Sue On is an orchestra conductor and music educator dedicated to using music education as a source of connection, resilience, and opportunity, from local communities to regions affected by war and conflict.

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Sue is the Music Director of Concert to Connect, an international music initiative connecting musicians and music schools across conflict-affected communities. Her work with the initiative has taken her to Jordan, Palestine, and Myanmar, where she has taught students, collaborated with local music educators, and developed partnerships with music schools. Concert to Connect also raises funds for humanitarian aid, instruments, and educational resources for musicians and schools serving young people in these communities. Sue plans to continue this work through upcoming collaborations and travel to Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, and Syria.

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Sue’s international experience includes extensive work in the Middle East. In Amman, Jordan, she partnered with NGOs to bring music education to displaced children in refugee camps, collaborating with Action for Hope, Haya Cultural Center, Jordan’s National Conservatory of Music, JM Jordan Youth Orchestra, Yarmouk University, and Jordan University. She has also served as a guest teaching artist at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Jerusalem and the West Bank, where she conducted the Palestinian Youth Orchestra. These experiences have allowed Sue to work alongside musicians and educators across a wide range of communities and educational settings.

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In the United States, Sue serves as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Lakeland Youth Symphony in New Jersey and Orchestra Conductor at Riverdale Country School in New York City. She is also the current conductor of the Repertory Orchestra with the New Jersey Symphony Youth Orchestra, an El Sistema-inspired program. Previously, she served as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Rowan Youth Orchestra and Rowan Youth String Orchestra at Rowan University’s Community Music School.

 

Having studied conducting under the tutelage of the late Maestro Vincent La Selva, founder of the New York Grand Opera and esteemed professor at Juilliard, Sue brings a broad perspective to her work as a conductor and educator. She is frequently sought after as a guest conductor and clinician, with engagements including the Philadelphia Civic Symphony, New Jersey Region and All-State Orchestras, as well as professional development seminars for music educators throughout the East Coast. In 2024, she became the first woman of Asian descent to conduct at Mechanics Hall with the Worcester Youth Orchestras.

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Sue is active in the professional music education and orchestral communities. She serves as a board member of the New Jersey Chapter of the American String Teachers Association and on the advisory board of the Denville Arts Council. She is also affiliated with the League of American Orchestras, NAfME, NJMEA, the Suzuki Association of America, the International Society for Music Education (ISME), and Sphinx.