Pennsylvania Girlchoir
A program of Commonwealth Youthchoirs
Dr. Elizabeth Cassidy Parker
Co-Artistic Director, Commonwealth Youthchoirs
Dr. Elizabeth Cassidy Parker is Co-Artistic Director of Commonwealth Youthchoirs and an Associate Professor of Music Education at the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University. An active clinician for children’s and youth choirs, Parker held the position of Director of Music for a large New York City not-for-profit where she grew a children’s choir program of more than 250 voices. While on music faculty at Columbus State University in Georgia, she was appointed the Artistic Director of the Voices of the Valley Youth Choir. Parker has also taught P-12 school and community choirs in New York, Nebraska, and Georgia, focusing on the vocal development of young people in choral contexts. As a choral singer, she performed for several seasons with the Marble Collegiate Sanctuary Choir in New York City, and sang in Carnegie Hall with James Conlon and Robert Shaw. Her choirs have engaged in several tours and commissions of emerging composers. Parker’s research interests include the social and philosophical development of adolescent choral singers as well as emerging identities of preservice music educators. She frequently presents her research nationally and internationally at such conferences as the American Choral Directors Association, The American Educational Research Association, NAfME’s Society for Research in Music Education, the Society for Music Teacher Education, and the International Society for Music Education. Parker is published in research journals such as The Journal of Research in Music Education, The Choral Journal, Music Education Research, Research Studies in Music Education, and The International Journal of Music Education. She frequently engages educators in practitioner workshops, guest conducts in honor choirs, and adjudicates choral festivals. Parker holds degrees from Oberlin Conservatory (BME and MME) and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (PhD).
Marianne Gruzwalski, Associate Music Director
Marianne Gruzwalski Marianne Gruzwalski is an Associate Music Director of the Pennsylvania Girlchoir. She conducts many ensembles in Commonwealth Youthchoirs, but works mainly with the youngest singers, Trainers, Apprentices, Schola, and Kantorei. She is also the director of choral activities at Central High School in Philadelphia and has previously worked as a church pianist and adjunct professor of music. Marianne studied music education at the University of Michigan and completed her masters in choral conducting at Temple University. Previously, Marianne has been selected to participate in master classes with conductors such as Helmuth Rilling, Craig Hella Johnson, Simon Carrington, and Robert Spano of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
Ya-Jhu Yang, Associate Music Director
Ya-Jhu Yang is the Associate Music Director of Pennsylvania Girlchoir, as well as a conductor. She was educated at the National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, and completed graduate degrees at the Manhattan School of Music and the Curtis Institute, where she studied with renowned composers including Richard Danielpour and Jennifer Higdon.
Upon graduating from Curtis in 2011, Ya-Jhu’s opera scene “The Falcon” was on tour in northern Italy for 4 productions with the International Opera Theater.The same year, she produced the inaugural gala concert for the Main Line Chinese Culture Center, an organization which strives to foster a tie between the east and the west.
Choral music holds a special place in Ya-Jhu’s heart; she has performed as alto sectional leader in John Rutter’s Magnificat, Mozart’s C minor Mass, Brahms’ German Requiem, and many other major works. Ya-Jhu has been with Pennsylvania Girlchoir since 2013.
Irina Bakis,* Collaborative Pianist
Irina Bakis is proud to return for her sixth season as a collaborative pianist for PG.
Irina is also an accompanist for Sister Cities Voices and Pennsylvania Youth Chorale. She is a Music Director and Organist at Holy Nativity Episcopal Church, and a busy piano teacher.
Irina completed her Master’s degree in Piano Performance and Teaching at Prokofiev State Conservatoire, Donetsk, Ukraine. Irina is also a visual artist with a BA from Pratt Institute, NY. Her son is a high school senior and has sung with Commonwealth Youthchoirs’ Keystone State Boychoir for eight years.
Joohee Kim,* Collaborative Pianist
Joohee Kim is an experienced accompanist who began her career in Korea in 1998 playing for college choirs, vocalists, instrumentalists and opera. In 2013, she immigrated to the United States to pursue an advanced degree at Temple University.
Kim holds a bachelor of music in piano performance in Korea (1997) and a master of music degree in piano accompanying and opera coaching from Temple University (2018). She studied with Lambert Orkis (2015-2018), Valery Ryvkin (2016-2018) and Dr. Charles Abramovic (2016-).
Kim has worked at the Philadelphia International Music Festival (PIMF), the Middle School Choir of Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, Jefferson University Choir and La Salle University Choir. Recently, Kim has been working at Temple Music Prep (2019-), Philadelphia Music Alliance for Youth (PMAY) Artist Initiative, Pennsylvania Girlchoir, Boheme Opera NJ and Emmanuel Presbyterian Church.
Jennifer Moorhatch,* Collaborative Pianist
Jennifer Moorhatch is the School Choral Editor at J.W. Pepper & Sons in Exton, PA. Prior to becoming an editor, Jennifer taught choral, general and instrumental music in Pennsylvania for 19 years. During that time, she also taught several specialty ensembles, such as a Cappella choir, Madrigal choir, Chamber Music, and Handbells, taking her groups on several international tours as well as local appearances. Serving as the head of a local conservatory, she also worked as the Musical Director and accompanist for numerous music theatre productions, while building a large private studio for students of voice and piano. Jennifer is active in worship music as well, as a worship leader, soloist and pianist. She has been a featured soloist with the Church of the Saviour Festival Choir and Orchestra in their annual Christmas Concert series as well as the Jubilate Deo Chorale and Orchestra, including a solo performance in the Celtic Christmas Concert at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. She is thrilled to be working with the Pennsylvania Girlchoir, where she can help train candidates and new members.
*indicates an independent contractor