Founded in 1965 by conductor Joyce Keshner, Ars Musica Chorale has presented more than 50 years of great choral music in northern Bergen County. Ars Musica crafts excellent programs of a wide range of choral music; provides our volunteer singers with challenging, instructive, and rewarding opportunities to make music together; and enriches and educates the community by offering the excitement of live performance to a broad audience. Furthermore, Ars Musica is a community of musicians who support and encourage each other as we strive for excellence. We enrich the lives of our membership and Bergen County arts lovers alike by creating opportunities for joy, learning, and expression.

In 2014, Ars Musica Chorale developed the Encore Young Artist Program (EYAP), an artist-in-residence program for aspiring professional singers. The EYAP has provided performance and training opportunities to more than a dozen students who have gone on to budding careers in solo and choral performance at the national level.

Ars Musica Chorale’s patrons come from throughout the region. Local senior organizations and those serving people with disabilities enjoy discounted and free tickets to Ars Musica performances. Ars Musica always seeks to grow its audiences by expanding access and increasing appreciation for classical choral music.

Our Team

Michael McCormick, Music Director

Michael McCormick is a conductor, singer, and educator based in NJ. Currently, he is pursuing a graduate degree in Choral Conducting at Rutgers University where he is the Assistant Conductor of the Glee Club and Kirkpatrick Choir. He also serves as the Director of Music and Organist at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Basking Ridge, NJ. Previously, Michael was the Director of Choral Activities at Holmdel High School.

At Rutgers, Michael serves as the Assistant Conductor of the Rutgers University Glee Club and Kirkpatrick Choir. Singing in the choirs, Michael served as the tenor soloist for Haydn’s Schöpfungsmesse, and Honegger’s The Death of King David. He was also graced to conduct the world premiere of O Frondens Virga by American composer, Colin Britt.

An experienced choral singer, Michael has performed with some of the leading choirs and orchestras in the United States, such as the Westminster Choir, Philadelphia Orchestra, and New York Philharmonic. His collaborations also include professional engagements with Spoleto Festival USA, Beloit Chorale, St. Bartholomew's Church, Philadelphia Symphonic Choir, and various ad hoc choirs across New Jersey and New York City.

He is currently the Director of Music at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, serving as the choir director and organist since 2017. His choir sings a wide variety of repertoire, ranging from works in the Anglican choral tradition and Western classical music canon, to contemporary compositions and African American spirituals. The music ministry at St. Mark’s also includes a handbell choir and resident bluegrass band, She’s at the Door.

As an educator, Michael led the Holmdel High School Choral and Handbell ensembles. The ensembles at Holmdel not only performed a great deal, but they did so at the highest level. His students achieved great success by being accepted into All State and All Eastern choirs, as well as top college ensembles following graduation. Michael was also the Music Director of the school winter musical, having directed both the cast and pit orchestra for shows such as Into the Woods, Grease, and The Little Mermaid.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Music, Music Education (Voice) summa cuma laude, from Westminster Choir College. He holds memberships with the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and serves on the boards of the B Sharp Musical Club and the New Jersey ACDA chapter.

Michael currently resides in Somerset, NJ with his wife, Noël, and their cat, Penelope.

YiKyung Diana Hughes, Pianist

A native of Seoul, South Korea, Diana holds a Doctorate in piano performance from Rutgers University. She received both a Masters and Bachelors degree in piano from the Mannes School of Music in New York City. As a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral pianist, Diana has performed in South Korea, Spain, the USA and Canada. In 1989 she was a finalist in the Young Artist International competition in NYC. In 1994 she performed at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall. In 2002 she was one of three organists to receive the George Bryant award for organ.

Diana has been an artist-in-residence at York College, PA, the Evaristo Valle Museum in Gijon, Spain and a faculty member of Teajon College in Seoul, South Korea. Currently she is on the faculty at Montclair State University and Bergen Community College. She is also Choir Director/Organist of the New City United Methodist Church and pianist for the Rockland Camerata. Diana freelances as a soloist, chamber musician and accompanist in the greater New York area.