Dr. Tracy Wong hails from Malaysia and is a choral conductor, music educator, composer, vocalist, and pianist. She advocates for repertoire-based music education and her choral works support the development of vocal technique, musicianship skills, and artistry. Her music shows the merge of different lived experiences, languages and musical elements that continue to influence her composition writing.
Currently residing in Ontario, Canada, Dr. Wong is the Assistant Professor of Choral Studies at Western University, where she conducts Chorale and Les Choristes ensembles and teaches choral conducting. She holds a Doctor in Musical Arts (Choral Conducting) degree from the University of Toronto under the tutelage of Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt. She is a two-time recipient of the Elmer Iseler National Graduate Fellowship in Choral Conducting and was the 2019 Canadian Composer Feature for the Canadian Kodály Journal, Alla Breve. She is also the Choir Conductor for Organization of American Kodály Educators’s 2024 National Conference’s Concert Treble Choir.
Tracy collaborates regularly with choral organizations on conducting events, commissioned choral projects, and residencies, and her pieces are featured at numerous reading sessions. Tracy’s choral works are available on her website, Cypress Choral Music (Canada), Graphite Publishing (US), Oxford University Press (UK) and Young Choral Academy (Malaysia) and have been performed by choirs at international competitions and festivals. For more information, please visit www.tracywongmusic.com
Day 1: Monday 23
| Time | Title |
|---|---|
| Session 3: 12.15 | Conference Choir Rehearsal |
| All conference delegates will form part of the 2024 Conference Choir, led by renowned conductors Tracy Wong (Canada/Malaysia) and Mark O’Leary OAM. The choir will rehearse two pieces, including a new conference commission by Juliana Kay, and perform at the Choral Showcase on Wednesday evening.
The Conference Choir offers delegates the opportunity to sing under the direction of two exemplary conductors and experience great choral pedagogy. But most importantly, it allows us to come together and bond as a community of music teachers and experience the joy of group singing that we wish to pass on to our students. |
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| Session 4: 14.00 | Choral Music for Young Voices |
| Discover Canada through the eyes of choral creators’ lived experiences! This session focuses on Canadian contemporary choral works for treble choirs that explore a variety of choral timbres and performance styles through folk-inspired repertoire to music that captures the wonderment of the Canadian landscape. | |
Day 2: Tuesday 24
| Time | Title |
|---|---|
| Session 2: 11:15 | Panel: Music for All? |
| Panel discussion with Candace Kruger, Ed Le Brocq and Tracy Wong. Moderated by Andrew Pennay.
A discussion about access to and content of music education in our schools and communities. What are barriers to music education? How do we honour the diversity of the students in front of us? What are the compromises we have to make? What are our goals for inclusive music education? |
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| Session 2: 14.00 | Conference Choir Rehearsal |
| 2024 Conference Choir | |
Day 3: Wednesday 25
| Time | Title |
|---|---|
| All in: Keynote 9.00 | Roots and Remix |
| We explore the purpose of collaborative efforts in the choral art that creates a unique and positive impact on the global community. Based on lived experience and work in progress, Tracy shares her process in merging her cultural heritage with her western choral music education to create culturally-informed musical experiences. | |
| Session 3: 12.00 | Conference Choir Rehearsal |
| 2024 Conference Choir | |
| Session 5: 15.00 | Open Rehearsal with The Yarra Voices |
| Watch Tracy Wong in an open rehearsal with The Yarra Voices | |
Day 4: Thursday 26
| Time | Title |
|---|---|
| Session 3: 12.00 | Southeast Asian Choral Music |
| This session focuses on the unique folk-inspired choral repertoire for treble choirs by Southeast Asian music creators (composers & arrangers) that captures their lived experiences. Through healthy vocal approaches, it will also be a discovery on the flexibility of the collective singing voice in tone, expression, and storytelling. | |
| Session 4: 14.05 | Voices in Movement |
| We will explore various movement-based choral warm ups / exercises that build independence and musicality within a choral ensemble, while supporting the singing voice. This will be applied to a few choral pieces of varied styles that feature movement and body percussion. Come dressed comfortably, ready to move! | |
