The
American Prize is honored to announce the winners and runners-up of
The American Prize in Conducting: all choral divisions, 2015.
Congratulations!
All finalists
receive written evaluations from a member of The American Prize judging
panel.
Complete listings of finalists and semi-finalists in The American Prize competitions may be found elsewhere on this blog.
Please make us aware of any misprints: theamericanprize@gmail.com
The American Prize in Conducting: Professional Chorus Division, 2015.
The American Prize winner:
Robert Simpson
Houston Chamber Choir Houston, TX
 |
Robert Simpson |
Robert Simpson is Founder and Artistic Director of the Houston Chamber Choir. He also serves as Lecturer of Church Music at the Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, and Canon for Music at Christ Church Cathedral. He was honored with Chorus America’s Michael Korn Founders Award for Development of the Professional Choral Art. His choirs have performed on tour in the United States, Mexico and Europe, as well as at national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association, and on CBS and ABC television and National Public Radio. Recent conducting engagements have taken Mr. Simpson to China to lead performances of the Shanghai International Choral League at the Oriental Art Center and the Shanghai Conservatory. An honors graduate of Brown University and The School of Sacred Music, Union Theological Seminary, Mr. Simpson subsequently studied at the Hochschule für Musik, Cologne, Germany and in Stockholm with Eric Ericson and Gustaf Sjörkvist.
2nd Place:
Jean-Sebastien Vallee
Inspiravi Los Angeles, CA
 |
Jean-Sebastien Vallee |
Active conductor, scholar, clinician, and adjudicator, Dr. Jean-Sébastien Vallée is a rapidly rising conductor on today's concert music stage. Dr. Vallée is Director of Choral Studies at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University in Montréal, Canada. Prior to his appointment at McGill University, Dr. Vallée served as Director of Choral Studies at California State University, Los Angeles, and was on the choral faculty of the University of Redlands. Ensembles under his direction have sung for the American Choral Directors Association and California Music Educators Conferences, and were awarded first and second places at the San Luis Obispo International Choral Competition in 2011.
Dr. Vallée is also founder and director of INSPIRAVI, a 20-voice Los Angeles based professional chamber choir, Artistic Director of the Mountainside Master Chorale in Los Angeles, and choral conductor at the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul in Montréal.
3rd Place:
Timothy Mount
San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival and Vedantic Arts
Ensemble San Luis Obispo, CA and New York, NY
 |
Timothy Mount |
Timothy Mount recorded 7 CDs as conductor of the professional Vedantic Arts Ensemble in New York and 3 recordings in Moscow of large choral works by John Schlenck, with the Russian State Symphony Cinema Orchestra, the Moscow State Radio and Television Orchestra, and the Moscow New Choir. For over 10 years, he conducted the professional chorus and orchestra at the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival. He guest conducted the New York Collegiate Chorale, Choral Society of the Hamptons, New York Virtuoso Singers, Rhode Island Civic Chorale and Orchestra, and Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia. Dr. Mount is Professor Emeritus and former Director of Choral Studies at Stony Brook, where he taught graduate conducting and received the first Bentley Glass Great Teacher Award. His Stony Brook choirs performed at festivals around the world. He published 4 articles concerning choral music and a video, *Refine Your Conducting Technique* available from Santa Barbara Music.
The American Prize in Conducting: College/University Chorus Division, 2015.
The American Prize winner:
Zebulon M. Highben
Muskingum Concert Choir & Chamber Singers
New Concord, OH
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Zebulon M. Highben |
Zebulon M. Highben is Assistant Professor of Music
and Director of Choral Activities at Muskingum University in New
Concord, Ohio. Ensembles under his direction have performed for numerous
conferences and festivals, including the Ohio Choral Directors
Association, ACDA of Minnesota, and the St. Olaf College Choral
Festival. In 2016 Dr. Highben will teach and perform in South Korea as a
Conducting Fellow in ACDA’s International Conductors Exchange Program,
and will also lead the Muskingum Concert Choir on tours to Washington,
D.C. (February) and Germany and the Czech Republic (May). As a composer,
Dr. Highben has received awards from ASCAP, the American Composers
Forum, and the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, and was a
Finalist for the 2014 American Prize in Choral Composition. Over forty
of his works are published by five domestic publishers and by Gehrmans
Musikförlag in Sweden. He studied at Ohio State University, Luther
Seminary, and St. Olaf College, and holds the DMA in conducting from
Michigan State University, where he was the recipient of both the
Charles K. Smith Fellowship in Choral Conducting and the Robert A.
Harris Award for Excellence in Choral Performance. website:
www.zebulonhighben.com
2nd Place:
Kevin M. Geraldi
UNCG Symphony Orchestra and Choirs
Greensboro, NC
 |
Kevin M. Geraldi |
DR. KEVIN M. GERALDI is Associate Professor of
Conducting and Director of Orchestral Activities at the University of
North Carolina at Greensboro. In this capacity, he conducts the UNCG
Symphony Orchestra, Casella Sinfonietta, and Symphonic Band. In
addition to regular appearances as a guest conductor and clinician, he
has recorded several compact discs on the Centaur and Equilibrium
labels. Dr. Geraldi holds the Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of
Music degrees in conducting from the University of Michigan, where he
studied with H. Robert Reynolds and Michael Haithcock, and the Bachelor
of Music Education degree from Illinois Wesleyan University, where he
studied conducting with Steven Eggleston. He has also studied
conducting with Gustav Meier and Kenneth Kiesler. Dr. Geraldi is a
recipient of the Thelma A. Robinson Award, an award given biennially by
the Conductors Guild and the National Federation of Music Clubs.
http://orchestras.uncg.edu
3rd Place:
Eliezer Yanson
Jr. Combined Choirs of Bob Jones University
Greenville, SC
 |
Eliezer Yanson |
Eliezer Yanson Jr. is associate professor of music at
Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C., where he conducts the
University Singers and Lyric Choir and teaches undergraduate and
graduate music classes. He earned a doctor of musical arts degree in
choral conducting from the University of South Carolina, a master of
music degree in church music and a bachelor of music in piano
performance from Bob Jones University. Additionally, he holds a bachelor
of theology degree from Baptist Bible Seminary & Institute in
his native Philippines. His main conducting mentors have been Larry
Wyatt and Warren Cook. An active clinician, conference speaker, and
adjudicator, Eliezer is a member of the American Choral Directors
Association, International Federation for Choral Music, National
Collegiate Choral Organization, National Association for Music
Education, and Pi Kappa Lambda. While passionate about conducting and
teaching, Eliezer’s greatest role is being husband to Martha and father
to Isabella and Andre.
The American Prize in Conducting: School & Community Chorus Division, 2015.
The American Prize winner:
Matthew Phelps
West End UMC Chancel Choir Nashville, TN
 |
Matthew Phelps |
Matthew Phelps is the Minister of Music at West End
United Methodist Church in Nashville, TN. As the leader of one of the
nation’s premiere church music programs, Dr. Phelps conducts the 75
voice Chancel Choir in worship and concerts with members of the
Nashville Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Phelps is also the principal guest
conductor of the Tri-County Master Chorale in Port St. Lucie, FL where
he led an inaugural performance of Verdi’s Requiem. He is scheduled to
conduct Mozart’s Vespers of the Confessor K. 339 at Carnegie Hall in
June of 2017 with Mid-America Productions. Dr. Phelps has served
churches in Cincinnati and New York; and has taught at Xavier University
and Lipscomb University. His choirs have performed at conventions for
the Music Educator’s National Conference and the American Choral
Director’s Association. Dr. Phelps holds a bachelor’s degree from
Wright State University in piano performance and his graduate degrees
from the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati where he studied
conducting with Earl Rivers, Stephen Coker, Brett Scott, and Mark
Gibson. www.matthewphelps.net
2nd Place:
Timothy Michael Powell
The Davidson Chorale Augusta, GA
 |
Timothy Michael Powell |
Timothy Michael Powell is the Director of Choral
Activities at the prestigious Davidson Fine Arts School in Augusta, GA
and conducts the Davidson Chorale, winners of the 2012 American Prize in
Choral Performance. Dr. Powell received both his Bachelors and Masters
degrees in Church Music with honors from Belmont University as a Dean
and Mathis Scholar, and his DMA in Conducting from the University of
South Carolina. He was a 1999 National Choristers Guild Scholar, and a
2002 Fulbright Scholar to Bulgaria. Lauded by New York Concert Reviews
as “a skilled composer who understands the voice in all stages of
development,” his compositions include numerous major works, including
Wedding Mass, premiered at Carnegie Hall, and Saint George and the
Dragon and American Prize semi-finalist Incarnatio Mysteria, both
premiered at Lincoln Center. He is a frequent guest conductor, clinician
and adjudicator. He and his wife Jennifer have three beautiful
children. www.timothymichaelpowell.com.
3rd Place:
Emily Isaacson
Oratorio Chorale Brunswick, ME
 |
Emily Isaacson |
Emily Isaacson is recognized for her versatility,
sensitivity and energy. Her 2014 direction of Brahms' Requiem was
heralded as "one of the most moving musical events of the decade” by the
Portland Press Herald and "sublime" by the Times Record. Isaacson
serves as the Artistic Director of the Oratorio Chorale, the Director of
Choral Activities at Clark University in Worcester, Chorus Director of
the Bowdoin International Music Festival Chorus, and visiting faculty in
music at Bowdoin College. A graduate of Williams College, Isaacson was
awarded the St. Andrews Society Fellowship for graduate study in
Scotland, where she earned a master’s degree in musicology from
Edinburgh University. She holds a second master’s degree from the
University of Oregon and is currently a candidate for the doctorate in
musical arts in choral conducting at the University of Illinois. Emily
lives in Portland, Maine with her husband and one-year old daughter.
isaacsonemily.com
***
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