FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
NEW YORK (April 20, 2022) — The world-renowned Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC), is pleased to announce the appointment of Elizabeth Núñez as Creative Director. An acclaimed conductor, clinician and speaker, and soloist, Núñez has been with YPC since 2004 and has played a significant role in fostering the award-winning choir’s key programs as well as providing vision for new initiatives. In her new role, Núñez will lead YPC’s creative programming efforts.
“For nearly two decades, Elizabeth has been an instrumental leader within the organization, growing our Schools Choruses program, conducting award-winning performances and so much more,” said Francisco J. Núñez, YPC’s Founder and Artistic Director. “Particularly during the pandemic when we had to pivot and it was so important to keep our choristers engaged, Elizabeth’s vision in creating online programs and virtual events was unmatched. She more than met the moment and we’re excited to see where her new ideas take YPC.”
As a conductor for YPC, Elizabeth has led YPC’s choruses in highly acclaimed and widely viewed performances at New York City’s most iconic institutions, including Carnegie Hall, the Apollo Theater, and Metropolitan Museum, as well as in national television appearances on programs like the Today Show, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Good Morning America. She has led YPC in debuts in both Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart and its White Light Festivals and, in international choral competitions, has led the singers to first place wins at the Cantonigròs International Music Festival in Spain and the Choral Kathaumixw Festival in British Columbia, where the choristers were additionally recognized with the overall title of “Choir of the World,” the first North American choir to do so in the competition’s 34-year history. Elizabeth has also prepared YPC for performances of Bernstein Mass at Mostly Mozart and most recently directed choristers in Saks Fifth Avenue’s Holiday Light Show (alongside special guest speaker Michelle Obama), the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and at Lincoln Center’s Restart Stage’s “Ready, Set, Sing!”
In addition to conducting, Núñez has cultivated YPC’s School Choruses program where she has grown the program from two participating schools in 2005 to now having served over 40 schools, ultimately reaching and benefiting thousands of children across New York City. During the pandemic, she also envisioned and implemented a virtual school program called “Hello, Singers!” – a pilot ten-episode series that reached over 3,000 children across New York City.
Along with her work at YPC, Núñez is a guest conductor, choral clinician, and speaker, leading performances and workshops for regional and national conferences. She has conducted numerous All-State Honor Choirs, the 2016 OAKE National Children’s Honor Choir, and led YPC as a featured choir at the 2020 ACDA Eastern Regional Conference. She is also the Founding Artistic Director of the intergenerational SoHarmoniums Women’s Choir, which has flourished under her direction from six members in 2006 to over 60 women today, and they perform regularly to capacity audiences across New York City.
Núñez is also a role model for your female choristers and a champion for women within in the industry. She is the founder of WIT: Women Inspiring Tomorrow, a thriving mentoring program that brings YPC’s high school girls together with its alumnae and accomplished women across varying professions. And, she is one of the early members of the acclaimed CHIEF women’s membership networking which supports and connects women executive leaders.
Núñez received a Master of Music Education from the University of Oklahoma and a Bachelor of Music Education from Lee University, where she was awarded the 2017 School of Music’s Distinguished Alumnus Award for her commitment to “changing the lives of America’s youth.” She is a professional singer who continues to perform as a soloist. She is also a member of the Chorus America Board of Directors.
Alongside the rest of the talented YPC team, Elizabeth looks forward to continuing to curate dynamic musical programs for New York City’s youth. In her spare time, she calls the Upper West Side home and enjoys time with her husband, Francisco, their two children, Sebastian and Sabrina, and their Italian Greyhound puppy, Dolly.
For more information about YPC, please visit www.ypc.org.
The Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC) is a multicultural youth chorus internationally renowned for its superb virtuosity, brilliant showmanship, and innovative model of diversity. Founded by Artistic Director Francisco J. Núñez, a MacArthur Fellow and Musical America’s 2018 Educator of the Year, YPC’s mission and values are deeply rooted in providing children of all cultural and economic backgrounds with a unique program of music education and choral performance. YPC is committed to empowering our youth and providing pathways to success through the arts so that each child, no matter what race, gender, socioeconomic background, or religion can reach their full potential. Among YPC’s many awards is America’s highest honor for youth programs, a National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, which was presented to members of YPC at the White House. Under the direction of YPC’s Creative Director, Elizabeth Núñez, YPC also earned the distinction of “Choir of the World” in July 2018 at the International Choral Kathaumixw (Powell River, British Columbia), marking the first time a North American chorus has ever won this title in the 34-year history of Kathaumixw. www.ypc.org
MEDIA CONTACTS: Laura Gigounas, Juliona Miller and Sarah Rogers at Glodow Nead Communications, 415-394-6500 or YPCPR@glodownead.com.
info@ypc.org
Young People's Chorus of New York®
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YOUNG PEOPLE'S CHORUS OF NEW YORK CITY 2024 | Francisco J. Núñez, Founder and Artistic Director • Elizabeth Núñez, Creative Director
