Music Direction
Music Director
Jin Zhang
Jin Zhang (Jack) is an internationally awarded artist. His recent acknowledgements are receiving AVIFF Award Cannes in France for his film score of “Lama in the West”, and the composition “Fire” received a nomination for Eclectic Song in the 17th International Independent Music Awards in USA.
Jin Zhang, associate composer of the Canadian Music Centre, received his first musical education at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Then he traveled to Japan and studied at Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo, Japan. He also studied conducting in master classes with maestro Kazuyoshi Akiyama and Seiji Ozawa.
Jin is a multiple recipient of commissioning grants from the Canada Council for the Arts. In 2006, he was selected by the Canadian Music Centre to be part of their new online initiative entitled "Composer Portraits - Influences of Many Musics." This project focuses on Canadian composers who have come to Canada from other countries, highlighting their valuable contributions to Canadian music. In 2004, Jin Zhang was honored by the City of New Westminster for ten years of distinguished service to the New Westminster Symphony Orchestra. In 2001, the film he composed music for - "Nu Shu - A Hidden Language of Women in China" - received the Audience Award and Best Documentary at the Festival Internazionale Cinema Delle Donne in Torino, Italy.
In 1986, a composition of his won second prize in a competition in the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing. In 1984, he won the third prize in a nationwide composition competition in China. He also received an Artistic Achievement Awards issued by Vancouver Chinese Culture Centre. In 2016, the multimedia project “High Muck A Muck” that he did composition and sound design received Main Prize in an international competition in England. His compositions have been played by many major orchestras that include Vancouver Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic Symphony, Victoria Symphony and San Francisco Symphony.
Currently Jin Zhang holds the position of Music Director and Conductor in the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Westminster Symphony Orchestra and the Vancouver Youth Symphony Intermediate Orchestra. He is also an artistic director of Canada Chinese Performing Arts Society and New World Han Orchestra. He was a resident composer in Casalmaggiore International Music Festival 2015 in Italy, Artistic Director of Golden Maple International Film Festival in Vancouver and White Rock City Moon Festival 2019.
Assistant Conductor
Simón Ramírez Ortiz
Simón Ramírez Ortiz is a Colombian conductor, pianist, and educator currently based in Canada and studying at UBC. Growing up in a musical family in Medellín, he was introduced to music at an early age and began studying piano at age 5 with Javier Franco Posada. He later gave his first solo piano recital under the guidance of Lise Frank. Alongside his piano studies, he learned violin and performed with the orchestra of the Instituto Musical Diego Echavarría, where he would later return as a teacher.
He completed his undergraduate studies in piano performance under the instruction of Ana María Orduz Espinal and the internationally renowned pianist Blanca Uribe. His conducting training has included studies with Carolina Morales, Cecilia Espinosa, Ana María Patiño-Osorio, and Jonathan Girard. Simón holds a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from the University of British Columbia and has participated in conducting masterclasses with Mark Shapiro at the Juilliard School.
Simón has conducted ensembles in Colombia, Europe, the United States, and Canada. Known for his thoughtful preparation, collaborative spirit, and commitment to musical excellence, he enjoys working closely with musicians to bring performances to life with energy and purpose. He currently serves as Assistant Conductor of the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra and is continuing to develop his career both in Canada and internationally.
Deeply passionate about opera and interdisciplinary artistic projects, Simón regularly collaborates with the UBC Opera Ensemble. He is particularly interested in the ways music can connect with theatre, movement, and other art forms to create meaningful experiences for performers and audiences alike.
Outside of music, Simón is also an accomplished Ultimate Frisbee athlete. Since 2014, he has represented Colombia in international competition as a member of the national team at both the junior and senior levels, an experience that has strengthened the discipline, teamwork, and leadership qualities he brings to his work as a musician and conductor.