Serenity and Joy

Featuring the Vancouver Cantata Singers. Dr. Hyejung Jun, guest conductor The Vancouver Cantata Singers present a diverse choral journey exploring sacred devotion and lively folk traditions. The performance opens with Hyowon Woo’s vibrant “Alleluia” and William H. Harris’s lush double-choir masterpiece. At the centre of the concert is Francis Poulenc’s profound “Mass in G Major,” serving as a centrepiece of deep beauty and faith. The program then shifts into moving, reflective modern choral works before concluding with a vibrant selection of international folk arrangements. This final set celebrates global heritage, featuring festive Norwegian rhythms, lyrical love songs, and energetic Filipino folk melodies. Hyejung Jun is an Assistant Professor of Choral Conducting at the University of British Columbia, where she conducts the120-singer UBC Choral Union and teaches Choral Literature, Choral Conducting Techniques, and conducting lessons for graduate conducting students. As a clinician, Jun is frequently invited to work with singers of all ages. She has conducted workshops and masterclasses with students from Canada, the United States, and South Korea. Her performances have been recognized for their sensitivity and excellence. Before coming to the United States, she won the 2012 National Choral Conducting Competition in Seoul, South Korea. After moving to the United States, she was a finalist in the Graduate Conducting Competition of the American Choral Directors Association in 2017, and was also selected as the Conducting Fellow at the 2019 National Collegiate Choral Organization conference. In 2018, she was awarded the May Festival Conducting Fellowship with the internationally recognized May Festival Chorus in Cincinnati, Ohio, under the mentorship of Robert Porco, Director of Choruses for the May Festival Chorus. She completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and earned her Master of Music degrees in Choral Conducting from Yonsei University in Korea and Emory University in the United States.