Winter Tactus 2026 (Conference Program)

ARIZONA • CALIFORNIA • HAWAI'I • NEVADA • UTAH

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT, Julie Dana

It is my honor to welcome you all to San Jose and a conference that has been carefully curated by a most incredible group of volunteers with hearts for service and a love for choral music! Our Tapestry of Voices is just a portion of a largemusic and the beauty that we share with the world in so many ways. I want to take a moment to thank Robyn Hilger and the national ACDA board for their support and vision for our organization as our regional conferences have developed over the past several years.

We return to San Jose exactly 40 years after our conference was last held here in the LaBaron Hotel. At the time, Western ACDA had SIX state presidents, as California was represented by northern and southern regions. That year, Dr. Charlene Archibeque, opened the conference conducting the SJSU

Choraliers. Sally Herman conducted the one Jr. High Honor Choir, and the final performance by the San Francisco Symphony Chorus was conducted by Vance George. As I scan the program booklet and names of board and conference team members and conductors, I hold a great deal of gratitude in my heart for these individuals. They are the threads of our past AND our present. Imagine a tapestry of voices being formed 40 years ago, and how that tapestry has grown! Thank you Mary Breden for sharing the program booklet with us.

Today we all bring rich threads to weave into our 2026 Tapestry of Voices. These threads are strong and are intertwined each time we share music together, as singers and conductors, composers and colleagues and as audience participants. They are rich and varied in color and strength, they are new and they are old, they are bold and vibrant and all were formed by a common love of choral music! And over time, they create our story of community and passion for choral music.

During our time together, I encourage you to open your heart to the story of your own personal tapestry. Will yours be inspired by “Nurturing Our Roots” as you learn about the care & training of young voices? Will you add new colors as you share time with the composers who help us create beauty with our singers? Will your tapestry be strengthened by conversations and reconnecting with colleagues from throughout our region? Will your tapestry add a new chapter to the story you are weaving now as you listen to inspiring choirs, session presenters and our honor choirs conducted by leaders from ourr work of art at ACDA regional conferences taking place across the country, celebrating choral choral family?

Our Tapestry of Voices will continue to evolve each day, full of new color and musical threads that become the fabric of our passion for the choral art. These threads are the miracle of musical inspiration that we share here in San Jose and will relive next time we hear a song, or use information from a session, or thank a retired member, or just share with our ensembles when we return home.

We are grateful to Chanticleer, Lyyra and Melanie DeMore for joining us to share their beautiful song stories. Many thanks also go to the educators who encouraged and supported their young singers as participants in the honor choirs and the student activities events. They are our future and an integral part of our tapestry. All the presenters and performing ensembles have carefully prepared to ensure we share in a wonderful conference experience. A very special thanks goes to our colleagues here in the San Jose area who received more than their share of emails, phone calls and texts as we planned and prepared for this conference. Thank you Jeffrey Benson, Corie Brown, Clem Cano, Lou De La Rosa, Jason Gallardo, Scot Hanna-Weir, Kristina Nakagawa, Tina Paulson, and Elena Sharkova. Please join me in also thanking the many individuals who have worked to bring this conference to life, our Western region board and Conference Team are A-mazing! Thank you for being a part of our “Tapestry of Voices”! I hope you enjoy every minute of our time together.

Images from 1986 Conference Program, courtesy of Mary Breden

from 1986 Conference Program, courtesy of Mary Breden

Images

Western

Western

20 “Nurturing Our Roots” Pre-Conference,

Concert Session #3 Concert Session #4 35 All-Conference Sing: WACDA 2026 Conference Commission

Headliner Concert Featured Ensemble: Chanticleer 36 Headliner Concert Featured Ensemble: Lyyra

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE:

SCHEDULE:

for Honor Choir Directors & Collaborative Pianists

Biographies for Presenters

Performing Choirs

Acknowledgement

Contact WACDA

ACDA IN THE BEGINNING

On February 4, 1959, thirty-five choral directors met in Kansas City, MO, for the purpose of establishing a national organization of choral music directors. The meeting, held in conjunction with the National Conference of the Music Teachers National Association, produced ACDA’s first constitution and bylaws as well as the structural framework that would allow the monumental growth of our organization. While it was originally designated the American Choirmasters Association, Elwood Keister proposed that the organization be named the American Choral Directors Association.

The eighty-one officially designated charter members launched what was to become a significant and internationally recognized choral organization.

The following year, President Archie Jones guided the activities that focused on preparation for the first national conference, which was held on March 16-17, 1960 in Atlantic City, NJ. This meeting was held in conjunction with the National Conference of the Music Educators National Conference. The late Harry R. Wilson and R. Wayne Hugoboom were responsible for the conference program, which proved to be very informative and successful. This early success and that of subsequent conferences proved to be major factors in the early growth of ACDA.

The initial activities of ACDA included the structuring of geographic divisions paralleling MENC’s regional designations. The first Western Region ACDA meeting was a one-day conference at Rio Hondo College in Whittier, CA in October 1968. Gene Simmonds was president and Howard Swan, Jester Hairston, Charles Hirt, and Maurice Allard were guest speakers. Since that time, the Western Region has contributed to the growth and influence of ACDA in the choral art.

IN MEMORIAM

Joseph Huszti

Eric Graham

Daniel Jackson

Dean Estabrook

Susan Mae Goodenow

Ed Thompson

Judy Morgan

Marcelo Martínez Marroquín

ADVOCACY RESOLUTION:

The human spirit is elevated to a broader understanding of itself and its place in the world through the study of and participation in choral music. Singing in a choir produces more active and involved citizens. It affects self-worth in youth and adults. It builds connectivity throughout communities. Society benefits from the aesthetic beauty and community of singers created by choral programs within schools, houses of worship, and community organizations through involved citizenry, connectivity throughout communities, and feelings of personal self-worth. The American Choral Directors Association and its membership resolve to ensure the survival of choral programs for this and future generations by:

Actively voicing support for funding at local, state, and national levels of education and government; collaborating with local and national organizations to ensure the distribution of arts funding data and arts-related activism opportunities; advocating for full access to choral singing and inclusion of all singers in a choral program; and ensuring the distribution of advocacy statements and data regarding choral programs.

CONFERENCE HONOREE, Edith Copley

Edith A. Copley is a regents’ professor emerita at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff where she served as director of choral studies from 1993-2021. She conducted the highly acclaimed Shrine of the Ages Choir and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in conducting and graduate choral literature. The Shrine of the Ages Choir performed at state, regional and national conferences of the American Choral Directors Association and the National Association for Music Education. NAU choral ensembles

under her direction also toured internationally to Western Europe, the People’s Republic of China, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Bulgaria, Istanbul, Estonia, and Latvia.

Prior to her NAU appointment, Dr. Copley taught secondary choral music for seven years in Iowa and four years overseas at the American International School in Vienna, Austria. While completing her doctoral degree in choral conducting at the College Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, she served as the assistant and interim principal conductor of the May Festival Chorus, one of the oldest symphony choruses in the nation that regularly performs with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops.

In Spring 2016, Dr. Copley retired as music director of the Master Chorale of Flagstaff (MCF). She led this auditioned 100-voice community chorus for 23 years. She served as the chorusmaster for Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra for 27 years. During that time, Dr. Copley conducted numerous choral/orchestral works, including Brahms’s Ein Deutsches Requiem, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Bach’s B Minor Mass, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, Duruflé’s Requiem, and Britten’s War Requiem

Dr. Copley is an active member of the National Association for Music Education and the National Collegiate Choral Organization. She is a lifemember of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). Copley has served ACDA in many leadership roles, including Arizona President, Western Region President, and interest session chair for three national conferences. She was the Conference Chair for the 2025 National Conference in Dallas and is currently ACDA National President.

Dr. Copley has received numerous honors, including the NAU School of Performing Arts Centennial Teacher of the Year Award, Arizona Music Educator of the Year, Arizona ACDA Outstanding Choral Director Award, the Weston H. Noble Award from her alma mater Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and the 2025 Arizona Choral Educators Lifetime Achievement Award

Dr. Copley has served as a clinician, festival adjudicator, and guest conductor in the US and abroad. She has conducted all-state choirs in over 30 states, and choral festivals in the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Orchestra Hall in Chicago, Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, and Carnegie Hall. Dr. Copley has conducted international choral festivals in Germany, the Netherlands, Tasmania, Japan, Luxembourg, Australia, China, Turkey, England, Poland, Oman, Ireland, Austria, and France. Since her retirement in 2021, she continues to be in high demand as a guest conductor, adjudicator, and conference clinician.

MESSAGE FROM THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, Robyn Hilger

This year’s theme, Tapestry of Voices, invites us to reflect on the beauty created when many distinct threads are woven together with care and intention. Choral music is built the same way—each voice, ensemble, tradition, and story contributing strength, texture, and meaning to the whole. This conference honors the artistry and humanity that emerge when we recognize both individuality and interdependence in our work.

Thank you for your membership in ACDA and for the commitment it represents. Your choice to belong—to invest time, energy, and resources in our shared profession—helps sustain choral music across the Western Region and beyond. You are carrying the torch for choral singing in your schools, churches, universities, and communities, often through unseen labor and steadfast dedication. That work matters, and it is deeply valued.

Thank you also for your dedication to continued learning. By attending this conference, you affirm that growth, curiosity, and reflection are essential to our profession. Whether you are here to explore new repertoire, strengthen your pedagogy, reconnect with colleagues, or rediscover joy in the art we share, your presence enriches this gathering. May these days together offer inspiration, affirmation, and renewal. As you participate in performances and sessions, may you experience the strength of our collective tapestry—and return home empowered to keep weaving connection, excellence, and care into your own choral communities. We are grateful you are here. Welcome to Tapestry of Voices.

ACDA NATIONAL CONFERENCES

1971 Kansas City, MO

1973 Kansas City, MO

1975 St. Louis, MO

1977 Dallas, TX

1979 Kansas City, MO

1981 New Orleans, LA

1983 Nashville, TN

1985 Salt Lake City, UT

1987 San Antonio, TX

1989 Louisville, KY

1991 Phoenix, AZ

1993 San Antonio, TX

1995 Washington, D.C.

1997 San Diego, CA

1999 Chicago, IL

2001 San Antonio, TX

2003 New York, NY

2005 Los Angeles, CA

2007 Miami, FL

2009 Oklahoma City, OK

2011 Chicago, IL

2013 Dallas, TX

2015 Salt Lake City, UT

2017 Minneapolis, MN

2019 Kansas City, Missouri

2021 Virtual Conference

2023 Cincinnati, OH

2025 Dallas, TX

WESTERN REGION CONFERENCE HONOREES

1990 Roger Wagner

1992 Ralph Woodward, Sr.

1994 David Thorsen

1996 Charles Hirt

1998 Rodney Eichenberger

2000 Paul Salamunovich

2002 Jane Hardester

2004 Albert McNeil

2006 Frank Pooler

2008 Sr. Sharon Breden, CSJ

2010 William Hatcher

2012 Dean Semple

2014 Morten Lauridsen

2016 John Alexander

2018 Polly Vasché

2020 Donald Brinegar

2022 Charlene Archibeque

2024 Joseph Huszti

ACDA WESTERN REGION CONFERENCES

1966 Occidental College

(First Independent Meeting)

1968 Rio Hondo College, Whittier

(First All-Day Conference)

1970 San Francisco State University

1972 Coronado, CA

1974 Coronado, CA

1973 Coronado, CA

1976 Palo Alto, CA

1978 Tempe, AZ

1980 San Diego, CA

1982 Pasadena, CA

1984 Los Angeles, CA

1986 San José, CA

1988 Los Angeles, CA

1990 Fresno, CA

1992 Honolulu, HI

1994 Sacramento, CA

1996 Pasadena, CA

1998 Reno, NV

2000 Los Angeles, CA

2002 Honolulu, HI

2004 Las Vegas, NV

2006 Salt Lake City, UT

2008 Anaheim, CA

2010 Tucson, AZ

2012 Reno, NV

2014 Santa Barbara, CA

2016 Pasadena, CA

2018 Pasadena, CA

2020 Salt Lake City, UT

2022 Long Beach, CA

2024 Pasadena, CA

WESTERN REGION PAST PRESIDENTS

1964-67 Howard Swan * ⱡ (First Division Chairman)

1971–73 Gene Simmonds * ⱡ

1973–75 Jane Hardester * ⱡ

1975–77 Ginger Covert Colla ⱡ

1977–79 David Thorsen ⱡ

1979–81 Douglas McEwen ⱡ

1981–83 Joseph Huszti ⱡ

1983–85 Linda Allen Anderson

1985–87 Sharon Breden, CSJ ⱡ

1987–89 William Hatcher

1989–91 Sharon Breden, CSJ ⱡ

1991–93 Gary Unruh

1993–95 Jo-Michael Scheibe

1995–97 Mary Breden

1997–99 James O. Foxx ⱡ

1999–2001 Thomas Davies

2001–03 Ron Kean

2003–05 Steve Hodson

2003-04 Elizabeth Kamerin

2004-07 Edith A. Copley

2007–09 Dean Semple ⱡ

2009–11 Cheryl A. Anderson

2011–13 Kathryn Smith

2013–15 Steve Hodson

2015–17 Anna Hamre

2017-19 Travis Rogers

2019-20 Kim Ritzer

2020-22 Lou De La Rosa

2022-24 Michael Short

2024-26 Julie Dana

National Officers

ACDA National Executive Committee

Edith Copley, President

Pearl Shangkuan,Vice President

Jessica Napoles, President-elect

David Fryling, Past-president

Rob Natter, Secretary/Treasurer

Robyn Hilger, Executive Director

National Board of Directors

Amanda Hanzlik, Eastern Region President

Derrick Fox, Midwestern Region President

Steven Zielke, Northwestern Region President

Jeffery Ames, Southern Region President

Jonathan Owen, Southwestern Region President

Julie Dana, Western Region President

Gretchen Harrison, National R&R Chair

Arreon Harley-Emerson, National Diversity Initiatives

Oliver Scofield, Industry Representative

Western ACDA Board & Committees

Executive Committee

Julie Reyes Dana, President

Aimee Stewart, President-elect

Michael Short, Past-president

David Sonnichsen, Treasurer

Nicky Manlove, DEI Chair

Naomi Gamez-Penciu, Recording Secretary

Communications Committee

Elizabeth Baker, HI, Communications

Anna Caplan, CA, Webmaster

Olivia Arnold, Tactus Editor

State Presidents

Ryan Holder, Arizona President

Kristina Nakagawa, California President

Christopher Serrano, Hawai‘i President

Jennifer Tibben, Nevada President

Roger Hale, Utah President

Western ACDA Board Advisory Committee

Marcela Molina, AZ

Youth R & R Coordinator

Kevin Tison & Laura Ramirez, CA

Senior High School Choir Co-Chairs

Joanna Habermann, HI & Jennifer Lowry, NV

Jr. High/Middle School Choir Co-Chairs

Cynthia Salomonson, CA

Elementary School Choir Chair

Cynthia Salomonson, CA

Elementary Choir Chair

Stephanie Council, NV

College and University Coordinator

Aaron Humble, CA, 4 Year College Chair

Michael Huff, UT, 2 Year College Chair

Katherine Rosenfeld, CA

Student Activities

Ryan Holder, AZ

Repertoire Specific Coordinator

Western ACDA 2026 Conference Committee

Tina Paulson, CA, SSAA Chair

Andrew Howden, UT, TTBB Chair

Ángel Vásquez Ramos, CA

World Musics and Cultures Chair

John Knutson, CA, Vocal Jazz

MaryAnne Muglia, AZ

Contemporary Acappella

Renee Wilson-Wicker, CA

Life Long Learning Coordinator

Alan Petker, CA

R&R Community Choirs

Greg Hebert, AZ

R&R Music and Worship

Nicky Manlove

DEI Committee Chair

Darlene Machacon, Miguel Chicas

Juan Jose Garcia, Yu-Feng Huang

Amanda Hallam

Committee Members

Cari Earnhart, CA

Conference Chair

Aimee Stewart, AZ

Conference Vice-Chair

Molly Peters & Tina Paulson, CA

Performing Choir Co-Chairs

Carolyn Teraoka-Brady, CA

Site Liaison, Performing Choirs

Bill Zinn, CA

Performing Choirs Team

Aaron Humble, CA

Performing Choirs Team-Headliner Host

Ryan Holder, AZ, Stephanie Council, NV, & Bret Peppo, CA

Interest Session Co-Chairs

Jason Gallardo, CA

Equipment and Site Liaison Chair

Marc McGhee & Vivian Santos, CA

Honor Choir Co-Chairs

Eliza Rubenstein

Honor Choir Program

Jenny Bent, CA

Collegiate Consortium Chair

Lori Marie Rios, CA

Collegiate Consortium Manager

Angel Vázquez-Ramos, CA & Jennifer Lowry, NV

Reading Session Co-Chairs

Cynthia Salomonson, CA & Christina Hall, AZ

Toolbox Session Co-Chairs

Andrew Howden, UT & David G. Saldaña, CA

Composers Track Co-Chairs

Lou De La Rosa, CA

Composers Track Advisor

Marcela Molina, AZ

Conducting Masterclass Chair

John Knutson, CA &

MaryAnne Muglia, AZ

Voices After Dark Concert Co-chairs

Scott Glysson, CA & Alec Schumacker, HI

College Fair Co-Chairs

Kevin Tison, CA Accompanist

Michael Huff, UT Conference APP/Accompanist

Kim Ritzer, NV

Conference Registration

Kirstina Rasmussen-Collins, CA Hospitality

Mike Short, CA

Exhibits Co-Coordinators

Julie Dana, CA

Sponsorships/Donations

Olivia Arnold, Conference Program

Elizabeth Baker, HI

Communications

Anna Caplan, CA, Webmaster

Scot Hanna-Weir, CA

Santa Clara University Site Host

Corie Brown & Jeffrey Benson, CA

San Jose State University Site Host

Anna Moran, CA

Cathedral Basilca of St. Joseph Site Host

Robert Massey & Andrew Elsesser, CA

Symphony San Jose Site Host

Arizona ACDA Board of Directors

Ryan Holder, President

Christopher Granger

Treasurer and President-Elect Designate

Katie Gerrich, Past-President

Amanda Johnson, Secretary

Cami Clausen, Membership Chair

Ted Gibson, Website Manager

Lies’l Hill, Antiphon Editor

Lindsay Decoste

Conference Chair Next Direction

Tricia Ubrig, Hospitality

Taylor Day

Communications & Social Media

Janel Huyett & Travis White

Cantaremos Honor Choir Chairs

State Boards & Committees

Repertoire & Resources Committees

Jessica Edelbrock, Youth Coordinator

Julia Higgins, JH/Middle School

Robert Decoste, Senior High

Evan Braun, Elementary

Darla Eshelman, Community & Youth

Gideon Burrows, Collegiate Coordinator

Frank Watkins, College & University

Joey Johnston

Repertoire Specific Coordinator

Justin Jenkins,TTB Choirs

Wendy Umbrianna, Soprano/Alto Choirs

Celine Durney

Contemporary Commercial Chair

Taryn Tidwell, ShowChoir

Christina Hall, Vocal Jazz Chair

Nicky Manlove

World Music and Culture Chair

Samantha Jorgensen & Brooke Fala

JH/Middle School Festival Co-Chair

California Choral Directors Association Board of Directors

Kristina Nakagawa, President

Arlie Langager, Past-President

Molly Peters, President-elect

Beth Nitzan, Treasurer

Kathleen Preston

Executive Administrator

Marc McGhee, Membership Director

Genevieve Tep, Development Director

Cari Earnhart

Education and Student Outreach Director

Kellori Dower, DEIAB Director

Kieun Steve Kim

Community and Worship Programs Director

Bill Zinn, Director at Large

(Retired members)

Patrick Burzlaff

K-12 School Programs Director

Ryan Yoder, Communications Director

Student Leadership

Katherine Rosenfeld

Student Activities

Owen Grover

ASU Student Chapter President

Ian Elder

ASU Student Chapter Vice President

Karina Gonzalez

NAU Student Chapter President

Darian Littleman

U of A Undergraduate Student

Chapter President

Brandon Brown

U of A Graduate ACDA

Renée Wilson-Wicker

Lifelong Coordinator

Sharon Hansen, Community Chair

Greg Hebert

Music & Worship and Diamondbacks Liaison

Advisory Council

Jennifer Heder

CA All-State Music Educators

Conference Logistics Chair

Hillary Ngo

Choral Leadership Academy Coordinator

Jeffery Huls, Summer Conference Chair

Susie Martone

Assistant Summer Conference Chair

Susanna Peeples

2026 All-state Honor Choirs Co-Chair

Jenni Gaderlund

2026 All-state Honor Choirs Co-Chair

Katie Carbajal

2025 Central Region Honor Choir Chair

Kate Huizinga

2025 Coastal Region Honor Choir Chair

Eliza Rubenstein, Cantate Editor

Lou De La Rosa, 2-Year College R&R

Matt Brown, Choral Composition R&R

Karyn Silva

Children and Community Youth R&R

Yewon Lee, Community Choirs R&R

Andreas Preponis, Vocal Jazz R&R

Jesse Diaz, SSAA Choirs R&R

Jason Gallardo, Music in Worship R&R

John Nguyen, Web Editor

Emily Moore, Email Communications

Kelly Walker

Webmaster, Assistant CASMEC Logistics

Lori Marie Rios

Liaison to Past Leadership

Hawai‘i ACDA Board of Directors

Christopher Serrano, President

Aaron Scholtz, President-elect

Alec Schumacker, Past-president

Sarah Young, Secretary

Mike Lippert, Treasurer

Wanda Gereben

Associate Treasurer

Ben Nause, Membership Chair

Nevada ACDA Board of Directors

Jennifer Tibben, President

Stephanie Council, President-elect

Jennifer Lowry, Past-president

Conner Nicholas, Treasurer

Jordan Gotchy, Membership Chair

Kimberly Ritzer, Recording Secretary

Kimberly Li & Brandon Pierce

Noteable Nevada Editors

Jennifer Lowry, Webmaster

State Boards & Committees

Festival and Event Chairs

Christopher Serrano

Elementary Choral Festival

Joanna Habermann

Middle School Choral Festival

Aaron Scholtz

High School Choral Festival

Utah ACDA Board of Directors

Roger Hale, President

Shannon Sowby, President-elect

Emily Mercado, Past-president

Dalan Guthrie, Treasurer

Samantha Gordon, Recording Secretary

Logan Bingham

Communications & Webmaster

Repertoire and Resources

Youth Choirs Coordinator

Heather Christiansen, JH/Middle School

Collegiate Choirs Coordinator

Andrew Briggs, 4-year College & University

Repertoire Specific Coordinator

Brad Hayashi, Soprano-Alto

Kyle Harper, Tenor-Bass

Compositions Initiatives

Andrew Crane

Alec Schumacker

Professional Development Day

Elizabeth Baker & Sarah Young

Professional Development

Day Co-Chairs

Repertoire and Resources

Beth Gibbs, College & University

Olivia Gamazo, Elementary

Matthew Ostlie, High School

Athena Mertes, Middle School

David Roberson, Small School

Ryan Duff, Tenor-Bass Choirs

Jaycee Nicholas, Treble Choirs

Osanah Manzo

World Musics and Cultures

Joe Svendsen, Worship/Community

Anne Stephen

Youth & Student Services

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Nurturing Our Roots Nurturing Our Roots

Pre-Conference, Youth Session

McEnery Convention Center

1:00 PM - 5:00 PM

NURTURING OUR ROOTS: Elementary-level Practice & Pedagogy for 21st Century Choirs

Marcela Molina, Director of the Tucson Girls Chorus

Jess Edelbrock, Assistant Artistic Director

Nicky Manlove, Community Engagement Director

Alanah Dickinson, Education Initiatives Coordinator

Peninsula Girls Chorus

Description: This interactive workshop will share strategies for building engaging choral music programs for K-5 singers, focusing on techniques for building comprehensive music literacy, movement-based strategies to increase singer engagement and reinforce musical concepts, exciting and accessible repertoire, incorporating play, and singer-led strategies such as composition and student leadership. Participants will leave this workshop with both practical ideas to apply to their teaching right away, and pedagogical tools to deepen their approach to teaching elementary-level musicians.

Thank you to our donors!

Barb Catlin

Diana Charles

Edie Copley

Julie & Mike Dana

Roger Emerson

Janice Fleming

Anna Hamre

Cricket Handler

Iris Levine

Molly Peters

Alec Schumacker

Gene Shung

Aimee Stewart

Susan Swerdlow

The Tirado Family

John P Yankee

Jerry Thurston

Leslie Hill Walker

Thursday March 5, 2026

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Honor Choir

Registration & Part-checks

12:00 PM - 1:45 PM

Lunch Rehearsal #1

2:00 PM - 5:00 PM Dinner 5:00 PM - 6:45 PM

Honor Choir Schedule

Friday

March 6, 2026

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Rehearsal #3

Saturday

March 7, 2026

Dress Rehearsal: 10-12 SATB HC at the California Theater 9:00 AM - 9:45 AM

Concert: 10-12 SATB HC at the California Theater 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Lunch & College Fair

Rehearsal #4

2:00 PM - 5:00 PM Dinner 5:00 PM - 6:45 PM

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM 12:00 PM - 1:45 PM

Rehearsal #5

Rehearsal #2

Rehearsal locations: Youth Unchanged and 7-9

SATB Honor Choirs will rehearse in the Marriott Hotel Ballrooms. The 10-12 SATB and 9-12 SSAA Honor Choirs will rehearse at SJSU. These locations will be used for registration and partcheck.

Provided meals will include Friday breakfast, lunch, dinner and Saturday breakfast and lunch.

Dress Rehearsal: 9-12 SSAA HC at the California Theater 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM

Dress Rehearsal: 7-9 SATB HC at the California Theater 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM

Dress Rehearsal: Youth Unchanged HC at the California Theater 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM

Concert: 9-12 SSAA HC at the California Theater 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Concert: 7-9 SATB HC at the California Theater 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Concert: Youth Unchanged HC at the California Theater 1:30 PM - 2:00 PM

The chaperone will be responsible for their singer(s) before and after their required dress rehearsal. The call time for each choir will be 15 minutes before their dress rehearsal. More details will be provided on the BANDapp when we are on-site.

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Registration Registration

McEnery Convention Center

12:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Cantabella

Children’s Chorus

Clement Cano (p. 61)

Northern Lights

Ēriks Ešenvalds

Past Life Melodies

Collegiate Collective

Joshua Habermann (p. 62)

Guide Me O Great Jehovah

Hymn

Psalm 104: Taaveti Laul

Concert Session #1

Concert Session #1

Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph

7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Keynote Speaker, Melanie DeMore

“Why We Must Sing Each Other’s Songs: Community, Connection and Commonality”

Collegiate Collective Concert

All Conference Sing: Beethoven - Hallelujah from Mt. of Olives SATB (Ron Kean 2001-03)

Melanie DeMore is a 3 time Grammy nominated singer/composer, choral conductor, music director and vocal activist who believes in the power of voices raised together. In her presentations, DeMore beautifully brings her participants together through her music and commentary. DeMore facilitates vocal and stick pounding workshops for professional choirs, community groups as well as directing numerous choral organizations across the U.S, Canada and beyond. She is a featured presenter of SpeakOut!-The Institute for Social and Cultural Change, works with everyone from Baptists to Buddhists and was a founding member of the Grammy nominated ensemble-Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir. She is the Music Director for Obeah Opera by Nicole Brooks with performances in Toronto, South Africa, and Barbados. She is a charter member of Kate Munger’s Threshold Choirs and conducts song circles with an emphasis on the voice as a vessel for healing. In her own words: “A song can hold you up when there seems to be no ground beneath you”.

Sarah Hopkins

Kafal Sviri Petar Liondev

Kēkatu Dziesma (Carnival Song)

Pēteris Vasks

Tuttarana

Reena Esmail

Cyrillus Kreek

O schöne Nacht

Johannes Brahms

Hymne au Soleil

Lili Boulanger

Jerusalem

Michael McGlynn

I’ll Be On My Way

Shawn Kirchner

The American Choral Directors Association supports choral activities by all musical groups. ACDA does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.

ACDA reserves the right to approve and edit any applications and materials for publication and distribution.

As an ACDA member, I will comply with the copyright laws of the United State of America, including the illegal downloading of music from the Internet. Compliance with these laws is a condition of participation by clinicians and performing ensembles that appear at any ACDA sponsored event or Conference.

(ACDA Policies and Procedures Manual Guide, adopted by the National Board of Directors August 2002.)

Thursday, March 5, 2026

Registration Registration

McEnery Convention Center

7:00 AM - 7:00 PM

A Cappella

Laryssa Sadoway (p. 60)

Dindaru, Dandaru

Laura Jēkabsone

Paris Barantai

Ken Steven

When Music Sounds

Connor Koppin

Softest Rains

Rob Dietz

Concert Session #2

Concert Session #2

Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

Young Men's Ensemble, Ragazzi Boys Chorus

Choral Audacity

A Cappella, Castro Valley High School

All Conference Sing: Dickau - If Music Be the Food of Love

SATB (Mary Breden 1995-97)

Young Men's Ensemble

Travis Rogers (p. 68)

Bayasibiza (Traditional isiZulu)

arr. Michael Barrett and Mbuso Ndlovu

Choral Audacity

Darita Seth (p. 61)

Auass

Alex Vollant

Kmluh, from Three Indigenous Taiwanese Songsarr. Tsai yu-Shan

Ubi Caritas

Maurice Durufle

If You Love for Beauty (Liebst du um Schönheit)

Clara Schumann

arr. James McCullough

Continue

Rollo Dilworth

poetry by Maya Angelou

Exhibits Exhibits

McEnery Convention Center 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM

Composer Fair Composer Fair

Location: LL21F

McEnery Convention Center 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Connect. Collaborate. Create. Meet and connect with Western Region composers while discovering new pieces for your ensembles. Each table showcases two composers and their work. Conductors are encouraged to browse printed scores, scan QR codes, listen to recordings, and take materials for future consideration. Composers may display scores, videos, headphones, business cards, and other resources to spark conversation. Whether you’re selecting repertoire or sharing your music, the Fair is designed to build meaningful, mutually beneficial relationships.

Thursday, March 5, 2026

Advancing the Arts #1

Advancing the Arts #1

McEnery Convention Center

10:15 AM - 11:15 AM

Reading Session: Four+ Part Music

Location: LL 21A/B

Composer Masterclass

David García Saldaña, Composer Track Co-Chair

Andrew Howden, Composer Track Co-Chair

Location: LL 21F

Songs

of Comfort and Celebration

Melanie DeMore

Location: LL20A

Description: Come prepared to sing!

Harmonizing Through Hands: American Sign Language in the Choral Music

Jacob Boland (p. 50)

Location: LL 20D

Description: Discover the power of American Sign Language (ASL) in choral music as a bridge to inclusivity and artistic expression. This session explores the use of ASL interpreters in choral performances, inspired by the presenter’s personal experience as a partially deaf individual. Learn how ASL connects those with hearing disabilities to music, offering a visual and emotional pathway to understanding. Gain practical strategies for integrating ASL into your choral programs to create a richer, more inclusive experience for audiences and performers alike.

Closing the Financial Gap in Your Choral Program

Irene Messoloras (p. 54)

Location: LL 21D

Description: Imagine a choral program where funding supports—not limits—your vision, access, and impact. As conductors, we aim to provide meaningful, inclusive experiences for all students, but budget challenges often stand in the way. Whether it's paying for an accompanist, purchasing scores, or planning a tour, financial pressure is constant. In this session, Irene Messoloras—whose combined expertise with Ethan Sperry has raised over $10 million for their choral programs—offers real-world strategies drawn from her work in choral advancement. Topics include grassroots campaigns, donor tiers, grant writing, and cultivating lasting support. Learn how to build community partnerships, engage students in stewardship, and shift from scarcity to sustainability. Leave empowered with the tools to turn dreams into real opportunities—for every voice in your choir.

Advancing the Arts #2 Advancing the Arts #2 McEnery Convention Center

1:15 PM - 2:15 PM

(re)sounding Joy: Best Choral Practices for Turbulent Times

Alyssa Cossey (p. 50)

Location: LL 20A

Description: Utilizing trauma-informed pedagogy and group-cohesion practices, this session addresses the unique challenges choral leaders face in these unprecedented times. By examining current (and past) choral practices, attendees will gain strategies to help reframe or replace potentially triggering or traumacentered music. Additionally, we will explore current challenges and common shortcomings of DEI work in choral spaces. This session will conclude with a comprehensive list of accessible repertoire and resources that will help participants shift their choral practices and create more welcoming, safe, and joy-centered choral spaces.

Thursday, March 5, 2026

Composing for Your Choir: Writing with Singers in Mind

Kate Crellin (p. 50) and MaryAnne Muglia Smith (p. 54)

Reading Session: Graphite

Location: LL 21A/B

Conducting Masterclass: Undergraduate Students and New Teachers

Nola Nāhulu

Marcela Molina, Conducting Masterclass Coordinator

Cantabella - Clement Cano, director

Location: LL 20D

Participants: Emilio Lopez Felix, Jason Yang, Kaitlin Chheng

Location: LL 21F

Description: This session explores effective strategies for composing and arranging music tailored to the unique strengths of your ensemble. Led by choral composers and arrangers MaryAnne Muglia Smith and Kate Crellin, the session will cover techniques for assessing vocal abilities, balancing accessibility with challenge, and crafting engaging textures that enhance ensemble cohesion. Attendees will gain insights into the commissioning process, hear examples of successful custom compositions, and explore ways to adapt existing works for specific groups. Interactive demonstrations will illustrate practical tools to create music that not only suits their singers but also elevates their artistry.

Music in Worship Toolbox for Refuge and Connection

Chris Wemp, St. Clare Parish, Diocese of San Jose (p. 55)

“Ma o nā keiki e mau ai ka ‘ike ku‘una o ka lāhui” “Through our children, we perpetuate our knowledge and heritage.”

Daughter of Thomas K. Nahulu and

Steve Kim, Trinity United Presbyterian Church, Santa Ana (p. 53)

Yewon Lee, San Diego UMC (p. 53)

Aaron Humble, CSU San Marcos (p. 52)

Zanaida Robles, moderator, Neighborhood UU Church

Pasadena (p. 54)

Location: LL21D

Thursday, March 5, 2026

Exhibits Exhibits

McEnery Convention Center

2:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Sing With Us: Inside an Accessible Choral Rehearsal

Brandon Ellsworth (p. 51)

Location: LL 20D

Advancing the Arts #3

Advancing the Arts #3

McEnery Convention Center

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Reading Session: Unison & Two-part Music

Location: LL 21A/B

WACDA Composers Reading Session

Location: LL 21F

Making Admin Your Biggest Choir Fan

Kellori Dower (p. 51), Iris Levine (p. 53), and Elise

Hepworth (p. 52)

Location: LL 20A

Description: Building strong relationships with

Description: What does an accessible choir actually sound like? In this immersive session, participants will rehearse alongside students from an inclusive choral program to experience firsthand the strategies that make inclusive rehearsals work. Through warmups, rehearsal activities, and accessible tools like AAC devices and visual schedules, attendees will participate in a real rehearsal built for access and belonging. A guided debrief will follow, offering practical takeaways and real-world strategies to adapt in your own classroom. This is not a performance— it’s a shared rehearsal experience rooted in the belief that all singers deserve access to community and musical growth.

Western ACDA Poster Session

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM, Location: Pre-Function Area LL

Silly Songs to Foster Serious Music Skills

Voices of the Philippines: Children's Songs for All Choirs

Crafting a Flavorful Journey of Asian Folk Choral Music

The heavens declare the glory of the Lord: Our tapestry of voices reflect our cosmological heritage!

Last Things First! Warm-ups that perfect your concert.

The Motets of José Maurício Nunes Garcia (1767-1830)

The Voice of the Steppe: Exploring Mongolian Choral Music through the Works of Se Enkhbayar

Anna Volodarskaya Pressman Academy (CA)

Lhara Groberg

Del Sol Academy of the Performing Arts, Clark County School District (NV)

Supitcha Kansirisin University of Miami (FL)

Harold Moses

The Institute of Harmonic Science (AZ)

Jason Harney Aliso Niguel High School (CA)

Youngeun Kim University of Arizona (AZ)

Mengda Jiang

The Good Shepherd United Church of Christ (AZ)

Working towards a more equitable honor choir process: A content analysis of Ramon Cardenas

BAND

Bookmark Music

Chanticleer

Encore Tours

Ensemble Schools

Firebird Fine Arts Tours and Daily Choirs

Fred Bock Publishing Group

Exhibitors

Graphite Publishing

Hawaii State Tours

J.W. Pepper

KI Concerts

Ludus

MidAmerica Productions

Music Celebrations

International

Music Contact International

National Concerts

Pavane Publishing

Perform International

USC Department of Choral Music

WorldStrides Performing Arts

Thursday, March 5, 2026

Concert Session #3 Concert Session #3

Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Madrigal Singers, Foothill High School

University Singers, University of British Columbia

All Conference Sing: Thompson - Last Words of David, EC

Schirmer 2294 SATB (Tom Davies 1999-2001)

Madrigal Singers

Chelsea Dehn (p. 66)

Of Crows and Clusters

Norman Dello Joio

Il bianco e dolce cigno

Orazio Vecchi

Woodpecker

Stephen Chatman

Hope is the Thing with Feathers

Christopher Tin

University Singers

Graeme Langager (p. 67)

Peegeldused tasasest maast (Reflections from a Plain)

Tõnu Kõrvits

Vision Chant Andrew Balfour

To Morning Gabriel Jackson Sun on Water Hussein Janmohammed

Composer Fair Composer Fair

Location: LL21F

McEnery Convention Center 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Poster Session Poster Session

McEnery Convention Center

Location: Pre-Function Area LL 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Conference Social Hour Conference Social Hour

McEnery Convention Center

Location: Pre-Function Area LL 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Concert Session #4 Concert Session #4

Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph 7:30 PM - 9:45 PM

Headliner Concert with Chanticleer & Lyyra Conference Honoree, Edith Copley

All Conference Sing: Rugen - A Golden Thread Will Find You, 2026 Conference Commission Piece (Julie Dana)

Generously sponsored by Band

All-Conference Sing: WACDA 2026 Conference Commission

Presentation of the 2026 WACDA Conference All-Sing commission, awarded to a Western Region ACDA member with a strong history of service and/or involvement in the organization. Special emphasis has been given to commissioning works that are accessible and easily distributable to school and community choir directors.

A Golden Thread Will Find You by Kira Zeeman Rugen Thursday, March 5, 2026: Concert #4 - 7:30pm, Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph

Dr. Kira Zeeman Rugen is a composer, singer, conductor, and educator. She is the artistic director of Solis - Choir of the Sun, a professional choir founded in 2011, and the Director of Choral and Vocal Studies at Scottsdale Community College, where she teaches choir, musical theatre, music theory, aural perception, songwriting, humanities, conducting, composition, and songwriting. Dr. Rugen is this year’s Western Division ACDA Commissioned composer for the March 2026 San Jose Conference, “A Tapestry of Voices.” Other notable performances and premieres include the Vancouver Youth Choir, Phoenix Children’s Chorus, Chandler Children’s Chorus, Northwestern Oklahoma State University Singers, UC Boulder Symphonic Chorale, and the Phoenix Chorale. Her film scores have won over fifty awards at film festivals worldwide. She has prepared choirs for the Eagles, The Chieftains, Andrea Bocelli, Final Fantasy, Zelda, and Game of Thrones. Kira has performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Durham Norvis Early Music, Korea’s Incheon International Choral Festival, with Anúna in Ireland, Japan, and China, and she has won two Grammys with the Phoenix Chorale on awardwinning albums. Kira earned a BA in Music, with a focus in Vocal Performance and Choral Conducting, from Weber State University; an MM in Choral Education; and a Doctorate in Choral Conducting from Arizona State University.

Headliner Concert Featured Ensemble

The GRAMMY® Award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer is known around the world as “an orchestra of voices” for its wide-ranging repertoire and dazzling virtuosity. Founded in San Francisco in 1978 by singer and musicologist Louis Botto, Chanticleer quickly took its place as one of the most prolific recording and touring ensembles in the world, selling more than one million recordings and performing thousands of live concerts to audiences around the globe.

Rooted in the Renaissance, Chanticleer’s repertoire has been expanded to include a wide range of classical, gospel, jazz and popular music and to reflect a deep commitment to the commissioning of new compositions and arrangements. The ensemble has dedicated much of its vast recording catalogue to these commissions, garnering GRAMMY® Awards for its recordings of Sir John Tavener’s Lamentations & Praises and the ambitious collection of commissioned works entitled Colors of Love. Chanticleer is the recipient of Chorus America’s Dale Warland Singers Commission Award and the Chorus America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming. During his tenure with Chanticleer, Music Director Emeritus Joseph H. Jennings received the Chorus America Brazeal Wayne Dennard Award for his contribution to the African American choral tradition.

Named for the “clear-singing” rooster in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Chanticleer continues to maintain ambitious programming in its hometown of San Francisco, including a large education and outreach program, and an annual concert series that includes its legendary holiday tradition, A Chanticleer Christmas.

Chanticleer—a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation—is the current recipient of major grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Bob Ross Foundation, Dunard Fund USA, E. Nakamichi Foundation, Mid Atlantic Arts, and the Negaunee Foundation. Chanticleer’s activities as a not-for-profit corporation are supported by its administrative staff and Board of Trustees.

Headliner Concert Featured Ensemble

Lyyra is the new all-women vocal ensemble from The VOCES8 Foundation and is based in the USA. Lyyra records exclusively for Warner Classics. Creating world-class musical experiences to inspire audiences, Lyyra seeks to redefine the genre of upper voice music in the choral landscape, highlighting the astonishing capabilities within the full spectrum of women’s singing. The sound of this bright, young group combines velvety richness alongside star-like brilliance. With a broad texture and exhilarating range of sound, the group’s talented members specialize in classical, jazz, pop, and folk music from diverse traditions and backgrounds.

Lyyra tours both at home in the USA and internationally. The group gave its debut performances throughout the USA in 2024, including for the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and released its debut EP More Love on the VOCES8 Records label. Early 2025 saw the ensemble sign exclusively to Warner Classics and give its European tour debut with concerts and recording in the UK (Kings Place, London), France (La Folle Journée festival, Nantes), and a tour of German cities. Lyyra’s first single for Warner Classics, “The Hymn of Acxiom,” was released in March. In the summer of ‘25, Lyyra gave concerts in the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, as well

as continuing its US touring. Lyyra is passionate about music education and is part of The VOCES8 Foundation’s mission to actively promote “Music Education For All.” Engaging in a broad range of work collaborating with schools, universities, and community organizations, The VOCES8 Foundation reaches up to 40,000 people each year.

Reflective of music, harmony and the night sky, Lyyra takes its name from the constellation that represents Orpheus’ famed lyre. Lyyra is Anna Crumley, MaryRuth Miller, Elizabeth Tait, Aryssa Leigh Burrs, Ingrid Johnson, and Cecille Elliott. Lyyra’s Creative Director is Erik Jacobson. The US Foundation runs a highly successful Scholar program, where young professionals at the beginning of their singing career learn the skills to be successful in today’s choral landscape, at no cost to the singer. The professional groups also spearhead a robust program with Foundation teaching artists to create meaningful and lasting relationships with communities in one of many educational hub regions around the country.

Matthew Johnson Photography

Friday, March 6, 2026

Registration Registration

McEnery Convention Center

7:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Concert Session #5 Concert Session #5

Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph

8:30 AM - 10:05 AM

Ensign Singers

Los Gatos High School Treble Choir

Westminster Chorus, Westminster, CA Chapter of Barbershop Harmony Society

All Conference Sing: Bach - Dona nobis pacem from the B minor Mass SATB (Anna Hamre 2015-17)

Ensign Singers

David Kime (p. 63)

Praise the Lord

Florence B. Price

Coenantibus autem illis

Juan de Lienas

A este sol peregrino

Tomás de Torrejón y Velasco

"Agnus Dei" from Missa

Afro-Brasileira

Carlos Alberto Pinto

Fonseca

Christ Hath a Garden

Eleanor Daley

Lucis Creator Optime

Marques L. A. Garrett

Exhibits Exhibits

McEnery Convention Center 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM

Los Gatos High School Treble Choir

Ma Ricel Riley (p. 66)

Aurora Lucis Rutilat

Andrea Ramsey

Still I Rise

Rosephanye Powell

Pen Pen De Sarapen

Saunder Choi

Nymphs

Melissa Dunphy Commissioned by the 2025 Soprano-Alto Advanced Choirs Commission Consortium of the American Choral Directors Association

Singkap Siaga

Tracy Wong

Measure Me, Sky

Elaine Hagenberg

Westminster Chorus

Dan Wessler (p. 67)

Beati mortui (from Zwei

Gestliche Choere für vier

Männerstimmen, Op. 115)

Felix Mendelssohn

Got To Get You Into My Life

John Lennon and Paul McCartney arr. Melody Hine

Immortal Sails

Blake Morgan

Khorumi

Mama Khatelishvili

Hard To Say I'm

Sorry/You're The Inspiration

Peter Cetera and David Foster arr. Justin Miller

Yes Sir That's My Baby

Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn arr. David Wright

Friday, March 6, 2026

Advancing the Arts #4

Advancing the Arts #4

McEnery Convention Center

10:45 AM - 11:45 AM

Live Workshop with Composer & Choir

Los Gatos High School Treble Choir

Location: LL 21F

Conducting Masterclass: Conference Attendees and Graduate Students

Edith Copley

Marcela Molina, Conducting Masterclass Coordinator

Ensign Singers - David Kime, Director

Location: LL 20D

Participants: Rosie Ding, Caroline Bergren, Heather Christiansen, Yani Jiang

Dr. Edith A. Copley is a Regents’ Professor Emerita at Northern Arizona University. During her 31year tenure in Flagstaff, she conducted the Shrine of the Ages Choir and taught courses in undergraduate and graduate conducting and graduate choral literature. Prior to her NAU appointment, Copley taught secondary choral music for seven years in Iowa and four years at the American International School in Vienna, Austria. She has contributed articles and chapters for several publications and has conducted all-state choirs in over 30 states and international festivals in Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, Luxembourg, Tasmania, England, Australia, China, Oman, Turkey, Ireland, Austria, and France.

Due Diligence: First Steps and Ethical Engagement with Native Peoples and Music

Thomas Goedecke (p. 52) and Alyssa Beltran (p. 50)

Location: LL 21D

Description: Choral educators are often asked to include diverse voices, but "due diligence" is not always part of the equation. In this session, we’ll explore what it means to ethically engage with Native American music. Dr. Thomas Goedecke and Ms. Alyssa Beltran (Pyramid Lake Paiute) will share how to navigate the complex layers of colonialism, appropriation, and misrepresentation in Native music programming. We’ll also examine how to build authentic relationships with Native communities, ensuring that your programming goes beyond tokenism. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for respecting Native music, creating space for Native voices, and ensuring that your programming benefits Native peoples.

Creating Artistry from Lead Sheets and Unison Singing

Jess Edelbrock (p. 51) and Nicky Manlove (p. 53)

Location: LL 20A

Description: A vast and diverse repertoire exists beyond traditional octavo formats, offering accessible and engaging options for students of all ages. These flexible scores expand programming possibilities and empower students to play an active role in the creative process. This interactive session will explore strategies for elevating unison singing, interpreting lead sheets, and crafting collaborative arrangements from short melodies that bring music to life in fresh and meaningful ways. Whether you're looking to diversify your programming or encourage student-led musicianship, you'll gain practical techniques for elementary, middle, and high school classrooms–and beyond! Participants will leave with a wealth of repertoire sources—many available for free—as well as innovative ideas for transforming simple charts into expressive, collaborative performances that foster creativity and confidence.

Friday, March 6, 2026

AA #4 Continued AA #4 Continued

Headliner Session: Inspiring through MusicCombining excellence with creativity to create inclusive education and performance

Lyyra

Location: LL21A/B

Description: Lyyra and The VOCES8 Foundation will talk through their approach to various education programs that are crafted to inspire audiences of all ages and abilities towards a lifelong love of music. Hinging on meeting students and teachers where they are at, VOCES8 Foundation ensembles strive for a 'music for all' approach that can drive excellence at the highest level, but all introduce music concepts in an accessible way for new singers. Lyyra will also touch on concepts of repertoire and vocal techniques that support inclusivity in choral music.

Composer Fair Composer Fair

Location: LL21F

McEnery Convention Center 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM

Undergraduate Fair Undergraduate Fair

Location: Marriott San Jose Ballrooms 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Friday, March 6,

2026

Advancing the Arts #5 Advancing the Arts #5

McEnery Convention Center

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Transformative Vocal Techniques For Your Choirs

Christine Bass (p. 50)

Location: LL 20A

Description: A great educator is constantly searching for ways to improve their choral rehearsals. Transformative Vocal Techniques For Your Choirs provides group vocal technique methods to build your choir’s sound, strengthen individual singers, achieve better choral tone and artistry. Designed for directors from elementary to high school, key learning outcomes include equipping directors with hands on techniques for posture, breathing, support, resonance, and articulation. Participants will actively work on problem solving the many common issues within the rehearsal, experiencing creative teaching strategies used to increase focus and energy. Participants become exciting vocal pedagogues transforming each of their singers, regardless of skill level. This clinic is highly practical and participants will come away with new, useful techniques that can be applied in their choral rehearsals immediately.

Headliner Session: Challenges, techniques, and benefits of unconducted ensemble singing for all

skill levels

Chanticleer

Location: LL21A/B

Description: Unconducted ensemble singing increases agency and ownership among members, fosters interpersonal connection between singers, livens performances, and increases musicianship skills. Without a conductor, singers must work together, lift up one another, and share responsibility for the final product. Since 1978, Chanticleer has primarily performed as an unconducted ensemble. In this session, we will explore why and how Chanticleer works without a conductor, and how those lessons can be applied to choirs of all skill levels.

Out-of-the-Box Program Ideas

Location: LL21D

Composer Toolbox Session

Location: LL 21F

Conducting Masterclass: Conference Attendees and Graduate Students

Craig Jessop

Marcela Molina, Conducting Masterclass Coordinator

University Singers, University of British Columbia Graeme Langager, Director

Location: LL 20D

Participants: Kayoung Kim, Abraham Gibson, David Kime, Chad Pittman

Dr. Craig Jessop is Professor of Music and Coordinator of the Master of Music in Conducting (Choral Emphasis) at Utah State University. From 2010 to 2019, he served as the founding Dean of USU’s Caine College of the Arts, following his distinguished tenure as Music Director of the world-renowned Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square. He is the founder and Music Director of the American Festival Chorus and Orchestra, now in its 18th season, and continues to lead the National Memorial Day Choral Festival at the Kennedy Center. A former Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force music programs, Dr. Jessop served as Director of the Singing Sergeants and conducted Air Force ensembles in the U.S. and Europe. He has recorded more than 15 albums with the Tabernacle Choir, during which time the Choir received the National Medal of Arts and a Grammy nomination.

Friday, March 6, 2026

Concert Session #6 Concert Session #6

Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph

3:45 PM - 5:25 PM

Kantori, Faith Community Lutheran Church Angels of Music, Casteel Junior High School

California State University, Fullerton Concert Choir

All Conference Sing: Hairston - Elijah Rock SATB (Cheryl Anderson 2009-11)

Kantori

Joseph Svendsen (p. 65)

Very Bread, Good Shepherd tend us Healey Willan

Vidi Aquam, Prima Pars Filipe de Magalhães

Wayfaring Stranger

Joseph Svendsen (manuscript)

Movements from Musikalische Exequien

Heinrich Schütz

II. Nacket bin ich vom Mutterleibe kommen

III. Nacket werde ich wiederum dahinfahren

IV. Herr Gott, Vater im Himmel

XXV. Ich weiß, daß mein Erlöser lebt

XXVII. Er sprach zu mir

There is a Balm in Gilead

Raymond Wise

Gather at the River

Susan LaBarr

Graduate Fair Graduate Fair

Location: McEnery Convention Center 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Angels of Music

Jennifer Pearce (p. 60)

Give Me A Song

Erik Whitehill

I Can Sing, I Can Fly

Richard Ewer

Sing Rejoice from Judas Maccabeus

George Frideric Handel

arr. Matthew Michaels

Inscription of Hope

Z. Randall Stroope

A Girl’s Garden

Randall Thompson

O Sifuni Mungu

arr. Roger Emerson

Fullerton Concert Choir

Christopher Peterson (p. 63)

In effect it is this: that I love you

Ethan Soledad BROCK Student Commission 2026

I Am Loved

Christopher H. Harris

Crucifixus

Antonio Lotti

Alleluia, Laus Et Gloria

Friday, March 6, 2026

Concert Session #7 Concert Session #7

Hammer Theater

8:00 PM - 9:55 PM

EPIC Jazz Choir, Downey High School

Green NV, Green Valley High School

High Altitude, Northern Arizona University

All Conference Sing: Mattson - I’ll Be Seeing You (John Knutson, Jazz R&R)

EPIC Jazz Choir

Cory Olariu (p. 64)

'S Wonderful arr. Phil Matson

Stella by Starlight arr. Kerry Marsh

To Make you Feel My Love arr. MaryAnne Muglia

Green NV

Kim Ritzer (p. 64)

Daft Punk Medley

Transcribed by Robert Kuss/adapted Green NV

Run To You

arr. Kirby Shaw/Ben Bram

Love Shack

High Altitude

Ryan Holder (p. 65)

Almost Like Being in Love

Alan Lerner & Frederick

Loewe

arr. Kerry Marsh

As Far As The Eye Can See

Lauren Kinhan & Darmon Meader

Tapestry

Carole King

arr. Kerry Marsh

Yardbird Suite

Charlie Parker

Eddie Jefferson

arr. Jennifer Barnes

How Sweet It Is (to be Loved By You)

Holland, Dozier & Holland

arr. Jeremy Fox

Saturday, March 7, 2026

Registration Registration

McEnery Convention Center

8:30 AM - 10:30 AM

The Why and How of Student Leadership Programs

Bruce Rockwell (p. 54)

Location: LL 20A

Advancing the Arts #6

Advancing the Arts #6

McEnery Convention Center

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Reading Session: Three-Part Music

Location: LL 21A/B

Live Workshop with Composer & Choir

Green NV

Kim Ritzer, Director

Location: LL 20D

Real-Time Rehearsal with Vivace Youth Chorus

Description: Strong student leadership can transform your ensembles, reduce director workload, and foster a positive, student-driven culture. This session explores the practical "nuts and bolts" for developing a leadership team that builds trust, accountability, and engagement, while preventing cliques, disengagement, negativity, and retention issues. Learn the benefits of selecting vs. electing leaders, explore different leadership structures, and discover practical strategies for goal-setting, retreats, and year-long leadership development. Whether you're refining an existing leadership program or starting from scratch, you'll gain actionable steps to empower student leaders and elevate your program’s success.

Vocal Pedagogy for Choirs: Keep the Magic, Lose the Myth

Aaron Humble (p. 52)

Location: LL 21F

Description: Better singers make better choirs. We know this, but so often it’s hard to look beyond the notes and rhythms in the little time we have. Some conductors are highly trained singers and some are not, but all conductors face the same challenge of using phrases that

Saturday, March 7, 2026

Composer Fair Composer Fair

Location: LL21F

McEnery Convention Center

10:45 AM - 12:45 PM

Building Literacy Through Play

Amanda Goldberg (p. 52)

Location: LL 20A

Advancing the Arts #7

Advancing the Arts #7

McEnery Convention Center

10:45 AM - 11:45 AM

Vocal Warm Ups & Techniques

Panel: Kim Ritzer and Heather Drusedum

Location: LL21D

Composer Masterclass

Location: LL 21F

A Tapestry of Chinese and Taiwanese Choral Voices

Description: Few elements speak to the deficiency of the American education system like our country’s diminishing rates of literacy, which is affecting rates of music literacy, as well. Working under the influence of Drs. Gordon and Krueger, this session serves to provide educators with strategies to promote music literacy through play-based approaches. Focussing heavily on rhythmic, melodic, and tonal acquisition, attendees will learn activities to be employed with lower elementary to adult learners. Educators will learn how to use these games as assessment tools and provide students with a more expansive vocabulary to understand their literacy skills. Attendees will walk away with a comprehensive understanding of the spiral of teaching music literacy, the value of audiation, dictation, and improvisation in the learning process, and how to implement these strategies in their classroom through play.

Vocal Tone and Technique for Middle School Singers

Athena Mertes (p. 53)

Location: LL 20D

Description: This session will provide a comprehensive

Saturday, March 7, 2026

Honor Choir Concerts Honor Choir Concerts

1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Youth Honor Choir 4th-8th

Liana Salinas, conductor (p. 46)

Amanda Ku, collaborative pianist (p. 46)

SATB Honor Choir 7th-9th

Judith Herrington, conductor (p. 46)

Brian Connor, collaborative pianist (p. 46)

SSAA Honor Choir 9th-12th

Lynnel Joy Jenkins, conductor (p. 47)

Heather Bishop, collaborative pianist (p. 47)

SATB Honor Choir 10th-12th

Jason Max Ferdinand, conductor (p. 47)

Emily Hsu, collaborative pianist (p. 47)

Marc McGhee, presiding, WACDA Honor Choir Co-Chair

Vivian Santos, presiding, WACDA Honor Choir Co-Chair

Location: California Theatre

San Jose Symphony San Jose Symphony

The Enigmatic Voice

SJ Symphony Chorus & Choraliers

7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Youth Honor Choir

Liana Salinas

Fences

Andre J. Thomas

La Esperanza Del Caminante

Cristian Grases

Jong Jong Inai

Tracy Wong

Grow

Sarah Quartel

Feel Good

arr. Barbara Baker and David J. Elliott

Honor Choir

Lynnel Joy Jenkins

Joy

Hans Bridger Heruth

Spark (To Music)

Eric William Barnum

To Sit and Dream

Rosephanye Powell

Love, The Greatest Gift

Diane White-Clayton

Ta Na Solbici

Samo Vovk

A Choice to Change the World

Kevin Phillip Johnson

Judith Herrington

How Can I Keep From Singing?

arr. Gwyneth Walker

Shenandoah

arr. Kevin A. Memley

Life Has Loveliness

Honor Choir

Jason Max Ferdinand

Awake the Harp

Franz Joseph Haydn ed./arr. Earlene Retz

Der Gang Zum Liebchen

Op. 31, Nr. 3

Liana Salinas is a dynamic music educator and entrepreneur based in Miami, Florida. She serves as the Artistic Director of the Miami Children’s Chorus (MCC), an organization she has been a part of for 26 years. Having grown up in the chorus, she knows firsthand the power of choral singing and the beautiful community it fosters. In 2023, she proudly shared this message on national television during her interviews on The Kelly Clarkson Show. Under her leadership, MCC has built upon its 60-year legacy with a fresh approach that embraces contemporary styles and skills such as jazz and songwriting. Mrs. Salinas is also the CEO and Founder of My Music Match, a company connecting students with private music teachers in Miami, New York, California, and online worldwide. Through personalized lessons and school partnerships, she helps young musicians find the right teacher—and their voice.

Amanda Ku (she/her) is a collaborative pianist and music director in the Bay Area. She has proudly accompanied local, regional and All-State honor choirs since 2018, and made her Western ACDA debut in 2024 in collaboration with community chorus Resounding Achord. She serves as the resident accompanist for choirs at Los Altos, Leigh, and Lincoln High Schools, and violin repertory Magical Strings West, as well as the music coach for Leigh’s theater program. Outside of choir, she can be found music directing for musical theater; recent projects include Gypsy and Fiddler on the Roof at Palo Alto Players.

Judith Herrington is the Founder and Artistic Director of Tacoma Youth Chorus and conductor of the Treble Choir, Chorale and Chamber Choir. Recently retired from 44 years of teaching and conducting at Charles Wright Academy and she was the recipient of the Inspirational Faculty Award and Murray Foundation Chair for Teaching Excellence. A graduate of the University of Oregon, Ms. Herrington earned her Master of Education degree from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Having served in several leadership positions for the WA-American Choral Directors Association Board, she is the 2011 recipient of its Leadership and Service Award. She is an inaugural member of the School of Arts and Communication Advisory Board at Pacific Lutheran University. Ms. Herrington is highly regarded internationally, nationally and regionally as a guest conductor, workshop and choral clinician. She has served as visiting faculty at VanderCook College of Music and recently inducted into the Washington State Music Educators Association Hall of Fame. A noted composer and arranger, she has published through Pavane Publishing, Hal Leonard Publishing, and Colla Voce Publishing. She also edits two choral series for Pavane Publishing.

Honor Choir Director and Collaborative Pianist Biographies

Dr. Lynnel Joy Jenkins is artistic director of Westrick Music Academy, music director of Princeton Girlchoir, and a choral teacher in the Hopewell Valley Regional School District, New Jersey. She has performed the latter two positions for sixteen years. Dr. Jenkins has varied conducting and teaching experience from elementary to collegiate levels, including positions at the American Boychoir, Westminster Choir College, and the Haverford School. She has conducted choirs, lectured worldwide, and led several all-state choirs, as well as the American Choral Directors Association and the Organization of American Kodály Educators honor choirs. This past March, she conducted the 8th-10th Grade National Treble Honor Choir at the ACDA Conference in the Meyerson Symphony Hall in Dallas, Texas. She earned degrees from Westminster Choir College (B.A.), Temple University (M.M.), and the University of Arizona (D.M.A.), and received the Elaine Brown Conducting Award from both institutions.

Heather Bishop is the Choir Director and Performing Arts Chair at Clovis North High School, where she leads one of the Central Valley’s most distinguished choral programs. Under her direction, the Clovis North Women’s Chorale has been featured at three Western Division ACDA Conferences and multiple CASMEC Conferences. A passionate advocate for music education and mentorship, Heather has served on the CCDA Board for over a decade, the Western Division ACDA Board, and as Choral Representative for the FMCMEA Board. She has also served as a district mentor teacher and Choral Resource Teacher for Clovis Unified. Heather earned a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory of Music as a Chancellor’s Award recipient. Her choirs have performed nationwide, including at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. An accomplished pianist and accompanist, she has collaborated with honor choirs and conferences for more than 30 years. Heather and her husband, Dan, are proud parents of three young musicians.

Jason Max Ferdinand, Professor – Conductor – Composer – Speaker, is an inspirational musician, leader and teaching mentor whose gifts are sought after by choirs and orchestras in the USA and internationally. Since 2022 he has served as the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Maryland, having spent the preceding 14 years as professor at Oakwood University, conducting the renowned Aeolians of Oakwood University. He is the founding artistic director of The Jason Max Ferdinand Singers which since its inception in 2021 has performed to enraptured sell-out audiences. In 2023 they performed at the ACDA National Conference in Cincinnati which included a surprise appearance from Jacob Collier. This followed their appearance on Saturday Night Live with Coldplay and Jacob Collier. They made their debut at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall,

Presenter Biographies

50 years of teaching experience, recently former director of Temple University Men’s and Women’s Choruses and Assistant Professor of Music Education, previously DCA at Cherry Hill West high school where her program grew from 60 to over 320 students in seven choirs. Her ensembles have performed at multiple ACDA National Conventions, MENC and ACDA All Eastern Conventions, Christine Bass’ men’s a cappella group, won three consecutive National Championships for Best of High School A Cappella. Bass has conducted numerous All State Honors Choirs including the 2009 ACDA All National HS Honors Choir. Her educational products are published by Hal Leonard; 'Vocal Transformation', and 'Where The Boys Are: Recruiting, Engaging and Maintaining Tenors and Basses' and her book 'Front-Loading Your Choral Rehearsal: Constructing for Success'. For more info please visit: christinebass.com.

Alyssa Beltran (Pyramid Lake Paiute) is a Native music educator, scholar, and Powwow dancer based in Santa Cruz, California. She currently serves as the Director of Choral Activities at Pacific Collegiate Charter School, teaching Choir and Intro to Performing Arts to students in grades 7–12. Alyssa also serves as the vocal director for the school’s spring musical, working alongside the department’s theater, instrumental music, and dance educators. She is pursuing a Master of Arts in Secondary Education at San José State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Music in Music Education and minor in Native American studies Magna cum Laude. Alyssa's teaching experience spans concert and jazz choirs, concert and jazz bands, strings, performing arts, and general music. Alyssa is committed to fostering inclusive musical environments full of meaningful collaborations.

Born on August 7, 2001, in Khabarovsk, Russia, Jacob Boland is a passionate musician and advocate for accessibility in the arts. Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at 8, Jacob faced social challenges, finding refuge in music. In 2021, he developed permanent hearing loss due to COVID19, which transformed his relationship with sound. Rather than seeing this as a setback, he embraced it as a source of strength, exploring music through vibrations and emotional resonance. Jacob took a break from his studies at California State University, Long Beach, to adapt to his new reality as a hard-of-hearing musician. His compositions challenge traditional notions of music, emphasizing inclusivity and sensory experiences. As a conductor, he fosters collaboration and innovation, mentoring fellow musicians with disabilities. Jacob aims to create a more inclusive music industry.

Dr. Alyssa J. Cossey is a conductor, singer, educator, and scholar. She is a contributing author for a

Presenter Biographies

Dr. Kellori Dower is the Dean of Visual and Performing Arts at Cypress College in Cypress, California. She was the director of two award-winning high school choral music programs prior to serving as Director of Choral Activities at the collegiate level. Past appointments have also included High School Principal, Asst. Principal and District Arts Administrator positions. She is a past recipient of the Outstanding Music Educator Award for the California Music Educators Association. Dr. Dower is a published through Hal Leonard and continues to conduct honor choirs nationally. She currently serves as the Director of DEIAB for the California Choral Director's Assn. and is the immediate past president of the National Collegiate Choral Organization.

Heather Barclay Drusedum is in her third year of teaching and serves as the Director of Choirs at Tarkanian Middle School in Las Vegas, Nevada. She holds a degree in Secondary Music Education with a choral emphasis from Northern Arizona University. While at NAU, Heather sang in Shrine of the Ages Choir, Vox Astra, University Singers, and Chamber Choir, and held leadership roles including American Choral Directors Association Student Chapter President, Choral Union President, and Jazz Madrigal Festival Student Coordinator. She was recognized in 2023 with the Gold Axe Award, honoring the top 1% of graduating seniors at Northern Arizona University, and also received the Outstanding Senior Award for the College of Arts and Letters. Under her direction, the Tarkanian choir program has been featured in performance with the Southern Nevada Musical Arts Society and at the 2025 Nevada ACDA Mini-Conference. In addition to her work in music education, Heather sings with Desert Singers and the Sedona Academy of Chamber Singers, both professional-caliber choral ensembles. Heather believes that when middle school students feel supported, challenged, and valued, they are capable of extraordinary growth.

Jess Edelbrock is the Director of Operations at the Tucson Girls Chorus, overseeing all programming and strategy in partnership with Dr. Marcela Molina. She also directs TGC ensembles spanning grades K-12. Jess earned a B.M. in Choral Education from Northern Arizona University and an MM in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University. In Spring 2023, she was appointed Adjunct Professor of Music Education at the University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music. Jess currently serves on the Arizona Choral Arts Association board and as the Youth R&R Chair for AZACDA. She is a frequent presenter at state conferences and a collaborative pianist for festival choirs, most recently accompanying the National ACDA 5-7 Treble Honor Choir. Under Jess’ direction, the TGC Bumblebees performed at the 2022 ACDA National C&YCC Retreat–the youngest choir to be invited to perform at a national ACDA event.

Presenter Biographies

Thomas Goedecke (PhD, Music Composition), based on Maui, Hawaiʻi, is most known for his work intersecting sound worlds from western and Pacific non-western voices. He specifically finds joy in working with indigenous languages of the Pacific and combining them with traditionally western ensembles, advocating for the proliferation and celebration of Polynesian, Asia-Pacific, and American indigenous art. Dr. Goedecke is currently a tenure-track instructor at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College, where he directs the College Chorus and Hawaiian Chorus and teaches in the Institute of Hawaiian Music and Music Studies programs. As a composer, conductor, and educator, he is dedicated to preserving and promoting these cultural traditions through academic research and community-based projects including Nā Haku Mele, a yearly call for scores for new works in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.

Amanda Goldberg is a music educator passionate about the use of singing to develop the whole person. She holds a BM in Music Education from St. Olaf College and is currently completing her MM in Choral Conducting at Michigan State University. She has worked on artistic staff at the Girl Choir of South Florida and as a middle school teacher in Palm Beach County, FL, where she piloted a program for Restorative Practices in the classroom. Presently, Amanda is the assistant director of Sistrum: Lansing Women's Chorus and the music director of First Presbyterian Church of Holt. Her passions include treble music and ensembles, caramelized onions, and the film Titanic. She is an active member of ACDA and MSVMA.

Dr. Elise Hepworth is the Dean of the College of Arts, Communication, and Social Sciences at Northwest Missouri State University. Before her appointment, she spent a decade at Missouri Western State University as a tenured professor leading the choral music program and later served as Assistant Vice President and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. She previously taught at Wayne State College in Nebraska. Dr. Hepworth holds degrees from Northwest Missouri State University (B.S.Ed.), UMKC Conservatory (M.M.E.), the University of Mississippi (D.A.), and the New Zealand School of Music (G.Dip.). She is nationally certified in Orff Schulwerk and Zoltán Kodály pedagogies and remains an active guest conductor, clinician, and vocalist throughout the Midwest. She resides in Saint Joseph, Missouri, with her husband, Matt, and their three cats, Murphy, Meredith, and Maggie.

Dr. Yu-Feng Huang is a Taiwanese choral conductor and scholar committed to bridging cultures through music. He holds a DMA in Choral Conducting from the University of Utah and has over a decade of experience directing university and community choirs in Taiwan. His research supports

Kieun Steve Kim serves as Director of Worship and Music at Trinity United Presbyterian Church in Santa Ana, providing leadership for worship ministries, including nine vibrant ensembles. Prior to this role, he served as Director of Choral Activities at Simpson University. He has prepared choirs for performances with major orchestras, including the Baltimore Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestra. His choral works, spanning genres, including classical, jazz, gospel, and K-pop have been performed by ensembles including Chanticleer and Westminster Choir. His scholarly interests are in the music of J.S. Bach, and his musical analyses are published through GIA Publications. He holds degrees from the University of Maryland, Westminster Choir College, and the San Francisco Conservatory. He currently serves on the board of the California Choral Directors Association as Director of Community and Worship Programs.

Dr. Yewon Lee is an accomplished conductor and pianist with extensive experience across Southern California and beyond. Her collaborations include work with the Baldwin Wallace Opera Theater, the National Opera Center in NYC, the Aspen Opera Theater Center, and the International Vocal Arts Institute. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Dr. Lee holds a BM in Piano Performance from Seoul National University, an MM in Vocal Accompanying from the Manhattan School of Music, and an AD in Collaborative Piano from the Juilliard School. She earned her DMA in Choral Music from the University of Southern California. Currently, Dr. Lee is a Director of Music at San Dieguito United Methodist Church, and Music Director of the San Diego Festival Chorus.

Dr. Iris S. Levine, a nationally recognized choral conductor, is the founder and artistic director of VOX Femina Los Angeles, L.A.’s premier women’s chorus. Under her leadership, VOX Femina has gained national prominence, performing at ACDA conventions, Chorus America conferences, and GALA Chorus events. Dr. Levine is faculty emerita at Cal Poly Pomona, where she served as Director of Choral Activities, Dean of the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences, Interim Dean of the College of Education and Integrative Studies, and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. She conducted the Kellogg Chamber Singers and taught conducting and music education courses. Dr. Levine holds a Doctorate in Choral Music from USC and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Temple University. A leader in ACDA, she has served as state, regional, and national chair for Women’s Choruses.

Nicky Manlove (they/them pronouns) is the Community Engagement Director for the Tucson Girls Chorus, where they also conduct the Jubilate Choir and Las Estrellas at Prince Elementary, and accompany the Bumblebee Singers and Mariposa Singers. Nicky is a committed advocate of equity-centered and liberatory choral practice, and supports a number of justice-focused choral

Presenter Biographies

Irene Messoloras maintains an active career as a sought-after conductor, clinician, and adjudicator, leading ensembles in powerful and dynamic performances across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Dr. Messoloras serves as Director of Choral Activities at the University of California, Irvine and conducts the London-based professional choir Meridian. Under her baton, Messoloras’ professional, university, and community choirs have performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages. Her ensembles have been featured at the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) National Conference in both 2021 and 2023, with major appearances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Beijing Concert Hall, as well as national commercial campaigns and professional music video productions. Her ensemble’s work is represented by Signum Records and can be heard on all major streaming platforms.

Kristina Nakagawa, Executive Artistic Director, joined Vivace Youth Chorus in December 2020. She is also the founding artistic director of Resounding Achord, an adult community choir in San José. Vivace Youth Chorus is a high-quality choral music education organization in Silicon Valley for students ages 6-18. Vivace provides programs that balance age-appropriate vocal training, music theory and literacy, and performance, while providing exposure to music from many genres and world cultures. The organization was founded in 2003 by Artistic Director Emerita Peggy Spool and a group of dedicated parents. Since then, the program has grown from four choirs and one summer program to six choirs, one summer program, and several music enrichment activities.

Dr. Zanaida Stewart Robles is an award-winning Black American female composer, vocalist, conductor, and teacher. Authentic interpersonal connection and relationship-building are core principles of her teaching and performance methods. Born, raised, and educated in Southern California on the unceded lands of the Tongva-Gabrielino peoples, she is in demand as a composer, vocalist, clinician, and adjudicator for competitions, festivals, and conferences related to choral and solo vocal music.

Bruce Rockwell is the choir director at College Park High School in Pleasant Hill, California. He has taught choir, piano and guitar at College Park for 15 years. Mr. Rockwell received his MM in Composition from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where her studied with Conrad Susa

Presenter Biographies

Christopher Wemp directs intergenerational music ensembles at St. Clare Parish and, in his previous role as Director of Liturgy & Music for the Diocese of San Jose, across various parishes. His work extends internationally to include El Salvador, Peru, India, and Kenya. This exposure to different cultures and backgrounds has shaped him into a choral performer and composer who strives to create inclusive and empowering singing environments that illuminate the human condition and inspire us to live even more fully. His liturgical music compositions can be found at www.adscensio.org. Additionally, Chris is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT), and applies this evidenced based way of talking to people about meaningful change to daily interactions with musicians and music leaders.

A Cappella, Castro Valley High School

Hailing from the diverse San Francisco Bay Area, A Cappella is the premier concert choir in their large public high school, comprising three separate auditioned classes that practice together one evening per month. They have performed spotlights at Carnegie Hall, and toured domestically and internationally. In 2018, A Cappella, and a subset within it, Madrigals, both placed first in their respective competition divisions of the Northern California Golden State Choral Competition, an achievement only three high school choral programs have achieved in the entire history of the state competition. In 2022, A Cappella won the grand prize of “America’s Top Choir” and “Best Ensemble Choreography” in FeelItLIVE’s competition for top high school choir.

Laryssa Sadoway is in her fourteenth year at Castro Valley High School, where she conducts five choirs. She trained at the University of Massachusetts and North Park University in Chicago. Ms. Sadoway received a Master of Music in

Angels of Music, Casteel Junior High School

Founded in 2015 with the opening of Casteel High School, Angels of Music is a women’s choir comprised of talented 7th and 8th grade students. For many members, this marks their first experience in a choral setting. Despite their limited background, these young vocalists exhibit a strong dedication to personal and musical development. They consistently rise to the challenge, stepping outside their comfort zones to cultivate the vocal technique, discipline, and collaboration necessary to perform as a unified and expressive ensemble.

Jennifer Pearce holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Arizona State University and has over 30 years of teaching experience in the East Valley. Her diverse background includes teaching at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels, well conducting church and

Cantabella Children’s Chorus

Cantabella Children’s Chorus was founded in 1992 by Bee Chow in her Livermore living room with 11 young singers. Inspired by Zoltán Kodály’s philosophy that the voice should be every child’s first instrument, Bee aimed to create a local choral community for her own children, then ages 6 and 8. With a Master’s in Music Education from the University of Iowa and certifications in Kodály and Suzuki methods, she built Cantabella into an award-winning program serving over 250 singers from kindergarten through high school. Under her leadership, the chorus has performed internationally and earned accolades, including the Grand Prix at the 2019 World Youth Choral Festival in South Korea. Bee Chow now serves as Director Emeritus, continuing to inspire the next generation of musicians.

Clement Cano holds a Bachelor’s in Music (Voice) from San José State University and is pursuing a Master’s in Music Education. With over 20 years of experience, he has served as choir manager, pit musician, accompanist, baritone, and musical theater director. He began singing in

Choral Audacity

CHORAL AUDACITY is a chamber choir that centers stories of marginalized communities through programming of underrepresented composers with a roster of underrepresented singers. Founded in 2018 as a projectbased ensemble, we seek to cultivate excellence of underrepresented voices through performance, mentorship, scholarship, and community. Our mission is to not only focus on diverse repertoire but to focus on the humans singing that repertoire. Together, we have presented programs such as: We All Live Here (American music through the eyes of BIPOC), Freedom Come (music of civil rights movement and the apartheid), Wildfire (music in response to the California wildfires), Balikbayan (stories of Overseas Filipino Workers), Over Into Campground (stories of refugee camps, internment camps, and concentration camps), More Than Able (a conversation about accessibility), and TRANScend.

Cambodian-American conductor, hautecontre, and composer, DARITA SETH serves as Founder, President, and Director of CHORAL AUDACITY.

Currently, he is the Director of Choral and Vocal Studies at Santa Rosa Junior College. Prior conducting affiliations include: Interim Director of Choral Studies and Conducting at University of

the Pacific; Cantare Con Vivo in Oakland, CA, St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Long Beach, CA; St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Danville, CA; Danville Girls Chorus; Cantabella Children’s Chorus; the Grammy-Award Winning Pacific Boychoir Academy. Darita holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Capital University’s Conservatory of Music and a Masters of Music in Choral Conducting from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at CSU Long Beach.

Collegiate Collective

The ACDA Western Region Conference will open with the debut performance of the Collegiate Collective, an honor chorus bringing together singers from Northern California colleges and universities. Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Habermann, conductor of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, the ensemble reflects the conference’s commitment to fostering collaboration among the next generation of choral artists. The program, Bridges of Song, traces themes of praise, nature, and the human search for belonging. Works such as Johannes Brahms’ O schöne Nacht and Lili Boulanger’s Hymne au Soleil capture the beauty of night and the brilliance of dawn, while other selections lift up themes of reverence, home, journey, and hope. Reflecting on the occasion, Habermann notes: “I’m thrilled to be returning to California for the opportunity to gather with collegiate singers from across the state, and sharing a session with an artist like Melanie DeMore is an inspiration.”

Joshua Habermann leads the O‘ahu Choral Society and is in his seventeenth season as Artistic Director of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, one of America’s leading professional choirs. Since joining the ensemble, he has broadened its repertoire to include choral-orchestral masterworks and unique concert experiences such as Dancing the Mystery, and The American Immigrant Experience, fusions of music and poetry created for ACDA National Conferences in Salt Lake City and Dallas. Dr. Habermann has taught at San Francisco State University, the University of Miami and the University of North Texas. 2011-2022 he led the Dallas Symphony Chorus, and is a regular guest with professional and symphonic choirs. Recent projects include preparing choruses for Brittenʻ s War Requiem for the San Francisco Symphony, and John Adam’s El Niño for the Houston Symphony. Joshua Habermann is a passionate advocate for music education, and sought after as a clinician for conducting programs and choral events.

A Central Louisiana native, Kevin Tison began his musical education with piano study at the age of thirteen. Over the past thirty years, his professional work in music has spanned various roles as a conductor, educator, pianist, arranger, adjudicator, and vocalist. He is in his twenty-third year teaching high school choral music – with the past twenty-one years at Fountain Valley High School in Orange County, California. Mr. Tison earned his Bachelor of Music from Northwestern State University of Louisiana and a Master of Music from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, both in piano performance. Additional concentrations of study were pursued in the areas of voice, composition, orchestration, and conducting. At the keyboard, he was most recently featured as soloist on Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, performing in Southeast Texas as well as at his university alma mater in Natchitoches, Louisiana. An upcoming performance in March 2026 will feature Mr. Tison as Artist in Residence at Carnegie Hall, performing the Beethoven Choral Fantasy.

Concert Choir, CSUF

The California State University Fullerton Concert Choir, directed by Dr. Christopher Peterson, is a 55-voice auditioned, mixed ensemble comprised primarily of students studying voice in the School of Music. The ensemble gives a number of performances in Southern California every year, and has also toured in Canada, Hawaii, Europe, and the United States. The choir has had the privilege of performing under the batons of John Williams and Gustavo Dudamel at the Hollywood Bowl, performing numerous times with Andrea Bocelli, and singing other professional engagements across the region. The stated mission of our ensemble is to “sing and perform traditional as well as new choral music at the highest artistic levels, and to communicate to our audiences through compelling and musical performances.”

Dr. Christopher Peterson teaches at Cal State Fullerton. He is a conductor, author, and arranger of music and books published in the US and globally. In his over 35 years as a music educator he has taught in public school, church, community, and collegiate settings. He earned a BA in Music Education at the University of

Southern Maine, the MM in Choral Conducting at the University of Maine, and a Ph.D. in Music Education and Choral Conducting at Florida State University. He has been invited to teach, judge, and conduct choirs in more than thirty US states, five Canadian provinces, and nine countries and has conducted All-State choirs across the nation. His textbook “RESONANCE: The ART of the Choral Music Educator” is used across the United States to train future choral music teachers and conductors. He also holds the position of Director of Music at Irvine United Congregational Church.

Ensign Singers

The Ensign Singers is a community chamber ensemble specializing in the performance of sacred choral repertoire. Founded in 2019, the choir initially performed primarily for community religious events, before beginning a series of summer seasons in 2021. Each summer, the choir highlights a choral masterwork paired with contemporary compositions and arrangements. Previous seasons have included largescale works by Bach, Rachmaninoff, Vivaldi, and Rheinberger, with new music by Carlos Cordero, Reena Esmail, Josu Elberdin, and others. The choir also performs new works and arrangements by local composers, including CJ Madsen, Spencer Baldwin, and Brett Ballard. Beginning in fall of 2024, the choir expanded its operations to present performances throughout the year.

David Kime is currently pursuing graduate studies in choral conducting at Brigham Young University, where he assists the university’s ensembles, sings

Downey High School EPIC Jazz Choir

Downey High School’s EPIC Jazz Choir is located in the beautiful city of Downey, some thirteen miles east of downtown Los Angeles, and has twelve to eighteen voices. They rehearse five to eight hours per week learning songs from a variety of jazz styles. They perform at various jazz festivals and events in the community. They also sang at Carnegie Hall (2003, 2007); the Lincoln Center’s Allen Room (2010, 2013); and at the Apollo Theater (2016). They won the sweepstakes at the Folsom Jazz Festival (2008, 2020, 2024); Reno (2018); and the gold medal at the inaugural Disney World Celebration Jazz Festival (2009).

Born in Romania, Cory Olariu studied piano and trumpet at “Ion Vidu” school of music in Timisoara, his hometown. He came to US in 1989, and graduated from C. S. U. Long Beach, CA in August 2001 with MM in Instrumental Conducting. In

Green Valley High School Green NV

Green NV is the contemporary a cappella ensemble at Green Valley High School in Henderson Nevada. They are a totally student run ensemble. Green NV was feature in an interest session at the Western Region ACDA Conference in Tucson, AZ, in 2010. The session was entitled, "Contemporary A Capella: From the Radio to the Classroom. They have received superior ratings in several festivals, performed in Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm and host the annual "Acapalooza", which features middle and high school a cappella groups in the Clark County School District and surrounding areas.

Kimberly Barclay Ritzer is in her 35th year as director of the Green Valley High School Choirs in Henderson, Nevada, opening the school in 1991. She is in her 34th year as a teacher for the Clark County

High Altitude, NAU

Now in its 18th year under the direction of Dr. Ryan Holder, High Altitude has become one of the premier collegiate vocal jazz ensembles in the Southwest. With a strong emphasis on solo singing, stage presence, and vocal improvisation, the group is open to students of all majors. High Altitude has performed at state and regional conferences and shared the stage with internationally renowned artists including The New York Voices, The Real Group, and The Swingles. In 2012, the ensemble was one of only three U.S. groups invited to perform at the Jazz Educators Network Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

Dr. Ryan W. Holder is the Associate Director of Choral Studies at Northern Arizona University, where he directs the vocal jazz ensemble High Altitude and oversees multiple a cappella groups. A recognized vocal jazz educator and conductor, he has led All-State and

The Kantori, Faith Community Lutheran Church

The Kantori at Faith Community Lutheran Church, located in Las Vegas, Nevada, is a church choir that provides traditional music for weekly Sunday and mid-week worship services and special occasions in Faith's Chapel of the Resurrection. Its singers range in age from 18 to 70, with many having received formal collegiate music training. The choir has been honored to serve two English cathedral residencies in recent years, with performances at St. Paul’s London, Kings College, Oxford, Sydney Sussex College, Cambridge, Ely Cathedral, and Bath Abbey.

Joseph Svendsen is Cantor at Faith Community Lutheran Church in Summerlin, Nevada, where he leads the church’s traditional music program. He serves as Director of Choral Studies and Associate Professor of Music at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he conducts the UNLV Singers and teaches

Foothill High School Madrigal Singers

The Foothill High School Madrigal Singers is an auditioned ensemble composed of 9th-12th grade students. Performing only the highest level of choral repertoire from a diverse multitude of time-periods and cultures, the Madrigal Singers aim to foster an appreciation for the choral art within their community. They regularly perform for events in their hometown of Tustin as well as go on an annual performance tour. During the holidays, they sing at over twenty caroling engagements to fundraise for the choral music program. In the spring of each year, they are featured in Foothill’s Knights on Broadway, a fully choreographed production, now in its 61st year of existence. They have had the rare opportunity to perform a solo concert in Carnegie Hall in 2013 and were very honored to perform for the American Choral Directors Association Convention in 2014 and 2018.

Chelsea Dehn holds a BM with an emphasis in vocal performance from UC, Irvine and a MM in

Los Gatos High School Treble Choir

The Los Gatos High School Treble Choir is one of the treasures of the Los Gatos community. It has maintained a tradition of choral excellence and active community service for years. The choir participates in concerts, festivals, and competitions throughout the year and consistently received Unanimous Superior ratings in California Music Educators Association Large Ensemble Festivals and CMEA All-State Choral Festival. In 2019 and 2025, the LGHS Treble Choir was selected as one of the featured ensembles at the California All-State Music Conference in San Jose and Sacramento respectively. In addition to performing locally and regionally including Carnegie Hall, the choirs travel internationally and perform in prestigious venues in England, Spain, and Eastern Europe.

Ma. Ricel Riley is the Choral Activities Director of Los Gatos High School and the Artistic Director of A Sharp Chorus based in Los Altos, California. Mrs.

UBC University Singers

University Singers is the premier choral ensemble of the University of British Columbia, School of Music. This 32voice select ensemble performs the most advanced and exciting music written for chamber choir spanning the Renaissance to the modern day. The ensemble also performs major works with orchestra each season, including the standard repertoire of Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, Stravinsky, Elgar, Verdi, Mahler and others. As well, the ensemble has performed several new works and premieres. The University Singers won several awards, including the CBC National Choral Competition, and the BBC International Choral Competition, and is an active touring ensemble including local, North American, and international destinations. The UBC Choral Program is one of Canada’s finest choral programs, boasting five ensembles and a vibrant graduate program in choral conducting.

Graeme Langager is Director of Choral Activities at the University of British Columbia School of Music. As a

The Westminster Chorus

Founded in 2002, The Westminster Chorus quickly climbed the ranks of the Barbershop Harmony Society, and became International Champions in 2007, 2010, 2015, 2019, and 2024. In 2009, they were crowned “Choir of the World” at the International Musical Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales. The Westminster Chorus has toured the UK, Holland, Germany, New Zealand and numerous cities across the United States and Canada. Members of the Westminster Chorus come from all walks of life for one purpose: To sing at a very high skill level and enjoy the company of young musicians who share this goal. The Westminster Chorus holds a mission to preserve and advance the Barbershop art form, while providing and encouraging an inclusive community for youth in Southern California and around the world to engage in lifelong singing, music, and artistic expression.

Dan Wessler holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting and Literature from University of Colorado Boulder. In

Young Men's Ensemble - Ragazzi Boys Chorus

Grammy Award-winning Ragazzi Boys Chorus, Silicon Valley, under the leadership of artistic and executive director Kent Jue, provides outstanding musical education and performance opportunities for boys and young men ages five through eighteen. The largest boys’ chorus in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ragazzi serves over 230 choristers in six tiered levels. Ragazzi ensembles have recently performed Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem with the San Francisco Symphony, Alma Deutscher’s Cinderella with Opera San Jose, at the 2025 ACDA National and 2024 Western ACDA Conferences, and at the 2023 Chorus America Conference.

Travis Rogers has been a choral conductor for 49 years. Retired from Napa High School (NHS), he directed the activities of 300+ students in seven ensembles. NHS choirs toured frequently, performing

Thank you!

To the staff and volunteers at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, The Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, The California Theatre, and Hammer Theatre;

To Santa Clara University for lending their space for Collegiate Consortium rehearsal;

To San Jose State University staff and student workers.