Charlene Insun Chi

A native of Toronto, Canada, Charlene has recently completed her doctoral degree at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, in Vocal Performance.

She is an active performer of operatic, chamber and concert repertoire in the Los Angeles and Santa Barbara areas, and has also provided solo recitals in the Pacific Northwest, Denver, Canada, Korea and Germany.

In 2005, Charlene made her operatic debut with Opera Santa Barbara as Suor Infermiera, in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, and has also performed over 14 roles including Carmen, Dorabella, Mélisande, Vanessa, Orfeo, Romeo, Siebel, and the Old Maid, in both full productions and opera scenes at UC Santa Barbara and at USC’s Thornton School of Music. She has also performed as an Alto soloist of oratorios, masses and requiems by Händel, Bach, Haydn, Mendelssohn and Duraflé.

In 2009, Charlene was a competition winner of the Beverly Hills Chamber Music Series. She was a first-prize winner of the Bohemian Opera Association of Los Angeles vocal competition. A recipient of the highly-acclaimed Léni Fé Bland Vocal Scholarship, she has also been honored with numerous awards such as the USC Jeannette MacDonald Opera Scholarship, Marilyn Horne Scholarship for Vocal Performance, Flora L. Thornton Endowed Voice Scholarship Award, and was a recipient of the Arques Charitable Trust Fellowship. Charlene had received a special congressional recognition from the U.S. House of Representatives, and the County of Los Angeles for her active involvement as a performer in the cultural musical development of the Korean-American community.

Prior to pursuing her graduate degrees, Charlene enjoyed teaching music in the classroom for several years (K-12), offering Suzuki violin classes, beginning flute class, conducted a 60-member children’s chorus and directing orchestra and concert bands for Middle School and High School. She also organized and directed several Musicals for full school productions. At the University level, she was chosen as a graduate assistant during her Master’s and Doctoral training, where she was an instructor for Class Voice and individual vocal instruction to undergraduate and graduate students.

Dr. Chi is currently the Director of Vocal Studies at HYPERIUM Conservatory, and is also the Assistant Vocal Professor at Hope International University. She also serves as an Adjunct Faculty member at Santa Monica College.