Enhanced by stunning artistic projections, this performance showcases John Rutter’s Mass of the Children, performed by chorus and professional orchestra. Combining traditional Latin texts with English poetry, this work offers a luminous message of innocence, unity, and the hope of a brighter future.

The first half of the concert will highlight the National Youth Chorus, including works by Rosephanye Powell, B.E. Boykin, Jan Garrett, and a world premiere by composer Tracy Wong.

LYNNEL JOY JENKINS, GUEST CONDUCTOR

Dr. Lynnel Joy Jenkins is Artistic Director of the Westrick Music Academy and choral teacher at the Timberlane Middle School of the Hopewell Valley Regional School District in Pennington, New Jersey. Dr. Jenkins’ varied conducting and teaching experience ranges from the elementary to collegiate level. Previous to these appointments, she served as Assistant Professor of Music Education at Westminster Choir College of Rider University and Conductor of the Resident Training Choir at the American Boychoir in Princeton, New Jersey. She has also served as Associate Music Director of the Temple University Children’s Choir in Temple University’s Music Preparatory Division and music specialist at the Haverford School in Haverford, Pennsylvania.

Jenkins is a choral music educator of international stature, having lectured and conducted in China, Hong Kong, Iceland, South Africa and Switzerland. She has conducted honor choruses for one national, four divisional and several state conferences for the American Choral Directors Association, two national conferences for the Organization for American Kodály Teachers, numerous all-state choruses and choral festivals, and presented interest sessions and reading sessions for these professional music associations.

She has developed and implemented choral programs inspired by the pedagogy and philosophy of Kodály. Her approach to choral pedagogy is shared in a chapter she wrote for the “School Choral Program: Philosophy, Planning, Organizing, and Teaching” published by GIA. Jenkins has served on the teaching staff for Kodály Certification Programs at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas and Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey.

Jenkins was inducted into the Music Education Alumni Hall of Fame and presented the Alumni Merit Award by Westminster Choir College for her contributions to the field of music education. She earned degrees from Westminster Choir College of Rider University (B.M.), Temple University (M.M.) and University of Arizona (D.M.A.), and at the first two institutions was awarded the Elaine Brown Conducting Award. She holds a certificate in Kodály pedagogy from Westminster Choir College of Rider University and level two Orff-Schulwerk certification.

KELLY MILLER, GUEST CONDUCTOR

Kelly A. Miller is an Associate Professor of Music and Coordinator of Music Education at the University of Central Florida where she conducts the SoAl (Soprano/Alto) Chorus, SoAl Ensemble, TeBa (Tenor/Bass) Chorus, and the UCF Community Choir. While at UCF, she has taught introduction to music education, secondary choral methods I and II, music learning theory and assessment, beginning conducting, choral conducting, music and students with exceptionalities, vocal techniques, and graduate classes in music education, while coordinating and supervising student teachers through their junior and senior clinical internships. Prior to her appointment at UCF, Miller taught at Western Illinois University as Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education, where she conducted the Concert Choir and Vocal Jazz Ensemble. She conducted the Women’s Glee Club at Michigan State University for three years and taught choral music at the high school level for thirteen years in Michigan, Florida, and Nebraska. While in Orlando, Dr. Miller founded the choral/vocal program at Timber Creek High School, served as District 8 Chair for the Florida Vocal Association, and received her National Board Certification in secondary choral music. Before directing choirs, Miller was a concert band director for grades five through twelve, instructing marching and jazz bands, music theory, and elementary general music in Nebraska.  

In addition to her choral directing and teaching, she has maintained a private voice studio and is in demand to lead choral workshops on the choral/instrumental director as voice teacher, assessment, choosing choral repertoire and running effective rehearsals, leadership, creating artistry, student and teacher resiliency, student ownership, communication, and team building. Dr. Miller frequently serves as a clinician and festival adjudicator. She has been invited to conduct regional and state honor choirs and present conference and clinic sessions in Portugal, Ireland, Nevada, Ohio, North Carolina, Texas, Hawaii, Virginia, West Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, New York, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Florida, and Michigan. Dr. Miller has performed at state, divisional, and national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association and at the Nebraska Music Educators Association Convention. The Florida American Choral Director Association awarded her the Wayne Hugoboom Distinguished Service Award for Dedicated Service, Leadership, and Consistent Examples of Excellence in Choral Music in Florida, the highest award given to a choral director in the state of Florida, and the Florida Music Educator Association named her the 2022 Collegiate Music Educator of the Year. She is a Past-President of the Florida American Choral Directors Association, and she is a currently the Editor-in-Chief of the Florida Music Director and a member of the professional women’s ensemble, mirabai.

Miller holds the D.M.A. degree in choral conducting from Michigan State University, the M.M. degree in music education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and the B.A. degree in music education from the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

TRACY WONG, COMPOSER-IN-RESIDENCE

Tracy Wong hails from Malaysia and is a choral conductor, music educator, vocalist, pianist, and composer. She holds a Doctor in Musical Arts and Master in Music Performance (Choral Conducting) degrees from the University of Toronto under the tutelage of Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt. At U of T, Tracy was the co-conductor of the Soprano & Alto Chorus, and assistant conductor of the Chamber Choir and MacMillan Singers. She is also the proud recipient of the Elmer Iseler National Graduate Fellowship in Choral Conducting (2016, 2017). As a conductor, Tracy has led choirs in Malaysia and Canada. Her choral works have been performed by Malaysian, Canadian, European, and American choirs at international competitions and festivals. She has also completed the compilation of Canadian composer Nancy Telfer’s choral compositions, a resource for music educators and choral directors.

PROGRAM

Monday June 22, 2026 at 8:00 PM
CARNEGIE HALL

National Youth Chorus 
Lynnel Joy Jenkins, guest conductor

ROSEPHANYE POWELL Ascribe To The Lord
CEDRICK HOWOSEB Muhona
B.E. BOYKIN Beyond What I See
Arr. DIANA V. SAEZ and SUZZETTE ORTIZ Temporal
JAN GARRETT arr. LARRY NICKEL I Dreamed Of Rain
BILL WITHERS arr. ROBERT T. GIBSON Lovely Day
TRACY WONG Commissioned Piece (World Premiere)

National Masterwork Chorus 
Kelly Miller, guest conductor 

JOHN RUTTER Mass of the Children