Kristina Bogataj (Slovenia)
Kristina Bogataj
Kristina Bogataj is a Slovenian conductor, based in Helsinki. She obtained her first master’s degree from Academy of Music in Ljubljana (2017), with an awarded choral concert of Finnish choral music (mentor prof. Marko Vatovec). She concluded her second master’s at Sibelius Academy in Helsinki (2021), with choral conducting as her major, basso continuo as side subject, and proficiency recitals in solo singing and piano. In Slovenia, she has set the foundation of her choral singing education in Carmen manet and Girls’ choir of Gimnazija Kranj. After moving to Finland, she has collaborated with numerous Finnish choirs and prepared several opera choirs for independent production (latest Verdi’s Rigoletto, and Offenbach’s La belle Hélène). In her rather compact conducting career, she has participated in numerous masterclasses (Sir Roger Norrington, Justin Doyle, Georg Grün, André van der Merwe, Nicole Corti, Florence Magloire etc.) and choral conducting competitions (Versailles 2019, Torino 2021, Koper 2021). Now, Kristina works with Tapiola choir and EMO Ensemble, and as artistic director of RiiNa female choir and Lyckokatter vocal group, which she established in 2017. She balances her choral activities with early music performances and pedagogical activities in Finnish international daycares. www.kristinabogataj.com
Sara Corriga (Italy)
Sara Corriga
Born in Varese (Italy) in 1992, Sara Corriga studied violin since a young age, and continued her musical education at the Milan Conservatory, studying violin with Mauro Loguercio and Composition with Danilo Lorenzini. After a Master’s degree in Economics, she moved to Trento to attend a Bachelor’s degree in Choir conducting and composition at Conservatory of Trento (Italy) under Lorenzo Donati. She graduated in July 2021 with 110/110 cum Laude. She spent the third year of Bachelor’s as an Erasmus student at Estonian Academy of Music and Theater (EMTA) of Tallinn, Estonia, and she is currently attending there a Master’s degree in Choir Conducting with Hirvo Surva. She has participated in choir conducting masterclasses with Johannes Prinz, Michael Alber, Kari Turunen, Josep Vila i Casanas, Vytautas Miskinis, Gary Graden and others. She has participated in 2019 in the Choir conducting course held by Lorenzo Donati in Siena, Accademia Chigiana. Moreover, she participated in choir conducting masterclasses with Dario Tabbia, Carlo Pavese, Matteo Valbusa and in 2018 she attended the Milano Choral Academy under Marco Berrini. In 2016 she spent a semester in Vienna, where she had the opportunity to sing in Singverein, (Musikverein), conducted by Johannes Prinz and in Chorus sine nomine, conducted by Johannes Hiemetsberger. She has conducted choirs such as Varese Chamber Choir, Chamber Choir of Trento Conservatory, Choir of Siena Cathedral. In Trento, she founded the youth Choir Nest, and the female ensemble, Symmista, to sing music by Hildegard von Bingen. She conducted between 2018 and 2020 the Choir Voci d’Argento in Meran. She studied Gregorian chant with Giacomo Baroffio and Palestrina’s counterpoint with Domenico Zingaro. She studied Baroque singing with Francesca Lombardi Mazzulli; as a singer, she was chosen as a representative of Italy to the 2021 European Youth Choir.
Andreas Fulda (Germany)
Andreas Fulda
After completing his state examination in music teaching (Major: Piano/Singing/English), Andreas Fulda finished his degree in choral conducting with Prof. Harald Jers and Prof. Stefan Blunier at the Mannheim University of Music. He is now studying choral conducting with Prof. Georg Grün and Prof. Toshiyuki Kamioka in Saarbrücken. In addition to his freelance work as a choir conductor, he was given a teaching assignment as adjunct lecturer for ensemble conducting at the Karlsruhe University of Education in 2021. He received valuable impulses from Frieder Bernius and Kammerchor Stuttgart, Kammerchor Saarbrücken, Wolfgang Schäfer, Morten Schuldt-Jensen, and Colin Metters in master classes and during his ERASMUS studies in Estonia. During his studies he conducted the Chamber Choir Consono Köln, the Collegium Vocale Hannover and the Gonville & Caius College Choir Cambridge. In addition to musical and voice training work, his choral work places a focus on pedagogical approaches that are intended to promote sight-reading, phonetics, stage presence and other choral skills of the singers. During his studies, he led the St. Josef Church Choir in Mannheim until 2020. Since 2018 he has also directed the Chamber Choir Junges Ensemble of the Mannheimer Liedertafel, with which, in addition to a cappella projects in 2019, he performed the Duruflé Requiem with orchestra, costumes, contemporary dance, text and video installation as a cross-genre project in cooperation with Ferdinand Dehner, Uschy Szott and another chamber choir. For these orchestral appearances, he worked with the Junge Kammerphilharmonie Rhein-Neckar or the Kammerphilharmonie Mannheim (for Mozart’s Requiem). His work also includes assistances and cooperations in the region of southwest Germany, mainly with three large Heidelberg student choirs and the Hochtaunus Youth Choir. The two-week Cantare youth choir project in Mannheim shows the central role that working with young singers plays for Andreas Fulda. Since 2020, he has been in charge of the Saarknappenchor – a male concert choir with mining heritage, which has been an international flagship of the Saarland for many years.
SzuYun Swing Hsieh (Taiwan)
SzuYun Swing Hsieh
Borned in ChangHua, Taiwan, SzuYun Swing Hsieh is the Associate-Conductor of Taipei Philharmonic Foundation, and the music director of The Rejuvenis Group, the conductor of Taipei Women’s Singing Society and Taipei Philharmonic Civic Choral. Ms. Hsieh has conducted Taipei Philharmonic Chamber Choir in concert tours in Taiwan, China, Italy, Vatican, Austria, Russia and Hungary. In 2019, CD album of Taipei Philharmonic Chamber Choir won the Golden Melody Awards ‘Best Vocal Group’ conducted by SzuYun Hsieh. In 2018, Ms. Hsieh won the 2nd Prize in 2nd Boris Tevlin Competition of Choral Conductors (the 1st Prize has not been awarded). At the same year, she got full scholarship to attend the orchestra conducting masterclass in Dohnányi Academy, Hungary, and conducted Budafoki Dohnányi Orchestra. She was also the Chorus Master in NSO’s opera production of Beethoven’s ‘Fidelio’, Puccini’s ‘Il Trittico’ and Berstein’s ‘Candide’, NTSO’s production of Mahler’s Symphony No.2, and Taipei Philharmonic Foundation’s production of Bach’s ‘Christmas Oratorio’. Maestro Gábor Hollerung’s conducting master class of Taipei International Choral Festival. She also Ms. Hsieh attended conducting master class instructed by Maestro ShaoChia Lü, the Music Director of Taiwan Philharmonic. Ms. Hsieh holds a B.A. degree, majoring in voice, from Taipei National University of Art, studying under Dr. YiLin Hsu, and received a master’s degree in conducting from Taipei National University of Art, studying under professor SongRen Hsu and professor ChiaYun Amy Chang.
Pan Jiang (China)
Pan Jiang
Pan Jiang serves as a conductor of the Beijing Philharmonic Choir and a docent at the Capital Normal University in China. She also teaches conducting courses at Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Pan has collaborated with choirs and orchestras worldwide, including HFM-Weimar Kammerchor, Jena Philharmoniker Chor/Orchestra and China Central Opera Choir. From A Cappella to Choral Symphony and Opera Choral, such as Arvo Pärt Te Deum, Gustav Mahler Symphony No .8 and Giuseppe Verdi La Traviata. Pan also received first prizes in International choral competitions, such as the Mezinarodni Festival Umeni Mladeze (2016), 6th Florence International Choir Festival (2017), and the Russian XV International Competition of Choirs and Vocal Ensembles Named After Yuri Falik (2019). Pan has a great passion for teaching and training young conductors in China. In 2018, she was offered the position as Associate Director of the BMA Professional Conducting Forum, a non-profit organization that offers free masterclasses, music workshops and concerts for young conductors. In addition, Pan’s research and teaching are well-recognized by the Chinese government. In 2015-2019, she and her colleagues received China National Arts Fund and completed programs such as the “Art Talent Training for Young Choral Conductors” and “Young Artistic Creation Talent for Performing Arts and Chamber Music”. Pan received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Choral Conducting from China Conservatory of Music and Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Hochuschüle für Musik Franz Liszt Weimar (Germany). Her teachers include Prof. Lingfen Wu, Prof. Youqing Yang, Prof. Li Yang and Prof. Jürgen Puschbeck. She also received mentorship from Mr. Hongnian Yang, the founding conductor of Beijing Philharmonic Choir. During her time in Germany, she also studied Vocal Coaching as a minor with Professor Karl-Peter-Kammerlander and Orchestral Conducting with Professors Nicolas Pasquet and Martin Hoff. Pan is currently pursuing a Konzert Examen degree in Choral Conducting at Hochuschüle für Musik Saarbrücken with Professor Georg Grün under the sponsorship of the China Scholarship Council.
Anastasija Kildiša (Latvia)
Anastasija Kildiša
Anastasija Kildiša started her professional life in music as a pianist in 2005, in Juglas Music School. After finishing musical school in 2014 she entered the JMRMV as a choir conductor in Inara Freimane class. From 2014 till 2018 she was actively performing in many concerts in Riga and Latvija with JMRMV mixed choir. In 2016 A. Kildiša won first place in the Imants Kokars 2d International Competition for Young Choir Conductors from Vocational Music Secondary Educational Institutions. Since 2018 A. Kildiša has been studying choir conducting in Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music in Andris Veismanis class. Since 02.2021 till 09.2021 A. Kildiša studied choir conducting in Mozarteum University Salzburg in Jörn Andresen class as Erasmus student. Since 2013 A. Kildiša has worked as a choirmaster in Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Church mixed choir in Riga. Every week and also on festive occasion this choir takes part in concerts and religious ceremonies. In 2016 A. Kildiša formed Orthodox chamber choir ‘Adamant’. Since then with this choir she has been performing in Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Church and in Riga Nativity Cathedral. In 2019 Orthodox chamber choir ‘Adamant’ won 2d place in the International Festival of Orthodox Church Music ‘Hajnówka’ 2019 in Bialystok (Poland), in the category of parish choirs. Since November 2018 A. Kildiša has been working in the professional Riga Chamber Choir Ave Sol. In 2019 A. Kildiša won second place in the 8th International Choral Conducting Competition TOWARDS POLYPHONY 2019, and Special prize of Mixed choir of The Karol Lipinski Academy of Music in Wrocław. In 2021 A. Kildiša won first place in the 2nd International Choral Conducting Competition AEGIS CARMINIS 2021, and also Special prize of Mixed choir of Ljubljana Academy of Music in Slovenia.
Hyunju Kwon (South Korea)
Hyunju Kwon
Hyunju Kwon in June 2021 won the 1st prize and the audience prize at the ‘Fosco Corti International Competition for Choral Conductors’ in Turin, Italy. In 2016, she was appointed as a musical assistant of the Musical Director at the University of Stuttgart Academic Choir and Orchestra. In 2018, she was appointed as a repetiteur in the Opera Academy in Mannheim Musikhochschule. In 2019, she was chosen as a protagonist of a film documentary about choral music, produced by the TV broadcaster Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg in collaboration with ARTE. She conducted professional choirs, such as Kammerchor Stuttgart, Kammerchor Saarbrücken and Zürcher Sing-Akademie. For the next seasons, she got invited as a guest conductor by professional German and Switzerland choirs. Since 2015 she has conducted many choirs and ensembles in Germany, including the founded vocal ensemble ‘Schütz Ensemble’ of Karlsruhe. As an orchestra conductor, she conducted professional orchestras with Kurpfälzische Chamber Orchestra, Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonie Baden-Baden and Stuttgarter Philharmoniker. In addition, she was a singer in professional choirs such as Collegium Vocale Seoul in South Korea and Württembergischer Kammerchor in Germany. Since October 2021, she is working as a singer and a musical assistant at Kammerchor Saarbrücken. In regards to her educational background, she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Choral Conducting at Korea National University of Arts in Seoul, South Korea. She finished her Master’s degree in Choral Conducting at the University of Music in Karlsruhe, Germany under Prof. Dieter Kurz’s direction in 2017. Furthermore, she completed her second Master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Music and Performing Arts Mannheim, Germany under the supervision of Prof. Stefan Blunier in 2019. Starting from 2020, she is currently pursuing her Konzertexamen’s degree in Choral Conducting at the University of Music in Saarbrücken, Germany under the supervision of Prof. Georg Grün.
Luca Scaccabarozzi (Italy)
Luca Scaccabarozzi
After graduating with honours in piano from the Conservatorio G. Verdi in Milan, Luca Scaccabarozzi studied at various academies and master classes with prestigious teachers. He has won first and second prizes in national and international piano competitions, both as a soloist and chamber musician. He also graduated with honours in philosophy from the State University of Milan. He trained as a choir conductor at the Milano Choral Academy and the Scuola superiore per direttori di coro di Arezzo, under the guidance of internationally renowned teachers, and studied Renaissance Polyphony at the Scuola Civica di Milano. During his activity he has been awarded several prizes as best conductor in national and international choral competitions and won second prize at the first national competition for choir conductors Le mani in suono in Arezzo. He has won first and second prizes in various choral conducting competitions, with the Ensemble Vocale Mousiké and the Torino Vocalensemble, with whom he has also participated in important national and international music festivals. He has collaborated as choirmaster with the professional group Ars Cantica Choir of Milan at the Stresa Festival, the Festival of Ancient Music of Monreale and the theatre season of the Teatro Goldoni in Livorno. He is also invited as guest conductor for seminars and concerts, also in collaboration with orchestras. He has attended several singing and vocal courses with internationally renowned teachers and collaborates with various professional ensembles and groups, including Ars Cantica Choir, Il Canto di Orfeo, Gesualdo Consort of Gesualdo and LaBarocca. He is an active teacher of piano and choir conducting at various academies and regularly holds courses and seminars for choristers and conductors. He is also invited to participate as a juror in national and international choral competitions.
Hyonah Song (South Korea)
Hyonah Song
Hyonah Song is a young choral conductor from South Korea, studying with Prof. Toomas Kapten in Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. She is the assistant conductor and soloist of the Rapla Mixed Choir of Estonia. Originally trained as a soprano, Hyonah was inspired to pursue her dream as a conductor while singing in a choir at her university. She subsequently studied choral conducting at the Korea National University of Arts with Prof. Martin Behrmann and Prof. Hongsu Kim, obtaining her master’s degree with Summa cum laude. A devout Catholic, Hyonah served as the main conductor at several cathedrals in Korea including Cheongpa, Doksan, Hyehwa, Guro1, Cheongdam, Gajaeul, Banghwa, and Hongeun. Additionally, she collaborated with various choirs as the assistant conductor of Yangju city Boys and Girls Choir, Deungchon7 General Social Welfare Center Female Choir, and Sogang University Fiat mixed youth choir. As an avid supporter of choral education, Hyonah has taken part in a number of choral teaching programs as the assistant lecturer at Ajou University and Kaywon Arts Middle School. She believes that choir moves people’s hearts and has continued outreach programs working with the inmates at Cheonan Prisoners Choir of the Ministry of Justice and the Seoul Southern Prisoners Choir of the Ministry of Justice. As a soprano, Hyonah performed as a soloist with the Suwon City Women’s Choir, which won the Grand Prix at the 3rd International Choral Competition Karlovac-Croatia. She was a soprano member of the Seoul Choral Masters and Collegium Vocale Seoul and performed as a soloist in Yongsan-gu Women’s Choir as well as the Suwon City Women’s Choir. While continuing her doctoral studies in Korea, she left for Estonia and is currently studying choral conducting for a master’s program in Estonia.
Karolina Silkina (Belarus/Poland)
Karolina Silkina
Karolina Silkina was born in Grodno, Belarus. From the very beginning of her musical education, she has started singing in the choir, taking part in numerous concerts and winning piano competitions. Karolina have finished her bachelor’s degree in Music Ensembles Conducting at the Chopin University of Music under the guidance of prof. Bogdan Gola (2019, diploma with distinction) and in 2021 she has finished her master’s degree in Choir Conducting. Moreover, Karolina has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Public Relations and Media Marketing (2018, 2020 diploma with distinction, Warsaw University). Currently she continues her education at Choir Vocal Studies and at the Doctoral School of Social Sciences. Karolina Silkina is the founder and conductor of the Journalism Department Choir at the Warsaw University. She is also an assistant conductor at the Center for the thought of John Paul II Choir and conductor of the St. Jacob Church Choir. She was an assistant conductor during the Polish Choir of Peace Project and beatification of Cardinal. St. Wyszyński and Sister R. Czacka. Karolina Silkina was a member of the International Jury at the “Queen of the Adriatic Sea Choral Festival and Competition”. Karolina develops Conducting and Vocal skills develops by participating in different conferences and music projects. She cooperates with composers and prepares world premieres of their choral and vocal-instrumental compositions. Karolina is a soprano at the Chopin University Chamber Choir and at the University of Warsaw Academic Choir. As a choral singer she cooperates with the Warsaw Great Theatre – National Opera, Warsaw Chamber Opera, Polish philharmonics, University of Katowice Choir, National Music Forum and National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Among her other achievements can be mentioned CD “Drrrum-dana-da” (Kurpie songs), CD “All-night Vigil” by S.Rachmaninoff, conducted interviews for the International Choral Bulletin, piano recital at the Warsaw Royal Castle.
Anna Sułkowska – Migoń (Poland)
Anna Sułkowska - Migoń
Anna Sułkowska – Migoń was born in Kraków. Her music adventure started at primary school, where she was playing the violin. As an instrumentalist, she completed her MA studies, specializing in viola, at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warszawa. In 2019, she completed a bachelor’s degree studying at prof. Piotr Sułkowski’s symphony and opera conducting class at the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz. Currently, she is a master’s student at The Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Kraków in two fields: symphonic conducting in the class of Łukasz Borowicz and choral conducting in the class of prof. Lidia Matynian and Andrzej Korzeniowski. Currently (2021/2022) she is a scholarship holder of the “Conductor-Resident” program of the Polish National Institute of Music and Dance, assisting and conducting at The Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra in Warszawa (Poland). Last year she received the same scholarship at The Lower Silesian Philharmonic in Jelenia Góra. She has already conducted orchestras such as The Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra, The Warmia and Masurian Philharmonic, The Krakow Philharmonic, The Lower Silesian Philharmonic, and The Chamber Orchestra of the Academy of Music in Krakow. She was a finalist of the Lanyi Conducting Competition (2021). Last year she won conducting masterclasses with Marin Alsop and The Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. Nowadays she leads the female choir of Jesuit University Ignatianum in Kraków and the Ars Cameralis Chamber Choir in Kraków. As a choral conductor she was scholarship holder of the Noel Minet Fund Scholarship (April 2021), participant of the Master Class with Josep Vila in Malmö (Sweden, August 2021), qualified participant of the 18th Nationwide Competition of Choral Conductors in Poznań (April 2020 – canceled due to COVID-19), active participant of the 7th Polish Seminar for Choirmaster in Warsaw (November 2020) and active participant of workshops carried out as part of the Grand Prix of Polish Choir Music Stefan Stuligrosz in Poznań (November 2019).
Tom Varl (Slovenia)
Tom Varl
Tom Varl (1998) is a young Slovenian composer, conductor and pedagogue. He studied music theory at the Conservatory of Music and Ballet Ljubljana (KGBL) and later continued his education at the Academy of Music Ljubljana, where he this year graduated in composition and music theory. He also completed his second year of choral conducting and is currently enrolled at Escola Superior de Musica de Catalunya in Barcelona. In addition to his studies, he is also attending his 4th year of classical singing at the KGBL. Over the past three years, he has proven himself as a conductor in various choral and conducting competitions. In March 2019, he achieved 4th place in the Aegis Carminis International Choral conducting competition, and in July 2021 he achieved absolute 1st place in the same competition. Varl leads a Men’s Choral Group ‘Ivan Cankar’, with which they received many awards. In May 2021, they received two gold awards at the International Choir Festival in Bjeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in one of the categories they achieved 100 points and 1st place. In the 2020/2021 season, he was an assistant conductor at the Slovenian Philharmonic Choir, with which he also had the opportunity to perform. He collaborates with various choirs in Slovenia as a conductor or vocal coach. In addition to the Men’s Choral Group ‘Ivan Cankar’ he also leads Mixed choir Rakovnik. Throughout all years of his education, he sang at the KGBL Chamber Choir, where he was also an assistant conductor to Ambrož Čopi for two years. With the choir, they participated in prestigious choral festivals and competitions around the world and achieved the highest results. In 2020, he passed the Willems Music Education Pedagogical Diploma exams with distinction. He teaches ear training at the Edgar Willems Music Center in Ljubljana where he achieved excellent results in competitions with his students. Since September 2020, he has also been a ballet accompanist at the KGBL.
Roland Viilukas (Estonia)
Roland Viilukas
Roland Viilukas started his classical music journey in 2009, when he enrolled in Heino Eller Tartu Music School and began his studies in choral conducting with Lauri Breede, while additionally studying composition under Alo Põldmäe. Today he has a bachelor’s degree in choral conducting (class of Prof. Tõnu Kaljuste, 2016) and a Master of arts Cum laude (class of Prof. Toomas Kapten, 2019) from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. Simultaneously with his choral conducting studies, he improved his skills in orchestra conducting with Prof. Jüri Alperten. He has taken part in many masterclasses including one with Pablo Marqués Mestre (Conservatorio Superior de Música de Castilla-La Mancha Albacete, Spain) and with Prof. Toomas Kapten (Estonian Academy of Music) – both in 2019. As a guest conductor he has worked with ensembles in U.S.A., Germany, Finland etc. and as an assistant conductor; he has helped prepare concert projects with Estonian National Male Choir (Komitas „Patarag”), Estonian Mixed Choirs Summer Academy (G. Fauré “Requiem”) etc. Viilukas has been actively working in the classical music scene of Estonia (as a conductor, musician and artistic director) since he started his musical studies in 2009. In that time, he has brought to life many musical ensembles (choirs and orchestras) and special projects that include performing Estonian premiers of such works as Kurt Weill’s ‘Berlin Requiem’ and Maximilian Steinberg’s “Passion week” (fragments). As a conductor he has co-operated with several collectives, including the Mixed Choir and Symphony Orchestra of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, Chamber Choir Collegium Musicale, Estonian National Male Choir, Male Choir Rotalia, Male Choir Gaudeamus of the Estonian University of Life Sciences, Mixed Choir and Wind Orchestra of Estonian Police and Border Guard, Mixed Choir HUIK!, Mixed Choir of Estonian Student Organizations, Nõmme Music School Symphony Orchestra of Tallinn and many more. Roland Viilukas is also a singer of the Estonian National Male Choir since 2016.
Annabelle Weinhart (Germany)
Annabelle Weinhart
Annabelle Weinhart is a choral and orchestral conductor from Germany. She was born in Stuttgart in 1992 and is currently completing her master studies in choral conducting at the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar with J. Puschbeck and E. Wycik. At the same University she made her degree in music teaching with the main subjects Oboe and Conducting. She was an ERASMUS-Student at the Conservatorio di Musica ‘G.B.Martini’ Bologna (Italy) and worked together with L. Acocella (Orchestral Conducting) and M. Bedetti (Oboe). Starting to work in 2012 as an Oboist and Pianist in different formations she soon became an assistant conductor in several choirs and orchestras. As a conductor she worked with international Ensembles such as the Coro della Cattedrale di Siena ‘Guido Chigi Saracini’, the chamber choir of the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar, the Orchestra Senzaspine Bologna and the Marburger Philharmonie. In 2020 she founded the NeVoEnsemble Weimar with other musicians of the FRANZ LISZT-University and is also the musical director of the choir. Masterclasses with F. Bernius, L. Donati, C. Wetzel and F. di Rosa complement her musical studies. Annabelle Weinhart is holder of the ‘Charlotte Krupp Scholarship’ of the New Liszt Foundation.
Johannes Weiler (Germany)
Johannes Weiler
As the son of a conductor, Johannes Weiler received extensive musical education at an early age, first learning the cello and piano, and later also the trumpet. After studying trumpet as a major at the Peter Cornelius Conservatory in Mainz with Prof. Peter Knodt, he began studying music at the University of Music Saarbrücken in 2014, studying the trumpet with Prof. Peter Leiner, as well as music education and school music. Since the beginning of his studies, he has taken regular conducting lessons and has been studying conducting with Prof. Georg Grün since 2018 with a focus on choral conducting, as well as orchestral conducting with Prof. Toshiyuki Kamioka and Prof. Manuel Nawri. He received further important impulses from Stefan Weiler (Mainzer Figuralchor / Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart) and from master classes with Johannes Klumpp, Stan Engebretson (Washington D.C.), Patrick Gardner (New Jersey), Georg Grün and Brady Allred (HfM SummerSchool Saarbrücken). Johannes Weiler works as musical director or project-related with various vocal and instrumental ensembles in and outside the University of Music Saar, such as the vocal ensembles Endekaton and Cantamore, the Studio Vocale Saar, BachChor Saarbrücken, Kammerchor Saarbrücken and others. Since his youth he has been singing as a bass, fixed or project-related in various choirs, such as the Mainzer Figuralchor, the Kammerchor Rheinhessen, BachChor Saarbrücken, Kammerchor Saarbrücken, Vocal Ensemble Endekaton. He has also worked as a lecturer in the Rhineland-Palatinate State Youth Orchestra, among others. In addition to his work as a conductor, Johannes Weiler was for many years the principal trumpeter of the State Youth Orchestra of Rhineland-Palatinate and other orchestras such as the Junge Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie, where he was both assistant conductor of smaller projects and artistic director of the symphonic project in 2021.
Yeonju Jessica Lee (South Korea)
Yeonju Jessica Lee
Known for her outstanding musical talent and excellent auditory sense, Yeonju Jessica Lee has swiftly emerged as one of the rising choir conductors in the new generation of globe-trotting musicians. From 2016 to 2019, Yeonju Jessica Lee assisted the concert choir and ensemble choir at the University of Music, Drama and Media Hannover (HMTMH). Yeonju has also conducted multiple projects such as Bach Johannes Passion, Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem, Handel Messiah, Mozart Requiem, and Claude Vivier Immortalite, Francis Poulenc Figure Humaine, and some A cappella pieces of north European composers such as Sven-David Sandström, Einojuhani Rautavaara. For the last few years, she worked with some opera productions, La Traviata, Handel Semele (Cond. Howard Arman), and Hindemith Hin und Zurück, Ernst Toch Egon und Emilie. As a South Korea born, Yeonju Jessica Lee holds the Masters in Music (M.Mus) conducting with Prof Frank Löhr, and minor in piano, voice, cembalo at the University of Music, Drama and Media Hanover, Germany and Bachelor in Music (B. Mus) for conducting and minor in voice at Korea National University of Arts with Prof. Martin Behrmann and Hongsoo Kim. Currently she is continuing Konzertexamen degree with Prof. Georg Grün and assists choir at University of Music Saar (HfM Saar) and Bachchor in Saarbrücken. Besides she holds Noël Minet Scholarship and Saarland International Scholarship. Yeonju Lee outstandingly did an internship at Bergedorf Chamber Choir, Ahrensburg Chamber Orchestra, State Opera House in Hanover. Moreover, she did hospitation at North German Radio Choir (NDR Chor). She is member of vocal ensemble “Endekaton” and she led numerous concerts with university choirs and professional vocal ensembles with passion. She also took part in a masterclass with Frieder Bernius. Finally, she was awarded with the 3rd prize and special prize from “Aegis Carminis International conducting competition” and also the special prize from “9th international conducting competition for young conductor” which is held by IFAC and ECA.
