Soon Hee Newbold

Soon Hee Newbold is an American composer, conductor, musician, film producer, and director.

Early life
Newbold was born in South Korea and adopted as an infant. She spent her childhood growing up in Frederick, Maryland with two sisters. Newbold began studying piano at age five and Suzuki violin at age seven winning prestigious competitions and performing as a concert artist at an early age. As a soloist and in professional orchestras throughout the world, Newbold appeared in venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap, Disney World, Aspen Music Festival, Tanglewood, and numerous countries.

Newbold attended Frederick High School where her interests included science, languages, and drama. She studied German, French, and Russian and completed an internship in AIDS and cancer research at the National Institutes of Health in Fort Detrick, Maryland, under Dr. David Derse. Newbold received her Bachelor of Music degree from James Madison University where she concentrated on film scoring, orchestration, and audio production. During college, she also performed in professional symphonies in Virginia, Maryland, and New York and was the winner twice of the JMU School of Music Concerto Competition performing the Khachaturian Violin Concerto her Freshman year and Ravel's Tzigane as a Senior.

Career
Upon graduation, Newbold worked in entertainment for Walt Disney World and performed in various symphonies in Florida. She also produced albums and wrote for recording projects and ensembles. As an actress, Newbold expanded her experiences to film and television. She got her first break in the film, The Waterboy, starring Adam Sandler, and first major role in the family comedy, Camp Tanglefoot with Gregg Russell, Drew Seeley, and Michael Andrew. Newbold is a highly sought after prolific and published composer. Her compositions can be heard around the world in film, orchestras, and other performing groups. She frequently travels the world as a guest composer, conductor, clinician, and keynote speaker. Her works have been performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, The Kennedy Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Midwest Clinic.

In 2014, Newbold was highlighted among prominent alumni in James Madison University’s “Be The Change” campaign and for years had a featured poster in the lobby of the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts. In 2019, the Boston Music Project increased their number of orchestras, traditionally named for iconic and celebrated composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Boulanger, and chose Newbold as the name for their newest ensemble.

Notable commissions include works for Atlanta Symphony's Merian Ensemble, Brevard Symphony Orchestra, and youth orchestras for the Columbus Symphony.

Newbold was inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2024. The awards show was held in Washington D.C. at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

Personal life
Newbold currently lives in Southern California. She makes domestic and international appearances as a guest composer and conductor but also works in film, television, and commercial projects as a producer and director. Newbold is also a proficient martial artist and trained in various weapons. She has a 3rd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, 2nd degree black belt in Hapkido, and a black belt in Kigumdo. Her mother was diagnosed with Huntington's disease, a terminal genetic neurological illness for which there is very little treatment and no cure. Newbold wrote the song Endless Dreams, and dedicated it to those affected by Huntington's to spread awareness and hope.

String orchestra

 * Alis volat propiis (She flies with her own wings) (2024)
 * American Landscape (2006)
 * Appalachian Hymn (2005)
 * Arabian Dreams (2003)
 * Battle (2023)
 * BlueFire Fiddler (2003)
 * Calypso Sea (2019)
 * Celtic Roots (2002)
 * Celtic Sunrise (2020)
 * Country Hoedown (2011)
 * Dance of the Samodivi (2007)
 * Desert Sands (2008)
 * Dragon Dances (2003)
 * Egyptian Legacy (2006)
 * Elementa: I. Flights of Fancy, II. Terra, III. Fire and Ice (2022)
 * Equuleus (2008)
 * Fan Dance (2012)
 * Fantasía Española (2005)
 * Fire Dance (2007)
 * Gaelic Castle (2009)
 * Gravitas (2024)
 * A Gypsy Tale (2005)
 * The Haunted Carousel (2009)
 * A Hero's Journey (2007)
 * Hiawatha (2003)
 * Honor and Glory (2008)
 * Iditarod (2010)
 * Invicta: for Solo Violin and Orchestra (2021)
 * Irish Faire (2011)
 * Jubilee Fanfare (2016)
 * A Knight's Quest (2005)
 * Le froid de l'hiver (The Cold of the Winter) (2004)
 * Legend of Dark Mountain (2007)
 * Lion City (2009)
 * Medieval Kings (2010)
 * Mystic Caravan (2012)
 * Mythos (2006)
 * North Star to Freedom (2008)
 * The Odyssey: Journey of Odysseus (2004)
 * Orion and the Scorpion (2012)
 * Perseus (2009)
 * A Pirate's Legend (2004)
 * Rhythm 'n' Blues (2006)
 * Rhythms of Africa (2010)
 * Riders in the Night (Life of a Cowboy) (2008)
 * Rock Riffs (2011)
 * Rockin' Jammin' Swingin' (2002)
 * The Russian Music Box (2004)
 * Ships of Ireland (2004)
 * A Soldier's Hymn (2008)
 * Song of the Sea Mariner (2006)
 * Spirit of the American West (2003)
 * Storm (2015)
 * Viking (2014)
 * Voyager (2020)
 * Warrior Legacy (2010)
 * The Wild Western Frontier (2007)

Full orchestra

 * Alpha and Omega (2020)
 * American Landscape (2017)
 * Egyptian Legacy (2014)
 * Gravitas (2024)
 * A Pirate's Legend (2014)
 * Warrior Legacy (2013)

Concert band

 * Storm (2020)

Solo and ensemble

 * Alis volat propiis (She flies with her own wings) for Quintet: Harp, Flute, Oboe, Viola, and Bass Clarinet (2024)
 * Invicta: for Solo Violin or Viola and Piano (2021)

Arrangements

 * Hallelujah Chorus from "Messiah" by G.F. Handel (2009)
 * Herr Mannelig by Swedish Traditional (2023)
 * Irish Legend by Robert Kerr (2008)
 * Olaf and the Elf Maiden (Ólafur Liljurós) by Icelandic Traditional (2014)
 * Salut d'Amour by Edward Elgar (2024)
 * Slane (Be Thou My Vision) by Irish Traditional (2010)
 * Sleepers Wake by J.S. Bach (2009)
 * Thriller (as performed by Michael Jackson) by Rod Temperton (2023)

Film scores

 * Forever Home: A Glimpse Into Dog Rescue (2014)
 * Ghost Rock (2004)

Songs

 * Endless Dreams (1999)
 * Johnny, Come On Home (2004)
 * Pinches of Salt, Prisms of Light (2000)
 * True Friends (1992)

Method books and collections

 * New Directions for Strings (The FJH Music Company, Inc.)