B4 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
THE CHRONICLE
AUG. 30, 2016
GRAPHIC BY SARAH LEE, PORTRAIT PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF ERIC GAULT
New choir director joins upper school performing arts By CATY SZETO
to nuanced, helpful tactics, Mr. Gault seemed to be a genEric Gault will direct the uinely nice person,” Bel Canupper school choirs following to member Alexa Frandzel ’18 the departure of Rodger Guer- said. “His personality meshed rero, who ran the choral pro- well with what I know the gram for the last 15 years. choir program to be, and I look Gault received the position forward to getting to know and after consideration from both working with Mr. Gault this a board of Harvard-Westlake year.” performing arts teachers and From the three finalists, the students in last all of whom were deyear’s choir classes. scribed as superb The search commusicians and conmittee for the upper ductors by Burtchaell, school choral posiGault stood out with tion, led by middle his character and perschool Choral Direcsonality. tor Nina Burtchaell, “In addition to his consisted of persuperb intellect, informing arts departnate musicianship, N ’ ment Chair Reese expansive knowledge Eric Gault Pugh as well as jazz of the choral reperband director Shawn toire, what stood out Costantino, upper school to me about Eric Gault was his symphony director Mark Hilt humanity,” Burtchaell said in and piano accompanist Sara an email. Shakliyan. The committee reThe committee said Gault viewed over 100 applications, would not only help the stuultimately narrowing down the dents improve musically, but selection to three finalists, in- shape them as people as well. cluding Gault. “He is the kind of human As a finalist for the position, being that makes the world a Gault interviewed with the rest better place, and I believe that of the performing arts faculty, Harvard-Westlake and the stuthe administration and teach- dents that I send to him from ers from other departments. the middle school, will not only He also led rehearsals with be better musicians and singstudents in Chamber Singers ers and scholars, but they will and Bel Canto. be better people for having had “While managing his time him as their teacher,” Burtvery well and introducing us chaell said. ATHANSON S
Gault attended New Trier High School in Chicago and went on to study at Oberlin College where he completed his undergraduate studies in voice and voice pedagogy. He earned his Masters of Music in Choral Conducting and Music Education at the University of Oregon. He comes from Colombia, where he has spent much of his musical career. Prior to Harvard-Westlake, he served as guest conductor at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia and head the development of a new Colombian national choir training program. In between his work in Colombia, he has worked in the United States as director of choral activities at the Waterford School in Salt Lake City. Gault first heard about the school through a colleague who worked with him at Waterford. “She spoke so highly of Harvard-Westlake, that it always peaked my curiosity,” Gault said. “I got an email in January, I believe, from [her] saying the position at Harvard-Westlake is open, you have to apply, and I thought this is the one job I would go back to the states for.” Gault said that it was the desire for excellence within Harvard-Westlake students
Eric Gault leads upper school choir programs, which Rodger Guerrero directed for 15 years.
that drew him to the school. go beyond that while having He said that like Guerrero, he everyone understand that the values that quality and feels work they are doing, no matter like Harvard-Westlake kids their group, is of equal quality can achieve that without need- and value”. His goal is to set up a culing an overly strict approach. As the new director, Gault ture where the different choirs plans to integrate much of the are seen as equal competitors music he learned in Colombia and separation is based off into the upper school choirs’ sound color and texture as repertoire, including several well as how the singers blend, rather than of his own an individuarrangeal’s ability. ments. He I want them to feel “I want also aims to that if they’re in this room, them to create a betfeel that if ter dynamic they’re doing amazing work.” they’re in between the —Eric Gault this room, three choirs at the Upper Upper School Choral Director they’re doing amazing School. work.” Gault “ W h a t said. good about Gault is excited for the the culture I’d like to keep, what I think can be im- challenge to sustain the choproved upon I’d definitely like ral program’s reputation and to change, and one of those eager to make his mark at the things is getting Bel Canto to school. “I like to look at it more as feel special and welcome and equal right off the bat,” Gault if we’re changing shoes, not filling shoes just changing said. Gault said that with Bel shoes,” Gault said. “You’ll find Canto being a non-auditioned that I’m in many ways similar choir, he didn’t want the girls to Dr. Guerrero but you’ll also to feel and be seen as inferior find that I’m different in many ways, and that’s what makes in the program. “I understand that com- music and teaching valuable.” Gault said he liked meeting petition is sometimes part of music making and sometimes the students and looks forit can help, but it can also ward to continuing the tradihurt,” Gault said. “I think that tion of excellence in the choral we can achieve excellence and program at the school.
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