Artistic Director & Marketing Director | Co-Founder

Alex Deng is an arts advocate, cultural strategist, and civic leader whose work sits at the intersection of symphonic music, public affairs, and community development. As Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the San Gabriel Valley Symphony, he leads a mission-driven effort to reimagine what a symphony can be by expanding access, amplifying unheard voices, and embedding the arts directly into the civic and cultural life of the San Gabriel Valley.

Alex approaches orchestral institutions not simply as performing ensembles, but as platforms for public service. Under his leadership, the San Gabriel Valley Symphony operates as a community-centered arts organization grounded in cultural equity, mutual aid, and cross-sector collaboration. In its inaugural season, the orchestra secured partnerships with the City of San Gabriel and the City of Monterey Park, received support from the Monterey Park Healing Fund, and presented large-scale public programs that blend music, community engagement, and collective healing.

In recognition of his advocacy and leadership, Alex was awarded the Create CA Arts Now Leader Grant for his contributions to music education advocacy in the San Gabriel Valley. He also received a Certificate of Recognition from the California State Legislature, presented by Assemblymember Mike Fong and State Senator Sasha Renee Perez, honoring the founding of the San Gabriel Valley Symphony and its inaugural concert. He currently serves on the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse strategic planning committee, where he works to advance long-term cultural infrastructure and position the San Gabriel Valley as a regional arts destination.

Beyond the symphony, Alex has built and produced multiple community-facing arts initiatives. In 2024, he founded the Jazz on Main Street concert series, presenting high-caliber jazz programming across genres and producing ten successful performances in its first season. His broader arts administration experience includes work in marketing, public affairs, and audience development with organizations such as the American Youth Symphony, Boston Festival Orchestra, and Pacific Symphony. He has also supported national touring productions and produced large-scale live events for musicians and educators across the United States.

Alex’s artistic background informs, but does not define, his advocacy work. He has conducted professional orchestras internationally and led recording sessions for film and video game projects, and his compositions have been performed by professional and educational ensembles. These experiences shape his understanding of the creative workforce and the structural challenges artists face, strengthening his policy-driven approach to building sustainable, artist-centered institutions.

Raised in a working-class immigrant family in Alhambra, California, Alex studied music and public policy at the University of Southern California. He was active in local and state politics in his formative years, earning the Grassroots Alhambra Scholarship for community advocacy and interning on a California gubernatorial campaign. This dual foundation in the arts and civic leadership continues to guide his work, whether mentoring young artists, launching public concert series, or partnering with city governments to make the arts a permanent part of everyday civic life.

Through the San Gabriel Valley Symphony and his broader advocacy, Alex Deng is building homegrown cultural institutions rooted in community, accountability, and the belief that the arts are essential public infrastructure.

Alex Deng is represented by Price Attractions & Artist Management.

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