FOUNDER AND MUSIC DIRECTOR of the Prometheus Chamber Orchestra since 1996, Wilson Hermanto has created an ensemble of talented young musicians that has quickly earned an impressive reputation among New York's musical audience.

Born in Jakarta in 1972, he received his early musical training on the piano and violin from the most prominent musicians in Indonesia.His conducting study was greatly influenced by Carlo Maria Giulini, with whom he spent some time at Teatro alla Scalla in Milan. In 1997, he was a participant in Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Sienna, Italy. He has guest conducted, among others, the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Sienna, the Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano, and the Orchestra Sinfonica di Sofia. In 1996 & 1998 Mr. Hermanto was selected to take part in master classes with Kurt Masur.

Last summer, Mr. Hermanto was invited to participate in the Tanglewood Music Center's conducting program with Seiji Ozawa, André Previn, and the renowned pedagogue Jorma Panula. With Maestro Panula, Mr. Hermanto is currently completing a series of master classes at the Sibelius Academy in Finland, in Russia with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, in France with the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, and in Italy.

Symphony Australia has invited Mr. Hermanto to be the only young international conductor to participate in a series of master classes this March with Jorma Panula and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in Sydney and Melbourne.

Mr. Hermanto holds his undergraduate degree in violin from the Peabody Conservatory of Music and a graduate degree in conducting from the Manhattan School of Music. He has coached with Sir Colin Davis and Christoph Eschenbach and has previously studied with Sixten Ehrling, Jahja Ling, and Alan Gilbert.

With the Prometheus Chamber Orchestra, Mr. Hermanto made his debut at Alice Tully Hall last season. In addition to a series of concerts at Merkin Concert Hall, this season marked their debut at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall.