Eugenia Oi Yan Yau

Eugenia Yau


Professor of Music
Chairperson
Music and Art

EMAIL: eyau@bmcc.cuny.edu

Office: F-1130A

Office Hours: Mons 2-5 pm; Tues 2-4 pm; Weds 4-6 pm; Thurs 2-4 pm

Phone: +1 (212) 776-7240

EUGENIA OI YAN YAU is the chairperson of Music and Art Department, and professor of music at Borough of Manhattan Community College (CUNY). The department has 23 full-time and 85 adjunct faculty members, catering to two degree-programs—Art Foundations and Music for more than 500 student majors.

At BMCC, in addition to her chairperson responsibilities, Dr. Yau is in-charge of the Choral Programs including the College Chorus, Concert Choir, and Downtown Community Chorus, which she founded in the fall of 2006. Her choruses have been featured in both commercial and traditional classical performance venues, including the Masterwork Series Spring Concerts (under Manhattan Concert Productions) at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center since 2008, performing well-known choral works ranging from Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, Faure’s Requiem, Forrest’s Jubilate Deo, Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes De Confessore, Schubert’s Mass in G, and Vaughn Williams’s Five Mystical Songs; 9/11 Memorial for Recovery Workers on May 30, 2012; 2010 US Open with Gloria Estefan; and 2009 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

Besides her teaching duties at BMCC, Yau maintains an active schedule of presenting lecture-recitals on Chinese, German and American art songs at institutions including the University of Texas, University of Michigan, National University of Singapore, Hong Kong Baptist University and De La Salle Lipa University in the Philippines. She has also performed as soprano soloist with the Hong Kong Baptist University Orchestra, Borough of Manhattan Community College Downtown Symphony Orchestra, Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra, Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra, University of Texas Opera Theatre and Symphony Orchestra, and Southwest Texas State University Chorale and Orchestra.

Furthermore, Dr. Yau is the Director of Music for Family Ministries at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church (FAPC, New York City). At FAPC, she is in-charge of music programs including the Children’s Choir, Youth Choir, and annual Christmas Pageant productions with more than 100 participants. Dr. Yau has regularly been featured as vocal artist of global literature for Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for its national and international assemblies and conventions since 2004. As one of the eight Art and Humanities Councilors at the Council of Undergraduate Research (CUR), Dr. Yau has been active promoting diversity and inclusion events and programs in the academia. As an immigrant from Hong Kong (China), Dr. Yau is passionate about all immigration matters in her local communities and has been serving as a music consultant to design after school and preschool music educational programs at the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC), New York since 2006.

Dr. Yau received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music at Hong Kong Baptist University, Master’s Degree at Texas State University, Doctorate of Musical Arts in vocal performance at the University of Texas at Austin, and MBA Degree in Southwestern College in Winfield (Kansas). She has also received professional recognition, including the Fellowship Diploma of Singing from Trinity College of Music in London, the Licentiate Diploma of Singing from Royal Schools of Music at London, and Kodály Music Education Certifications (Levels I, II & III) from New York University.

Expertise

Administrative and Academic Leadership with an emphasis on the field of music & art, and academic effectiveness

Faculty Development and Governance with an emphasis on academic affairs

Partnerships with an emphasis on educational and private institutions

Program Creation and Revitalization with an emphasis on immigrant families and communities

Degrees

Kodály Certification, Kodály Summer Institute at New York University, USA

Level III of Kodály Methodology, July 2011; Level II, July 2010; and Level I, July 2009

Southwestern College, Winfield, Kansas, USA

Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), 2003

University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA

Doctorate of Musical Art (D.M.A.) in Voice Performance, 1997

Dissertation: Three Vocal Works by Robert Xavier Rodriguez: A Poetic and Musical Analysis

Texas State University at San Marcos, Texas, USA

Master of Music (M. Mus.) in Voice Performance, 1992

Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong

Honors Diploma in Music (equivalent to BA) in Voice Performance, 1990

Trinity College of Music, London, England

Fellowship Diploma of Singing (F.T.C.L.), 1989

Licentiate Diploma of Singing (L.T.C.L.), 1987

Associate Diploma of Singing (A.T.C.L.), 1986

Royal Schools of Music, London, England

Licentiate Diploma of Singing (L.R.S.M.), 1988

 

 

Courses Taught

MUS 265 (Concert Choir I)
MUS 266 (Concert Choir II)
MUS 267 (Concert Choir III)
MUS 268 (Concert Choir IV)
MUS 165 (College Chorus I)
MUS 166 (College Chorus II)
MUS 167 (College Chorus III)
MUS 168 (College Chorus IV)

Research and Projects

As one of the eight selected CUNY leaders, Dr. Yau will be participating in the Management Development Program the Harvard Graduate School of Education in June, 2019, as part of the Diversifying CUNY’s Leadership: CUNY-Harvard Consortium (2019-2020). Dr. Yau’s project is to develop the CUNY Virtual Choir bringing diverse voices from different campuses into a mix.  This is a digital era and we must utilize the resources we have. While traditional choral singing in the same physical space is great, the logistics of combining choirs from more than two campuses become overwhelming. The proposed CUNY Virtual Choir can be done in two ways—(A) Singers from different locations record and upload their performance videos. Each one of the videos is then synchronized and combined into one single performance to create the Virtual Choir; and (B) Singers sing to an APP or website via their phones or computers, at a certain time of the day, regardless of where they would be, and their singing will be live-streamed to another location engaged in the project activity.

Publications

    • Presented a series of music workshops entitled, “Who says 4 years old can’t sing?—Integrating Music into Early Childhood Curriculum” at Chinese-American Planning Council, New York, fall 2015.
    • Presented a series of four vocal and choral lectures at Hong Kong Professional Piano Education Academy, January 2012. These lectures included Why We Sing?, From Vocal Production to Vocal Perfection, Secrets of Successful Music Teaching, and Making Music as a Family Affair.
    • Co-presented a paper, “Going Public: Music and art collaborations that spark student success” at the Successful Teaching Conference hosted by the SUNY Leadership Institute on October, 2011, Syracuse, NY.
    • Wrote Chinese translations of eleven global Christian hymns for Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). One of them was included in the New Hymns of Praise (a new edition of hymnal of diverse music including songs from Africa, South American and Southeast Asia), published by Tao Sheng Publishing House, Hong Kong (www.elchk.org.hk), and Augsburg Fortress, Minneapolis (augsburgfortress.org) in Fall 2011. ISBN: 978-962-380-295-6.
    • Served as a panel speaker at the Chinese Education Conference on Understanding Factors Affecting the Academic Achievement of Chinese Immigrant and Chinese-American Students, sponsored and organized by the Audrey Cohen College for Human Services and Education, Metropolitan College of New York, NY, November 5, 2010.
    • Wrote a chapter, “Chopin and Chopsticks: Economic and Family Experiences of Music Teachers in Hong Kong,” in Family Relations: Issues and Challenges, edited by Rafael N. Ramirez, Nova Science Publishers, Inc., New York, NY. (novapublishers.com), (ISBN: 1-60021-926-8), 2008.
    • Presented a paper, “Too Global to Be Global?”—a study of global teaching and its barriers in a mostly global environment, at the Connect Ed—Conference on Global Education, Monterey Institute of International Studies, Middlebury College, Monterey, CA, January 22-24, 2008.
    • Presented a paper, “A New Use for Classical Music: Filial Responsibility among Hong Kong Music Teachers,” at the 68th Conference of the National Council on Family Relations, Minneapolis, MN, November 6-16, 2006.
    • Presented a paper, “If music be the food of family bonding, play on….A Study of How Music Activity Enhances Family Relations,” at the 48th Conference of the College Music Society, Quebec City, QC, November 3-6, 2005.
    • Presented a paper, The Effects of Music Education on Family Dynamics and Economics in Hong Kong Culture: A Survey on Private Music Instruction in the Western Classical Tradition,” at the College Music Society National Annual Meeting, Miami, FL, October 2-5, 2003.
    • Presented a paper, “Bringing Global Music to a Small Community in the Heartland,” at the College Music Society Great Plains Regional Conference, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, March 22-23, 2003.
    • Presented a lecture recital, “Tasteful Accessibility!”—Examining a mixture of both traditional and contemporary properties on Six Maxims de La Rochefoucauld by Robert Xavier Rodriguez, at the College Music Society Great Plains Regional Conference, Wayne College, NE, March 22-23, 2002.

Honors, Awards and Affiliations

  • BMCC Faculty Development Grant of the Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY, for a diversity and inclusion project—CUNY Virtual Choir, June 2019 through August 2020.
  • BMCC Faculty Leadership Fellows Program Nominee 2018 & 2017.
  • BMCC Distinguished Teaching Award Nominee Spring 2016.
  • Enhanced Learning in the Classroom (ELIC) Funding for Fall 2018, Spring 2018, Spring 2016, Fall 2015 & Spring 2015.
  • Recipient of Enhanced Learning in the Classroom (ELIC) Funding for MUS265/266/267/268 (Concert Choir) to contract professional clarinetist Yi-Chuen Chen, cellist Matthew Goeke and violist, Ina Litera to perform Ola Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass on Dec 4, 2018.
  • Recipient of Enhanced Learning in the Classroom (ELIC) Funding for MUS 265/266/267/268 (Concert Choir) to contract a professional trumpeter August Haas to perform Karl Jenkins’s, The Armed Man on May 1, 2018.
  • Recipient of Enhanced Learning in the Classroom (ELIC) Funding for MUS 102 (Principles of Music) to contract a professional pianist Suna Chung and mezzo soprano Margaret Mousset to perform a lecture recital of 19th century German Lieder and French Chansons on April 18th, 2016.
  • Recipient of Enhanced Learning in the Classroom (ELIC) Funding for MUS 170 (Voice II) to contract a professional harpist Marion Ravot, and a marimba player Josephe Brunetti to perform Susa’s Carols and Lullabies with the class at fall concert on December 1, 2015.
  • Recipient of Enhanced Learning in the Classroom (ELIC) Funding for MUS 410/MUS 420/MUS 430/MUS 440 (Chorus I, II, III & IV) to contract a professional vocal quartet (Maggie Boland, soprano; Erica Koehring, alto; Paul Scholtz, tenor; Davin Provenzano, bass) to perform Mozart’s Vesperae with the classes at spring concert on May 5, 2015.
    • Diversity Project Developing Fund (CUNY) Award in promoting Cantonese choral music and traditions, spring 2010. A choral concert featuring many well-known Chinese and Cantonese songs, Songs of Commemoration and Celebration, was presented on May 4, 2010 at Theatre II, BMCC.
    • Professional Staff Congress of the City University of New York (PSC-CUNY) Award for composing Fish Jumping Over the Dragon Gate, a children’s musical based on a Chinese folk tale, and Carp Jumping Over the Dragon Gate, July 2009. The premiere performances were held at PS 130 on February 19, 2010.
    • Professional Staff Congress of the City University of New York (PSC-CUNY) Award for research on “Strike the Bamboo—Make a Joyful Noise,Research and Study of Traditional Himig Kawayan Ensembles, Manila, the Philippines, July 21-31, 2008.
    • Faculty Development Grant of the Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY, for research on “Building a Sound Choral Curriculum with a Global Perspective—Research and classify the existing global choral music and its teaching accessories,” June thru August, 2008.
    • Professional Staff Congress of the City University of New York (PSC-CUNY) Award for research on Chinese folk songs in Shanghai entitled, “Shanghai or Bust!—Research and Study of Traditional Chinese Art Songs at Shanghai Conservatory of Music,” Shanghai, China, August 12-18, 2005.

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