Participating Ensembles:
Bakersfield College Chamber Singers (CA)
The Bakersfield College Chamber Singers have performed at state, division, and national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association under Dr. Kean's leadership. The Chamber Singers have championed Eric Whitacre's music since he was a 21-year-old student at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Later, they were among the first choirs to perform Eric Whitacre's "Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine" and "Five Hebrew Love Songs" which were conducted by the composer. Mr. Whitacre has conducted the Chamber Singers on three occasions. Eric and Ron have enjoyed a twenty-year friendship. His composition, "A Boy and a Girl," is dedicated to Dr. Kean.
Dr. Ronald Kean has been Director of Choral Activities at Bakersfield College teaching choral and world music for nineteen years. He was selected to be the 2007 California Music Educators Association Multicultural Educator of the Year. His advanced degrees are from the University of Southern California following a year of singing with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus where he was Robert Shaw's copyist. His compositions and arrangements, published by Pavane publishers, are widely performed throughout the United States and abroad. He recently conducted the world premiere performance of his "Yeats in Love" choral cycle in Sligo, Ireland.
The College of Idaho Chamber Singers (ID)
Green Valley High School Choir (NV)
Naya Chorale (Australia)
Naya Chorale is "the choir he's always wanted to conduct" and Adam has thrown his passion and full musical capacity behind the group to ensure its success
Una Vocis Choral Ensemble (IA)
Una Vocis, began with Artistic Director Dennis Lee’s vision of a mixed voice choir of such sonority that it was worthy of the name “One One of Voice.,” Una Vocis has grown from 28 singers in March 2005 to the its current 48 members, many of whom hail from area towns as small as a couple hundred citizens. Una Vocis challenges its members’ musical talents and fosters a supportive community among its singers; it is an important creative outlet for members , and whose occupations range from farmer to physician to and from music educator to stay-at-home mom. Una Vocis has performsdperformed two major concerts each season and has been guest choir four times as guest choir for the annual Iowa Choral Directors Association Summer Symposium. Una Vocis enjoys a close relationship with Iowa composer Dr. William Backlin. In addition to premiering four works by Backlin, Una Vocis named its first CD 'In Sound' after Backlin's set of three art songs collectively titled 'In Sound, In Silence.' In May 2012 tracks from 'In Sound' began receiving air time on Iowa Public Radio's classical station, garnering new fans from around the state and strengthening its reputation as one of the finest auditioned adult choirs in the region. In addition to performing works from the standard choral repertoire, Una Vocis embraces as one of its missions the premiering of works by contemporary composers. Since it began eight years ago, Una Vocis has performed fifteen world premieres of choral works by nine composers from across the globe, including a Paulus work in its first concertconcert and Eric Whitacre’s SATB Goodnight Moon . The very first concert included a premiere of a work by Stephen Paulus. iIn July 2012. 2013 commissions and premieres include works by Alice Parker, Dale Warland and Britlin Losee.2012 Una Vocis performed the world premiere of Eric Whitacre’s Goodnight Moon for piano and mixed choir.
Virginia Tech Chamber Singers (VA)
Bigler is also the composer in residence for the Festival Choir of Madison and has published choral works with Oxford University Press and Hinshaw Music. He was recently a winner in the 2011 National Collegiate Choral Organization Choral Music Series competition and regularly receives commissions from choirs across the nation for new works. Bigler received his bachelor's degree in piano performance and his master's in choral conducting from Brigham Young University, and his doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
Carlsbad High School - Festival Choir (CA)
Desert Oasis High School Chamber Singers
Hilliard Bradley High School Symphonic Choir (OH)
Prime Note Ensemble (Canada)
The Prime Note Ensemble is Filipino Men’s Chorus in West Covina, Los Angeles County, in Southern California. It was, founded by Medard U. Obida on October 15, 2001 in Saudi Arabia, where it’s member used to work as expatriate Filipinos. Members enjoy the opportunity to rehearse & perform under the professional tutelage of its choirmaster and resident arranger Novem G. Cabios. Members of the choir are selected largely on the basis of character and musical ability. A large cross section of occupations is represented, as in the choir’s ranks are representatives of nearly every trade and profession. They sing because they love to share the beauty of choral music with people everywhere. All contribute their talents and time without compensation, except for the joy they receive in singing and the knowledge that they could help other people thru their individual efforts. The choir began competing internationally in 2006 at the 4th World Choir Games in Xiamen, China. What started as an innocent test of willpower ended up as the ultimate challenge for the choir members who have made music part of their lives. In May 2007, they participated on invitation in one of France’s choral festival, the Festival International de Chant Choral in Nancy and performed among other venues, at the UNESCO Heritage site Place Istanislas. This led to one competition after another as the group joined the 2008 World Choir Games in Graz, Austria where they earned the Silver Medal in the Male Chamber Category. It was followed by the choir’s participation in the American International Choral Festival in Reno-Tahoe in 2011. The group received Gold in the Folklore category and Silver in both the Male Chamber and Pop categories. At the recently concluded World Choir Games in Cincinnati, Ohio last July 2012, the Prime Note brought home three Silver medals, one each for the Male Chamber, Scenic Folklore and Pop Music categories.
Novem G. Cabios graduated with a Bachelor of Music, major in Music Education - Piano from the Adventist University of the Philippines (AUP) in Cavite City. He studied conducting under Mrs. Minerva-Arit Peñaranda and the late Dean of the UP College of Music, Prof. Rey Paguio. He is an alumnus of the premier internationally renowned choir, The AUP Ambassadors Chorale Art Society, and sang baritone when the choir was adjudged the World Choir Games champion in Xiamen, China in July 2006. Mr. Cabios taught Applied Music at the Casa Del Niño Science High School, in Pacita, Laguna, Philippines, and at the AUP campus in Cavite. He had the opportunity to be a collaborative pianist to Dr. Paul Erhard, double bass professor of the University of Colorado, College of Music. He participated in the US Embassy sponsored worldwide simultaneous performance of Mozart’s “Requiem” at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, commemorating the 1st anniversary of the September 11 attacks in New York city. He was part of the choir that performed Rutter’s “Requiem & Magnificat”, Handel’s “Messiah”, Beethoven’s “9th Symphony” & Rachmaninoff “The Bells” at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) as bass baritone under the baton of Italian conductor Rugerro Barbieri.
