SoNA
Symphony of Northwest Arkansas
A Very SoNA Christmas Additional Bios
Saturday, December 9, 2023 — 2PM & 7:30 PM Baum Walker Hall / Walton Arts Center Paul Haas, Conductor
Sarah Pearson Assistant Conductor
An internationally recognized conductor, Sarah Pearson has won a number of awards. She is recognized as a talented young arts leader in Chattanooga and Cleveland, Tennessee. During the 202223 season, Sarah had numerous guest conducting engagements in addition to her regular responsibilities. In the past, she has conducted the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Lviv Philharmonic Orchestra, the Juilliard Symphony Orchestra, the New Symphony Orchestra of Bulgaria, the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic Orchestra of Czech Republic, the Blue Ash Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, and the Gwinnett
Symphony Chamber Orchestra among numerous others. Sarah currently serves as the music director and founder for the Cleveland Orchestra in Tennessee, music director of the Chorus of Tennessee, music director for The Cleveland Pops in Tennessee, assistant conductor for Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, assistant conductor for Tabernacle Symphony Orchestra, music professor at Cleveland State Community College, and professor/department chair for Fine Arts at Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy. A champion for new music, she has conducted several world and American premieres. She is committed to arts education and frequently serves as a teacher, guest lecturer, and adjudicator.
Terry Hicks
SoNA Singers Director Terry Hicks is in his twenty-ninth year as choral director for the Bentonville Public School System. The first three were spent teaching middle school general music classes and conducting the Sam M. Walton Junior High choirs. He is currently in his nineteenth year as Head Choral Director at Bentonville High School (B.H.S.). Terry holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York and a Masters in Music Education degree from the University of Arkansas. He has had the opportunity to observe Robert Shaw at the Robert Shaw Choral Institute at Furman University in Greenville, SC and to sing in the Robert Shaw Choral Workshop in New York City under the baton of Charles Dutoit in Carnegie Hall. He has also worked with René Clausen through the René Clausen Choral School. Under Terry’s direction, the choirs at B.H.S. have consistently earned superior ratings at Arkansas Region and State Festivals. The Chamber Choir has won “Best in Class” and “Grand Champion” awards at Musicfest Orlando. His choirs have been invited to sing at the Arkansas All-State Music Conference sponsored by ArkCDA three times. The Chamber Choir was invited to perform at the ACDA Southwest Division Convention twice, was requested to perform for Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, as a cultural representative of Arkansas, and performed for the ACDA National Convention twice. In 2007 the Chamber Choir was one of four choirs from across the United States invited to perform in Carnegie Hall with Craig Jessop conducting. The Chamber Choir also received a standing ovation at Carnegie
Hall for their individual performance. The B.H.S. choirs have toured New York, Minnesota, Texas, as well as Germany and Austria this past summer. The tours have provided the choirs with opportunities to appear on “Café USA Live,” “The Today Show,” and on NPR’s “Weekend Edition.” Among others, B.H.S. Choirs have also participated in workshops with René Clausen, Anton Armstrong, Stan McGill, and Jerry McCoy. In addition to his other duties, Terry teaches AP Music Theory and is the lead teacher of International Baccalaureate Music offered at B.H.S. He was awarded the Distinguished Director Award for the state of Arkansas by ArkCDA in 2001 and received this award again in 2005. Terry is a past president of Arkansas ACDA and past chairperson for the Northwest Region of ArkCDA. His professional memberships and affiliations include ACDA and Phi Mu Alpha. Terry and his wife Peggy reside in Bella Vista with their children Katie and John Thomas.
Dr. Jeffrey Murdock UA Inspirational Chorale Director
Dr. Jeffrey Allen Murdock is internationally known as a conductor and clinician. He currently serves as Director of Choral Activities, Vocal Area Coordinator and Associate Professor of Music at the University of Arkansas. He is the 2016 Connor Endowed Faculty Fellow in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Science, and 2019 Most Outstanding Faculty at the University of Arkansas. He is the 2021 GRAMMY Music Educator of the Year.
Dr. Murdock has conducted regional and state honor choirs, and headlined conferences in 26 states and 5 countries. With research interests including of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in the Choral Classroom, Music in Urban Schools, and Social Justice in Music Education, he has presented at state, regional and national conferences of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the International Society for Music Education (ISME), and the American Choral Director’s Association, where he serves as president of the Southwestern Division, past-president of Arkansas ACDA, and serves on the national diversity subcommittee. Choirs under Dr. Murdock’s direction have performed at the Arkansas All-State Conference and the Southwestern Division Conference of the American Choral Directors Association. In addition to being an accomplished conductor of western choral music, Dr. Murdock is also a skilled gospel musician and conductor. He has served on the conducting staff of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., has collaborated with numerous world-renown Gospel recording artists. Dr. Murdock holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting, both from the University of Southern Mississippi, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Music Education from the University of Memphis.
UA Inspirational Chorale Guest Ensemble
The mission of the Inspirational Chorale is to keep the Black sacred music tradition alive. The ensemble provides a forum where university students, regardless of ethnicity, can perform the various genres of the tradition. The Inspirational Chorale
– as an integrated part of the University of Arkansas Department of Music, the academic community, and the community at large – has enjoyed an illustrious reputation while performing for dignitaries and heads of state. The ensemble has made appearances at state and regional conferences, including the 2020 Regional Conference of the American Choral Directors Association. The Chorale regularly tours both domestically and internationally, recently traveling to Ireland, China, and Jamaica. The Chorale performs under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Murdock.
Lauren Clare Voice
A native of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, Lauren Nicole Clare is a vocalist, songwriter, producer, pianist, and educator. She began her professional career as a vocalist in 2001 when she gave a solo recital for the Carol Brice Series at age seventeen. After pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance at Oral Roberts University, Lauren returned home to sing as a chorus member for the Cimarron Opera Company’s summer production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe. That fall, Lauren began studies as a lyric coloratura soprano at the esteemed Wanda L. Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University where she graduated with high honors in the Master of Music degree program for vocal performance. After graduating with her masters in 2007, Lauren began working as the vocalist for a local jazz trio and serving as vocal coach within the Miss OCU organization. In addition, she opened a private home voice studio and worked as a choral liaison for the Summer Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain.
In 2009, Lauren moved to the Fayetteville, Arkansas area and began working as a local singer/songwriter under the pseudonym Ren. In 2011, she formed what is now known as The Allie Lauren Project. The Allie Lauren Project is an avant-garde collective of classical, alternative, and jazz musicians and has performed for The Oklahoma Film & Music Office SXSW Film Panel Event, Tourism Roadshows, Norman Music Festival, 35 Denton, Backwoods Music Festival, Sunday Twilight Concert Series, Wheeler Summer Music Series, Oklahoma City’s New Year’s Opening Night Celebrations as well as other numerous performances for the Oklahoma City Arts Council. Lauren has also performed works from this project in Chicago, St. Louis, New York City, and London. In 2018, The Allie Lauren Project was nominated for a regional Emmy award by the Heartland Chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for their work with Outsiders Productions and The Grand Casino Hotel & Resort’s Play It Loud Season II. In addition to her work for The Allie Lauren Project, Lauren also spent many years teaching private voice and piano lessons, she has written and produced works for hip-hop artist Jabee & spent time performing for Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra events. In 2019, she collaborated with her tribe, The Chickasaw Nation, in the production of her composition which was featured as the theme song for the nation’s annual meeting. Lauren has also performed alongside jazz heavyweights Michael Wolff, Dave Liebman, and Alexa Tarantino. Most recently, Lauren debuted a second project devoted to her love of jazz entitled Coloring Twelve. The collective debuted as a part of the Walton Arts Center’s Artosphere Festival on May 5, 2023. The auditory landscape which Lauren creates is vast and carries her fingerprint in every moment. She is constantly exploring. Her art has landed her on
many museum stages in the region, most notably The Oklahoma City Museum of Art, The Momentary, and the worldrenowned Crystal Bridges Museum on several occasions. In 2020, she achieved a longtime dream of teaching at the university level. Currently, Lauren serves as instructor of voice at the University of Arkansas specializing in both classical & jazz studies. She also directs the Songwriter’s Ensemble, is the founder and director of VOICES vocal jazz ensemble, and is a member of the Jazz Educators Network, the National Association of Teachers of Singing and The Recording Academy.
Charles Tullis Flute
A native of Northwest Arkansas, Charlie is a junior at Prairie Grove High School. As a sophomore, he was ranked first chair in All-State by the Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Association. In the summer of 2023, he studied with Christina Castellanos at the BYU Musicians’ Institute, and is now applying for the National Youth Orchestra. Charlie has been a proud member of the Arkansas Winds, as well as the PGHS Jazz and Marching Bands. Outside of his musical pursuits, he enjoys following up on space exploration, practicing art, and giving his cats the attention that they deserve. Charlie began his musical education studying piano at age six, and when he was twelve he found his voice on the flute. He would like to thank his wonderful teachers; Mark Smidt, Courtney Gardner and Nastassja Riley. A special thank you also to his Grandparents for their constant love and support.