ACDA NATIONAL CONFERENCE MARCH 13-16, 2013 DALLAS, TEXAS PPERFORMINGERFORMING CCHOIRSHOIRS
Arlington High School Colt Chorale Varsity Men Arlington Martin High School Chamber Singers
Wednesday 8:00 pm Winspear Opera House (Gold track) Thursday 12:00 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Gold track)
Thursday 4:30 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Blue Track) Wednesday 12:00 pm Winspear Opera House (Blue Track)
The Martin Cham- ber Singers is a vocal ensemble comprised of the top students in the Martin choral program. The program has a total of 385 stu- dents involved. Among the thirty-seven mem- bers of Chamber Sing- ers, the students are The choral tradition at Arlington High School includes 320 involved in theatre, students in eight performing ensembles. The Varsity Men of band, orchestra, athlet- Colt Chorale range from fourteeen through eighteen years ics, student council, and of age. These young men are involved in AP and IB academic many different clubs on classes, ROTC, athletics, and many are employed in after- campus. Seventy-five school jobs. The Varsity Men are consistent UIL Sweepstakes percent of the students recipients and include many Texas All-State Choir members. in Chamber Singers take advanced placement courses. Colt Chorale has performed at the 2005 and 2009 Texas Martin Choirs performed at TMEA conventions in 1995, MEA Convention and the 2007 ACDA National Conference 2005, and 2008 and the 1997 and 2005 ACDA National in Miami. ACDA Conference. In 2006, Martin Chorale was selected by Carnegie Hall as one of three high school choirs to perform Dinah Menger is in her eighteenth year of at the National Youth Festival at Carnegie Hall. teaching at Arlington High School and is proud to share the duties of conducting Kay Owens has taught secondary choral the Colt Chorale Varsity Men with Mason music in public schools for thirty years. Barlow. Menger received her degree from Prior to joining the Arlington Indepen- the University of Arizona She has served dent School District in 1993, she taught on the UIL Prescribed Music Committee, elementary, junior high, and high school is President-Elect of the Texas Music Adjudicators Associa- choirs at Natchez Public Schools in Nat- tion and is the Vocal Convention Coordinator for Texas MEA. chez, Mississippi and Tupelo Public Schools Menger has served two terms as Region fi ve’s Vocal Chair. in Tupelo, Mississippi. She received a BME with emphasis in piano and voice from Mississippi State University in 1983, and Mason Barlow is in his third year as associ- an MM in choral conducting from Mississippi College in 2000. ate director of choirs at Arlington High During her tenure as the assistant director, Chamber School. He is a graduate of the University Singers performed at the 1999 Fringe Festival in Aberdeen of Texas at Arlington and serves as the Scotland, TMEA, and ACDA in 2005. Under Owens’s leader- technology chairperson and has been a ship, Martin Chorale debuted at Carnegie Hall in 2006, and region and district choir section leader for the Chorale Varsity Women performed at TMEA in 2008. Also Region Five. Menger and Barlow “team- at Martin, Owens serves as the Fine Arts Department Chair. teach” many of the choirs at Arlington High and fi nd that their combined creative teaching style builds memorable moments for their students.
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California State University - Fullerton Camerata Musica Limburg Fullerton University Singers Wednesday 4:30 pm Winspear Opera House (Gold track)
Wednesday 8:00 pm Winspear Opera House (Gold track) Wednesday 8:00 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Blue Track) Thursday 4:30 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Blue Track)
The male vocal ensemble Camerata Musica Limburg was founded in 1999 and has since been under the musical direc- tion of Jan Schumacher. The choristers looked at the formation California State University, Fullerton's University Singers, of the choir as developing their shared roots from singing with directed by Robert Istad, rank among the nation’s premiere the Limburg Cathedral Boys Choir. collegiate choral ensembles. The University Singers have The ensemble received 1st prizes at competitions in Tours performed throughout the world and regularly perform with (France), Maasmechelen (Belgium), Bremen (Germany), and a variety of professional orchestras, such as the Los Angeles in 2010 at the German National Choir Contest, which is the Philharmonic, the Pacifi c Symphony, the Hollywood Bowl most prestigious competition for German choirs. Orchestra, and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. They The ensemble has been invited to festivals and concerts all have earned praise for their work with conductors Carl St. over Europe and the world, i.e., Schubertiade Schwarzenberg, Clair, John Mauceri, John Williams, and Keith Lockhart. They movimentos or Mozarteum Argentino. In 2011, the Camerata have been invited to perform at conferences organized by Musica Limburg was invited to be a guest choir at the 9th ACDA and the MENC. They have sung at the Liszt Academy World Symposium of Choral Music in Argentina. of Music in Budapest, Hungary, for UNESCO in Pisa, Italy, and at the Ottobeuren and Eingen Festivals of Music in Germany. Jan Schumacher received his initial musical Robert Istad is associate professor of mu- education at the Limburger Domsing- sic and director of choral studies at Cali- knaben and in the youth choir of state fornia State University, Fullerton. He has Rheinland-Pfalz. He studied music educa- prepared choruses for Gustavo Dudamel tion and German language at Mainz, choral and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Carl conducting with W. Schäfer in Frankfurt, St. Clair and the Pacifi c Symphony, Keith and took courses with R. Sund, G. Grün, Lockhart and the Boston Pops Esplanade and S. Halsey. Orchestra, and for conductors Esa–Pekka Salonen, Bramwell Schumacher teaches choral conducting at the music acad- Tovey, Marin Alsop, Sir Andrew Davis, Nicholas McGegan, emies in Freiburg and Rottenburg and is conductor of the John Williams, John Mauceri, Giancarlo Guerrero, and Robert university choir in Darmstadt, where he conducts the big choir Moody. Istad received his BA in music from Augustana College symphonic repertoire (Beethoven’s masses, Haydn’s Creation, in Rock Island, Illinois, his MM in choral conducting from CSU Mendelssohn’s St. Paul, Verdi’s Requiem, and Brahms’s Requiem. Fullerton, and his DMA in choral music at the University of Schumacher has worked in all fi elds of choral music: from Southern California. high level unaccompanied programs (including commissioned works written for him and his ensembles) to preparing choirs for Mahler’s 2nd and 8th Symphony, Baroque opera or con- temporary music to musicals by Loewe or operetta by Of- fenbach to choir theatre or choir improvisation and concerts
18 CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 6 ACDA NATIONAL CONFERENCE MARCH 13-16, 2013 DALLAS, TEXAS PPERFORMINGERFORMING CCHOIRSHOIRS with choir and big band. He served for choirs, workshops, and Festival. She has received awards from the NEA, Chorus singing weeks all around Europe, Argentina, Turkey, Iceland, and America, the American Academy & Institute, Meet the Com- Venezuela. He is a member of the board and the music com- poser, and ASCAP, among others. Her conducting has received mission of the European Choral Association—Europa Cantat. critical acclaim for its “integrity and high purpose” and she has been lauded for her “charismatic...magnetic podium presence.”
Chroma, the Women’s Ensemble Crystal Children’s Choir of Seattle Pro Musica Thursday 2:30 pm Winspear Opera House (Gold track) Friday 8:00 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Gold track) Wednesday 4:30 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Blue Track) Thursday 8:00 Winspear Opera House (Blue Track)
Chroma, the Women’s En- semble of Seattle Pro Musica, is a critically acclaimed choral ensemble conducted by Karen P. Thomas. Crystal Children’s Choir was founded in 1994. Its mission The ensembles of is to strive for excellence in choral music and blend the best Seattle Pro Musica of Eastern and Western musical tradition. More than 1,000 have appeared on choristers from San Francisco Bay Area in California partici- NPR’s Saint Paul pate in this program. The choir has expanded to include 400 Sunday, are ranked choristers in Taiwan and 100 choristers in Beijing, China. by American Record The choir has toured Asia, Australia, Europe, and North Guide as “among America, and performed at prestigious venues including Carn- America’s very egie Hall, St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican, Sydney Opera House, best choirs,” and have garnered international praise for CDs Beijing Concert Hall, and Taipei National Concert Hall. Crystal and performances. aspires to be a cultural ambassador in choral music, with an Chroma specializes in early and contemporary music for emphasis on Chinese folk songs. women’s voices. They perform music from around the globe in dozens of languages, and have appeared at international fes- Karl Chang is the founding director of two tivals such as the World Festival of Women’s Singing, Canada’s choirs in Silicon Valley, California. He is the Festival Vancouver, American Guild of Organists conventions, president of Crystal Children’s Choir. Un- and ACDA NW division conferences. der his leadership, the choir has received The Seattle PI has praised the group’s “crystalline textures invitations to perform at many national and precise musicality” and “provocative and evocative” pro- and international choral conventions, and gramming. The Sun Break says: “It’s no accident that this choir was recognized for its outstanding perfor- is considered one of the best in the country.” mance of repertoire rich in cultural diversity. Chang has been the director of the Ching Ching Chorus for thirty-one years. Karen P. Thomas, artistic director and con- Chang holds an EdD of leadership and management from ductor, has guest conducted at internation- St. Thomas University in Miami, an MBA from Santa Clara al festivals in Europe and North America, University in California, and an MS in engineering from the and has lectured and presented sessions University of Texas. His passion for choral music has led him for ACDA conferences, Chorus America, to pursue his lifelong dream in children’s music education. the American Guild of Organists, Seattle Symphony, and the Alliance International
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Dr. Phillips High School Cora Bella southern division conferences. She has served as the Florida Vocal Association district chairman, all-county honor choir Friday 2:00 pm Winspear Opera House (Gold track) chairman, and on the Orange County choral leadership team.
Saturday 11:00 am Meyerson Symphony Center (Blue Track) Fairview High School Age of Guinevere
March 14th Jazz Night (Open to Both Tracks) Thursday 7:00 pm Majestic Theater
Cora Bella is the advanced women’s chorus at Dr. Phillips High School (DPHS) in Orlando, FL. An auditioned ensemble comprised of tenth through twelfth grade ladies, Cora Bella sings a diverse body of repertoire, covering many styles of music from throughout history and around the world. One of seven choirs at DPHS, this ensemble works to develop ad- vanced musicianship, excellent vocal technique, and expressive Age of Guinevere is Fairview High School’s elite female performance, with a focus on personal development. Cora vocal jazz ensemble consisting of nineteen women. Added Bella has previously performed at ACDA Florida and ACDA to the Fairview curriculum only four years ago, Age of Guine- Southern division conferences. vere has already been chosen to perform at the Colorado Music Educators Association annual conference and also won Andrew Minear is in his sixth year as choral 2011 Downbeat Award for Large Jazz Groups. At Fairview, director at Dr. Phillips High School. Previ- Age of Guinevere performs in four school choral concerts, ous teaching and choral directing experi- at the South Boulder Area Festival, and the Pop Show. Every ence includes middle school, children’s year, members of Age of Guinevere are selected to sing in choir, community choir, and youth and Colorado All-State Choir and Colorado All-State Jazz Choir. adult church choirs. Minear has served as the Florida ACDA R&S Chair for Women’s Janice Vlachos received her BM from Choirs, Senior High Choirs, and Children’s Choirs, District Belmont University in Nashville in 1992, Chair for the Florida Vocal Association, and has coordinated where she studied choral conducting district and state honor choirs. Choirs under his direction have under Timothy Sharp. She is currently performed for the FMEA, ACDA Florida, and ACDA southern enjoying her twentieth year as a high division conferences. He is a frequent honor choir clinician, school choral director, during which time conference presenter, and adjudicator. Minear received his eleven groups under her direction have BME and MME from the Florida State University. been selected to sing at the CMEA annual conference. She returned home to Fairview High School in 2005, where her Sandy Hinkley is the associate choral direc- love of music originally began as a student, and later student tor at Dr. Phillips High School. She received teacher, of Ron Revier. Vlachos is a member of CMEA, JEN, and her BME from the Florida State University ACDA,and has served as the Colorado ACDA R&S chair for and MME from the University of Central high school and women’s choirs. She is currently serving as the Florida. Hinkley has extensive teaching ex- ACDA Southwest Division R&S Chair for Women’s Literature. perience at the middle school level, where At Fairview, Vlachos directs fi ve choirs, serves as the fi ne arts she was selected as Teacher of the Year. chairperson, and is director/producer of the annual musical. She has conducted choirs at FMEA, ACDA Florida, and ACDA
20 CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 6 ACDA NATIONAL CONFERENCE MARCH 13-16, 2013 DALLAS, TEXAS PPERFORMINGERFORMING CCHOIRSHOIRS
First United Methodist Church Chancel Choir, Dallas
Music in Worship Concert WhoWho aandnd WWhathat iiss tthehe (Open to Both Tracks) AmericanAmerican ChoralChoral Thursday 2:00 pm Cathedral de Guadelupe DirectorsDirectors AAssociation?ssociation? Thursday 4:30 pm Cathedral de Guadelupe
The First Church Chancel Choir sings each Sunday dur- ing the 11:00 worship service at the First United Methodist Church in the Arts District of downtown Dallas. In addition, it provides music for seasonal services throughout the year, and regularly performs major choral works with orchestra. All of the singers are volunteer. They have toured to England, Canada, Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy, and France giving concerts in such hallowed sacred spaces as St. Paul’s Cathe- dral in London, Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, St. Nicholas Church in Old Town Prague, and Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Dana Effler is the director of music and arts ministries at First United Methodist Church of Dallas (FUMC), where she administers a comprehensive fi ne arts program including the Goodrich Gallery, the Rotunda Theatre Series, a fully graded choir and handbell program, and the Altar WWee aarere a non-profitnon-profit oorganizationrganization Guild. At FUMC Effl er directs the Chancel Choir, First Men’s Chorus, First Women’s Chorus, Vox Nova Chamber Choir, wwhosehose goalgoal isis toto ppromoteromote and the Variations Youth Choir. She holds a BME from Fur- eexcellencexcellence iinn cchoralhoral mmusic.usic. man University and masters in choral conducting and vocal performance from Southern Methodist University. Other professional pursuits include her work as a singer, guest con- MMembershipembership informationinformation isis availableavailable ductor, workshop clinician, and teacher for such organizations as ACDA, TCDA, Choristers Guild, and The Fellowship of oonn ourour WebWeb sitesite atat <
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Florida State University Singers Division and is looking forward to the 2014 Southern Divi- sion Conference that will take place in the Jacoby Music Hall Saturday 1:30 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Gold track) in Jacksonville Florida.
Friday 4:30 pm Winspear Opera House (Blue Track) Fullerton College Chamber Singers
Saturday 1:30 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Gold track)
Friday 4:30 pm Winspear Opera House (Blue Track)
The Florida State University Singers, founded in 1948 by Wiley Housewright, is the premier undergraduate touring choir at Florida State University. University Singers has per- formed with several remarkable musicians, including Simon Halsey, Kristof Penderecki, Bobby McFerrin, Sir David Willcocks, Aaron Copland and Robert Shaw. Additionally, University Sing- ers has frequently performed at ACDA national and division Fullerton College Chamber Singers is under the direction conferences, including the 2007 ACDA National Conference of John Tebay, who has been the director of choral studies at in Miami. Recent tours have included performances through- Fullerton College since 1985. The thirty-two-voice ensemble out the southeastern United States, Europe, and in 2007, for has performed throughout the western United States, the the National Association of Choral Directors of China in Pacifi c Northwest, the East Coast, Canada, Mainland China, the Beijing. Throughout their sixty-fi ve-year history, several distin- United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, and Austria. They have been guished conductors have led the University Singers, including a featured choir at ACDA conferences. They have also com- Walter James, Joseph Flummerfelt, Clayton Krehbiel, André peted at the International Eisteddfod Music Festival Competi- Thomas, and the current conductor, Kevin Fenton who has tion in Wales, the Seghizzi International Choral Competition in led the choir since 2000. Gorizia, Italy, the California International Choral Competition in San Luis Obispo, California, and The Singkreis International Kevin Fenton is professor of choral con- Choral Competition in Spittal Austria. ducting and ensembles at The Florida State University. Choirs under his direction have John Tebay began his career in 1981 as the been invited to perform for ten ACDA, choral director at El Dorado High School CMS, and MENC conferences, including in Placentia, California. He has been direc- the Festival Singers of Florida performance tor of choral studies at Fullerton College at the 2012 ACDA Southern Division in Southern California, since 1985. During Conference in Winston Salem, NC. A champion of new music, that time he has conducted the 120-voice Fenton has conducted twenty premiere performances, includ- Concert Choir, the Chamber Singers, the ing Dan Forrest’s Long, Long Ago; Jeffrey Ames’s I Can Feel the Collegiate Chorale, the Men’s Chorale, the Women’s Chorale, Spirit; Eric Barnum’s In Paradisum; Sydney Guilliame’s Au-Déla the Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and the song and dance troupe, Bravo. du Chagrin; and Clifton Callender’s Reasons to Learne to Sing. Tebay’s choirs have performed throughout the United States Fenton has conducted honor choirs in thirty-six states, includ- and Canada. They have performed at ACDA conferences, and ing twenty all-state honor choirs. Additionally, he is a recipient have been a guest choir in Mainland China, performing with of the Gamma Mu Chapter of Delta Omicron Music Profes- the Beijing University Symphony and the Shanghi University sor of the Year Award and the FSU Award for Excellence in Symphony. Teaching. His textbook Foundations of Choral Conducting has Tebay has conducted honor choirs throughout California been adopted by universities throughout the United States. including the Northern, Coastal and Central Regional Honor Fenton currently serves as president of ACDA’s Southern Choirs for California ACDA.
22 CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 6 ACDA NATIONAL CONFERENCE MARCH 13-16, 2013 DALLAS, TEXAS PPERFORMINGERFORMING CCHOIRSHOIRS
Highland Park Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir Houston Chamber Choir Friday 4:30 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Gold track) Saturday 10:30 am Winspear Opera House (Gold track) Friday 8:00 pm Winspear Opera House (Blue Track) Friday 2:00 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Blue Track)
The Houston Chamber Choir is a professional ensemble Since its founding in 1926, the Highland Park Presbyterian at the forefront of choral music in the United States. Dave Church has placed a strong emphasis on the importance of Brubeck, Peter Schickele, Bill McGlaughlin, Joseph Flummerfelt, music in worship. The church’s principle ensemble, the Chancel Peter Phillips, Reinbert de Leeuw and Jamie Bernstein are just Choir, serves its faith community in more than 100 worship some of the artists with whom the ensemble has collaborated. services each year by contributing congregational hymns, It has commissioned new works from Christopher Theofanidis, responses, and anthems; singing for weddings and funerals; David Ashley White, Anthony Brandt, and Dominick DiOrio. and leading annual Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Holy The Houston Chamber Choir has toured internationally from Week services. Additionally, the Chancel Choir performs four Mexico to Wales and appeared nationally at conventions of concerts of oratorios with the Highland Park Orchestra each The American Choral Directors Association, Chorus America, season. Recent tour performances include Haydn’s Lord Nel- and most recently at Trinity Wall Street in New York and Yale son Mass and Mozart’s Requiem at the Vienna Konzerthaus and University. Its 2009 recording of nineteenth and twentieth Brahms’s Ein deutsches Requiem at Carnegie Hall. Comprised century Russian secular choral music, Ravishingly Russian, was of singers from all walks of life and various levels of musical greeted with glowing reviews: “Ravishing is right” (Gramo- experience, the Chancel Choir is a non-auditioned ensemble phone) and “The singing is top-of-the-line” (American Record that has a weekly 150-minute rehearsal. Guide). In 2012, the ensemble released the world premiere recording of Psalmi ad Vesperas by late seventeenth century George Gregory Hobbs has been the Italian composer Giovanni Paolo Colonna. director of music at Highland Park Pres- byterian Church since 2005. He conducts Robert Simpson is the founder and artistic the church’s Chancel Choir, the Highland director of the Houston Chamber Choir, Park Chorale, and the Highland Park Or- the professional ensemble he established chestra; administrates a large church music in 1996. With an extensive background ministry; and serves as artistic director of in sacred music from his years directing the Highlander Concert Series. His educational background music programs at St. Luke’s Cathedral in includes degrees from Florida State University and North- Orlando, St. Philip’s Cathedral in Atlanta, western University, where his dissertation focused on the and currently Houston’s historic Christ Church Cathedral, choral-orchestral compositions of Anton Bruckner. Hobbs Simpson has a broad interest in musical projects ranging has served on the faculty of Florida International University, from Early Music to new works and commissions from some and led church music programs in Florida, Georgia, and Illinois. of today’s leading composers. In 2010, Chorus America rec- ognized Simpson’s achievements by presenting him with The Michael Korn Founders Award for the Development of the Professional Choral Art. After graduating with honors from
CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 6 23 2013 ACDA NATIONAL CONFERENCE PREVIEW
Brown University and the school of sacred music at Union munity youth choral music world. Highlighted performances Theological Seminary in New York City, Simpson continued include at the 2008 ACDA Central Division Conference in his education at the Cologne Conservatory of Music. Further Grand Rapids, regional music conventions, St. Peter’s Basilica, studies took him to Stockholm, Sweden, where he spent an Vatican Rome and Town Hall, Australia. The ICC, founded extended sabbatical coaching with Eric Ericcson and Gustaf by Henry Leck is one of the world’s largest and most dis- Sjorkvist. Simpson teaches conducting and church music at tinguished choral and music education programs for young The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. people.
Cheryl Eisele West conducts the Indianapo- Indianapolis Youth Chorale lis Youth Chorale (IYC). In addition to her work with the IYC, West is adjunct associ- ate professor at Butler University Jordan Wednesday 8:00 pm Winspear Opera House (Gold track) College School of Arts and the University Thursday 4:30 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Blue Track) of Indianapolis School of Music, teaching in the areas of music education, choral conducting, studio piano, and voice and mentoring student teachers. Since 2004, West has traveled extensively as a consultant for The National Bureau of Education and Research. Through this organization, West has authored two choral resource books, Current Best Strategies for Strengthening Your School Choral Program and Accelerating Success for your School Choral Music Program.
Iowa State Cantamus
Under the direction of Cheryl West, the Indianapolis Youth Saturday 10:30 am Winspear Opera House (Gold track) Chorale (IYC) is the high school, mixed choral ensemble of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir (ICC). The Youth Chorale Friday 2:00 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Blue Track) consists of ninety auditioned singers representing thirty-nine schools in Indiana. Rehearsals are held once a week during the Cantamus school year. Music education plays an essential role in the IYC Women’s Choir experience as it was created in does throughout 2000, and is one of the ICC program. four major choral The ensemble ensembles at Iowa has toured wide- State University. ly including trips They come from to North and many fi elds of study South America, across campus and Europe, Australia, all share an enthusi- and New Zea- asm for new and challenging repertoire, along with a love for land. They have adventurous programming. Recent commissions include works performed in a by Pietro Ferrario, Ko Matsushita, Levente Gyongyosi, Abbie variety of pro- Betinis, Eric Barnum, and Nathaniel Adams. Cantamus annually fessional settings presents a four-concert season, which includes a tour and a helping to set a choral-orchestral masterworks concert. Cantamus performed standard of excel- at the 2004 and 2010 ACDA North Central Division Confer- lence in the com- ences and the 2004 National MENC/NAfME Convention.
24 CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 6 ACDA NATIONAL CONFERENCE MARCH 13-16, 2013 DALLAS, TEXAS PPERFORMINGERFORMING CCHOIRSHOIRS
Kathleen Rodde, a member of the music at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington, faculty at Iowa State University since 2000, rounds out the quartet. conducts two women’s choirs, Cantamus Ranging far afi eld, from reggae, gospel/funk, and bluegrass, and the 100-voice Lyrica, in addition to to classical choral, calypso, swing, and hymn tunes, they happily Count Me In, a women’s jazz ensemble. expand the parameters of unaccompanied vocal group singing, She also teaches classes in choral methods while retaining their love for spontaneous vocal improvisation and piano skills, and assists with the Iowa and their signature collective sense of humor. Since putting State Singers. Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma Honor their quartet together, Just 4 Kicks has become a staple at jazz Societies have recognized Rodde for her positive infl uence on festivals, clinics, and concerts throughout the United States students at Iowa State. and Canada. Rodde has appeared as a conductor, accompanist, and presenter at ACDA division and national conferences and MENC/NAfME conferences. She has served as the ACDA North Central Division R&S Chair for Women’s Choirs. Kennesaw State University Men’s Ensemble Choirs under her direction performed at the 2000, 2004, and Saturday 1:30 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Gold track) 2010 ACDA North Central Division Conferences, and at the 2004 National MENC Convention. Recent guest conducting Friday 4:30 pm Winspear Opera House (Blue Track) engagements include all-state choirs in Minnesota and Wis- consin. From 1990 to 2000, Rodde served as a member of the University of North Dakota music faculty.
Just 4 Kicks March 14th Jazz Night (Open to Both Tracks) Thursday 7:00 pm Majestic Theater The Kennesaw State University (KSU) Men’s Ensemble, formed in 2000, is a non-auditioned choir open to all students, Just 4 Kicks is an un- including music majors and non-majors from across the cam- accompanied vocal jazz pus. Ranging from freshmen to seniors, the choir represents quartet. Four uniquely a variety of musical backgrounds and academic disciplines. In talented and musically 2007, the KSU Men’s Ensemble was featured at the Georgia successful vocalists from MEA Conference presentation “Men … Can’t Live with Them, the West Coast, each with Can’t Sing without Them!” More recently, the KSU Men’s independent careers in the Ensemble performed at the 2012 Georgia MEA Conference music industry, were thrust in Savannah, Georgia. In the summer of 2013, the KSU Men’s together at several North- Ensemble will be featured at the American Choral Directors west jazz festivals in 1993, Association State Conference at Spivey Hall. and a quartet emerged! Just 4 Kicks’s Kirby Shaw, Leslie J. Blackwell is the director of choral from Ashland, Oregon, activities and associate professor of music is one of the most well- and music education at Kennesaw State known choral and vocal jazz composers/arrangers of our time. University where she has directed choral Randy Crenshaw is among the fi rst-call studio singers and activities since 1998. Her duties include arrangers in Los Angeles. Four Freshmen alumnus Kirk Marcy conducting the KSU Chorale, KSU Men’s directs the internationally-acclaimed vocal jazz ensemble Ensemble, and KSU Chamber Singers, in Soundsation at Edmonds Community College, just north of addition to teaching advanced choral conducting and litera- Seattle. Vijay Singh, widely known for his versatility as a com- ture. A native of Georgia, Blackwell received a BM in music poser, arranger, soloist, and director of the vocal jazz program education from West Georgia College (1984), an MM from
CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 6 25 22013013 ACDAACDA NATIONALNATIONAL CONFERENCECONFERENCE PRREVIEWEVIEW
Georgia State University (1991), and a DMA from the Uni- performed at state, regional, national, and international festivals. versity of Kentucky (2002). Choirs under Blackwell’s direction Monkelien has presented sessions at PMEA, ACDA, and IAJE have performed at numerous Georgia MEA state conventions conferences, guest conducted district and all-county vocal jazz and ACDA state and division conferences. Recognized for her ensembles in Pennsylvania and New York, conducted the 2007 work with men’s voices, Blackwell served six seasons as the Pennsylvania All-State Vocal Jazz Ensemble, the 2010 ACDA artistic director of the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus and will be Eastern Division Jazz Honor Choir. Her research paper “The the conductor for the 2013 Georgia All-State Men’s Chorus. Infl uence of Phil Mattson on Vocal Jazz Education in America” was published in IAJE’s 2004 Jazz Research Proceedings Year- book. Monkelien has served as the ACDA-PA and the ACDA Mansfi eld University Mansfi eldians Eastern Division Repertoire and Standards Chair for Vocal Jazz.
March 15th Jazz Night (Open to Both Tracks) Marcus High School Varsity Treble Choir Friday 8:30 pm Majestic Theater Wednesday 12:00 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Gold track)
Thursday 12:00 pm Winspear Opera House (Blue Track)
Marcus High School, a TEA Recognized School, serves The Mansfi eldians are a select vocal jazz ensemble of approximately 3200 students in grades nine through twelve. eight singers, under the direction of Sheryl Monkelien. They Marcus is part of the Lewisville Independent School District performed at the 2006 Vocal Jazz Festival at Carnegie Hall located in Denton County approximately thirty miles north of with Phil Mattson, and performed at the 2010 ACDA Eastern downtown Dallas. The Marcus Varsity Treble choir is the top- Division Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They were performing choir out of three treble choirs and one of fi ve named World Champions in the Jazz Vocal Unaccompanied choirs offered during the accelerated block school day. Mem- Category at the 2008 World Choir Games in Graz, Austria. bers of this choir are consistently selected to all region and With the MU Jazz Ensemble, they have performed through- Texas all state choirs. The Marcus Treble Choir performed at out Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, the 2012 Texas Music Educators Association Convention and and New Jersey, and toured Scotland and England in 2012. is part of the 2012 ACDA Women’s Commission Consortium. Together they have released several CDs—Hourglass, Smack Dab in the Middle, and On A Clear Day to be released in 2013. Jason Dove has been a public school music teacher since 1996. He is currently in his Sheryl Monkelien is currently professor seventh year as director of choral activities of music education and director of vocal at Marcus High School. While at Marcus, jazz at Mansfi eld University in Mansfi eld, Dove’s Varsity Mixed Choir was named Pennsylvania. She received degrees from a National Winner in the 2008 Choice Iowa State University, the University of Music Events Choral Honors Project. In Nebraska-Lincoln, and has studied at the addition, the Marcus Varsity Treble Choir performed for the Phil Mattson School of Music in Spokane, 2012 TMEA Convention. His students have been consistently Washington. selected to Texas all-region and all-state choirs. He earned a She is a vocal jazz clinician and conductor. Her groups have BME with honors from the University of Louisville. He holds
26 CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 6 ACDA NATIONAL CONFERENCE MARCH 13-16, 2013 DALLAS, TEXAS PPERFORMINGERFORMING CCHOIRSHOIRS memberships in the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas currently serves on the PML Committee. Benton has had the Music Adjudicators Association, Texas Choral Directors As- distinct privilege to travel to Uganda, Africa, in 2007 to teach sociation and ACDA. the well-known Mwangaza Children’s choir. Benton takes 4 choirs to UIL each year. All her choirs have consistently earned sweepstakes. Her students participate heavily in All-Region auditions and TCDA Honor Choirs. Ben- Midway Middle School Combined Boys Choir ton’s professional affi liations include TMEA, TCDA, and ACDA. Thursday 12:00 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Gold track) Wednesday 12:00 pm Winspear Opera House (Blue Track) Mormon Choral Organizations Saturday 6:30 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Open to Both Tracks)
Boys Choir is a very popular elective choice at Midway Middle School. This ensemble has never received anything less than Sweepstakes at UIL Contest under the direction of Currently in its sixth season, Mormon Choral Organiza- Tammy Benton. They carry a high profi le and strong tradition tions (MCO) has more than 2,000 performers from Arizona at Midway and around the state. The choir always draws high and Southern California each season. Each MCO concert is accolades from adjudicators in concert and the sightreading performed in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall room. The singers are involved in all aspects of student life on in California, and the Mesa Arts Center in Arizona. Among the both the Midway campus and their community. They are also organization’s accomplishments, its second album, the origi- very active in All-Region Choir as well as TCDA Honor Choir. nal oratorio Messiah in America, debuted no. 1 on Billboard This ensemble performed at the 2005 and 2011 Texas Magazine’s Traditional Classical chart last year. Music Educators Association Conventions. They were also honored to perform for the 2005 White House Christmas Brandon Stewart studied piano, voice, and in Washington, DC. This will be the Combined Boys’ Choirs’ choral music at BYU, where he graduated fi rst invitation to perform for an ACDA national conference. with a BM in piano performance. He re- ceived his MM in piano performance from Tammy Benton began her choral experi- The Juilliard School, with cognate studies ence as a high school student in Midland in choral conducting and chamber music. Lee choirs under the direction of Doug His mentors include Jerome Lowenthal, Brown. She graduated from Baylor Uni- Stephen Clapp, Judith Clurman, Irene Peery-Fox, Clayne Ro- versity School of Music in 1997 earning a bison, Rosalind Hall, Ronald Staheli, Ted Reid, and Susan Bana. BME in voice. While at Baylor, she studied voice with Lynda Keith McKnight and John Brett Stewart studied piano and choral Van Cura and piano pedagogy with Jane Abbott-Kirk. She was music at Chapman University, then at a member of Baylor A Cappella Choir under the direction of BYU, where he graduated with a BM in Donald Bailey and also sang in Baylor 21 under Hugh Sanders. piano performance. He received his MM She returned to Baylor in 2011 to pursue her MME. in choral conducting from California State Benton has served as TMEA and TCDA clinician from 2004 University, Long Beach, and his DMA in to present. In the past she has served on the TMAC/TMEA choral conducting (ABD), with cognate committee aligning the Texas music education curriculum. She studies in composition, from the University of Cincinnati, Col-
CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 6 27 22013013 ACDAACDA NATIONALNATIONAL CONFERENCECONFERENCE PRREVIEWEVIEW
lege-Conservatory of Music. His mentors include Earl Rivers, Australian National Choral Association Convention in Port Stephen Coker, Dale Warland, Shawn Okpebholo, Jonathan Macquarie, along with numerous tours throughout the United Talberg, Ronald Staheli, Rosalind Hall, Jeffrey Shumway, William States. Hall, Joseph Matthews, Mack Wilberg, Ted Reid, and Susan Bana. While performing at the 2007 International Musical Ei- steddfod Competition in Wales, the Chamber Singers received more awards than any choir in the history of the competition; including fi rst place awards in the Youth Choir, Folksong Choir, Mount San Antonio College Chamber Singers and Mixed Choir categories and then won the Pavarotti Trophy Saturday 10:30 am Winspear Opera House (Gold track) and the title of Choir of the World. Their tour of Europe in 2003 included winning the “Grand Prix Choir Competition” Friday 2:00 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Blue Track) in Varna, Bulgaria.
Bruce Rogers’s choirs have won numerous awards and fi rst place honors at com- petitions throughout the United States, Europe, and China, along with present- ing headline performances in Australia and Canada. He has presented lectures, adjudicated, and conducted all-state and collegiate honor choirs in twenty-one states, Canada, Austria, Hungary, Australia, and the Netherlands. Rogers has conducted the New York Chamber Orchestra and Festival Chorus at Carnegie Hall on fi ve occasions, and was invited to conduct the The Mt. San Antonio College Chamber Singers have been Two-Year College Honor Choir at the 2007 ACDA National extremely active during their nineteen years of existence, Conference in Miami, Florida. winning numerous awards and receiving special performance For his many achievements, Mt. San Antonio College pre- invitations, including; seven ACDA national and division confer- sented Rogers with its “Faculty Member of the Year” award and ences, numerous California state conventions, four European the Upland Community Foundation honored him as a recipient tours with performances in Germany, the Czech Republic, of their 2010 “Spotlight Award" for Outstanding Educator. He Austria, the British Isles, Bulgaria, and Italy, headliners at the has also signed with Gentry Music to publish the Bruce Rogers Canadian Rocky Mountain Music Festival in Banff and the Choral Series.
Over the years I have been fortunate to have been invited to conduct various honor choirs in the UnitedPractical States and Teaching abroad. Ideas Several for years Todays ago, Music in preparation Educator to guest conduct, I made a list of some of the choral concepts I had compiled during ehearsals so student theCHOR course of my EACH teaching career. I present these concepts in rehearsals so students ake them back hom can apply them to the festival music and, more importantly, take them back home Available to members on
and28 creditCHORAL all JOURNAL the mentors Volume 53 Numberand colleagues 6 who have shared their ideas and expertise with me over the years. I do hope the following list will be helpful as you share the ACDA NATIONAL CONFERENCE MARCH 13-16, 2013 DALLAS, TEXAS PPERFORMINGERFORMING CCHOIRSHOIRS
New Trier High School Vocal Jazz Ensemble Pacifi c Lutheran University Choir of the West
March 14th Jazz Night Friday 4:30 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Gold track) (Open to Both Tracks) Friday 8:00 pm Winspear Opera House (Blue Track) Thursday 7:00 pm Majestic Theater
The Choir of the West is the premier choral ensemble of New Trier’s Vocal Jazz Ensemble (VJE) is the most ad- the department of music at Pacifi c Lutheran University (PLU). vanced, and only curricular, vocal jazz ensemble at New Trier Choir of the West has a rich history of domestic touring, High School. In 2007, they contributed to the recording that and every four years travels abroad. The Choir of the West resulted in the National Grammy Signature School Award has been selected to appear at several ACDA and NAfME for the New Trier Music Department and, later in that year, conferences. The choir has performed in Japan, Scandinavia, recorded a song which won an Honorary Recognition Award and Europe. In 2011, Choir of the West won two gold and as an entry for the theme song for the 2008 Winter Olympics one silver award at the Harmonie Festival, held in Limburg- in Beijing. In 2009, VJE premiered a commissioned arrange- Lindenholzhausen, Germany. ment by Darmon Meader and had the opportunity to work with him on the chart. More recently, VJE had the honor of Richard Nance is the director of choral performing at the second annual Jazz Education Network activities at Pacifi c Lutheran University, Conference in New Orleans in January of 2011. where he has worked since 1992. At PLU, Nance conducts the Choir of Nathan Landes teaches choir and music the West, Choral Union, and teaches theory at New Trier High School, where classes in choral conducting. Nance holds he is the director of the Vocal Jazz En- bachelors and masters degrees from semble (VJE). He received his BME and West Texas State University and a DMA from Arizona State MME from the University of Illinois at University. He has studied conducting with Hugh Sanders, Urbana-Champaign. In addition to teach- Douglas McEwen, and David Stocker, and composition with ing and conducting at New Trier, Landes Joseph Nelson and Randall Shinn. Nance is an active member has prepared high school honor choruses to sing with the of ACDA and has held many state and division offi ces. Nance’s Elgin Symphony Orchestra and guest conducted at various choirs have toured Europe on six occasions. He is widely festivals and events in the area. He also served as the Vocal recognized for his choral arrangements and compositions. In Jazz Representative for his Illinois MEA district for three years. 2002, Nance was selected to compose the Raymond Brock As a singer, Landes performed with the Chicago Symphony Memorial Composition for ACDA. Chorus for seven years. He is also a Fulbright-Hayes Scholar having participated in the Seminars Abroad program in South Africa during the summer of 2003.
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Palmetto Voices thedral, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, the Lincoln Center, SCMEA, MENC, at an ACDA Southern division conference, Music in Worship Concert and at an ACDA national conference. She sang with the Rob- (Open to Both Tracks) ert Shaw Festival Chorus for eight years and is in demand as adjudicator, clinician, and presenter on the spiritual. Thursday 2:00 pm Cathedral de Guadelupe Thursday 4:30 pm Cathedral de Guadelupe Asia Pacifi c Youth Choir Tuesday 7:00 pm Winspear Opera House (Open to Both Tracks)
Parker Elementary School's Advanced Chorus
Thursday 2:30 pm Winspear Opera House (Gold track)
Wednesday 4:30 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Blue Track) The Palmetto Voices are made up of alumni of Sonja Sepúlveda from Salem College Choirs of Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Brewton-Parker College Concert Choir of Mount Vernon, Georgia; Western Kentucky University Wom- en’s Choir of Bowling Green, Kentucky; Carolina Alive of the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina; and graduates of Sumter High and the Sumter High Concert Choir. The choir performed at the 2009 South Carolina Music Parker Elementary School’s Advanced Chorus is part of Educators Conference, combined with the Brewton-Parker the 37 year old music magnet program at Parker Elemen- Concert choir in the summer of 2010 to sing a solo concert at tary School, a Houston Independent School District (HISD) Carnegie Hall, sang a solo concert with composer Eric Whita- Magnet School for Music. Its excellence has been recognized cre in 2011, was the demonstration choir for Sepulveda’s by the National GRAMMY® Foundation which named it a presentation on the spiritual at the 2012 Southern Division Signature Elementary School of the Year in 2002. ACDA Conference, and was invited to sing at the American Under the direction of Marianna Parnas-Simpson, Parker’s Music Festival in Colombia. Chorus was selected to perform at the 2003, 2005, and 2012 Texas Music Educators Association Conventions in San Anto- Sonja Sepúlveda is director of choral nio. Parker’s chorus was the only elementary school chorus activities and theory at Salem College in invited to perform at the 2007 ACDA National Convention Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where in Miami and received standing ovations. she conducts the Salem Chamber Choir, Chorale, and SuperTonics. Before coming Marianna Parnas-Simpson, alto, graduated to Salem, she taught at Western Kentucky with a masters degree in choral conduct- University in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and ing from the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Brewton Parker College in Mt. Vernon, Georgia. Graduating Russia. She founded the award winning St. from Winthrop University with a BME and an MM, Sepúlveda Petersburg Girls Choir, Kamerton, which earned a DMA from the University of South Carolina and she directed for ten years before coming studied with Larry Wyatt and Carol Krueger. While working to the United States. Since 1999, she has on her doctorate at USC, she conducted Carolina Alive and taught at Parker Elementary School, a Houston ISD magnet the Renaissance Singers. school for music. In 2005, she was named Teacher of the Year Sepúlveda’s choirs have performed for the National Ca- by her fellow teachers at Parker Elementary. Her choirs were selected to perform at TMEA, OAKE and ACDA National
30 CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 6 ACDA NATIONAL CONFERENCE MARCH 13-16, 2013 DALLAS, TEXAS PPERFORMINGERFORMING CCHOIRSHOIRS
Conferences multiple times. She directs the Treble Choir at the Christ Church Cathedral in Houston, TX. From 2008–2010 Simpson served as artistic director of the summer program for the American Boy Choir in Princeton, NJ.
Plano Senior High School A Cappella Choir
Wednesday 12:00 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Gold track) Choir is a very dedicated group of 100 musicians who meet (Blue Track) Thursday 12:00 pm Winspear Opera House for 3 hours a week during the school day to learn and perform post-collegiate repertoire and to compete in the UIL and vari- The Plano Senior High School (PSHS) A Cappella Choir ous choral festivals across Texas and throughout the United serves as the varsity choral ensemble in a department com- States. These singers are involved in the Varsity Women’s and mitted to excellence within a diverse choral curriculum. The Varsity Men’s Choir at Plano Senior High, as well as Advanced choral department consists of six performing ensembles with Placement and National Honor Society courses, athletics and a membership of over 200 junior and senior students. other Fine Arts on the PSHS campus. The two time Grammy Award Winning PSHS A Cappella
ndsu choral symposium
headliners call for papers and registration information t %BMF8BSMBOE The North Dakota State University School of Music and the American Choral t *NBOU3BNJOTI Directors Association announce the NDSU Choral Symposium: Music of the t )JMBSZ"QGFMTUBEU Americas, May 3-5, 2013, Fargo, N.D. This event will showcase the choral music t #SBJOFSE#MZEFO5BZMPS and traditions of North, Central and South America. t .BSJB(VJOBOE t 8JMMJBN#FMBO The symposium will focus on the choral repertoire of the Americas and the cultural t+PSHF$Ózatl and social influences that have guided the development of this music. The symposium also will include discussion of what the choral traditions have in common, and what keynote speaker makes each of the choral traditions unique and representative of its respective culture. 5JN4IBSQ "$%"&YFDVUJWF%JSFDUPS NDSU and ACDA invite proposals for papers, presentations and poster sessions. ndsu.edu/finearts/cmota Proposals should relate to the focus of the symposium. Please include a one- to two- page abstract, equipment requirements and a short résumé.
Send proposals to Jo Ann Miller, NDSU Director of Choral Activities, by email attachment in Word format: [email protected]. The proposal evaluation committee consists of Jo Ann Miller, William Belan and Hilary Apfelstadt. The submission deadline is Jan. 15, 2013.
CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 6 31 22013013 ACDAACDA NATIONALNATIONAL CONFERENCECONFERENCE PRREVIEWEVIEW
Derrick Brookins is currently in his eigh- Rajaton teenth year of teaching Texas choral music education. He currently serves on the fac- Wednesday 4:30 pm Winspear Opera House (Gold track) ulty of Plano Senior High School in Plano, Texas, as the director of choral activities. Wednesday 12:00 pm Winspear Opera House (Blue Track) A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Brookins has completed, with honors, both under- graduate and some graduate work at the University of North Texas earning a BME and a MS education/administration from Concordia University. For thirteen years, Brookins studied under and performed. Brookins has performed on four continents and for several European royal families, and two U. S. Presidents, in venues such as the White House and the Sydney Opera House. Brookins’s choirs have had the honor of performing and representing Plano ISD and the state of Texas at the follow- ing conventions: 2005 MENC National Convention in San Antonio, the 2007 ACDA National Conference in Miami, Florida, and for the 2009 Texas Music Educators Association The Finnish word Rajaton translates as “boundless”—a Convention, in San Antonio, Texas. word that so accurately describes the way this six-voice unac- Brookins was recognized as Teacher of the Year at Williams companied ensemble approaches music. High School in 2000 and at Plano Senior High School in 2008. In their native Finland, Rajaton is a bona fi de pop phenom- He was also named as a fi nalist for Plano Independent School enon, successfully bridging the gap that often exists between District Teacher of the Year, and has received the district’s classical and mainstream convention. The group has released covenant - Excellence in Teaching Award in 2008. Brookins 11 different albums. In 2003, Rajaton rose to number 2 on the is a recipient of the Honorary Life Membership Award from charts with their album Joulu [Christmas] which has to date the Texas Congress of Parents and Teachers. sold double platinum in Finland. Building on the momentum of this mainstream success, in 2006, the group recorded Ra- jaton sings ABBA with Lahti Symphony Orchestra, an album which topped the charts in Finland and sold platinum in a month. In 2010, Rajaton celebrates thirteen years of music-making with one double Missoula, Montana’s 9th platinum, three platinum and eight gold International Choral Festival records in Finland to their credit. Their latest album, Tarinoita, is yet another sig- 25 years of bringing the world nifi cant milestone in Rajaton’s story, as a little closer, through music it is their fi rst, fully self-produced album, released in October, 2010, by their own July 17-21 Connect with choral musicians from around label Boundless Records. the globe in a beautiful mountain setting 2013 Renown for artistic excellence, cultural exchange & local hospitality CKRLUVIURPÀYHFRQWLQHQWV IJRCS 2YHUSXEOLFSHUIRUPDQFHV The Scientifi c Research Journal www.choralfestival.org of ACDA LQIR#FKRUDOIHVWLYDORUJa3KRQH)D[ 32%R[0LVVRXOD07 86$ Available at
32 CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 6 ACDA NATIONAL CONFERENCE MARCH 13-16, 2013 DALLAS, TEXAS PPERFORMINGERFORMING CCHOIRSHOIRS
Roseville Area High School Cantus Certus San Antonio Chamber Choir
Friday 2:00 pm Winspear Opera House (Gold track) Saturday 8:00 pm Winspear Opera House (Gold track)
Saturday 11:00 am Meyerson Symphony Center (Blue Track) Saturday 4:00 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Blue Track)
The Roseville Area High School music department boasts strength in instrumental, orchestral, and choral music through a collaborative team of dedicated and talented conductors. Cantus Certus, translated as defi nite singers, is the pre- The San Antonio Chamber Choir, founded in 2005 by artis- miere curricular choir in the Roseville District. Acceptance tic director Scott MacPherson, is an ensemble of professional into Cantus Certus is limited to juniors and seniors, and the voices dedicated to enriching the cultural life of south Texas students are challenged with a rigorous curriculum so they through the choral art. Now in its eighth season, the ensemble can grow into well-rounded, interdependent musicians. Can- rehearses for two weekends prior to each of its four concerts. tus Certus performs three curricular concerts and a pops The Chamber Choir is known for its performances of a wide concert each year. They also participate in the Suburban East variety of repertoire, ranging from Renaissance works to part Conference Music Festival each winter. songs and motets of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to Cantus Certus has been awarded superior ratings at cutting edge pieces by living composers commissioned by the contests, performed at the 2006 and 2011 MNACDA Fall group. In addition to its live compact disc recording, Spanish & Conventions, participated in the 2011 Chorale Arts Finale, Mexican Cathedral Music, the choir will record a commercial performed for the 2012 MMEA Winter Convention, and CD in October 2012, the Choral Music of Andrew Rindfl eisch, will be a featured choir at the 2013 Concordia College of for release in 2013. Moorhead Music Festival and the 2013 Dorian Music Festival at Luther College. Scott MacPherson, a native of Wisconsin, is the founding artistic director of the Dean Jilek is currently in his ninth year as San Antonio Chamber Choir. Since 2008, lead choral director at Roseville Area High MacPherson has served as director of School in Roseville, Minnesota. His duties choral activities at Kent State University at Roseville include directing two of the in Kent, Ohio, where he conducts choirs four curricular choirs, two extra-curricular and leads the graduate program in choral choirs, and teaching private voice lessons. conducting. For fi fteen years prior to that, he was the director He holds a BS in vocal music and physical of choral activities at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Be- education from Dickinson State University. He earned an MM fore moving to San Antonio, MacPherson served on the choral in choral conducting and literature at North Dakota State faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. MacPherson University under Jo Ann Miller. has conducted choirs and led workshops throughout the Jilek is currently singing with Magnum Chorum, under the United States, Germany, and Taiwan. He holds degrees in choral direction of Christopher Aspaas, and has served as tenor sec- and orchestral conducting from the University of Wisconsin- tion leader at the Cathedral of St. Paul and the Maternity of Madison and the University of Southern California. MacPher- Mary Catholic Church Choirs. He has also served as the bass son is also the conductor of the Isthmus Vocal Ensemble in section leader for the MNACDA Fiftieth Anniversary René Madison, Wisconsin. Clausen Honor Choir.
CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 6 33 2013 ACDA NATIONAL CONFERENCE PREVIEW
Sloan Creek Middle School A Cappella Treble Choir Christina Chapman has been the director of choirs at Sloan Creek Middle School Thursday 2:30 pm Winspear Opera House (Gold track) for six years, and has taught Middle School choir for fourteen years. Her choirs have Wednesday 4:30 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Blue Track) consistently earned UIL Sweepstakes rat- ings and have also been named “Best In Class” at festivals and competitions. A product of Texas schools and choirs graduating from Clear Creek High School. She then attended The University of Texas at San Antonio, where she earned a BM. Chapman is currently working on her MME through Texas Tech University. She has also presented sessions on teaching middle school boys including at the 2005 and 2010 TCDA Convention. Chapman is a member of TCDA, TMEA, TMAA, ACDA, and Sigma Alpha Iota.
The A Cappella Treble Choir is the top girls choir for the The Songmen Sloan Creek Middle School (SCMS) Choir Program with 56 Music in Worship Concert seventh and eighth grade voices this year. Since their debut in (Open to Both Tracks) 2007, they have consistently earned straight superior ratings at the UIL Concert and Sight-Reading Contest. Many of the Thursday 2:00 pm Cathedral de Guadelupe girls in this choir also earn places in the Region 25 MS region choir each year and fi rst division ratings in solo and ensemble Thursday 4:30 pm Cathedral de Guadelupe competition. The choir has been awarded “Best in Class,” “Su- perior,” and “Overall Outstanding Choir” at awards festivals. The girls in this choir are active in all aspects of school and community including NJHS, club sports, dance, music lessons, theatre productions at school and community, Girl Scouts, church activities, art, and school leadership. They are commit- ted to the “Choir of Champions” at SCMS and also perform with the Varsity Men as a Mixed Choir.
With an enviable reputation as one of the United King- doms’s fi nest and most versatile unaccompanied groups, The Songmen possess a wealth of experience from the worlds of classical, sacred, and popular music, balancing their love for the Renaissance with a passion for exciting contemporary composers.
www.choralnet.org RESOURCES AND COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE GLOBAL CHORAL COMMUNITY
34 CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 6 ACDA NATIONAL CONFERENCE MARCH 13-16, 2013 DALLAS, TEXAS PPERFORMINGERFORMING CCHOIRSHOIRS
University of North Texas Jazz Singers, UNT Jazz Singers II, Southern Nazarene University Singers University of Oklahoma Singing Sooners, and high school March 14th Jazz Night groups in Idaho and Colorado. (Open to Both Tracks)
Thursday 7:00 pm Majestic Theater Tallis Scholars
Saturday 8:00 pm Winspear Opera House (Gold track)
Saturday 4:00 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Blue Track)
The Southern Nazarene University Singers, which was photo by Eric Richmond formed in 1988 by D. E. Hill, consists of 10 singers, a rhythm section and horn line who specialize in sacred vocal jazz and The Tallis Scholars were founded in 1973 by their direc- contemporary music styles. They perform a wide variety of tor, Peter Phillips. The Tallis Scholars perform in sacred and music from Take 6 to The New York Voices and from Peter secular venues, giving 70 concerts each year across the globe. Gabriel to John Coltrane. During their existence, they have In 2012–2013, the group will tour the United States twice, performed at ACDA division and national conferences, and at Japan once, and visit festivals and venues across the United jazz festivals on multiple continents. They have toured across Kingdom and Europe. the United States, in Brazil, Japan, Korea, New Guinea, The The Tallis Scholars’s career highlights have included a tour Bahamas, Kenya, Central Europe, and Venezuela. The U. Sing- of China in 1999, including two concerts in Beijing; and the ers also host the annual SNU Vocal Jazz Festival. They have privilege of performing in the Sistine Chapel in April 1994 performed in concert with Jennifer Barnes, Greg Jasperse, to mark the fi nal stage of the complete restoration of the Peter Eldridge, Darmon Meader, Kerry Marsh, M-Pact, and Michelangelo frescoes. The ensemble have commissioned Point Of Grace. The 2013 SNU Vocal Jazz Festival will feature many contemporary composers during their history: in 1998 the improvisational techniques of guest clinician and artist they celebrated their 25th Anniversary with a special concert Roger Treece. in London’s National Gallery, premiering a Sir John Tavener work written for the group and narrated by Sting. A further Jim Graves is a multifaceted vocal artist, performance was given with Sir Paul McCartney in New York arranger, and educator that now serves in 2000. The Tallis Scholars are broadcast regularly on radio as director of choral activities at South- (including performances from the BBC Proms at the Royal ern Nazarene University. Graves has Albert Hall in 2007, 2008, and 2011) and have also been fea- led ensembles at regional and national tured on the acclaimed ITV programme The Southbank Show. conventions, been guest conductor of the In 1989, the French magazine Diapason gave two of its Director’s Choir at the OCDA summer Diapason d'Or de l'Année awards for the recordings of a mass convention, and served as ACDA Southwestern Divisions and motets by Lassus and for Josquin’s two masses based on Repertoire & Standards Chair for Vocal Jazz He has been the chanson L'Homme armé. Their recording of Palestrina’s a clinician and adjudicator in Idaho, Colorado, Texas, and Missa Assumpta est Maria and Missa Sicut lilium was awarded Oklahoma. Gaves also taught high school music in Idaho and Gramophone’s Early Music Award in 1991; they received the Colorado. His arrangements have been performed by The 1994 Early Music Award for their recording of music by
CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 6 35 22013013 ACDAACDA NATIONALNATIONAL CONFERENCECONFERENCE PRREVIEWEVIEW
Cipriano de Rore; and the 2005 Early Music Award for their Tenebrae disc of music by John Browne. Released on the thirtieth an- niversary of Gimell Records in March 2010. Friday 8:00 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Gold track)
photo by Albert Roosenberg photo by Albert (Blue Track) Peter Phillips has made an impressive Thursday 8:00 Winspear Opera House reputation for himself by dedicating his life’s Richmond photo by Eric work to the research and performance of Renaissance polyphony. Having won a scholarship to Oxford in 1972, Phillips stud- ied Renaissance music with David Wulstan and Denis Arnold, and gained experience in conducting small vocal ensembles, already experimenting with the rarer parts of the repertoire. Apart from the Tallis Scholars, Phillips continues to work with other specialist ensembles. He has appeared with the Collegium Vocale of Ghent and the Netherlands Chamber Choir, and is currently working with the Choeur de Chambre de Namur, Intrada of Moscow, Musica Reservata of Barcelona, Tenebrae is a professional chamber choir, founded by Ni- and the Tudor Choir of Seattle. gel Short and Barbara Pollock. Performing by candlelight, the Phillips has recently been appointed a Reed Rubin Director choir creates an atmosphere of spiritual and musical refl ection, of Music and Bodley Fellow at Merton College, Oxford, where where medieval chant and renaissance works are interspersed the new choral foundation he helped to establish began singing with contemporary compositions to create an ethereal mood services in October 2008. They gave their fi rst live broadcast of contemplation. on BBC Radio Three’s Choral Evensong in October 2011. Passion and precision is the motto of Tenebrae and its members are drawn from musical backgrounds refl ecting these quali- ties, such as the Monteverdi Choir, the choirs of Westminster Abbey, and Cathedral and King’s College in Cam- bridge. Many of Tenebrae’s singers have worked with the leading specialist vocal A better grasp of your music. groups including I Fagiolini, The Tallis Scholars, The Swingle Singers, and The King’s Singers. Contributing to the dra- Our sturdy hand- matic qualities of Tenebrae’s perform- straps give you the ing style are singers from Britain’s two confidence to sing major opera houses, Covent Garden your best. Which and English National Opera. is why our folders get a big thumbs- Nigel Short began up from choirs his musical life as a everywhere. Order chorister at Solihull Parish Church going online or from your on to study singing local distributor, and piano at the or give us a call. Royal College of Music in London. He was a member Toll-free (USA and Canada): 1-877-246-7253 of The Tallis Scholars, Westminster Telephone and Fax: +1 604.733.3995 Abbey and Cathedral choirs, and The King’s Consort before going on to 36 CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 6 ACDA NATIONAL CONFERENCE MARCH 13-16, 2013 DALLAS, TEXAS PPERFORMINGERFORMING CCHOIRSHOIRS concentrate on work as a soloist in oratorio and opera. He served as director of music at Peachtree Presbyterian Church sang many roles in opera productions all over Europe and for in Atlanta, Georgia, and as director of choral activities at Whit- ENO and Opera North in the United Kingdom. worth University in Spokane, Washington. His college and Short has conducted several of the world’s fi nest orches- church choirs have performed at Northwest and Southern tras alongside Tenebrae in concert and in recordings including division ACDA and MENC conventions. Priddy has presented the London Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra 100 workshops and seminars on choral music, vocal pedagogy, of Europe, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the English and the art of choral conducting. He serves currently as the Chamber Orchestra, and in Baroque repertoire, the English ACDA Southwestern Division Repertoire & Standards Chair Concert. He has made recordings with many of the world’s for Boychoirs. major record labels including EMI Classics, Warner Classics, Decca Records, LSO Live, and Signum Records. Union High School Chamber Choir
Texas Boys Choir Friday 8:00 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Gold track)
Wednesday 12:00 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Gold track) Thursday 8:00 Winspear Opera House (Blue Track)
Thursday 12:00 pm Winspear Opera House (Blue Track)
The Texas Boys Choir was founded in 1946 to provide any boy, regardless of socio-econom- ic or ethnic back- ground, a structured environment for the development The Union Chamber Choir is one of 7 choirs in the vo- of a world-class cal program, and was established in 2007–08 when Union performing choir High School opened its doors. The choir members also sing of boys. Since its in the Select Men’s and Women’s Ensembles, and represent founding, the Choir the fi nest singers/musicians in the choral department. All has performed for students are trained in solfege, sight-reading, rhythm reading, popes, presidents of the United States, and for kings and heads and music theory. They were invited to perform at the 2011 of state. With multiple appearances on national television MENC Northwestern Division Conference and the 2012 and on radio broadcasts, winning numerous awards including ACDA Northwest Division Conference. In the spring of 2012, two Grammys and championship medals in World Games the Select Men's and Women's Ensemble both fi nished in 1st competition, producing more than forty professional record- place at the annual WMEA State Solo and Ensemble Contest, ings with Columbia, Decca, and other independent labels, and small ensembles and soloists from within the group have and headlining on signifi cant concert series and national and won numerous awards at state and regional competitions. It international conventions and festivals, the Texas Boys Choir is truly an honor to represent high school vocal music from continues to earn its reputation as one of the premiere boy the Northwestern Division of ACDA in Dallas. choirs in the world. Mikkel Iverson has been the vocal music S. Bryan Priddy assumed the position of instructor at Union High School since it artistic director of The Texas Boys Choir in opened in 2007, and has taught in the August of 2008. He holds music degrees Evergreen School District in Camas/Van- from Georgia State University, Southern couver, Washington since 1990. He has Baptist Theological Seminary, and the East- also served on music faculties at Mount man School of Music. Previously, Priddy
CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 6 37 22013013 ACDAACDA NATIONALNATIONAL CONFERENCECONFERENCE PRREVIEWEVIEW
Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon, and Illinois Conference in State University in Bloomington/Normal. He received his Pittsburgh, the BME from Pacifi c Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, 2005 ACDA and an MST from Portland State University. Choirs under his National Con- direction have appeared at MENC and ACDA Northwestern ference in Los division conferences, and are frequent winners of the Wash- Angeles, and ington State Solo and Ensemble Contest. the 2008 ACDA Eastern Divi- son Conference in Hartford. In University of Delaware 2007, the Cho- Saturday 8:00 pm Winspear Opera House (Gold track) rale competed in the Estonian Saturday 4:00 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Blue Track) International Choral Compe- The University of Delaware Chorale has enjoyed sustained tition as part of artistic success nationally and abroad. The fi fty-voice choir has a ten-day tour of Sweden, Finland, and Estonia, where they been invited to perform at the 2002 ACDA Eastern Division were awarded the fi rst place “Grand Prix.” In June 2009, they were invited on a performance tour of China, where they were featured in several collaborative concert appear- ances on Chinese University campuses in Shanghai and Beijing. The Chorale was the featured choir in a master class with Helmuth Rilling at the Bach Insti- tute at the 2010 ACDA Eastern Divi- sion Conference in Philadelphia, PA.
Paul D. Head is di- rector of choral studies at the Uni- versity of Delaware, and directs the University Chorale and the communi- ty-based Schola Cantorum. He also serves as the chair of the department of music. Head is a native Californian, where he taught in the public schools for eight years before earning his MM at Westminster Choir College of Rider University and his DMA at the Univer- sity of Oklahoma. His choirs appeared at the 2002 ACDA Eastern Division Conference, the 2005 ACDA National Conference, the 2008 Eastern Division Conference, and the 2010 ACDA East- ern Division Conference, and boast ten awards in international choral contests, including the Grand Prix First Prize in the 2007 Estonian International Choral
38 CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 6 ACDA NATIONAL CONFERENCE MARCH 13-16, 2013 DALLAS, TEXAS PPERFORMINGERFORMING CCHOIRSHOIRS
Competition, second place in the 42nd Tolosa (Spain) Interna- Kent Hatteberg earned his bachelors tional Choral Contest in 2010, and second place in the 25th degree from the University of Dubuque Béla Bartók Choral Contest in Debrecen, Hungary, where and the masters and doctoral degrees in they were the runner up for the Grand Prix. choral conducting from The University of As an active researcher and pedagogue, he has contributed Iowa, where he studied with Don V Mo- to several books and publications; as co-editor of Case Studies ses. Named a Fulbright Scholar in 1990, in Music Education (GiA; 2005), as contributing author in The Hatteberg pursued research on Felix School Choral Program (GIA; 2008), and most recently, as co- Mendelssohn in Berlin. He conducted the world premiere of editor/author of Teaching Music Through Performance for the Mendelssohn’s Gloria in 1997. He previously taught at Sam Middle School Chorus (GIA; 2011) which includes a companion Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, Washington compact disc recorded by the University of Delaware Chorale. High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Solon Jr.-Sr. High in Head was the recipient of the 2005 “University Excellence in Solon, Iowa. Teaching” Award, the 2012 Outstanding Conductor Award Hatteberg received the University of Louisville Distin- at the Béla Bartók Choral Contest, and was recently named guished Faculty Award for Creative and Performing Arts in the Unidel Professor of Music for his contributions in teaching, 2010, the KCDA Robert K. Baar Award for choral excellence scholarship, and performance. in 2008, and the University of Dubuque Career Achievement Award in 2008. He was selected for the International Who’s Who in Choral Music in 2007 and was named KMEA College/ University of Louisville Cardinal Singers University Teacher of the Year in 2004 and a University of Louisville Faculty Scholar in 2002. He has served on interna- Friday 8:00 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Gold track) tional juries for the Schubert Competition in Vienna and the Tolosa Choral Contest in Spain. He was the headline speaker Thursday 8:00 Winspear Opera House (Blue Track) at the Korean Federation for Choral Music Symposium in Seoul in January.
University of North Texas A Cappella Choir
Thursday 12:00 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Gold track)
Wednesday 12:00 pm Winspear Opera House (Blue Track)
The Cardinal Singers were founded in 1970 as an outreach organization for the University of Louisville. They continue their outreach mission locally, nationally, and internationally, offering workshops, performing at choral conventions, and competing on the international stage. Highlights include per- formances at the U.S. /Cuba Choral Symposium in 2012, the The University of North Texas A Cappella Choir is drawn Taipei International Choral Festival in Taiwan in 2010, the Bei- from auditions of more than 450 music students and is the jing International Choral Festival in China in 2010, and the 7th premier ensemble in the UNT choral program. Since 1999, World Symposium on Choral Music in Kyoto, Japan in 2005. the A Cappella Choir has performed for: 1999 ACDA Na- Other competition and festival performances have taken them tional Conference in Chicago, the 2005 ACDA National to Germany (Marktoberdorf, Harmonie-Festival, Mainhausen Conference in Los Angeles, and the 2008 National Collegiate Chortagen, Bremen Choir Olympics, Brahms Competition), Choral Organization National Conference in Cincinnati. In Estonia (Voices of the Baltics), Spain (Tolosa Choral Contest), September 2012, the choir was featured on the program of and Korea (Grand Prix of Choral Music). They have performed the Daejeon (Korea) International Choral Festival and in 2009 at ACDA and NCCO regional and national conferences.
CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 6 39 22013013 ACDAACDA NATIONALNATIONAL CONFERENCECONFERENCE PRREVIEWEVIEW it was featured on the program of the Ninth Taipei (Taiwan) University of the Philippines Madrigal Singers International Choral Festival. The choir’s alumni regularly sing with opera companies Wednesday 4:30 pm Winspear Opera House (Gold track) across the United States and Europe, and with America’s foremost professional choirs, including: Conspirare, Orpheus Wednesday 8:00 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Blue Track) Chamber Singers, the Navy Sea Chanters, Seraphic Fire, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, the Singing Sergeants, and the U. S. Army Chorus. Conducting alumni hold university and profes- sional posts across the United States, Mexico, and South Korea.
Jerry McCoy is director of choral studies and regents professor of music at the University of North Texas, where he con- ducts the A Cappella Choir and Grand The University of the Philippines Madrigal Singers was Chorus, teaches graduate conducting and organized in 1963 by National Artist Professor Andrea O. choral techniques, and guides the choral Veneracion. The group is composed of students, faculty, and studies program. He is ACDA national alumni from the different colleges of the University of the vice-president and a member of the INTERKULTUR inter- Philippines (UP). They were the fi rst choir in the world to win national advisory board. He is also music director of Schola the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing twice (1997 and Cantorum of Texas. 2007). Through the direction of Mark Anthony Carpio, the He has served as guest conductor/clinician in thirty-seven corps of composers and choral arrangers of the UP Madrigal states. He has served in guest roles in Austria, China, Cuba, Singers continue to produce new compositions and choral Great Britain, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, and Venezuela. settings of Philippine, Asian, and international songs, thus International engagements for 2012–13 include appearances contributing to the growth of world choral literature. The in South Africa, South Korea, and Taiwan. Prior to 2013, Mc- group was recognized by the UNESCO as Artists for Peace Coy’s choirs sang on the programs of three national ACDA (2009) and was the recipient of the Guidoneum Award from conferences, the national conference of the Association of the Concorso Polifonico Guido d’ Arezzo Foundation (2010). British Choral Directors, and the national conferences of the National Collegiate Choral Organization and the Organization Mark Anthony Carpio graduated cum laude of American Kodály Educators. In January 2011, he served as from the University of the Philippines headliner for the Korean Federation for Choral Music national college of music in 1992 with a bachelors conference. degree in piano. In 2001, Carpio was per- sonally chosen by Andrea O. Veneracion to succeed her as the choirmaster of the Philippine Madrigal Singers. Since then, he has led the group in its many successes, most notable of which were: fi rst prizes in the Habanera and Polyphony categories in the Certámen Internacional de Habaneras y Polifonia (Tor- revieja, Spain, 2004), the Grand Prix in the Thirty-Fifth Florilege Vocal de Tours, France (2006), and the Grand Prize in the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing (Arrezo, Italy, 2007). He also directs the Consortium of Voices, a choral society consisting of the Kilyawan Boys Choir, Kilyawan Men’s Choir and the Voces Auroræ Girls Choir. Carpio is also a noted countertenor and accompanist. Presently, he is a faculty mem- ber of the conducting department of the UP college of music. Choral Buzz A daily educational outreach providing enrichment, inspiration, and motivation from ACDA's vast media holdings. Visit ChoralBuzz daily at
40 CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 6 ACDA NATIONAL CONFERENCE MARCH 13-16, 2013 DALLAS, TEXAS PPERFORMINGERFORMING CCHOIRSHOIRS
Voca People from Broadway Home Companion, entertaining public radio listeners as the “house choir.” March 15th Jazz Night (Open to Both Tracks) Philip Brunelle, artistic director and Friday 8:30 pm Majestic Theater founder of VocalEssence, is an internation- ally renowned conductor, choral scholar, and performer. To date VocalEssence has commissioned 150 works. Brunelle has conducted symphonies (New York Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, and Minnesota Orchestra among others) and choral festivals and operas on six continents. Over the past decade Brunelle has been involved with the International Federation of Choral Music (IFCM). He served as president of the Sixth World Symposium on Choral Music held in Minneapolis (2002), was on the Artistic Committee for The Voca People are an Israel-based ensemble performing the Eighth Symposium, held in Denmark (2008), and the Ninth vocal theater combining a cappella and beat box vocals to Symposium, held in Argentina (2011). He is a Vice President reproduce the sounds of an entire orchestra. of the IFCM Board and is serving as executive director for the The Voca People claim to be aliens from another planet 2014 World Choral Symposium in Seoul, Korea. where the main method of communication is sounds. They Brunelle holds fi ve honorary doctorates, was invested as have performed in Spain, New York, Hungary, Italy, France, an Honorary Member of the Order from the British Empire England, Israel and many other places. They incorporate the (MBE) in 2005, and Commander of the Royal Norwegian public into their songs and change or add bits depending on Order of Merit in 2007. He has also been honored by the which country they are in. governments of Sweden, Hungary, and Mexico.
VocalEssence Ensemble Singers Westminster Choir College
Friday 4:30 pm Meyerson Symphony Center (Gold track) Friday 2:00 pm Winspear Opera House (Gold track)
Friday 8:00 pm Winspear Opera House (Blue Track) Saturday 11:00 am Meyerson Symphony Center (Blue Track)
VocalEssence a thirty- The Westminster Choir is composed of students at two-voice profession- al chorus, directed by founder Philip Brunelle and associate conductor Sigrid Johnson. Founded in 1991, the Ensemble Singers are applauded for their “superbly blend- ed sound” (Birmingham Post, UK) and “exemplary technique” (Minneapolis Star Tribune) and lauded Westminster Choir College, a division of Rider University’s by the Times of London Westminster College of the Arts, in Princeton, New Jersey. as “polished, bright and The ensemble’s 2012–2013 season includes a concert tour, brilliantly balanced.” performances at the ACDA national convention, a recording Over the past twenty years, the Ensemble Singers have project, several broadcasts and its annual residency at the played a prominent role in the nationally acclaimed A Prairie CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 6 41 2013 ACDA NATIONAL CONFERENCE PREVIEW
Spoleto Festival USA. tensive choral and dramatic vocal arts program at Willamette The Westminster Choir also forms the core of the West- University. Willamette University is one of the few universities minster Symphonic Choir, whose 2012–2013 season includes in Oregon that offers experience in vocal jazz. a performances of Verdi’s Requiem and Bach’s St. Matthew The Willamette Singers have been invited to perform for Passion with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet- many state, regional, national, and international conventions. Séguin; Berg’s Wozzeck with the London Philharmonia and The most notable of those are an MENC national conference Esa Pekka Salonen; Villa-Lobos’s Chôros No. 10 and Estévez’ in Indianapolis, IAJE conferences in New Orleans and Boston, Cantata criolla with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra and ACDA national conferences in New York and Chicago. of Venezuela and Gustavo Dudamel; Beethoven’s Symphony Willamette Singers takes a regional tour yearly, has performed No. 9 with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and Daniel in Hawaii, and taken two tours of Japan. Barenboim and Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Westminster Festival Orchestra conducted by Joe Miller. Wallace Long has been the director of choral activities at Willamette University Joe Miller is conductor of two of America’s since 1983. Long holds an MM and DMA most renowned choral ensembles – the from the University of Arizona, and is a Westminster Choir and the Westminster past president of Oregon ACDA. Symphonic Choir. As director of choral Choirs under his direction have per- activities at Westminster Choir College formed for state conferences of OMEA, of Rider University, he also oversees an ACDA Northwest division conferences, ACDA national extensive choral program that includes conferences, and IAJE and MENC conventions. In 2003, his eight ensembles. choir toured to South Africa at the request of Archbishop Miller is also founder and conductor of the Westminster Desmond Tutu. Chamber Choir, a program that offers professional-level Long sings with Male Ensemble Northwest (MEN), who choral and vocal artists the opportunity to explore challeng- have performed at several ACDA division conferences, the ing works for two weeks each summer on the Westminster 2001 ACDA National in San Antonio, and the 1995 ACDA campus in Princeton. His recent residencies have included National Conference in Washington DC. As a member of the Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory of Music and Temple Univer- Robert Shaw Festival Singers, he performed at Carnegie Hall, sity. This season he will serve as conductor of the Ohio All the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and recorded in France. State Choir and headliner for the Maryland Music Educators In 2006, Long conducted the Haydn’ Mass in the Time of War Conference, and he will return for a second residency with in Carnegie Hall. the Berlin Radio Symphony Chorus.
Willamette University Williamette Singers March 15th Jazz Night (Open to Both Tracks)
Friday 8:30 pm Majestic Theater
Correction In the "New Voices in Research" column that ran in November 2012 titled "Performance Material for America's Romantic Masterworks and New Edition of Paine's Mass in D," the Stowe Festival Chorus was misidentified in an endnote as hailing from Stowe, VT, when it should have been Stowe, MA.
The Willamette Singers vocal jazz ensemble joins the ex-
42 CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 6