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SCVA Southern Regional Honor Choir 2011
Chairperson:
John Hendricks SOUTHERN REGION/SCVA HONOR CHOIR CONDUCTORS 2012:
Mixed Honor Choir – Dr. Cristian Grases , University of Southern California Cristian Grases joined the USC Thornton faculty in the Fall 2010 semester as assistant professor of choral music and conductor of the USC Thornton Concert Choir. Born in Venezuela, he earned degrees from the Simón Bolivar University (MM), where his principle teachers were Maria Guinand and Alberto Grau, and the University of Miami (DMA). He has previously served as interim director of choral activities at Central Washington University and assistant professor in choral music at California State University. Dr. Grases currently serves as minister of music at St. James’ Episcopal Church in South Pasadena, California. An award winning conductor and composer, Dr. Grases receieved the prestigious award for the arts in Venezuela, Orden José Felix Ribas for artistic merit, first prize at the Emerging Composer Competition at Yale University for his work Visiones del Llano—2. Amanecer, and an invitation from Helmuth Rilling to study at the Sommerakademie in Stuttgart, Germany. Dr. Grases has participated in numerous festivals, workshops, and events as a guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and conducting pedagogue in North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Most recently, he guest conducted in France, Denmark, The Netherlands, Indonesia, China, and Venezuela. This season, he will guest conduct in Belgium, France, Denmark, and will be presenting a session on Venezuelan choral music at the Ninth World Symposium in Argentina. During his time in Florida, Dr. Grases was the founder and artistic director of Amazonia Vocal Ensemble, based in Miami, with a focus on Latin American repertoire. He also served as conductor for the Women’s Chamber Ensemble of the University of Miami, was the assistant conductor of the Miami Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Eduardo Marturet, and the conductor of the Young Musician’s Orchestra. In 2004, Dr. Grases was selected by the International Federation for Choral Music as one of a five-member committee for the Songbridge Project, together with renowned choral masters and chaired by the creator of the project, Erkki Pohjola (Finland). He was selected to be part of the Board of Directors of the International Federation for Choral Music in 2008. In addition, Grases is currently chair of the Ethnic and Multicultural Repertoire and Standards Committee for the Western Division of the American Choral Directors Association.
Anna Hamre is demand as a guest conductor, clinician,
and adjudicator, having made appearances outside the continental United
States in Hawaii, Mexico, China, Italy and Austria. She has guest-conducted
twice at Carnegie Hall. Dr. Hamre holds a BA degree in vocal and instrumental music education from Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD; an MM degree in choral music from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley; and a DMA in choral literature and performance from the University of Colorado in Boulder.
Recent honors include the Fresno Arts Council Horizon Artist Award
(2007), the California Association for Music Education (CMEA) Choral
Conductor Award (2006), the CMEA Central Section College/University
Music Educator Award (2006), the Fresno-State College of Arts and
Humanities Excellence in Teaching Award (2003), the Fresno-Madera
Counties Music Education Association Choral Educator Award (2003),
and recognitions from Fresno-State music fraternities. She has presented sessions for various choral-conducting and music-education organizations at local, state and national levels. Her articles have appeared in state music magazines plus the International Choral Bulletin, The Choral Journal, and Spotlight on Teaching Chorus. Her sabbatical project in Spring 2010 dealt with music and brain studies.
Currently Dr. Hamre is serving as co-chair of the American Choral
Directors' Association (ACDA) 2012 Western Division Men’s Honor
Choir; Repertory and Standards Chair for California ACDA Community
Choirs; Choral Chair for the California Music Educators Association;
and as an advisory member of the Choral Council for the National Association
for Music Education (NAfME). She also holds membership in the College
Music Society, National Collegiate Choral Organization, Chorus America,
Early Music America, Southern California Vocal Association, Organization
of American Kodály Educators, and the Fresno-Madera County
Music Educators' Association. She is a member of the citizen's advisory
board for KVPR Radio Station in Fresno.
Men’s Honor Choir – Mr. Randall Stenson, St. Mary's International School, Tokyo, Japan Randy Stenson is currently the choral director at St. Mary’s International School in Tokyo, Japan, where he conducts the St. Mary’s Varsity Ensemble, Men’s Choir, International Show Choir, Handbell Choir, Middle School Choir, and Elementary 3rd and 4th Grade Choir. In addition to his choral duties, Randy also teaches 3rd and 4th grade elementary general music classes as well as a high school music composition and theory course. The quality of his choirs and their unique use of performance movement technique have earned them international recognition. A specialist in the area of male education and vocal technique he edits the Randolph Stenson Male Choral Series with Pavane Publishing and coedits the Randy and Rachel Stenson Choral Series with Santa Barbara Music Publishing. Hal Leonard Music Publishing recently released, Movement and the Maturing Male Voice, a choral education DVD featuring the St. Mary’s Varsity Ensemble, Mr. Stenson and co-hosted with Henry Leck. Mr. Stenson is in his 30th year of teaching having instructed vocal, instrumental, IB music, and general music at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels in public and private schools in Minnesota and Japan. He has been invited as a guest clinician, conductor, and master class lecturer with choirs at or from Baylor University, California State University Fullerton, California State University Long Beach, VanderCook College of Music, University of Guam, Korean Federation of Choral Musicians National Symposium, Japan Choral Association Library Live Conferences, the American Choral Directors Association Northwest, Southwest, and Central Division Conventions. Additionally, he has been an invited clinician for numerous elementary, middle school, high school, and adult choirs in Japan, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Asia Pacific Region. Student ensembles, under his direction have appeared with such diverse performers and musical organizations as Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, Yuzo Kayama, Alexander Mikhalov, John Rutter, the Covent Garden, and La Scala Opera Companies. The choirs have performed for members of the Japanese Imperial Family, ambassadors, cabinet ministers, former President Ronald Reagan, were guests of the city of Amiens in France, guest artists with the Sydney Children`s Choir, Fukushima International Music Festival, and were the subject of a documentary program for Chinese national television. Choirs under his direction have appeared on Japanese national radio and television as well as a featured ensemble for CNN International. His Varsity Ensemble has performed for two national and three divisional ACDA Conventions. He and the choirs are actively involved with Refugees International, Japan Foundation For The Blind, and Save The Children charities. He received his Master of Music Education degree from Vandercook College in Chicago, Illinois in 2005 where he studied with Dr. Robert Sinclair and earned his Bachelor’s degree from Concordia College of Moorhead, Minnesota under choral mentors Paul J. Christiansen and Larry L. Fleming. He has further study in master classes with David Rayl of the University of Michigan and Rodney Eichenberger of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. Link to: SOUTHERN/SCVA
REGION Cal ACDA Honor Choir Chair: Shirley Nute shirleyb2@earthlink.net
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