Esther S. Yoo

Principal Chorus Conductor, Honolulu Symphony Chorus

Dr. Esther Yoo was appointed Principal Chorus Conductor of the Honolulu Symphony Chorus in 2008. The Chorus, which is supported jointly by the Honolulu Symphony Society and the Oahu Choral Society, includes more than 130 singers who are united in their love of choral singing and music education.

A versatile conductor and advocate for contemporary choral music, Dr. Yoo has worked extensively with children’s and high school choirs; community, church and university choirs; student orchestras; and professional choirs. She also brings professional choral singing experience to her role with the Chorus, having sung under the batons of Robert Shaw, James Levine, James Conlon and Helmuth Rilling.

As an advocate for contemporary choral music, Dr. Yoo has premiered new choral music at every opportunity, working with students and faculty at the University of Toronto, University of Cincinnati, and the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. In May 2009, she commissioned and premiered a choral work on the life of Father Damien, a project supported by the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture of Honolulu.

Prior to her appointment with the Honolulu Symphony Chorus, Dr. Yoo held faculty positions as Director of Choral Studies at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa and at Hollins University in Virginia, where she toured internationally with the choir. In addition, Dr. Yoo was a conducting fellow at the Oregon Bach Festival and Toronto Bach Festival with Maestro Helmuth Rilling. Currently, she serves as the Music Director at Christ United Methodist Church in Honolulu. She is also the President-Elect of the American Choral Directors Association – Hawaii Chapter.

Dr. Yoo has participated in conducting masterclasses with Robert Shaw, Sir David Willcocks, Harry Christophers, Stephen Darlington and Dale Warland. As a recipient of the prestigious Elmer Iseler Scholarship at the University of Toronto, Dr. Yoo conducted professional performances with Canada’s professional chamber choir, The Elmer Iseler Singers.
 
A native of Toronto, Canada, Dr. Yoo holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting from the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati. She also holds an undergraduate degree in Music Education and a Master’s degree in Conducting, both from the University of Toronto where she studied with Raffi Armenien and Doreen Rao.

In addition, Dr. Yoo graduated with an Artist Diploma in piano from the Hochschule für Musik in Munich and has studied extensively with Russian pianist Vera Gornostaeva. As a pianist, she has appeared in festivals and masterclasses in France, Austria and Switzerland, and has given recitals in Germany, France and Italy. She is also active as adjudicator for Hawaii Music Teachers Association.