Vocal Chamber Music
Ella Wilhem, soprano
Judy Hung, piano
Program I:
R. Schumann: Year of Songs: "Dichterliebe" (A Poet's Love) and Frauenliebe und Leben" (A Woman's Life and Love)
In the year 1840, a momentous chapter unfolded in the life of Robert Schumann. It was a year of love and artistic brilliance, as he not only joined his life with Clara through marriage but also composed a staggering number of 138 lieders. The program highlights Schumann's most prominent lieders from this iconic year.
Program II
Franz Schubert: Winterreise (Winter Journey)
Winterreise (1827) is one of the most profound and introspective song cycles in the repertoire. Set to poems by Wilhelm Müller, the cycle follows a solitary wanderer on a winter journey marked by longing, memory, alienation, and quiet despair. Through its stark landscapes and psychological intensity, Winterreise stands as a landmark of Romantic expression and one of Schubert’s most powerful artistic statements.
Program III
Beloved Songs and Arias
"Beloved Songs and Arias" offers a diverse selection of music spanning over 400 years from Renaissance to Impressionism. This program celebrates the timeless beauty of vocal music, featuring renowned composers such as Caccini, Purcell, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Fauré, Debussy, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, and others. The pieces are sung in French, English, Italian, German, and Russian, resonating with emotional depth and lyrical elegance.
About Us
We first performed together at the McGill Conservatory Staff and Guest Recital Series at Pollack Hall, and later at the Polish Consulate in Montreal, multiple Les Concerts Valois concerts, and most recently at St. James United Church and the OSJVS Professor & Guest Series.
Ella Wilhelm, based in Montreal, is a soprano, voice, and piano teacher. She earned her Master’s Degree in Voice from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance in 2006 under the guidance of Mme Bibiana Goldenthal and Zvi Zemel, and in 2018 completed a Master’s Degree in Voice and Opera at McGill University with Professor Stefano Algieri. Throughout her studies, she received prestigious scholarships, including from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation and the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. Ella has performed as a soloist with orchestras including the Raanana Orchestra, the Jerusalem Camerata, and the Netanya Kibbutz Chamber Orchestra, and has sung in ensembles such as the Tel Aviv Opera Choir and the Israeli Philharmonic Singers under conductors like Zubin Mehta and Daniel Oren. She has participated in festivals including the Abu-Gosh Festival and the Felicia Blumenthal Music Festival in Israel, and has given numerous recitals and concerts in Israel, Germany, the Netherlands, and Canada.
Judy Hung, a Taiwanese-Canadian musician, enjoys a versatile career as a violinist, pianist, violoncellist da spalla, artistic director, and teacher. She has performed extensively as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player across Europe, Asia, and North America. A passionate advocate of Historically Informed Performance, her recent recordings include Essence Baroque (2022), Essence Romantique (2023), and Essence Classique (2025), exploring Baroque, Classical, and Romantic repertoire on period instruments. Judy has collaborated with ensembles in Taiwan, France, and Canada, and is deeply committed to community engagement through music. She is the founder and artistic director of L’Orchestre symphonique des jeunes de Vaudreuil-Soulanges and Les Concerts Valois, serves as music director and organist at Valois United Church, and is a collaborative pianist at McGill University. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from Louisiana State University, as well as Master’s degrees in violin, piano, and early music performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Syracuse University, and McGill University.