NEW YORK (August 30, 2023) – The world-renowned Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC) announces the appointment of Michael Fraccaro as Chair of its Board of Directors, which he joined in 2018. Mr. Fraccaro currently serves as the Chief People Officer (CPO) for Mastercard, where his proven ability to grow organizations through innovative approaches aligns with YPC’s vision to strengthen and expand its impact among youth and throughout the chorus industry.
“YPC has greatly benefitted from Michael’s time and expertise on our Board of Directors,” says Francisco J. Núñez, artistic director and founder of YPC. “I am deeply honored and grateful for his willingness to deepen his commitment to YPC by serving as our Board Chair. I know I join the rest of the Board and our leadership team when I say I am looking forward to working with him as we continue to change the lives of thousands of youth through music.”
Mr. Fraccaro is an advocate for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, and has gained regular industry recognition for his DEI efforts as CPO at Mastercard, including DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity; Fast Company – Best Workplace for Innovators; and Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index. YPC’s mission to provide children of all cultural and economic backgrounds with a unique program of music education and choral performance, he says, aligns with his passion and values.
“I decided to join YPC’s Board of Directors when I learned more about the mission of YPC and its connection to communities, with a strong focus on education,” says Fraccaro. “Given my early career background in education, I found that it connected with me in different ways. It spoke to what I believe in terms of giving everyone access and opportunity—and YPC has been doing this for over 30-plus years.”
Fraccaro replaces Adam Chinn, who has served as YPC’s Board Chair since 2012.
“The strong foundation has already been set,” says Fraccaro. “I want to send a strong shout out to Adam Chinn, who has done a great job of elevating YPC. As Chair, I am looking to build on those foundations. My vision is to look for ways to continue strengthening connections to schools and communities at large and bring stronger visibility to YPC and its mission. Part of that vison is to ensure we’re building a legacy for the future that is self-sustaining. When people think of who the best chorus is in the world, it’s YPC.”
In addition to his role as CPO, Mr. Fraccaro also regularly contributes his thought leadership to industry articles and podcasts on topics such as the future of work, leadership & succession, people analytics and insights, and cultural transformation. He holds a Master of Applied Science, Communication Management, from the University of Technology, Sydney, and a Bachelor of Education from the Australian Catholic University and various other accreditations. He has lived around the world from Australia where he grew up to the Middle East and Asia before coming to New York in 2012 with his wife Mei. Together they have 5 young adult children. Mr. Fraccaro serves on the SHRM Executive Advisory Council, the Board of the HR Policy Association, 50:50 Women on Boards, and is active on the NY Jobs CEO Council and HR50.
Fraccaro joins YPC as Board Chair on the heels of YPC’s hugely successful Summer 2023 tour, during which the choir won five gold medals – three as world champions – at the 12th World Choir Games, the world’s largest international choir competition. They also performed throughout Korea and Japan before heading to Santa Barbara, CA for a residency at Music Academy.
YPC will soon announce its 2023/2024 season with highlights including a collaboration with Met Opera to present Dead Man Walking, a collaboration with American Ballet Theater to present The Dream, a collaboration with New Jersey Performing Arts Center to present We Came to America, a presentation of Carmina Burana at Carnegie Hall, YPC’s annual holiday concert at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall and more.
For additional information about YPC, please visit www.ypc.org.