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Summer Speaker
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 Artistic Director/Founder of the Young People’s Chorus of New York (YPC), renowned worldwide for its diversity and artistic excellence. Since he founded YPC in 1988, Mr. Núñez has established recognition among composers of the child’s voice as a significant instrument for making music.
Since 1995, he has led the University Glee Club of New York City, its fifth conductor since the all-men’s chorus was established in 1894 and from 2003 to 2010 was the director of choral activities at New York University. Mr. Núñez was proud to serve as a member of the board of Chorus America from 2007-2018.
Among Mr. Núñez’s many awards and honors are an ASCAP Victor Herbert Award and the New York Choral Society’s Choral Excellence Award. Hispanic Businessmagazine named him one of 100 Most Influential Hispanics, ABC-TV named him as a “Person of the Week, and Fox News profiled him “for “changing young lives with music.” Musical America Worldwide named him among 30 “Influencers” for his contributions to the music industry; Bang on a Can presented him with its Visionary Award for making the commissioning of new music a key part of the YPC mission; NYU Steinhardt honored him with its Distinguished Alumnus Achievement Award; and both Ithaca College and Gettysburg College have presented him with honorary Doctor of Music degrees.
