Emil Kang is program director for arts and culture at the Mellon Foundation where he leads the grantmaking program that centers individual creative accomplishment and conservation practices while advancing a diverse and sustainable arts ecosystem. Previously, Emil worked at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he served as professor of the practice of music and as executive and artistic director of Carolina Performing Arts, a major multi-disciplinary performing arts program he founded in 2005. In 2016, Emil was also named special assistant to the chancellor for the arts and founded Arts Everywhere, a major campus and community-wide initiative dedicated to integrating artistic practice, learning, and engagement in the lives of the entire community. Previously, he served in a variety of roles with symphony orchestras across the country, most recently as President and Executive Director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Emil continues to serve as a member of the National Council on the Arts, having been appointed by President Barack Obama in 2012.