The 44Th Annual Meeting of the Membership of Chorus America Wednesday, June 16, 2021, 11:30 Am EDT

The 44th Annual Meeting of the Membership of Chorus America Wednesday, June 16, 2021, 11:30 am EDT

Meeting Agenda

I. Call to Order Brian Newhouse, Chair II. Approval of Consent Agenda a. Minutes of the 2020 Annual Meeting b. Audit Report c. Programs Report III. Governance Committee Report Rollo Dilworth, Chair, Governance Committee a. Acceptance of slate of Board nominees b. Director Laureate Presentation Earl Rivers

Slate of Nominees New Board Members:

• Craig Hella Johnson, Founder and Artistic Director, Conspirare; Music Director, Vocal Arts Ensemble Cincinnati – June 2021 • Pearl Shangkuan, Professor, Director of Choral Activities, Calvin University; Chorus Master, Grand Rapids Symphony – January 2021

Board Members Re-Elected to Another Three-Year Term • Marie Bucoy-Calavan (3rd term); Director of Choral Studies, University of Akron • Rollo Dilworth (2nd term); Professor of Choral Music Education, Vice Dean, Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts Temple University • John Earls (3rd term); Board Member, May Festival Chorus; Board Chair, Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati • Rob Istad (2nd term); Professor of Music, Director of Choral Studies, CA State University Fullerton; Artistic Director, Pacific Chorale • Robyn Reeves Lana (3rd term); Founder and Artistic Director, Cincinnati Youth Choir • David Morrow (2nd term); Professor and Director of the Glee Club, Morehouse College • Steve Neiffer (2nd term); CFO, Los Angeles Master Chorale • Elizabeth Núñez (2nd term); Associate Artistic Director, Young People’s Chorus of New York City; Founding Artistic Director, SoHarmoniums Women’s Choir • Dianne Peterson (2nd term); Executive Director Emerita, The Washington Chorus • Karen P. Thomas (3rd term); Artistic Director, Seattle Pro Musica

Board Officers for FY22 • Brian Newhouse, Chair; Vice President, Individual Giving, Minnesota Orchestra (MN) • Anton Armstrong, Chair Elect; Tosdal Professor of Music at St. Olaf College (MN) • John Earls, Treasurer; Board Member, May Festival Chorus; Board Chair, Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati (OH) • Marie Bucoy-Calavan, Secretary; Director of Choral Studies, University of Akron (OH)

Minutes of the 43st Annual Meeting of the Membership of Chorus America Monday, June 15, 2020, 12:00 pm EDT

Chorus America Board Chair Brian Newhouse called the Annual Meeting to order at 12:00 pm, presenting the Consent Agenda detailing program and financial highlights of FY20 for approval.

Governance Committee Report Rollo Dilworth, Governance Committee Chair, announced that the following individuals had been elected to serve another three-year term on the Board at their meeting on June 2, 2020: • Charlie Berardesco (2nd term), Former Senior VP and General Counsel, North American Electric Reliability • Todd Estabrook (3rd term), Former Board Chair, Handel and Haydn Society • Mark Lawson (2nd term), President, ECS Publishing Group • Mary Doughty Mauch (2nd term), Conductor, Wheaton-Glen Ellyn Sounds Good Choir • Linda Moxley (2nd term), VP of Marketing and Communications, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra • Brian Newhouse (3rd term), Former Managing Director, Classical Programming, Minnesota Public Radio/American Public Media • Eugene Rogers (2nd term), Director of Choral Activities — University of Michigan

He introduced incoming Board members: • Anton Armstrong, Tosdal Professor of Music, St. Olaf College • Anne B. Keiser, Board Member/Former Chair, Choral Arts Society of Washington • Alysia Lee, Education Program Supervisor for Fine Arts Education, Maryland State Department of Education; Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Fellow; Founder and Artistic Director, Sister Cities Girlchoir • Marcela Molina, Executive and Artistic Director, Tucson Girls Chorus • Diana Sáez, Director of Choral Activities, Towson University

He recognized Board members completing their terms of service and thanked them on behalf of Chorus America: • Shawn Crouch, Composer; Assistant Professor of Practice, Theory and Composition, Frost School of Music at the University of Miami – 9 years • Joy Douglass, Retired Educator – 9 years • Catherine Peterson, Executive Director, ArtsBoston – 10 years (1 as immediate past chair) • Leonard Ratzlaff, Professor of Choral Music, University of Alberta – 9 years

He announced the Board Officers for FY21: • Chair: Brian Newhouse will continue in this role • Treasurer: John Earls will continue in this role • Secretary: Marie Bucoy-Calavan will continue in this role

Dilworth turned the meeting back over to Newhouse at the end of his report. Newhouse concluded the Annual Meeting at 12:15 pm and a Daily Sing led by María Guinand commenced immediately to begin the Chorus America 2020 Virtual Conference.

Respectfully submitted,

Marie Bucoy-Calavan Secretary

Membership Overview:

Chorus America currently has 1317 members and serves over 7,200 people through their affiliations with choruses, businesses, and other member organizations. As is true for membership organizations in general during the pandemic, our membership numbers have decreased due to the economic impact of the pandemic on choral organizations. We have prioritized keeping our community as connected as possible through pay-what-you- can pricing, which around 30% of our membership took advantage of to renew or join in our current fiscal year. We are excited about new opportunities to serve more of the choral ecosystem through our online services and evolving programs, many of which are detailed in the following program highlights.

Program Highlights for FY2021

Online Chorus Management Institute: In FY2021, Chorus America presented the expanded Online Chorus Management Institute to train chorus leaders on critical areas of nonprofit management. The Online Institute builds on Chorus America’s previous live workshops with a 19-week curriculum focused on strategic planning, governance, finance, fundraising, marketing and communications and ADEI as an overarching principle. The Institute is run on Canvas, an interactive, user-friendly learning management system. Participants receive individual and group access to faculty, assessments and quizzes to measure learning, and, upon completing the curriculum, a credential from Chorus America.

Convening Members: Prior to the pandemic, Chorus America would convene Field Meetings as opportunities for Chorus America staff to connect with local choral communities across North America, while providing networking opportunities for our members. During 2020-2021 we hosted online Member Forums, convening members virtually by chorus type (children and youth, professional, and volunteer) and by budget size. These meetings continue to be an opportunity for members to share concerns and strategies for responding to COVID-19.

ADEI Learning Lab: In May – June 2021, Chorus America presented its first, month-long Learning Lab, which covers fundamental ADEI concepts, gives participants a framework for implementing ADEI in their choruses, increases accountability within the field, and better prepares white choral leaders to be more effective allies/accomplices to BIPOC colleagues. This inaugural program sold out in two business days and included readings, videos, and facilitated group discussions. The next Learning Lab will take place in fall 2022.

Music Education Partnerships Grants: In April 2021, we received a $2 million “learning grant” from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies to help Chorus America establish a regranting program focused on expanding access to music education for under-resourced students in grades K-9. These grants to choruses in the Cargill primary geographic target areas will support partnerships with schools to leverage choral singing and music literacy to promote non-arts and cross-cultural learning, while upholding the principles of access, diversity, equity, and inclusion. This program will serve as a learning grant for both Chorus America and the foundation, and our strong intent is to build upon the lessons learned and seek continued funding to extend the program into the future.

Chorus Operations Survey and COVID-19 Impact Report: The bi-annual Chorus Operations Survey is the most comprehensive source of data available on choruses’ programming, budgeting, staffing, and other management practices. We concluded the survey in March 2020, just before COVID-19 began affecting members’ seasons and budgets but were able to use our own data in partnership with SMU DataArts to create a special report on COVID- 19’s impact on the choral field published in Fall 2020. We also conducted a Fall 2020 Chorus Survey that collected data on the impact that COVID-19 continues to have on the choral field and how choruses are operating at this point in the pandemic, with results shared at Member Forums in November.

Communications Channels: The Voice highlights important issues and news for the choral field. In the past year, Chorus America published articles such as “The Art and Science of Singing Together During the Pandemic,” “Navigating New Rights Challenges with Online Concerts,” and “Trendspotting: Choruses Look Beyond COVID.” Our blog shared advocacy updates, stories about how choruses continued to innovate during the pandemic, and important updates on our ADEI work. We also launched two video series: ChorTechs, focused on technology and COVID-19 innovation, and Rising Voices, focused on diverse voices, ADEI, anti-racism, and related topics.

Chorus America Incoming Board Members

CRAIG HELLA JOHNSON – JUNE 2021

As Conspirare’s founder and Artistic Director, Johnson assembles some of today’s finest singers to form a world-class ensemble. Johnson is also music director of the Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble and conductor emeritus of the Victoria Bach Festival. He has served as guest conductor with Austin Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Oregon Bach Festival, Harvard University and many others in Texas, the U.S. and abroad. Through these activities, as well as Conspirare’s many recordings on the internationally distributed [PIAS]harmonia mundi and Delos labels, Johnson brings national and international recognition to the Texas musical community. Beloved by audiences, lauded by critics and composers, and revered by musicians, Johnson is known for crafting musical journeys that create deep connections between performer and listener. A unique aspect of Johnson’s programming is his signature “collage” style: marrying music of many styles from classical to popular to create moving experiences. The Wall Street Journal has praised Johnson’s ability to “find the emotional essence other performers often miss.” Composer and collaborator Robert Kyr has observed that “Craig’s attitude toward creating a community of artists… goes beyond technical mastery into that emotional depth and spiritual life of the music.” A composer and arranger, Johnson works with G. Schirmer Publishing on the Craig Hella Johnson Choral Series, featuring specially selected composers as well as some of his own original compositions and arrangements. His music is also published by Alliance Music Publications. Johnson’s pieces are in high demand by choirs across the United States who also commission his work. Johnson’s accomplishments have been recognized with numerous awards and honors. Notably among them, he and Conspirare won a 2014 Grammy® for Best Choral Performance, Chorus America granted him the Michael Korn Founders Award for Development of the Professional Choral Art in 2015, and the Texas State Legislature named him Texas State Musician for 2013. Other honors have included 2008 induction into the Austin Arts Hall of Fame, Chorus America’s 2009 Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal, and the 2011 Citation of Merit from international professional music fraternity Mu Phi Epsilon. In 2019, Johnson’s choir Conspirare was recognized with the Texas Medal of the Arts. Johnson studied at St. Olaf College, the Juilliard School, and the University of Illinois, and earned his doctorate at Yale University.

PEARL SHANGKUAN – JANUARY 2021

Pearl Shangkuan is a highly sought-after conductor, lecturer and clinician who has led performances and workshops across six continents. Director of Choral Activities and Professor of Choral Music at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, she is also chorus director of the Grand Rapids Symphony, a Grammy-nominated professional orchestra. Shangkuan has a signature choral series with earthsongs and is the music editor of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Choral series, published by GIA. In 2014, she made her conducting debut at Carnegie Hall and was an invited guest lecturer at the World Symposium for Choral Music held in Seoul, South Korea. Dr. Shangkuan has also served on the jury of several international choral competitions in Europe and Asia and has led conducting masterclasses for the ACDA national conference, Chorus America, the University of Michigan and the University of Illinois Choral Conducting Symposiums among many institutions and organizations in the US. She has conducted numerous All State choirs, ACDA division honor choirs, and other honor choirs and festivals nationally and internationally, and has headlined several ACDA state conferences. She served as president of ACDA Central Division and Michigan ACDA and has commissioned and premiered numerous choral works by composers performed in concert halls around the world. Her choirs have performed at ACDA national, division and state conferences. In 2013, Michigan ACDA honored her with the Maynard Klein Choral Award for “artistic excellence and lifetime leadership in choral music.”

A student of pre-eminent late American choral conductor Dr. Joseph Flummerfelt, she received a Bachelor of Music in Church Music (summa cum laude) and Master of Music in Choral Conducting (with distinction) from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, and a DMA in Choral Conducting from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.