The National Collegiate Choral Organization 6th Biennial National Conference

The 2015 Conference of the National Collegiate Choral Organization was hosted by Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, from November 12-14, 2015, and featured:

• Sessions by Featured Guest Artists Grete Pedersen and Simon Carrington
• Norwegian Folk Music, Open Rehearsal, and Concert with Grete Pedersen
• Conducting Masterclass, A Conversation with John Eliot Gardiner, and Concert with Simon Carrington

Featured Choirs

• Oregon State University Chamber Choir, Steven Zielke, conductor
• Riverside City College Chamber Singers, John Byun, conductor
• Temple University Concert Choir, Paul Rardin, conductor
• University of Louisville Cardinal Singers, Kent Hatteberg, conductor
• University of North Texas Collegium Singers, Richard Sparks, conductor
• University of Redlands Chapel Singers, Nicholle Andrews, conductor
• University of Southern California Thornton Concert Choir, Cristian Grases, conductor
• University of Southern Mississippi Southern Chorale, Gregory Fuller, conductor

Special Performances

• Portland State University Chamber Choir, Ethan Sperry, conductor, in a program of music by Shchedrin, Rachmaninoff, Schnittke, Sviridov, and Ešenvalds
• Pacific Lutheran University Choir of the West, Richard Nance, conductor, in a program of music by Sheppard, MacMillan, Brahms, Elder, Crabtree, and Holst conducted by Simon Carrington
• Portland State University Man Choir, Ethan Sperry, conductor: Portland State Vox Femina, Joan Szymko, conductor; and Portland State University Symphony Orchestra, Ken Selden, conductor, in Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass conducted by Grete Pedersen
• Yale Schola Cantorum and Juilliard415, David Hill, conductor, in a program of music by Williams, Kellogg, Vivaldi and Handel

Interest Sessions

• "Improving Choirs by Utilizing Brain-Friendly Strategies," Charlene Archibeque, San Jose State University and Debra Glaze, Portland State University
• "A Practical Guide to the Performance of Gabrieli's Cori Spezzati Compositions," Michael Fuchs, Clayton State University, Morrow, Georgia
• "Music to Change the World: Composers Speak on Inspiration," Linda Tutas Haugen, composer, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• "Stylistic Interpretation and Performance Practice of Philippine Choral Music," Eliezer Yanson, Bob Jones University, Greenville, South Carolina

Panel on International Opportunities for Choral Conductors

• Miguel Felipe, University of Hawai'i -- Mānoa, moderator
• Reed Criddle, Utah Valley University
• Karen Grylls, University of Auckland, New Zealand
• Randy Haldeman, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• Cameron LaBarr, Missouri State University
• Gary Packwood, Mississippi State University

Panel on Teaching Choral Literature at the Graduate Level

• Sharon Paul, University of Oregon, moderator
• Edward Maclary, University of Maryland
• David Rayl, Michigan State University
• Giselle Wyers, University of Washington

Poster Sessions with Mini-Lectures

• Bryson Mortensen, "The Manuscript Laboratory: Exploration of Elgar's Early Choral Sketches"
• Frank Watkins, "The Choral Works of Florence B. Price as Products of the Black Nationalist Movement in America"
• Nana Wolfe-Hill, "Collaboration in the Women's Choral Rehearsal"

Poster Sessions

• Andrew Morgan, "Visionary Pragmatism: Structural Design, Stylistic Features, and Performance Considerations in Lodovico Viadana's Salmi a Quattro Chori"
• Kyle Nielsen, "Practical Adaptation of Giovanni Gabrieli's Stile Concertato Polychoral Music for the Modern Collegiate Choral Ensemble"
• Jace Saplan, "Creating Inclusivity in the Choral Rehearsal"

NCCO Choral Series

• New compositions by Stephen Caldwell, Molly Joyce, and Paul John Rudoi introduced and performed by the Lewis & Clark College Cappella Nova, Katherine FitzGibbon, conductor [NCCO Choral Series]

Conducting Masterclass

• Choro in Schola, Bruce Browne, conductor, led by Simon Carrington
• Masterclass open to graduate students through audition
• Information on the auditions process in Masterclass Call above
• Masterclass application form above