Henry Cheng is an internationally recognized conductor whose work brings together musical excellence, cultural curiosity, and a deep commitment to community.

A winner of the Antal Doráti International Conducting Competition and the European Union Conducting Competition, Cheng has led performances across Europe, Asia, and North America with ensembles such as the La Scala Chamber Orchestra and the Tongyeong International Music Festival Ensemble. He is the Music Director of the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra and has been appointed Principal Conductor of the Ozark Music Festival, beginning with the 2026 season.

Cheng’s projects often reimagine the concert experience—whether through Classical K-pop, which bridges the worlds of BTS and Beethoven, or Minecraft × In C, a music education initiative that merges minimalist composition with digital interactivity. He has also collaborated with Justice Desk Africa, a South African human-rights organization inspired by Nelson Mandela’s legacy, using music as a tool for healing, empowerment, and cross-cultural understanding.

In addition to his work on the podium, Cheng composes and produces interdisciplinary performances that fuse sound, movement, and visual storytelling. Often developed in collaboration with dancers, technologists, and visual artists, his work has been featured at venues including the Berliner Festspiele, Singapore Art Museum, Steirischer Herbst Festival, and the Kaohsiung Performing Arts Center. These projects explore themes of presence, memory, and transformation, creating experiences that move across the boundaries of genre and tradition.

Cheng’s artistic leadership is shaped by a guiding question: how can an orchestra be of greatest service to its community? Whether through interdisciplinary programming, school partnerships, or creative audience engagement, his work reflects a belief in music as a shared space for connection, reflection, and imagination.

He studied at Georgia State University, the Eastman School of Music, Indiana University, and the University of the Arts in Berlin.