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The American soprano, pianist and choral conductor, Hana J. Cai, studied at Eleanor Roosevelt High in Greenbelt, Maryland. She obtained her Bachelor’s degrees in Piano Performance and Chinese from the University of Maryland, College Park (2006-2011); her Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the Eastman School of Music, where she studied with Dr. William Weinert (2015-2017); and is currently working on her Doctor of Music degree in Choral Conducting at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University (since 2017; expected graduation 2020).
Known for her elegant conducting style and energetic personality on the podium, Hana Cai has enjoyed an eclectic career as a conductor, pianist, and singer. A diverse musician, her career began in classical piano, but quickly branched to musical theater, jazz, and rock music. In Delaware, she served as an accompanist and vocalist for Calvary Baptist Church in Newark, an accompanist for the popular musical theater group, The Kabaret Krew, and a singer and keyboardist for the Joe Dawson Band.
Between 2007 and 2015, Hana Cai enjoyed a career as an in-demand music director and vocal coach for musical theater in the greater Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia areas. Her classical approach to teaching music, theatricality, and keyboard virtuosity have made her a popular music director with amateurs and professionals alike. A dedicated educator, she worked in many local area high schools (Jordan Kitts Music School: August 2011-May 2012; TakeLessons.com: November 2011-May 2012) and community theaters, including for the historic Prince George’s and the Delaware Children’s Theaters. In Philadelphia, she served as a music director, accompanist, and vocal coach in the Department of Theater at Temple University (August 2013-April 2015), where she music directed their acclaimed production of Hair. Additionally, she has music directed shows for Mauckingbird Theatre Company and the Candlelight Theater, where she was nominated for best music director of the 2014-2015 season.
As a conductor and singer, Hana Cai served as the assistant conductor for Singing City under Jeffrey Brillhart and as a member of the Philadelphia Singers Chorale and PhilHarmonia. She has performed regularly at the Kennedy Center and the Kimmel Center under the batons of Christoph Eschenbach, Helmuth Rilling, Matthew Halls, Alan Gilbert, and Gianandrea Noseda. In Rochester, she proved herself tantamount among the ranks of emerging choral conductors. While concurrently earning her master's of music degree at the Eastman School of Music, she served as the Choir Director for Holy Cross Church (since Septemnber 2015) and the Mount Hope World Singers and sang regularly with the professional chorus Voices. In January 2017, she made her Canadian debut with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and the Elora Singers as one of the five conductors selected to participate in the Choral Conductors' Symposium.
Hana Cai lives in Bloomington, Indiana with her husband, Jeffrey, and her dog and cat. |
