NCCO8 Conductor Fellowship 2019 Fellows
sponsored by Manhattan Concert Productions
Founded in 2017, the NCCO Conductor Fellowship offers the following opportunities to five selected Fellows.
- Encouragement and support graduate students who are on the cusp of a career in academia.
- The chance to sharpen conducting technique, score preparation skills, and rehearsal methods in a conducting masterclass with Members of the UMD Chamber Singers and Prof. María Guinand, one of the NCCO8 Featured Artists.
- Access to networking opportunities with fellow collegiate choral conductors with the intent to develop mentor/mentee relationships that continue beyond the conference.
- Encouragement of graduate student activity at the NCCO National Conference.
The following are the 2019 NCCO Conductor Fellows.
Noemi Binag
Noemi Binag is a MM student at the Eastman School of Music where she studies with Dr. William Weinert and leads the Eastman Repertory Singers. Previously, Binag was graduate assistant for the Eastman-University of Rochester Women’s Chorus under Dr. Philip Silvey. Noemi served as clinician for the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (Philippines) and the Philippine Choral Directors Association. Prior to her graduate studies, she was a program committee member of the International Bamboo Organ Festival, resident conductor of the Ateneo de Manila University Glee Club, and conductor of the University of Asia and the Pacific Chorale.
Hannah Grasso
Hannah Grasso is a first-year M.M. candidate at Temple University where she studies conducting with Dr. Paul Rardin and serves as graduate assistant conductor for the Singing Owls Community Choir, directed by Dr. Rollo Dilworth. In May 2019, she graduated with the B.A. in Music from Smith College, where she studied conducting with Dr. Jonathan Hirsh and served as assistant conductor of the Smith College Choirs. Hannah’s professional profile includes conducting experience in collegiate, church, community, and youth choir settings. She has participated in conducting masterclasses with Dr. Jerry Blackstone, Dr. Edith Copley, and Ms. Carolyn Kuan.
Jennifer Jun
Jennifer Jun is a DMA student at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), where she is an assistant conductor of the CCM Chamber Choir. She also a church music program in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, and is assistant conductor of Musica Sacra in Cincinnati. She received the May Festival Choral Conducting Fellowship in 2018. Jun is from Seoul, South Korea, and earned degrees from Emory University and Yonsei University (South Korea). In 2017, Jennifer was a finalist in the ACDA Conducting Competition and, in 2012, winner of the Choral Conducting Competition of the National Chorus of Korea.
Minji Kim
Minji Kim is a doctoral student in choral conducting at the University of Maryland. Her teaching experiences at UMD includes working with the University Chorale, teaching undergraduate conducting classes, and assisting the Chamber Singers. Also, she is a music director at Northminster Presbyterian Church in Washington D.C. Prior to joining UMD, Minji was at Texas Tech University where she assisted the University Choir and taught the University Singers as assistant conductor. Her other education includes a Bachelor’s degree in composition from Yeungnam University in South Korea and a Master’s degree in choral conducting from the Ohio State University.
Sinhaeng Lee
Sinhaeng Lee is a first year doctoral student at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign under the tutorage of Dr. Andrew Megill, assisting Oratorio Society of the school and Director of Music of First Presbyterian Church of Urbana. He conducted the Yonsei University Men’s Glee Club and Westminster Community Chorus. He studied with Dr. Joe Miller, Dr. Amanda Quist, Dr. James Jordan, and Dr. Hae Ock Kim.
Mr. Lee earned a master’s degree in choral conducting from the Westminster Choir College. He holds a bachelor’s degree in church music and choral conducting from the Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea.