International Guest Presenter
Dr Pearl Shangkuan is a highly sought-after conductor, lecturer and clinician who has led performances and workshops on six continents. She is the National President-elect of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), the chorus director of the Grand Rapids Symphony and Professor Emerita of Music at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She has conducted several times at Carnegie Hall and other major concert halls in the US. Her guest conducting engagements regularly take her to Europe, Asia, and across North America.
Renowned conductor and composer Dr. André Thomas, National Past President of the American Choral Directors Association (and our Choral Connect guest presenter in 2017) says: "Dr. Pearl Shangkuan is a distinguished conductor, lecturer, and clinician, known for her exceptional leadership and inspiring presence. With experience on six continents, Dr. Shangkuan brings excellence, scholarship, and excitement to every rehearsal and lecture she leads. Those who sing or perform under her direction feel seen, respected, and energized by her passion and commitment to music-making. Dr. Shangkuan’s work as a conductor, educator, and scholar is celebrated globally, and her leadership continues to inspire musicians and choral communities worldwide."
Plenary: Leading with Body, Mind, Voice and Spirit: the Preparation of a Choral Conductor
This presentation is a holistic approach to choral leadership of all ages incorporating musical, pedagogical, physical and mental preparation. It will touch on the many aspects of a conductor's work such as programming, score study, conducting gestures, developing vocal tone and intonation as well as chorus management.
Plenary presenter and Artistic Director
At the University of Auckland, Karen has established a postgraduate pathway in Conducting at the Masters and Doctoral level. In 1996 Auckland University honoured her with a Distinguished Teaching Award in Music. She is also the recipient of the KBB Citation from the Composers’ Association of New Zealand and the Lilburn Trust Citation for services to New Zealand music, and in June 2023 she was further honoured as a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for her services to choral music.
Plenary: “Hickory Dickory Dock! The Vowel ran round the Clock: Vowel Resonance in the Rehearsal Process”
My philosophy on singing sound is that it should be free, balanced with upper and lower partials, and be connected to the body. I will use the Wiremu Vowel Clock as a tool to examine how the choice of vowel resonance affects tuning and the legato line. We will work on some repertoire together and experience the vowels as they run round that clock!
International Zoom Presenters
Susanna Saw is an active music educator, promoting music and choral education in Malaysia. She is currently a choir director at the Faculty of Music at the University of Malaya (UM), Akademi Seni Budaya Dan Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA) and the Adjunct Professor at the Taylor’s University. In 2007, Susanna established the Young Choral Academy in Kuala Lumpur, a venue for choral lovers to learn more about vocal and choral education. She was instrumental in bringing the Kodály Teachers’ Training Course to the Southeast Asia region to improve the standards of classroom music teaching. She also founded The Young Kuala Lumpur Singers and The Kuala Lumpur Children's Choir.
Internationally, Susanna has been a member of the World Choir Games Juries since 2007. She is an active Working Committee member of the Asia-Pacific Choral Council, under the auspices of the International Federation for Choral Music and is Vice President of the International Kodaly Society, the World Youth and Children Choral Artists' Association and the Malaysian Association for Music Education.
Plenary: Building Bridges Not Walls: The journey of building Malaysia's choral community and music education/choral scene
When Susanna returned to Malaysia in the 1990s from her studies in Australia, she realised that the Malaysian choral scene needed a push. Many school choirs were singing overly simple arrangements of popular songs and Malay traditional songs, and there was little in the way of educational resources or direction for choir development or improvement. This led her to kickstart activities to build up the quality of choral instruction and choral singing awareness, encourage composers to write for choirs, and present and organise international choral events. She will share some of her insights and reflections from embarking on this momentous journey, and the challenges that she has faced along the way.
Francisco J. Núñez is a MacArthur Fellow and Musical America’s 2018 Educator of the Year. He is a composer, conductor and leading figure in music education. He is the artistic director/founder of the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, renowned worldwide for its diversity and artistic excellence. It brings children from underserved neighborhoods together with children from more privileged circumstances and, with music as the equalizer, the diversity in the group has resulted in a vibrant choral sound and an avenue for children to succeed. He is now expanding the YPC model to children’s choruses beyond New York City.
Francisco Núñez also leads the University Glee Club of New York City, its fifth conductor since the all-men’s chorus was established in 1894; is the principal conductor of American Young Voices concerts of schoolchildren performing in some of the largest arenas in the Northeast; and is sought after nationwide as a guest conductor by professional orchestras and choirs. He is a celebrated composer and arranger, and is recognised as a leading authority on the role of music in achieving equality and diversity among children in today’s society.