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Grant Us Peace

Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie Hall

Acts

Catherine Sailer, DCINY Debut Conductor
Mozart: Coronation Mass

Trey Jacobs, DCINY Debut Conductor
Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem
Featuring Distinguished Concerts Orchestra and Distinguished Concerts Singers International

Also Featuring:

MeeAe Nam, Soprano

Cabiria Jacobsen, Mezzo-Soprano

Nathan Bird, Tenor

Steven Taylor, Baritone

Participating Groups

East Troy High School Camerata

Calvary Baptist Church of Denver - Calvary Choir

Canticum Novum, Stellenbosch

Itasca Community Chorus

Colorado Christian University Singers

Orono High School Choir

Denver North High School Choir

Plymouth-Canton Educational Park Festival Singers

North East High School Chorus

Saline High School Chamber Choir

Sandy High Symphonic Choir

Tempus Choral Society

St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church Choir

Williamsville East High School Chorale

Special Guests

Artist's Name

Catherine Sailer

Artist's Name

James Rice

Artist's Name

MeeAe Nam

Artist's Name

Cabiria Jacobsen

Artist's Name

Nathan Bird

Artist's Name

Steven Taylor

Participating Group Directors

Calvary Baptist Church of Denver - Calvary Choir
Kevin T. Padworski
Kevin T. Padworski currently serves as the Director of Music and Organist at Calvary Baptist Church of Denver, offering leadership to its choral and instrumental ensembles. Padworski began his musical studies on piano at age 7, saxophone at 9, vocal and organ instruction at 13, and accepted his first professional organist position the same year. He was the Mozart Music Scholar at Eastern University and earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education with recitals in saxophone and organ. Padworski later earned a certificate in Leadership from Duke Divinity School and a Master of Music degree in Conducting with Choral Concentration from the University of Denver. Kevin performs extensively in each discipline and actively composes for instrumental and choral ensembles. He maintains a role as a professional accompanist and composer with various instrumental and choral organizations, including the Colorado Children's Chorale, the University of Denver, and Opera Colorado. Padworski is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, the Fellowship of American Baptist Musicians, American Choral Directors Association, American Guild of Organists, National Association for Music Education, and is listed in multiple Who's Who publications.

Inglemoor High School Orchestra
James Rice
Jim Rice is an Orchestra, Band and Jazz Band Director at Inglemoor High School in the Northshore School District of Washington State. He is also an affiliate teacher of the Woodring College of Education at Western Washington University and Everett Community College, and has been the Music Director and Conductor of the Everett Youth Symphony and a brass coach for the Cascade Youth Symphony Orchestras. Mr. Rice, an avid proponent of a well balanced music program, has had outstanding groups, earning consistent superior or first place ratings in all areas of instrumental music performance, involving concert, jazz, marching, and small ensembles in each school music program in which he has taught. He is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Central Washington University with a B.A. Ed. in Music, and has earned a M.A. in Music from the University of Washington. In addition to his teaching assignments, Jim Rice is the President-Elect of the Washington Music Educators Association and Past-President of the Northwest Division of NAfME: The National Association for Music Education. He has served as Vice-President of the WMEA, and in 2008 he was selected as a candidate for MENC (now NAfME) National President. As a member of the MENC National Executive Board, Rice served as chair of the Partnership Review Committee, member of the Centennial Planning Committee and National Conventions Selection Task Force, and was board liaison to CMENC, Society for General Music and General Music Today. He has served as the Chair of the MENC Society for Orchestra Education, the Organizing Chair of the 2007 MENC Biennial Northwest Division In-service Conference, the Coordinating Chair of the 2005 MENC All-Northwest Honor Groups and the 2002 WMEA All-State Honor Groups, as well as the organizing chair of the 1997 MENC All-Northwest Orchestra, and the 1990 WMEA All-State Jazz Ensemble. Rice was inducted into the WMEA Hall of Fame in 2008, the Northwest Bandmasters Association in 2010, and in 2011 was honored to receive the MENC Northwest Division Distinguished Service Award. In 2010, he was recognized by Central Washington University as an Outstanding Alumni and in 2014 the Inglemoor High School Outstanding Educator. Rice has served on several comprehensive curriculum development committees, and is active throughout the western states and Canada as an adjudicator/clinician, conducting the Wyoming All-State Orchestra in 2007 and the Washington All-State Junior Orchestra in 2011. He also has served as congregational chairman, elder, music committee member, and choir member at his church. He and his wife, Donna, have two children, Rachel, elementary music specialist at Fall City Elementary School in the Snoqualmie Valley School District, and Rebecca, elementary music specialist at Canyon Creek Elementary School in the Northshore School District.
 

Canticum Novum, Stellenbosch
Louis van der Watt
Louis van der Watt, lecturer in violin and viola at the Music Department of Stellenbosch University, has been the conductor of Canticum Novum since 1996. He appears regularly as guest conductor with the University of Stellenbosch Symphony Orchestra and is the founder and conductor of Stellenbosch Strings, a youth ensemble. He has played in various orchestras from a young age, including the CAPAB Orchestra, Cape Town Symphony Orchestra and Stellenbosch Camerata. He is also organist and a previous conductor of the Tygerberg City Choir. He completed his M Mus (cum laude) in 2012, focusing on the Kyrie Eleison.

Itasca Community Chorus
Sam Evans
Sam Evans has been the artistic director of the Itasca Community Chorus for two years. He graduated from Concordia College - Moorhead, MN, with a degree in Music Education. At Concordia, Sam studied under the direction of Michael Smith, and world renowned composer and conductor, Dr. Rene Clausen. 

Orono High School Choir
Nichole Brenna & Shannon McCauley
Nichole Brenna is currently serving in her 8th year as Director of Vocal Music at Orono High School in Long Lake, Minnesota. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Vocal Performance at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and her Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting at Michigan State University. Ms. Brenna previously taught vocal music at Ypsilanti High School in Ypsilanti, Michigan and Northwest High School in Jackson, Michigan. Ms. Brenna resides in Savage, Minnesota with her husband Jason and two sons, Reece and Anders. Shannon McCauley is currently in her 4th year of teaching in the Orono School District​, located in​ Long Lake, Minnesota. She teaches four choirs in grades 5-8, high school women's choir, and guitar class. Outside of the school day, she also teaches private voice, piano, and guitar lessons. She obtained her Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Music Education at the University of Minnesota Duluth and her Master of Arts degree in Choral Music Education at the University of St. Thomas​ in St. Paul, Minnesota.​

Colorado Christian University Singers
Dr. David Kates
David Kates, Director of Choral Studies, conducts the University Choir and teaches Choral Conducting at Colorado Christian University. Prior to his appointment, he taught at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he conducted the University Singers and taught conducting. He holds a BM in Composition (Louisiana State University), a MM in Musicology (Sam Houston State University) and a DMA in Choral Literature & Conducting (University of Colorado). Over his career, Dr. Kates has conducted performances with numerous orchestras in the Rocky Mountain region, including the Colorado Chamber Orchestra, the Boulder Philharmonic, and the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra.

Plymouth-Canton Educational Park Festival Singers
Jennifer L. Neumann
Jennifer L. Neumann has been the Director of Choirs at Plymouth-Canton Educational Park since 2000. Ms. Neumann holds a B.A. degree in Vocal Music Education from Eastern Michigan University, where she studied under the late Dr. Leonard Riccinto, who conducted at Carnegie Hall in 2004. Jennifer also holds a Master in the Art of Teaching Degree from Marygrove College in Detroit MI. Additionally, Jennifer is an active member of the Michigan School Vocal Music Associaton. During her tenure, the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park Choir Program has grown to include 11 choirs and 1 Voice Class. The P-CEP Choirs are consistently recognized as having some of the top high school vocal ensembles in the state of Michigan and in the region.

Saline High School Chamber Choir
Sarah Price
Sarah Price has been the vocal director at Saline High School for two years. She teaches 5 choral ensembles, a variety of secondary general music courses, and the musical production. Sarah previously taught in the Ann Arbor Public Schools. She received her Bachelor’s of Music in Music Education at Michigan State University. Sarah is also an active performer and singer-songwriter.

Sandy High Symphonic Choir
Bruce Scarth
Mr. Scarth has been teaching high school choir since 1976. After graduating from Central Washington University he taught High School and Jr. High Choir in Lakeview, Oregon for 2 years, before moving to Sandy Oregon, where he has been the High School Choral Director for the past 36 years, teaching both Vocal Jazz and Concert Choirs. He is a member of the Oregon Music Educators Association, The American Choral Directors Association and The Oregon Education Association. Mr. Scarth is also active in the Boy Scouts of America, local theater groups, and performs occasional Solos for his Church. This is Mr. Scarth’s last year teaching High School Choir as he will retire at the end of this school year. 

Williamsville East High School Chorale
Maureen J. Reilly
Maureen J. Reilly received her BM in Music Education and Vocal Performance from the University at Buffalo and her MM in Choral Conducting from The Hartt School of Music, University of Hartford. She has been teaching for twenty 25 years, 22 of which at Williamsville East High School where she directs four choirs, and teaches Music Theory and AP Music Theory. Her choirs have consistently received gold medal ratings at the New York State School Music Association Major Choral Festival and top honors at several national music festivals. Last year she was awarded the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra/Erie County Music Educator Association Award for Excellence in Music Education.