'A true once-in-a-lifetime experience': Asian-American conductor Julie Yu returns to OKC

As an award-winning choral conductor, Julie Yu is used to commanding attention from performers and audiences alike when she takes the podium.

As an Asian-American woman conductor, she also knows that it's not just her skill with the baton that ensures that all eyes are on her during performances.

"If there was something that I could choose to imprint or make any kind of difference on in the future, it would be that some ... person looks up on stage and goes, 'Hmm, I've ever seen a person that looks like her, or conducts like her or is like that on stage' — and that brings out a unique sense of how they feel about what they're experiencing," Yu said.

"Every time I do an honor choir — 200, 300 kids at some state that I've never been to — I have kids always come up and say, 'I've never worked with XYZ conductors. You're the very first THIS that I've ever seen,' or things like that. ... So, representation absolutely matters."

A rarity herself in the choral music world, Yu accepted a rare opportunity earlier this year to return to Oklahoma in the dual role of director of choral activities at the Wanda L. Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University and artistic director of Canterbury Voices, the state's nationally recognized symphony chorus.

New Canterbury Voices artistic director returns to Sooner State after 16 years at Kansas State

Yu succeeds Randi Von Ellefson, who retired in May after 19 seasons of leading Canterbury Voices and OCU's choir program.

"It's important to really have different types of people representing your organization. We did have a female conductor earlier on before Randi, Constantina Tsolainoui — she was fun and was here for a few years — and we're just so excited to have Julie here and switch things up," said Canterbury Voices Executive Director Pam Mowry.

"The search committee, the deans, our board, we all feel like rock stars for having brought her here because she really is that well known in the United States. ... We had so many people who auditioned this year just because Julie is our new artistic director. So, I think that speaks volumes: We had record numbers for auditions."

A graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University, Yu is taking on the dual OKC role after 16 years of co-directing Kansas State University’s choral studies program with her husband, Joshua Oppenheim, who is now leading the KSU choirs as the sole director.

"There's not a lot of us who have this opportunity to get to work with a group like Canterbury, so for me, it was like a true once-in-a-lifetime experience," Yu said.

Ahead of her debut three-concert season with Canterbury Voices — it will launch Oct. 22 at the Civic Center with a program titled "Modern Masters," featuring selections composed by Leonard Berstein, Ralph Vaughan Williams, R. Nathaniel Dett and Ariel Ramírez — Yu talked with The Oklahoman about her new gig:

Q: Can you talk about taking on this two-in-one job?

Yu: There aren't too many people who get to conduct a symphony chorus — and I'm using that term in that it's a large chorus that collaborates with a symphony orchestra — where the conductor who helps prepare them for all the concerts also has the opportunity to conduct them in concert. This is one of the few jobs in the country that I'm aware of — and maybe even further beyond — because usually the symphonic chorus director prepares. And then the symphonic orchestra conductor comes in and does the performance. ...

I already knew of Randi Von Ellefson and have known of his wonderful work for so many years. So, I thought, 'Wow, what a gig, to get to do that.' So, I can't believe I'm doing it — and especially as a female conductor. I don't know a lot of my colleagues in the choral conducting world who have the opportunity that I do to prepare and perform with the chorus. So, that's really unique, and I count my blessings every day and don't take that for granted.

Then, a lot of people do a university job as well. But to have that partnership that's actually linked like it is here ... I think is really, really smart. I don't understand why more organizations don't do that, because then the talents and the resources and just the minds (are) coming together.

Q: So, I take it you're here in Oklahoma now, and your husband is still in Kansas?

Yu: Yeah, I'm here with the kid, and my husband's still running the program at Kansas State and thriving. They're doing amazing. ... We met in doctoral school; that was at UNT (University of North Texas) ... and we taught together for 15 years. Then, when this opportunity came open, and I spoke to Pam and and the deans here and things, I thought, 'Oh, I'll give it a look.'

You don't have too many opportunities where you and your spouse can be co-directors of anything. In fact, as far as I know, we're the only people in the whole country to do what we did do. Our offices were right next door to each other, and our kid was born in Manhattan, Kansas. So, to come here, I was thinking, 'I don't know that the stars will align for this.'

But then I came for the interview, and it was just too magical. So, I had to have the conversation with the family and say, 'I'd really like to make this work if possible.' My husband being a choral director — and being, in my opinion, the best one out there — he said, 'Yeah, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; you have to go for it.'

Q: Can you talk about how this job is like a homecoming for you?

Yu: I lived in Oklahoma when I graduated high school. So, I consider myself an Okie most, but my father was (in the) military, a career Army guy. I was actually born in Korea, and my father and mother are Korean. He was stationed there after he joined the U.S. military so we could all get citizenship. ...

I went to OSU for my master's; my undergrad was at UCO — go Bronchos. ... Then, I taught at Norman North High School somewhere in the middle there for three years.

Q: Tell me what you had in mind when you programmed your introductory season at Canterbury Voices.

Yu: Well, we knew that 'Messiah' was going to happen this year (at Christmastime). So, that was set beautifully.

Then, as far as the fall concert went, I personally chose music that I love myself that I couldn't wait to do again with orchestra. So, (Bernstein's) 'Chichester Psalms' was definitely at the top of my list, and then the 'Serenade to Music' (by Vaughan Williams) because it's just such a lovely testament to music and art and how we all create magic. ...

One thing that came up a lot in our interview and things like that was just what are my philosophies about where we see Canterbury going in the future. And one of those things was to highlight and celebrate more diversity: I think we want to do that not only within the ensemble ... but a diversity in our audiences and programming and things like that.

So, on our first concert, we have four composers who, I think, really honed in on music from their own cultures and their own countries and sought to preserve the music — the folk music — of their own cultures. ...

Then, in the spring, our concert falls on March 14, and that's right around St. Patrick's Day. So, what better thing than to have a Korean-American conductor conduct Irish music? It's very authentic, and I did take Irish dance lessons when I lived in Edmond. So, I feel like I have a little bit of background, and it's going to be fun. Hopefully, it will be like stepping into a pub.

CANTERBURY VOICES 2023-2024 SEASON

Where: Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N Walker.

Information: https://canterburyokc.com.

• 'Modern Masters': 3 p.m. Oct. 22.

• 'Handel's Messiah': 7 p.m. Dec. 3.

• 'For All the Saints (Especially Patrick)': 7:30 p.m. March 14.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Acclaimed Asian-American conductor Julie Yu back in OKC for unique gig