NCCO9 Graduate Conducting Fellows
NCCO is proud to announce the five chosen graduate conducting fellows for this year's masterclass with NCCO9 Featured Artist Anton Armstrong.
Sarah Frook Gallo
Sarah Frook Gallo is in her third year of work towards a DMA in conducting as a Presidential Fellow at the University of Georgia. In the course of her work as an educator, Sarah has conducted ensembles and taught music courses at William & Mary, Christopher Newport University, and the University of Richmond, and served as artistic director of the Virginia Choral Society, a 100-member community chorus. She enjoys guest conducting honor choruses and workshops across the country, and she works with each of her ensembles to create collaborative and intentional musical communities. Her research interests include the music of 17th and 18th century Mexico City, Dalcroze Eurhythmics in the conducting classroom, mindfulness in the choral rehearsal, and the experience of adult amateur singers in choral communities. She holds degrees in conducting from the Eastman School of Music and the College of William & Mary, and lives in Athens, GA with her spouse, Jeff, and their sweet dog, Moira Rose.
Dolhathai Kloy Intawong
Dolhathai Kloy Intawong, originally from Thailand, has been dedicated to the choral path since joining the choir as a high school exchange student in Florida. She went on to work as a vocalist, choral conductor, and choral educator, participating in performances, festivals, and competitions around Thailand, the United States, China, and Europe. As a choral conductor, she has worked with choirs ranging from middle school to senior choirs; women's, men's, and mixed choirs; community and professional choirs. She serves as a teaching assistant at the University of Northern Colorado and previously directed the award-winning Rangsit University Concert Singers in Thailand. She won the SWACDA Graduate Conducting Competition 2020 and was a clinician for the North Central New Mexico Music Educators Association Honor Choir 2021. Dolhathai is currently the artistic director of Denver's Sine Nomine Chorus and the choral director of Fort Collins' Foothills Unitarian Church. Dolhathai received a BA in vocal performance from Mahidol University, Thailand, and her master’s degree in choral conducting from Shanghai Conservatory of Music, China. She is pursuing a doctoral degree in Choral Conducting at the University of Northern Colorado under the guidance of Dr. Jill Burgett and Dr. Galen Darrough. Her dissertation focuses on Southeast Asian Choral Music.
Heeseong Lee
Heeseong Lee, a native of South Korea, is a DMA student in Choral Music minoring in Instrumental Conducting and Organ at the University of Southern California. She was a Lead Conductor of the USC Thornton University Chorus, and she is currently an instructor of Choral Conducting I. Lee received her Bachelor’s (2013) and Master’s (2016) degree in Choral Conducting at Yonsei University in South Korea. She was awarded the grand prize at both the 4th National Chorus Choral Conductor Competition (2015) and the Jubilate Music Alliance Choral Conductor Competition (2016) in Korea and awarded the 2nd prize at World Choral Conducting Competition in Hong Kong held by WYCCAA (2019). Also, Lee was accepted as a Conducting Fellow for the Chorus America Choral-Orchestral Conducting Academy (2020), ACDA National Student Conducting Masterclass (2021), the Orchestra Conducting Symposium at the University of Colorado Boulder, and the International Conducting Workshop & Festival (2021).
Jessalynn Levine
Jessalynn Levine is a second year masters student in choral conducting at San Jose State University. Prior to coming to San Jose State, Jessalynn was a choir director at Spring High School in Spring, TX for five years where she directed choirs that consistently received superior ratings and served as music director for the school’s musicals. Jessalynn received her B.M. from the University of Houston, where in 2014 she directed the student-founded conducting lab choir, Ardore. Jessalynn also performed regularly with the Bach Society of Houston for three seasons. A 2017 fellow of the North American Jewish Choral Festival, she is also an active professional cantorial soloist, having led music in synagogues around the Houston area since 2008. Jessalynn currently teaches voice lessons for speaking and singing to transgender clients through Your Lessons Now, LLC. Her arrangement of the Hanukkah "Blessing Over The Lights" for SSA choir is available now through Carl Fischer.
Pingyi Song
Pingyi Song is pursuing a D.M.A. degree in Choral Conducting at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. As a Chinese original musician, she is dedicated to promoting cultural exchange musically between the U.S. and China. Her research interests including A new approach to Mandarin Chinese lyric diction; The development of Chinese choral history; The study of Chinese choral literature and Eastern Asian choral literature. Ms. Song holds Master of Music degree from West Virginia University, undergraduate degrees from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania and Guangzhou University, Guangzhou City, China, and Choral Summer School Certificate from the Oxford University Continuing Education, U.K.