ABOUT
Artistic Directors
HUGH JOHNSTON
KINGSTON YOUTH ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR & MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Mr. Johnston was a regular player in the Kingston Symphony trumpet section from 2001 to 2012 and is an award-winning music educator (Juno Award – MusicCounts Teacher of the Year in 2012). He has trained as a musician and conductor at Queen’s University, the University of Calgary and the University of London (U.K.). His expressive and communicative conducting style, as well as his work in music education, has enabled him to conduct performances at Orchestra Hall in Chicago, Carnegie Hall in New York, and Cadogan Hall in London – home of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
In addition to orchestral work, he has conducted numerous musicals, operettas, choirs, bands, and brass ensembles and was the founder and artistic director of Kingston Summer Music, a summer program for Kingston’s youth.
DANIELLE LENNON
KINGSTON YOUTH STRINGS & A-STRINGS DIRECTOR/CONDUCTOR
Danielle grew up in Hamilton, ON where she began her musical studies on the recorder at the age of four and has been making music ever since. In 1999 she moved to Kingston where she completed a Bachelor of Music degree on the violin at Queen’s University. She spent her summers playing on a dinner cruise on the Grand River where fiddling became a big part of her repertoire.
In addition to directing The Kingston A and Youth Strings, Danielle teaches violin privately, plays second violin with The Kingston Symphony and The Limestone Trio, and plays with various bands in and around the area doing guest spots and studio work. She is a member of Calamity Janes, an all-female folk-rock quartet and she can be heard on recordings by Kasador, Chris Koster, Choir of Ghosts, The Swamp Ward Orchestra, Kyra and Tully, Ianspotting, Kris and Dee and Megan Hamilton. She also released her own album of original music, String Theory, in 2015 and currently has another composing project in the works.
ENSEMBLES
The Kingston Youth Orchestras are made up of the Youth Orchestra, Youth Strings and A-Strings