Chorus
Artistic Staff
We are so proud and grateful to these individuals who are so crucial to the success and vitality of the Stambaugh Chorus!
Dr. Hae-Jong Lee, a native of South Korea, has enjoyed a distinguished career spanning more than three decades as a conductor, educator, vocalist, clinician, and adjudicator in Korea and the United States. He currently serves as Director of Stambaugh Chorus and Warren Civic Chorus and as Music Director of Canfield Presbyterian Church.
Dr. Lee retired from Youngstown State University’s Dana School of Music in May 2026 after 24 years of service. He joined the Dana faculty in 2002 as Director of Choral Activities, conducting the university’s choral ensembles and teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in choral and instrumental conducting. Under his direction, the Dana Chorale toured South Korea in 2017, performing in six cities.
Dr. Lee earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Seoul National University, Master of Music degree from Westminster Choir College, and Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting and literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. While at Westminster, he performed and toured internationally with the renowned Westminster Choir. As a vocalist, he has performed with major orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Orchestra of St. Luke’s under internationally recognized conductors.
His professional activities have included guest conducting, lectures, workshops, and adjudication in the United States and South Korea. He has appeared as guest conductor with the Busan City Chorus, Noel Chorus, and Seoul Motet Choir; served as an international juror for the Busan Choral Festival and Competition; and presented at the World Symposium on Choral Music, Podium—Canada’s national choral conference and festival—West Virginia Choral Directors Association, PMEA, and Ohio Music Education Association conferences.
Central to Dr. Lee’s artistic vision is the belief that choral music can serve not only as artistic expression, but also as a meaningful voice within the community. Through Stambaugh Chorus’s Giving Voice to Peace concert series and other collaborative projects, he has brought together singers, instrumentalists, educational institutions, and community organizations to explore themes of peace, understanding, shared humanity, and civic engagement through music.
Dr. Lee previously served as Chorus Master of Opera Western Reserve and continues to conduct Handel’s Messiahannually with the Warren Civic Chorus. His work reflects a particular interest in choral-orchestral repertoire, collaborative music-making, and using the choral arts to connect people and strengthen community.
Antonio George (Assistant to the Director) is an undergraduate student at Youngstown State University currently pursuing a B.M. in Choral Music Education with a classical focus. In addition to Stambaugh Chorus, he is also a member of Dana Chorale and the Canfield Presbyterian Church choir.
Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Madison Sheffield began her piano studies at the age of six and has since participated in numerous competitions, adjudicated events, and recitals. She was the winner of the 2025 Dana Young Artist Competition, performing the third movement of Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the YSU Wind Ensemble, and was also awarded the 2025 Youngstown Music Teachers’ Association Scholarship.
Madison has participated in Northwestern University’s Duo Piano Masterclasses at the Bienen School of Music and the tonebase Piano Camp at the Adamant Music School in Vermont. An active leader in the local music community, she serves as secretary of the Youngstown Music Teachers’ Association and president of the Dana Piano Guild. She also founded the Cornerstone Coffeehouse Recital Series, a free monthly series providing high school and college musicians with additional performance opportunities.
Madison is currently in her fourth year at Youngstown State University, where she studies Piano Performance with Dr. Caroline Oltmanns.