Timothy Eng
Praised as a “wonderful [musician] with many outstanding qualities” – including his “illuminating,” “undauntable,” “exciting,” and “exemplary music making” – conductor, oboist, and pianist Timothy Eng holds a BA in Music summa cum laude from Cornell. Professional collaborators have noted – unusual and uncommon for someone his age and experience – his command of the orchestra and the clarity of his gestures on the podium. He also received a BA in Physics concurrently with his music degree and is now pursuing his Masters in Engineering Management at Cornell.
He completed an interdisciplinary and multifaceted honors project in his senior year, consisting of research focused on the 19th century history of the orchestras at Cornell, and performance work focused on orchestral conducting. As part of the project, he formed the Philharmonic Society at Cornell. The group is centered around a student led orchestra that performs chamber to symphonic orchestral repertoire for the enjoyment of its members and the community. This season he continues to be their director. Additionally, he is Assistant Conductor & Accompanist/Répétiteur for the Cornell Chorale, co-Accompanist for the Cornell Glee Club & Chorus, and working on a joint collaboration with the Cornell Opera Society on scenes from the three Mozart-Da Ponte operas. In Jan. 2023, he also studied under Markand Thakar and conducted the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra at their Winter Conducting Workshop.
The principal oboist and occasional English Horn player of the Cornell Orchestras, he has performed with them for four years, including on their 2019 tour to Taiwan, and has been lauded by professional collaborators for his “musical, beautiful sound” and “beautiful…energetic playing.” He has also performed with the Cornell Wind Symphony and Cornell Wind Octet, and performs in his self-run winds chamber ensemble. His piano playing – both as soloist and collaborator – has been described as “nuanced,” “sensitive” and “symphonic.”
Current teachers and mentors include Joe Lerangis, Michael Poll, Guillaume Pirard, Kirsten Marshall, James Spinazzola, and Erica Howard. Past teachers include Emily DiAngelo, Lisa Kozenko, Mary Watt, and Sarah Hamilton for oboe, Arlene Portney for piano, and Michelle Di Russo for conducting.
Before attending Cornell, he was a member of the Mannes Pre-College Philharmonic, was principal oboist of the Greater Westchester Youth Symphony and Hoff-Barthelson Festival Orchestra, attended Kinhaven Music School’s Senior Session, and Fredonia Summer Music Festival. He was also a winner of the 2015 American Fine Arts Festival and has performed at both Carnegie Hall and David Geffen Hall.