Artistic Team
Artistic Director, Canterbury Voices
Award-winning choral conductor and music educator Dr. Julie Yu is artistic director of Canterbury Voices, having returned to Oklahoma in 2023 to accept the joint leadership position of Canterbury and director of choral activities at the Wanda L. Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University.
Yu succeeds Dr. Randi Von Ellefson, who retired in May ’23, after 19 seasons as leader of the unique partnership. She holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting with specialized studies in Early Music from the University of North Texas, a Masters degree in Choral Conducting from Oklahoma State University, and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Central Oklahoma. Her choirs have performed in Carnegie Hall, at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., as well as in Austria, Czech Republic, and France. She was an ACDA International Conducting Exchange Fellow to Kenya in 2019 and has led All-State choruses from Florida to Utah to Maine.
Yu conducted the Oklahoma Arts Institute (OAI) chorus at Quartz Mountain in 2016 and the At Home Chorus in 2020. She has presented and conducted at state and regional conferences of ACDA and the National Association for Music Education. She was featured conductor at Ireland’s 2019 International Dublin Choral Festival and clinician and keynote speaker at the European Music Educators Association Conference in Naples, Italy. She is past president of ACDA’s Southwestern Region.
Karsten Longhurst
Artistic Director, Canterbury Youth Voices
Dr. Karsten Longhurst holds the Wanda L. Bass Chair of Vocal Music Education at Oklahoma City University, and is the Artistic Director of Canterbury Youth Voices. Dr. Longhurst continues the unique partnership role created in 2005 between Canterbury and OCU, and this innovative collaboration continues the shared vision to create a national center for choral excellence in Oklahoma City.
Dr. Longhurst holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Music from the University of Southern California with emphases in music education, arts leadership, and vocal performance. Previous degrees include a Master in Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Utah and a Bachelor of Music in Education and German from Weber State University. Longhurst previously served as Director of Choral Music and Assistant Director of Music Education at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. He taught high school and middle school for six years in Ogden, Utah, and was honored with the Teaching in Excellence award.
Dr. Longhurst is active as a guest conductor, presenter, adjudicator, and performer. Currently, he serves as the President-Elect of the Oklahoma Choral Director’s Association and is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and the National Association for Music Educators.
David Hillis
Collaborative Pianist
David Hillis joined the Canterbury Voices team in 2022. He has been conducting and accompanying choirs for 31 years, including the past 23 years at Heritage Hall. During his tenure at Heritage Hall, the choral music program has enjoyed success on and off campus, including numerous revues and musical productions, national anthem performances at sporting events, caroling for holiday events, and the Sweepstakes Award at 12 OSSAA State Choir contests.
David received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Piano Performance from Oklahoma City University. He served as an accompanist at OCU from 1995 until 2000 and conducted the Women’s Choral Union from 1999 to 2001.
Hillis had the honor of accompanying the Oklahoma Music Educators Association’s All-State High School Chorus for four years, as well as the OkMEA All-State Children’s Chorus from 2006-2007 and 2009-2020.
In addition to teaching, David is a music producer and currently resides in Oklahoma City with his wife, Crystal, and their three children, Ethan, Julia, and Harper.