Canadian scholar and musician Justin Jalea frequently seeks ways to bridge his passions for social justice and music. A JUNO-nominated tenor and two-time recipient of the Ellen Battell Stoeckel Scholarship from Yale University’s School of Music, Justin has been a member of professional choirs such as the Bach Festival Singers, Ensemble Adelphi, Pro Coro Canada, and the Canadian Chamber Choir.
Justin has founded, and been artistic director of, a number of choral ensembles. Justin founded the Toronto-based male a cappella group The Graduates, co-founded Early Music Ensemble Sospiri in Edmonton, and from 2005-2007 was the Director of Music for St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto. Justin is the Founding Artistic Director of Il Sono Men’s Ensemble and Double Treble Women’s Ensemble, both of them choral arts organizations based in Calgary, Canada, aimed in part at using music and the performing arts to help remedy social justice issues. With these ensembles, Justin spearheaded collaborations with organizations such as the UNICEF, CARE, and the Royal Canadian Legion.
Justin holds a B.A. from the University of Toronto and an M.A. from the University of Alberta, both in philosophy. Finding a new passion in human rights, Justin taught in the Department of General Education at Mount Royal University, where he designed courses specifically related to religion and society, gender equality, music and social movements.
Currently, Justin is an adjunct professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies at Durham College in Canada and continues his research on human rights – in particular, economic, social and cultural rights, public dialogue, gender equality, and freedom of religious expression.
Justin resides in New York City and has recently completed a master’s degree in human rights studies at the Institute for the Study of Human Rights at Columbia University. His work in New York is found at the intersection of music and human rights and endeavors to integrate the work of arts organizations with those of social justice ones and vice versa – enforcing the idea that music and the arts are powerful forces for social change. He is currently collaborating with organizations such as the American Classical Orchestra, Musicians for Human Rights, the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, UNICEF and Girls for Gender Equity.