2026 International Conductors Exchange Program Participants Selected–Partnership with Portugal

The International Conductors Exchange Program (ICEP) provides opportunities for the rising generation of choral leaders to represent the United States as ambassadors to the world in the exchange of music, ideas, and cultures. Established in 2010 and coordinated by ACDA’s International Activities Committee, the program has connected choral conductors in the United States with counterparts in Cuba, China, Sweden, South Korea, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Uruguay, Kenya, South Africa, and Germany. Between 2012 and 2024, 75 U.S. conductors have participated in the exchange program, hosting an international conductor and traveling abroad to observe and lead rehearsals (or performances), present lectures and master classes, attend conferences, as well as other activities.

The 2026 exchange with Portugal is scheduled to coincide with the 2026 ACDA Region Conferences and will culminate with our US conductors’ residencies in Portugal in the summer of 2026.

ICEP is an annual program. The next cohort will seek applicants in the early Spring of 2026 for cohort development during the ACDA National Conference in 2027.

Meet the 2026 ICEP Participants for the exchange with Portugal:

Reina Dickey (she/her) is Assistant Professor of Music at Miami University (OH), where she directs vocal ensembles, teaches music education courses, and mentors student teachers. Since joining the faculty, she co-founded the Miami Choral Collective, an intergenerational campus-community ensemble. A Cincinnati-based conductor, she also serves as Artistic Director of MUSE, Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir, one of the nation’s oldest social justice choirs founded in 1984.

An active choral singer, Dr. Dickey has performed with ensembles nationwide, including the Spoleto Festival USA Chorus (Charleston, SC), Vocal Arts Ensemble (Cincinnati, OH), and the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir. As a Miami University alumna, she is honored to contribute to the artistic and educational legacy of her alma mater. She holds conducting degrees from Temple University (MM) and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (DMA).

Dr. Mariana Farah is Director of Choral Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she conducts the Concert Choir, teaches graduate choral conducting, and leads a comprehensive choral program. A native of Brazil, she earned degrees from the Universidade Estadual de Campinas, the University of Iowa, and the University of Missouri–Kansas City. Before joining UW–Madison, she served as Associate Director of Choral Activities at the University of Kansas.Under her direction, the UW–Madison Concert Choir has received national recognition, including selection for the 2025 ACDA National Conference, the 2026 ACDA Midwestern Conference, and The American Prize for Best Choral Performance (2024). Dr. Farah’s research centers on Brazilian choral music, with particular interest in the a cappella works of Ernani Aguiar. An active clinician and guest conductor, she frequently leads honor choirs throughout the U.S. and internationally. She currently serves on the board of the National Collegiate Choral Organization and previously held leadership roles with ACDA’s Midwestern and Southwestern Divisions.

Morgan Luttig, Ph.D. is a dynamic conductor-educator who serves as Director of Choral Activities at the University of Alabama. She is known for her innovative approach to teaching, for which she has earned multiple grants. Under her leadership, UA choral ensembles have been invited to perform at national and state conferences.

Prior to her current role, Luttig served as Visiting Choral Director at Washington and Lee University and previously taught K-12 choral music in Georgia and New Jersey. Inspired by her work with varying ages in academic and community settings, she has engaged in research on conducting pedagogy, inclusive programming, and singer engagement. She also serves in leadership roles for ACDA and NCCO.

Luttig holds a Ph.D. in Music Education from Florida State University, a Master of Music Education (Choral) degree from Westminster Choir College and a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Washington and Lee University.

By traveling to the Baltic states and by working with international musicians, Colin Mann has developed cultural contexts that have enriched his pedagogy in training choirs and his mentorship of graduate conducting students. Recently, Mann led a choral tour to Poland where students performed at national festivals in Kraków and connected with choirs at the University of Rzeszów. Mann has collaborated with Lithuanian choral artists, like Vilnius’s Municipal Choir Jauna Muzika, to contextualize contemporary choral music. 

Dr. Mann is newly appointed Associate Director of Choral Activities at the University of Georgia, Hugh Hodgson School of Music. Mann holds conducting degrees from the Eastman School of Music. Prior appointments include serving on the faculties of the University of Rochester, Nazareth University, and Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

Dr. Matthew Myers serves as associate director of choral activities at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, where he conducts the University Singers and Treble Choir and teaches choral methods, conducting, and vocal pedagogy. He earned his DMA in choral conducting at Louisiana State University, MM in choral conducting from Northern Arizona University, and BA in vocal performance/music education from Luther College. Prior to his time at WSU, he taught at The American International School of Muscat in Oman, Boylan Catholic High School in Rockford, Illinois, and the University of Alabama. He conducts the Palouse Choral Society, a non-profit community choir, and co-hosts the Choir Fam Podcast. He serves the American Choral Directors Association as the Northwest ACDA Regional Membership Chair and as a member of the Washington ACDA Diversity Initiatives Committee.

Kyra Stahr is a visionary conductor, educator, and vocalist passionate about the transformative power of choral music. She currently serves as an Assistant Teaching Professor at Syracuse University and is a DMA candidate in Choral Conducting at the University of Miami. She is a Conducting Fellow with Spire Chamber Ensemble and Assistant Conductor of Seraphic Fire. At Syracuse, Stahr conducts the premier treble ensemble, Crouse Chorale, and teaches courses in Conducting, Rehearsing, Literature, and Voice. Known for motivating ensembles with authenticity, courage, and determination, Stahr is an active guest conductor, clinician, and presenter. She has shared her work at international and national conferences, including ACDA National, TMEA, and the World Symposium on Choral Music. She holds an M.M. from the University of Southern California and a B.M. in Vocal Performance and Music Education from Miami University. Stahr co-founded the podcast conduct(her), amplifying women’s voices in choral music.

For more information about the International Conductors Exchange Program, visit us here.