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Kentucky Harmony sings the music of Appalachia and the rural American south through harmonized original folk music, wilderness spirituals, shape notes, and hymn settings. Performances feature music arranged from the original folk sources found in the southern Appalachian region of the United States. Kentucky Harmony derives their name from the title of one of the earliest shape-note collection of songs from the American south. The Chuck Nation Band features Georgia state fiddle champion, Chuck Nation (fiddle, mandolin, vocals), and band members Susan Nation (double bass, vocals), Libby Nation (guitar, mandolin, vocals), and Jody Hughes (banjo). These accomplished musicians excel in folk music from the rural South. The Chuck Nation Band tours with Kentucky Harmony, and has played on legendary stages together such as Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and New York’s Carnegie Hall.

Tim Sharp

Tim Sharp is artistic director and conductor of Kentucky Harmony. He is a native of the Appalachian area of Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia, and has studied and performed the music of Appalachia since childhood. Published regional histories include Nashville Music Before Country and Memphis Music Before the Blues. Tim arranges the music performed by Kentucky Harmony and The Chuck Nation Band with co-writer, Wes Ramsay. Their music is widely performed throughout the United States. Tim performs as a Deering® Banjo artist.

A flexible and versatile ensemble, consisting of singers drawn from the various award-winning choral ensembles from Young Choral Academy – Malaysia’s first centre and hub for choir education and choral activities. The members are experienced choristers, many of them are alumnus of award-winning ensembles such as The Young KL Singers, Teacher’s Ensemble and Ottophony vocal consort. They are gathered by a common love and passion for singing and choral education, and participated in concert projects collaborating with the country’s leading orchestras such as the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Selangor Symphony Orchestra. Notable projects include Kingdom Hearts Orchestra World Tour–Malaysia(2017), SoundBridge Contemporary Music Festival(2017), Let’s Rock I & II(2017, 2019), Hungary-Malaysia 50th Years of Diplomatic Ties(2019). The chorus is conducted by Chi Hoe Mak, Artistic Director of Young Choral Academy.

Chi Hoe Mak

Currently Artistic Director of Young Choral Academy, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Penang Philharmonic Chorus and Resident Chorus Master of Kuala Lumpur City Opera in Malaysia. He is co-founder of the Malaysian Choral Eisteddfod (MCE) and has won numerous prizes and awards with his choirs. He has been invited on the jury panel and presented as a clinician at several international choir competitions, festivals and workshops in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Myanmar, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, UK and throughout Malaysia. An alumnus of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in the UK, Chi Hoe received two Master of Music degrees in Vocal Performance and Choral Conducting, both with Distinctions and the Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Performance where he studied choral conducting with Paul Spicer(Finzi Singers). He was named one of Birmingham’s ‘New Generation Artists’ in 2008 and won all the major conducting prizes at College including the 2009 and 2010 Michael Beech Conducting Awards and the prestigious Principal’s Prize for ‘outstanding contribution to the musical life at the institution’. He has been conferred an Honorary Membership (HonRBC) of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for his outstanding contribution to his profession and is a member of the IFCM Asia-Pacific Choral Council.

JOA Choir is one of the most active female choirs in Busan, Korea conducted by Gun-Yoon Lee, a talented and young conductor and composer. The choir has been participating choral seminars and different kinds of concert and has accomplished great results. All choir members have a music degree and therefore it is a great advantage for them to perform as a better choir. JOA Choir was established in January, 2016 and had a successful 4 regular concerts. Also, they have won several prizes from choir competitions in Busan, Daegu and Bali. JOA Choir sings not only as a mission choir but also as a choir which prepares and performs a variety of genres. They put great effort to make the best sound they can make as a female choir.

Gun-Yoon Lee

Lee started conducting under the influence of Korean great master of conductor, Dr. Hak-Won Yoon. He majored in composing and choral conducting at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, then studied musical, modern music at graduated. He received doctor's degree at Korean traditional music conducting. His various abilities are expressed through music performances. His music is various, creative, and passionate. He is a conductor who comes to the world. In 2019, he was the An-Yang Children'S Civic Choir Director and has been noted for his strong leadership. He was awarded the Outstanding Conductor Prize at the Bali International Chorus Festival and Busan Choral Festival & Competition in 2017. He received the Artistic Award for his outstanding composition ability.

Founded by its Director Jae-Sik Lim in 1999. Initially made up of members of the RTVE Symphonic Choir, currently the staff is made up of professional singers from this and other national choirs. Among their most outstanding performances are the concerts for the New Year, at Auditorio Nacional de Música and at Teatro Monumental, both in Madrid. They have made national and international tours, especially important those that took him to Israel and South Korea. The two concerts held in Barcelona at the end of September deserve special mention for the ‘Asia Festival’ organized by the Casa de Asia in collaboration with the Forum of Cultures 2004. Radio Clásica from RNE and La 2 from RTVE broadcast some of their live performances, with great success from audiences and specialized critics. G.V.M has four recordings on CD. They are dedicated to Chamber Music, Zarzuela and the Korean Lyric Song. The latter is still little known in Europe, but thanks to the work of G.V.M and especially to maestro Lim, it is becoming more appreciated every day and is incorporated into the usual repertoires.

Jae-Sik Lim

He began violin studies at 5 and he received his first singing lessons at the Seoul Higher School of Music at 15. Later he expands his studies at the Music Faculty of Hang-Yang University. In 1983, he moved to Spain to improve his voice at the Superior School of Singing and at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid, where he completed his studies with maestro Pedro Lavirgen, obtaining the title of Superior Professor of Singing. He has been head of tenors in RTVE Symphonic Choir. He has conducted different choirs in the Community of Madrid, among which the Chamber Choir "Villa de Madrid", the Choir of Miraflores de la Sierra, the Orfeón Filarmónico Magerit, the Choir of San Jorge and the Choir of Farmacéuticos de Madrid. Currently he combines ownership of the Chamber Orchestra and Grupo Vocal Millennium with the Choir of the Madrid Press Association. In 2009, the ‘Great Cross of Isabel la Católica’ was imposed on him, granted by the Government of Spain.

Was awarded the Grand Prize, Gold Prize of Classical Mixed Category, Gold Prize of Pop/Acapella Category at 2019 Busan Choral Festival & Competition in Busan, South Korea. This followed the choir’s achievements of consecutively winning the first prizes in the previous five prestigious international choir competitions it participated: Varna, Bulgaria (2016), Manila, Philippines (2015), Torrevieja, Spain (2014), Cantonigros, Spain (2014) and Miltenberg, Germany (2012). Apart from the achievement in the competitions, in 2018, the choir performed as the first Indonesian invited choir in the “Festival des Chœurs Lauréats (Festival of Winners)” in Provence, France, which is regarded as one of world’s most prestigious non-competitive choir festivals.

Ega O. Azarya

As music director and conductor of The Archipelago Singers, he has brought this choir to international level with achievements in various prestigious international choir competitions. His musical journey begun as a singer in Parahyangan Catholic University Choir, where he currently acts as its Associate Conductor. In addition to his conductorship in The Archipelago Singers, Ega dedicates his life as an educator sharing his love and passion in music to young singers as well as young conductors in Musicasa Sanggar & Studio, Jakarta and in Parahyangan Catholic University Choir, Bandung. Ega was awarded with the Conductor Award at the 2019 BCFC in Busan, South Korea.