About Ryo

Driven by a vision to transform the concert experience, Ryo Hasegawa currently serves as Music Director of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra (Indiana) and Conductor of the Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra, and Chair & Founder of Mudita Corporation. Known for his dynamic presence, inventive programming, and ability to connect deeply with both musicians and audiences, Hasegawa has performed extensively across the U.S., Europe, and Asia and launched versatile projects promoting interdisciplinary collaboration.

Most recently, Hasegawa made his debut with the Orchestre Métropolitain at Domaine Forget de Charlevoix, selected to conduct by Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. He also made a sensational debut at Carnegie Hall with the Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra. In 2023, he was named the David Efron Conducting Fellow at the Chautauqua Institution, where he led the Music School Festival Orchestra. Other recent highlights include international guest conducting debut with the Hamburg Symphony in Germany and the Tacet(i) Ensemble in Thailand. He is also an active guest assistant conductor with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Omaha Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Washington Choral Arts, American Composers Orchestra, and São Paulo Symphony Orchestra. He worked both as a conductor and as an assistant with esteemed artists including his mentor Marin Alsop, Eric Jacobsen, Ken Lam, Joseph Young, Anna Clyne, Conrad Tao, and The Westerlies.

Hasegawa made his American debut with the Charleston Symphony in 2019. He maintains a strong relationship with the orchestra, regularly conducting their Family Concerts, Young People’s Concerts, and other community concerts. His past engagements include guest conducting members of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, guest conducting Molodechno Symphony (Belarus), PHASE ensemble (Austria), and Shamisen Ensemble Otoha (Japan).

Equally at home in both symphonic and operatic repertoire, Hasegawa has conducted full productions of Hansel and Gretel at Annapolis Opera and Peabody Opera Theater across Baltimore, Annapolis, and Washington D.C. He also served as assistant conductor for productions of Puccini’s Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi at Chautauqua Opera Conservatory.