Choral Studies Graduate Students

Michael Colavita is a conductor, performer, composer, and educator devoted to creating community through choral music. After six years of teaching in both public and private school settings, he is now pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music.

As a Choral TA, Michael works with Frost’s choral ensembles and collaborates with external organizations including the Miami Children’s Chorus, Miami Collegium Musicum, and Seraphic Fire. Outside Frost, Michael also serves as Director of Music Ministry at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Palmetto Bay.

Colavita earned bachelor’s degrees in Music and Neuroscience from Washington and Lee University, where he studied conducting with Dr. Shane Lynch, and master’s degrees in Choral Conducting and Music Education from the University of Louisville, where his mentors included Dr. Kent Hatteberg and Dr. Wonjoo Ahn. His previous appointments include directing the Singing Cardsmen at Louisville, directing the choral program at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, and leading the vocal music department at Miami Arts Charter School in Wynwood. He has performed with and conducted ensembles in diverse domestic and international settings, including Korea, Sweden, Ireland, Thailand, and at Carnegie Hall.

Braden Rymer recently joined the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, where he is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting. At Frost, he conducts the university choirs while also assisting as a conductor for The Girl Choir of South Florida and Organist at Ocean Reef Chapel. He performs often as a vocalist and presents on topics in vocal pedagogy at local and regional conferences. Braden holds a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting and Vocal Performance & Pedagogy from the University of Georgia. There he directed the choirs, taught Aural Skills and Music Theory, and served as the Choir Director, Organist, and Pianist at the Commerce Presbyterian Church. Before moving to the East Coast, Braden was the Choir Director and AP Music Theory Instructor at Maple Mountain High School in Utah, during which his choirs performed at Carnegie Hall, ACDA-Utah, the Utah Music Educators Association Conference, and others.

Hyunju Yang joins the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music this fall to pursue a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting. She arrives in Coral Gables fresh from Yale University, where she recently earned her Master of Music in Choral Conducting.

Born and raised in South Korea, Hyunju previously graduated from Yonsei University with degrees in Church Music, with an emphasis in Choral Conducting, and Business Administration. During her time at Yale, Hyunju served as a conductor of the University Church in Yale, an assistant conductor of the Yale Camerata, and worked with several other choirs. She also conducted a choir of New Haven Public School students through Yale’s Music in Schools Initiative, reflecting her commitment to music education and community engagement.

In South Korea, Hyunju founded Ensemble COCO and was selected as a 2025 Emerging Artist by Arte With, leading to a debut concert showcasing emerging musicians. Her conducting experience also includes leading a choir composed of North Korean defectors and their families. An accomplished vocalist as well as a conductor, Hyunju has performed extensively as a professional soprano soloist with the Boryeong City Chorale and various other ensembles across South Korea.

Theophil Asamoah-Gyadu joins the Frost School of Music as an incoming Master of Music student in Choral Conducting. Originally from Ghana, his musical journey began at age four under the guidance of his mother. He started playing piano at five and went on to serve as Student Choirmaster for the Mfantsipim School Choir.

Theophil is the Founder and Artistic Director of Gramophone Ghana, the Gramophone Chorus, and the Gramophone Academy, as well as the host of the Virtuoso Podcast. Over the years, he has led and guest-conducted numerous student and church ensembles across Ghana, driven by a passion for deep musical interpretation and narrative storytelling. Theophil is married to Dr. Maame Amankwaa Asamoah-Gyadu and they have two children; Paapa Kwabena and Ewuraa-Ama.