Dr. Woosug Kang
Director of Music Ministries
Hailing from New Zealand, Woosug Kang began his position as the Director of Music Ministries at St. George’s in 2016. He was previously the Director of Music at St. Philip’s In The Hills Episcopal Church in Tucson, Arizona, where he directed a vibrant music program with several choral ensembles. He was responsible for all musical activities, including the First Sunday Music series, integrating major choral and orchestral works with traditional liturgy. During his time at St. Philip’s, he developed a Canterbury Apprentice program to educate young singers with changing voices and expose them to high-caliber choral repertoire. Under his direction, the chorister program at St. Philip’s grew to be one of the largest Royal School of Church Music programs in the Southwest, and he took his choristers to UK for a week-long choral residency at historic Worcester Cathedral in 2016.
Off the podium, Woosug has a reputation as a premier concert organist, and has performed both as a soloist and featured guest with various ensembles in the US, New Zealand, Australia and the UK. He was recently featured as the soloist for the US premiere of Organ Concerto by New Zealand composer John Wells, along with Concerto in G minor for Organ by Francis Poulenc with the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra. His recent and future engagements include a concert at Fred Fox School of Music at the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, Christ Church Cathedral in Nashville, and St. Bartholomew in Atlanta. His experience as the Belinda Godfrey Organ Scholar of Holy Trinity Auckland Cathedral, and the organist of Music Sacra, Inc. in New Zealand, showcased his skill as a liturgical organist.
In May of 2017 Woosug was awarded his Doctorate in Music in Organ Performance at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, where he studied with Dr. Larry Smith and Todd Wilson. He studied organ with Prof. Thomas Murray, improvisation with Dr. William Porter, and harpsichord with late Prof. Richard Rephann at Yale University while he completed his Masters of Music in Organ Performance. During this time he received the Charles Ives award and H.F. Bozyan scholarship for excelling in organ performance.
He also founded the choir for the Episcopal Church at Yale, which still thrives in the historic Dwight Chapel. He has taught organ lessons at many levels privately and through institutions. Mr. Kang is the founding Artistic Director and current Director Emeritus of Friends of Music at Emanuel, Inc., a non-profit organization to enrich the community through musical concerts in Connecticut.