MEI HE
Founder & Chair
XIAOGANG YE
Honorary Tuanzhang
Chinese Musicians Association
Chairman
LUDOVIC MORLOT
Artistic Director
Seattle Symphony
Music Director Emeritus
VINCENT ACCETTOLA
Managing Director
Administration
Vincent Accettola
Managing Director
As Managing Director, Vincent Accettola is responsible for articulating and preserving the overall vision for the National Youth Orchestra of China, while at the same time remaining thoroughly involved with all aspects of its operation. Since the organization’s founding, Vincent has developed a rich network of artists, educators, diplomats, and donors whose support has been crucial to solidifying NYO-China as the premier youth ensemble in the country and one of the best in the world. Vincent also works closely with the Board, the Artistic Director, and his direct reports – the Director of Operations, the Director of Artistic Planning, and the Director of Development – to ensure that NYO-China efficiently and sustainably fulfills its mission with creative integrity. Vincent graduated from Yale University with a B.S. in Psychology & Neuroscience and Political Science, and from Harvard University with an Ed.M. in Education Policy & Management.
Peggie Zhong
Director of Operations
Xun (Peggie) Zhong is NYO-China’s Director of Operations, reporting to Managing Director Vincent Accettola. In this capacity, she is responsible for the efficient execution of the National Youth Orchestra of China, including global recruiting and admissions, residency logistics, and mainland Chinese communications. In addition to continuously cultivating closer relationships with faculty, administration, and students at elite conservatories throughout China and the rest of the world, Peggie also manages our extensive network of talented alumni as they graduate into internationally celebrated ensembles, helping them find new opportunities to perform with each other throughout the year. Peggie graduated from the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) in Beijing with a B.A. in Economics and Trade, and from Columbia University with an M.A. in Applied Linguistics.
Derek Maseloff
Director of Artistic Planning
Derek Maseloff is NYO-China’s Director of Artistic Planning, reporting to Managing Director Vincent Accettola. In this capacity, he is responsible for overseeing the artistic development of the National Youth Orchestra of China, including but not limited to recruiting faculty, developing the residency curriculum, securing featured artists, and working with venues and music festivals to organize the concert tour. Derek also works in collaboration with Artistic Director Ludovic Morlot to design a concert program that is simultaneously appealing to international audiences, musically challenging for students, and artistically innovative for critics and fellow musicians, not to mention inclusive of both contemporary Chinese and classical Western compositions. Derek graduated from Cornell University with a B.A. in China and Asian-Pacific Studies, and from the University of Maryland with an M.M. in French Horn.
Nicholas Brown
Director of Development
Nicholas Brown is NYO-China’s Director of Development, reporting to Managing Director Vincent Accettola. In this capacity, he is responsible for ensuring the financial sustainability of the National Youth Orchestra of China and its ability to organize increasingly ambitious residencies and concert tours for students at no cost to them. Nicholas supervises all development efforts in both China and the United States, seeking to build an endowment through the support of individual donors, corporate sponsors, and charitable institutions. Nicholas also frequently works with Director of Operations Xun Zhong and Director of Artistic Planning Derek Maseloff to plan various fundraising events throughout the year, usually in the form of recitals or chamber concerts featuring NYO-China alumni. Nicholas graduated from Yale University with a B.S. in Physics and has also worked as a Software Engineer for Google.
Sabrina Xu
Project Director
Sabrina Xu serves as a Director-at-Large for the National Youth Orchestra of China, assisting the Administrative team with various outreach efforts and special projects in mainland China. Beyond her duties at NYO-China, Sabrina also serves as President of the US-China Youth Education Solutions (YES) Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting cross-cultural education projects for both American and Chinese students. Through the YES Foundation, Sabrina manages several research projects at the Columbia University Teachers College and the Harvard Graduate School of Education aimed at the study of adolescent emotional management and family communication among recent immigrant households. Sabrina graduated from The University of British Columbia with a B.S. in Earth & Ocean Sciences, and from Columbia University with an M.A. in Climate and Society.