The Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) fondly remembers one of the founders of the Princeton Festival who passed away on Friday, October 23. Richard Tang Yuk was Artistic and Executive Director of the Princeton Festival from its inception in 2004 until 2020. A native of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, he was a Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music (UK) with degrees in conducting from the Mannes College of Music and the Indiana University, Jacobs School of Music. From 1994-2009, he was Director of Choral Music and Associate Director of the Program in Musical Performance at Princeton University. He also worked with the Opera Festival of New Jersey, a precursor of the Princeton Festival, for ten seasons. After leaving the Princeton Festival in 2020, he went on to contribute immensely to the development of music within the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Executive Director Marc Uys said, “I can’t imagine that the Princeton Festival would have succeeded without him. His passion and determination could overcome any obstacle. On top of everything, he found just enough energy at the end of each season to conduct some of the more memorable opera productions in New Jersey history.”
Under Tang Yuk’s leadership, the Princeton Festival went from two events with four performances in 2004 to eight events in 2019 with twenty-two performances and multiple community events. He pushed for the Festival to include a variety of genres including opera, musical theater, Baroque music, jazz, world music, and dance, paving the way for the exceptional Festival experience available for multiple weeks each June. He will be missed by those who knew him, but he’s left a legacy for all to enjoy.
