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.
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