Young Women's Chorus of San Francisco sing Gustav Holst's In the Bleak Midwinter

Описание: Gustav Holst (1874-1934), arr. Dan Forrest (b. 1978)
In the Bleak Midwinter

Dr. Matthew Otto, artistic director
Dara Phung, collaborative pianist
Sophie Deng, cellist

The Young Women's Choral Projects of San Francisco transforms the lives of young women through exceptional artistry in choral performance and brings the expressive power of their music to the community, the nation, and the world. Founded in 2012 by Dr. Susan McMane, and now led by Dr. Matthew Otto, YWCP includes five levels of choral experience for young women ages 4-18 from across the San Francisco Bay Area. Through YWCP, participants of richly diverse socio-ethnic backgrounds find their voices as singers, artists, and women in a nurturing environment that empowers them to achieve artistic and personal excellence. The Young Women's Chorus is the premier ensemble of the Young Women's Choral Projects of San Francisco. The Chorus is composed of singers ages 12-18, and has been praised for its beauty of sound, stellar musicianship, and dynamic programming. Acclaimed in the American Record Guide for its "refined and beautifully controlled singing," the Young Women's Chorus has also won many competitive, national awards including the American Prize in Choral Performance; the Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence, the Dale Warland Singers Commission Award from Chorus America and American Composers Forum; and the ASCAP Adventurous Programming Award. They have performed with the London Philharmonia Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony and graced stages from Carnegie Hall to acclaimed venues in South Africa, France, Argentina, Canada, and New Zealand. Performing repertoire from early music to contemporary selections, the YWC annually performs a professional series of concerts in the Bay Area, and commissions new works by leading composers.

Dr. Matthew Otto is an award-winning Canadian conductor, educator, and collaborator. Now residing on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples, Matthew is the artistic director of the Young Women's Choral Projects of San Francisco. At YWCP, he conducts the premier ensemble, the Young Women's Chorus and the Allegro Chorus, Under Matthew's leadership, YWC has been praised for their "unearthly singing" and "spine-tingling live performance."

From 2010-2023, Matthew served on faculty at the world-renowned Toronto Children's Chorus, including as Associate Artistic Director, Director of Education, and Interim Artistic Director. Matthew conducted the TCC on tour to Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, USA, Australia, New Zealand, as well as at America Cantat 8 in the Bahamas and at the 2017 WSCM11 in Barcelona. In 2013, he co-founded the Toronto Youth Choir (TYC) for- youth ages 14-30. During his tenure, TYC performed with The King's Singers, Irish Youth Choir, Choir of Trinity College Melbourne, musica intima, Missouri State University Chorale, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and performed in Carnegie Hall.

Matthew holds a Bachelor of Music in Composition, Master of Music in Conducting and Ph.D. in Music Education. His doctoral dissertation is entitled "Let the Music Win!" Towards a Re-imagined Choral Pedagogy: A Phenomenological Case Study of Chorister Experience at the Toronto Children's Chorus and traces the impact of high-level choral singing on youth.

Dara Phung is a collaborative pianist and music director based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Southern California, where she studied with Kevin Fitz-Gerald. Dara is the collaborative pianist for the San Francisco Bach Choir and serves as the music director at Noe Valley Ministry. She is also a piano accompanist with the San Mateo Union High School District and performs occasionally with Opera Cocktales at Martuni's. Beyond her musical pursuits, Dara is a graphic designer and digital creator, frequently collaborating with public sector clients to enhance community engagement through thoughtful design.

Sophie Deng, 19, is currently a sophomore at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, studying cello with Professor Richard Aaron under a full scholarship. Winning 1st prize and the Best Performance Award in the 2025 Miclot International Competition, she performed at the Lincoln Center in September. A 2024 National YoungArts winner and prize winner at the 2025 Lynn Harrell Concerto Competition as well as the SFCM Concerto Competition, Sophie was also the Grand Prize winner of the OKCPhil Young Musician Competition, and performed as a soloist with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic in 2023. She was accepted as a fellow at the Music Academy of the West this summer.

Recorded live 13th December, 2025 at Old First Concerts, 1751 Sacramento St, San Francisco, CA 94109. For more upcoming concerts please visit oldfirstconcerts.org