Bio
Michelle Kwok is a conductor and music educator from Hong Kong. She has conducted, performed, and competed in Italy, Latvia, the USA, Japan, China and Taiwan. She was recently named a national finalist in the 2024 American Prize: The Dale Warland Award. Recent performances include Bach’s Jesu, meine Freude, Fauré’s Requiem, Candeile’s Catherine ou la Belle Fermière and Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms. She also enjoys premiering new music, some of which include Daniel Cui’s Jasmine Flower, Thejas Mirle’s A Sighing Mist, Cheng-zhi Jin’s Farewell (Cantonese Version), and Elby Kwok’s Reborn.
Michelle is passionate about youth choral education and was twice awarded the Talent Development Scholarship (Music and Performing Arts). She has served as the director and associate conductor of multiple collegiate choirs, including Indiana University’s contemporary vocal ensemble NOTUS, University Singers, Pro Cantare, Westminster Schola Cantorum and Chapel Choir, Hong Kong Polytechnic University Student Union Choir, Diocesan Choral Society, The Chinese University of Hong Kong Christian Choir, to name a few. Michelle has served as the assistant chorus master for operas Don Giovanni, Ainadamar and Die lustige Witwe. During her time in Hong Kong, she co-founded a youth choir, Fluente Chorus. She is also an active adjudicator and conducting teacher.
Michelle is currently a final year Doctoral student majoring in Choral Conducting at Indiana University, minoring in Music History & Literature and Historical Performance in Voice. She received degrees from Westminster Choir College (with distinction) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She has studied conducting with Simon Carrington, James Jordan, Chris Albanese, Betsy Burleigh, Dominick DiOrio, Alicia Brozovich, Sanders Lau, and Esmond Lim. She attended masterclasses taught by Gábor Hollerung, Charles Bruffy, Jason Max Ferdinand and Yunn-shan Ma. She has also studied voice with Judith Malafronte, Victoria Browers, Margaret Yim and Caleb Woo. She is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, and has a Postgraduate Diploma in Music Education from CUHK, LRSM and DipABRSM (Distinction) in Voice. In her free time, she enjoys making soup and taking walks.
郭懿恩為香港指揮及音樂教育者。曾於意大利、拉脫維亞、美國、日本及台灣指揮、演出及參與比 賽。近期入圍 2024 The American Prize: The Dale Warland Award合唱指揮比賽全國總決賽。近期指揮作品 包括巴哈《耶穌，我的喜樂》、佛瑞《安魂曲》、卡德爾《凱瑟琳》、伯恩斯坦 《齊切斯特詩篇》等。郭氏 亦喜愛演出新創現代音樂，近期演出作品包括崔靖暘《茉莉花》、Thejas Mirle 《嘆息之霧》、金承志 《道別是一件難事》(粵語版)及郭倩晴《重生》。
郭氏對合唱教育充滿熱忱，致力投身青少年合唱工作，並兩度獲頒才藝發展獎學金(音樂和表演 藝術)。曾任多個大學和合唱團指揮或助理指揮，包括印第安納大學NOTUS及大學合唱團、Pro Cantare、西敏聖 歌學校及教堂合唱團、香港理工大學學生會合唱團、拔萃歌詠團、香港中文大學基督徒詩班等。 合唱音樂以外，郭氏曾參與歌劇籌備及演出，曾擔任莫扎特《唐‧喬凡尼》、哥利何夫《泉水之淚》、 雷哈爾 《風流寡婦》助理合唱指導。郭氏亦積極推動本地合唱發展，聯合創辦本地青年合唱團洽聲 ，並恆常獲邀擔任合唱比賽評判及指揮工作坊導師。
現於印第安納大學修讀音樂博士(合唱指揮)課程，雙副修音樂歷史及早期音樂聲樂。以優異成績畢業於美國西敏合唱學院及香港中文大學。師承Simon Carrington, James Jordan, Chris Albanese, Betsy Burleigh, Dominick DiOrio, Alicia Brozovich、劉卓熙、林思漢。曾於大師班跟隨Gábor Hollerung, Charles Bruffy, Jason Max Ferdinand 及馬韻珊學習。郭氏曾隨Judith Malafronte, Victoria Browers、嚴翊樺及胡永正學習聲樂。現為美國合唱指揮協會成員，已考獲香港中文大學音樂教育文憑、英國皇家 音樂學院LRSM及DipABRSM演唱執照及文憑 。空閒的時候，郭氏喜愛下廚及散步。