Mr. Hyoungil Seo majored in vocal music during his undergraduate and graduate studies at Seoul Theological Seminary. Then, he moved to the United States to continue his academic journey, earning his second master’s degree in choral conducting from George Mason University in Virginia and finished his course works in doctoral studies in choral conducting from The University of Arizona. Prior to his studies abroad, he gained experience by conducting for the Siloam Choir and Jubilate Praise Singers. During his time studying abroad, he served as music director of the C.C.S (The Classical Christian Singers in the greater Washington D.C), a professional male vocal ensemble, and the Washington Metropolitan Women’s Choir. Also, he actively participated as a represented conductor for the Asia-Pacific region cultural week. He studied under professors including Prof. Hoon-Cha Chai, Dr. Stan Engebretson, Dr. Bruce Chamberlain, and Dr. Elizabeth Schauer. During his doctoral studies, he served as the assistant conductor of the University Community Chorus, conducting works such as Mendelssohn’s Hymn, Three Sacred Songs and Fugue op. 96, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Vespers K. 339, and Brahms’ Liebeslieder Walzer op. 65. He also studied orchestral conducting, as a minor, under Dr. Thomas Cockrell.
He was invited to conduct in masterclasses held in Romania and Berlin, where he led performances with ensembles like The Philharmonic Orchestra “Mihail Jora” of Bacau, Iash Philharmonic Chorus, Berlin Sinfonietta, and The English Choir in Berlin. In April 2017, he was invited to Bulgaria to conduct Mozart’s Requiem Mass in D minor (K. 626) with the Pleven Philharmonic Orchestra and Pleven Municipal Choir. Upon returning to Korea, Mr. Seo served as a guest associate conductor for the National Chorus of Korea and conducted various municipal choirs including the Wonju City Chorale, Bucheon City Chorale, and Jeonju City Chorale. Currently, he serves as the Artistic Director and conductor of the Seosan City Chorale, showcasing diverse musical worlds. With Seosan City Chorale, he has performed ‘Dixit Dominus’ by G.F. Handel, ‘Carmina Burana’ by Carl Orff, Ein deutsches Requiem op. 45, Requiem in D minor, K. 626 by Mozart, and Messa da Requiem by G. Verdi. In addition, he demonstrates an extensive repertoire spanning from the Renaissance era to the contemporary era, which includes the premiere performance in Korea of Paul Patterson’s “Magnificat,”. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Hansei University’s Graduate School of Choral Music and is active as the musical director of the Seoul Summit Choir, Jubilate Praise Singers and Jubilate Music Alliance. He is a Secretary General of the Korean Choral Research Society and a board member of the Chungnam Choral Association, engaging in vibrant activities within the Korean choral community.
