Princeton Symphony Orchestra Remembers Richard Tang Yuk

Published by New Jersey Stage
originally published: 10/30/2026

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) fondly remembers one of the founders of the Princeton Festival who passed away on Friday, October 23, 2026. 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.

The Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is a cultural centerpiece of the Princeton community and one of New Jersey’s finest music organizations, a position established through performances of beloved masterworks, innovative music by living composers, and an extensive network of educational programs offered to area students free of charge.

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Led by Edward T. Cone Music Director Rossen Milanov, the PSO presents orchestral, pops, and chamber music programs of the highest artistic quality, supported by lectures and related events that supplement the concert experience. Its flagship summer program the Princeton Festival brings an array of performing arts and artists to Princeton during multiple weeks in June.

Through PSO BRAVO!, the orchestra produces wide-reaching and impactful education programs in partnership with local schools and arts organizations that culminate in students attending a live orchestral performance. The PSO receives considerable support from the Princeton community and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, regularly garnering NJSCA’s highest honor.

Recognition of engaging residencies and concerts has come from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the PSO’s commitment to new music has been acknowledged with an ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming and a Copland Fund Award. The only independent, professional orchestra to make its home in Princeton, the PSO performs at historic Richardson Auditorium on the campus of Princeton University.