Emma H. Sway

Program Director

Emma H. Sway is a Senior Assistant Conductor at the Young People’s Chorus of New York City. She is the principal conductor of YPC’s Prelude division, assistant conductor of YPC’s Chorale division, and a conductor in YPC’s School Choruses program. She has prepared YPC choruses for numerous high-profile performances and recordings, most recently preparing the YPC children’s choruses for Jake Hegge’s Dead Man Walking and John Adams’ El Niño at the Metropolitan Opera. Emma is also a professional violinist and vocalist, and is a frequent violin accompanist in YPC’s concerts in New York City and abroad.

Emma’s love for music and people brought her to YPC. Through her work, she hopes to inspire not just a love of music, but a love of working together towards something you could never achieve alone. When not teaching and conducting, Emma is an active performer, writer and composer, with original plays and music developed at Yale University, the Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project, Quinnipiac University, and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. She holds a BA in Music and Education from Yale University and a Masters in Music Education from The Hartt School, with Kodály and FAME certification.

Francisco J. Núñez

Artistic Director/Founder

Francisco J. Núñez, a MacArthur Fellow and Musical America’s 2018 Educator of the Year, is a composer, conductor, visionary, leading figure in music education, and the Founder/Artistic Director of the Emmy award-winning Young People’s Chorus of New York (YPC). Mr. Núñez launched YPC National in response to requests for guidance, training, and assistance from choruses across the country and the Caribbean inspired by the YPC model.

His commitment to the arts, youth, and diversity have been recognized through numerous awards and honors, including: an ASCAP Victor Herbert Award, the New York Choral Society’s Choral Excellence Award, and Bang on a Can’s Visionary Award. NYU Steinhard presented him with its Distinguished Alumnus Achievement Award, and he holds honorary Doctor of Music degrees from both Ithaca College and Gettysburg College.

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Elizabeth Núñez

Co-Artistic Director

Elizabeth Núñez is a conductor, clinician and speaker, soloist, and Creative Director of the Emmy award-winning Young People’s Chorus of New York City. Since joining YPC in 2004, she has played a significant role in fostering key YPC programs as well as providing vision for new initiatives. As a conductor she has led YPC choruses in highly acclaimed and widely viewed performances in New York City, on national television, and abroad.

In addition to her work at YPC, Elizabeth leads performances and workshops for regional and national conferences. She has conducted numerous All-State Honor Choirs, the OAKE National Children’s Honor Choir, and led YPC as a featured choir at the 2023 ACDA National Conference. She is also the Founding Artistic Director of the intergenerational SoHarmoniums Women’s Choir.

Shanelle Woods

Vocal Studies

Shanelle Woods currently serves as Education and Vocal Studies Program Manager at YPC and has been applying her many talents to the choral group for the past four years. Shanelle joined YPC not only because of their commitment to diversity and artistic excellence, but because she recognized the value in the type of education and additional experiences YPC provides for its choristers.

In addition to helping provide choristers with supplemental academic support programs geared towards life skills, financial literacy, academic subject tutoring, standardized test prep, and college application support, Shanelle also manages YPC’s Vocal Area, leading our choristers through high school or college audition prep, masterclasses, or weekly voice lessons.
Prior to joining the YPC family, Shanelle worked as an adjunct instructor of voice on the voice faculties of Charleston Southern, Claflin, and New York Universities. Recent professional performance credits include the title role in Bizet’s CARMEN, Tituba (THE CRUCIBLE), The Judge in STOMPING GROUNDS, commissioned by The Glimmerglass Festival, and Annie in PORGY AND BESS at Spoleto Festival USA. She performed the role of Jenny Diver in City Lyric Opera’s THREEPENNY OPERA, and sang Alma Stinney in the southeastern premiere of Stinney: An American Execution. In 2022, Ms. Woods collaborated with BARE Opera and National Sawdust, to premiere the song cycle FIRESONGS. Later that year, she debuted with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra as a featured soloist , and presented a recital of contemporary, solo voice works at Fordham University entitled, Voices Up: Full Spectrum, aimed at celebrating the works of lesser known, female, and/or BIPOC composers. She was recently admitted to the Vocal Pedagogy program at New York University, where she is completing an Advanced Certificate in Vocal Pedagogy.

Shanelle Woods

Education and Vocal Studies Program Manager

Shanelle Woods currently serves as Education and Vocal Studies Program Manager at YPC and has been applying her many talents to the choral group for the past four years. Shanelle joined YPC not only because of their commitment to diversity and artistic excellence, but because she recognized the value in the type of education and additional experiences YPC provides for its choristers.

In addition to helping provide choristers with supplemental academic support programs geared towards life skills, financial literacy, academic subject tutoring, standardized test prep, and college application support, Shanelle also manages YPC’s Vocal Area, leading our choristers through high school or college audition prep, masterclasses, or weekly voice lessons.

Our Team

Francisco J. Núñez

Elizabeth Núñez

Emma Sway

Shanelle Woods

Emma H. Sway

Francisco J. Núñez

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Elizabeth Núñez

Shanelle Woods

Shanelle Woods

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