education. He has

mentored young composers as an instructor at Through The Staff, where he also worked to expand

access to music education as Student Outreach Officer. In 2024, he was awarded the Arts Now Leader

grant by Create CA to support Alhambra Unified School District’s implementation of Prop 28, ensuring

increased funding for arts education in local schools.

Raised in a working-class immigrant family in Alhambra, California, Alex studied conducting under Larry

Livingston at the University of Southern California, who praised him as “a purveyor of every

opportunity” and “a dynamo for greater good.” His dual background in the arts and civic leadership

shapes every project he takes on—whether mentoring young composers, launching community concert

series, or partnering with city governments to make classical music part of everyday life. Through the San

Gabriel Symphony, he is building a homegrown institution grounded in community, culture, and the belief

that symphonic music can change lives.