News and Notices

The San Clemente Choral Society has appointed composer and conductor Stephen Sturk as its new artistic director.

 

Sturk also is the director of music at St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church in Temecula and composer in residence at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in San Diego. He also is co-founder and director of Cappella Gloriana, San Diego’s professional chamber choir. In 2008, Sturk’s alma mater, North Central College in Illinois, awarded him its Fine Arts Medal. He also holds master’s degrees from San Diego State and North Dakota State universities.

In a tightly contested race among some of the most well-known community choruses in the country, where the top three finishers were separated by mere percentage points and the top five by just inches, The American Prize is pleased to announce that Choral Arts, Robert Bode, conductor, of Seattle, WA, is the 2010 winner of The American Prize in Choral Performance (community division.) Congratulations.

 

Seattle Pro Musica, Karen Thomas, conductor

and the Atlanta Sacred Chorale, Eric Nelson, conductor, tied for second.

 

Sacramento Choral Society, Donald Kendrick, conductor,

and the Calvin College Alumni Choir, Pearl Shangkuan, conductor, tied for third.

 

The American Prize judging panel commented on Choral Art’s performance: “first-rate…great colors and impeccable intonation.” 

 

Choral Arts was founded in 1993 and since then, has received local, national and international acclaim for its mastery of style, language, and genre. The ensemble performs up to four concert series each season in the Seattle area. Guest appearances have included: Mark Morris Dance Company, International Music Festival of Seattle, Northwest Sinfonietta’s 5th Anniversary Gala Concert, Arts West Music Series, Puget Sound Music Society, and Seattle Symphony’s Christmas Singalong Concert at Benaroya Hall. The choir participated in the International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf Germany, where they placed fourth overall out of 300 international choirs and received a special recognition award. Choral Arts has four recordings available through the Loft/Gothic label. www.choral-arts.org

 

Congratulations to all five contestants: Choral Arts, Seattle Pro Musica, Atlanta Sacred Chorale, Sacramento Choral Society and Calvin College Alumni Choir for spirited, impassioned singing and for outstanding achievement, ranked among the finest community choirs in the country.

 

For more information about the nonprofit competitions of The American Prize, including the philosophy behind the contests, principles that guide its activities, bios of judges, and a list of upcoming competitions (an area which is currently under construction), please visit the website: www.theamericanprize.org

For information about current winners in choral performance, orchestral performance and conducting, and lstings of finalists and semi-finalists, please visit our blog: www.theamericanprize.blogspot.com

David Katz, chief judge

The American Prize

 

The American Prize is pleased to announce that the WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON COLLEGE CAMERATA SINGERS, of Washington, PA, Susan Medley, conductor, is the 2010 winner of The American Prize in Choral Performance (college/university division.) Congratulations.

 

The Re-Choired Element Chamber Choir of Albany, OR, placed second.

 

The NW Oklahoma University Chorale, of Alva, OK placed third.

 

The American Prize judging panel commented on selections by the Washington & Jefferson College Camerata Singers: “choir has a lovely sound…excellent sense of shaping and phrase in this performance.”

 

The Washington & Jefferson College Camerata Singers is the premiere vocal ensemble at W&J. The group is comprised of sixteen singers who, in the liberal arts tradition, represent a wide range of majors including biochemistry, psychology, biology, chemistry, economics, English, German, music, and theater.  The Camerata Singers have appeared at the state conference of the Pennsylvania Music Education Association, the MENC Eastern Division Conference, and as featured performers at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall.  

 

Congratulations to the Washington & Jefferson College Camerata Singers, the Re-Choired Element Chamber Choir and the NW Oklahoma University Chorale for their outstanding achievement, ranked among the finest college/university choirs in the country.


David Katz, chief judge

The American Prize

www.theamericanprize.org

www,theamericanprize.blogspot.com

www.museoffiretheplay.org

 

The Crossing, Donald Nally conductor, announces the release of its second videocast in The Crossing Chronicles; a series of short video docs giving insight into the new works being premiered during the Month of Moderns 2010 and The Levine Project: three new works inspired by Pulitzer Prize laureate Philip Levine.

In this volume, David Lang discusses his journey toward setting the famed speech of Eugene Debs in his new work for The Crossing: Statement to the Court – and he describes how he has approached these beautiful words musically.

Go here to see vol. 2 in which David Lang talks with conductor Donald Nally about the work The Crossing will premiere June 27:

The Crossing
Donald Nally, conductor

Month of Moderns I: works for choir and strings
June 27, 2010, 4:00 PM
The Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill
8855 Germantown Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19118

Bo Holten:  Tallis Variations (1977)
Benjamin CS Boyle:  Cantata: To One in Paradise (2005)
Arvo Pärt: Pilgrim’s Song – Psalm 121 (2001)
John Tavener:  The Bridegroom (1999)
David Lang:  Commissioned World Premiere: Statement to the Court – The Levine Project

Crossing Chronicle Schedule:

Week 1 June 16: David Lang on setting words to music
Week 2 June 22: David Lang on writing his new choral work “Statement to the Court”
Week 3 June 29: Philip Levine discusses and reads his poem “Clouds”
Week 4 July 6: Composers Lansing McLoskey and Paul Fowler discuss setting Levine’s poetry for their new works premiering with The Crossing
Week 5 July 13: Philip Levine discusses and reads his poem “Breath”

 

The American Prize is pleased to announce that the HSPVA MADRIGAL SINGERS, of Houston, TX, Rob Seible, conductor, is the 2010 winner of The American Prize in Choral Performance (high school division.) Congratulations.

The Traverse City West Senior High School Chorale, of Traverse City, MI, placed second.
The Burley Middle School Young Women’s Chorus of Charlottesville, VA, placed third.
The Olympia High School Chorale of Stanford, IL, placed fourth.

Among the Madrigal Singers’ outstanding qualities to receive comment by The American Prize judging panel were “good core of well-trained voices…diction is almost always natural and well-controlled…good listening…attention to details…” 

The Madrigal Singers has been a top vocal ensemble at The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas, since the school’s inception 38 years ago. The 16 singers, all juniors and seniors, perform acapella music from all periods and are versatile in many musical styles. The Madrigal Singers are best known as representatives of the school during the Christmas season, when they perform innumerable concerts throughout Houston, dressed in Renaissance costume. http://hspva.org/dhtml/

Congratulations to the HSPVA Madrigal Singers, the Traverse City West Senior High School Chorale, the Burley Middle School Young Women’s Chorus and the Olympia High School Chorale of Stanford, IL for their outstanding achievement, ranked among the finest high school choirs in the country.

Bravo.

 

David Katz, chief judge

The American Prize

www.theamericanprize.org

www.theamericanprize.blogspot.com

www.museoffiretheplay.org