Artistic Staff
Vince Peterson, Artistic Director, is a respected choral conductor, composer/arranger, and teacher of music in the United States. His 20-year hybrid career spans the worlds of choral music, theater, sacred music, and music education. He has, however, established himself most prominently in the world of choral music, notably having founded the "shape-shifting" vocal ensemble Choral Chameleon in 2008. Across his work, he is responsible for presenting nearly 200 premieres of new choral and theater music in the last fifteen years and has won critical acclaim in The New York Times, Time Out New York, The New York Concert Review, I Care If You Listen, The Examiner, and other publications. He is also a recipient of the prestigious ASCAP/Chorus America Award for Adventurous Programming.
In 2003, Peterson earned the BM in Composition from San Francisco Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of celebrated composer Conrad Susa. He has also studied composition with David Conte, Elinor Armer, and Philip Lasser. In 2007, he earned a Double MM in Composition and Choral Conducting from Mannes College of Music where he studied under pioneer conductor, Mark Shapiro as well as composer David Loeb. Upon receipt of his Master's Degree, he was awarded the singular Music Teacher's League Award for 2007.
As a prolific arranger, Peterson has received seven commissions to date from the multi-Grammy® Award-winning ensemble Chanticleer, whose YouTube videos of his work have garnered over half a million views. Several of his choral arrangements and original compositions have become staples for choirs across the United States. Distinguished performance venues include Chicago Symphony Hall, San Francisco's War Memorial Opera House, Bartok National Concert Hall in Budapest, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Carnegie Hall, among others.
A recognized thought-leader in the music world, The New York Times called Peterson "authoritative beyond his... years," and The Brooklyn Eagle praised his work as "a stunning symphony of the spiritual and secular," while hailing him as a solo performer "with depth and vigor" who "provided a universal context which resonated with his audience.”
In 2018, Vince was awarded the Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal by Chorus America, a lifetime distinction he shares with only fifteen of the most influential choral musicians in the United States.
He has been Artistic Director of Empire City Men’s Chorus since 2014, and led the group through its 25th Anniversary Season.
For more information, please visit vincepeterson.com
Hee Sung Kim, Principal Pianist, is a versatile pianist, collaborative artist, music director, and pedagogue. A native of Seoul, she began her musical studies at the Juilliard School Pre-College division at the age of six. She holds a B.M. from Seoul National University, M.M. from Yonsei University, and Professional Studies Certificate from Manhattan School of Music.
As an avid chamber musician and proponent of contemporary music, her extensive performing has led her to venues across Korea and the US, including Seoul National Arts Center, Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall, and Alice Tully Hall.
She collaborates with various instrumentalists, vocalists, and choral groups throughout the city. She serves as music director and organist at Central Korean United Methodist Church and maintains a private piano studio in Brooklyn.