“Historically, in higher education and in music in general, it was a male-dominated podium expectation. When we step on the podium as women-identifying conductors, we're breaking that image. There's a long way to go, and WiCHEd is working on bringing a supportive community together, helping the next generation figure out how to navigate this complicated web.”

Coreen Duffy is associate professor of conducting and director of choral activities at the University of Colorado Boulder where she conducts the CU Boulder Chamber Singers and oversees the choral program. Her duties at the College of Music include leading the graduate program in choral conducting at both the master’s and doctoral levels.

Duffy is also artistic director of the Seicento Baroque Ensemble, a Boulder-based semi-professional choral ensemble committed to working with period instruments and historically-informed performance practice.

Prior to her appointment at CU Boulder, Duffy served on the faculties of the University of Montana and the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Under her direction, the University of Montana Chamber Chorale performed at the Marktoberdorf International Chamber Choir Competition, the 75th Anniversary Festival of Music at the Hochschule für Musik Saar, Cadogan Hall and Southwark Cathedral, Carnegie Hall, the Northwest Conference of the American Choral Directors Association, and the Montana International Choral Festival.

Duffy is an active clinician and composer: Her works are published by ECS Publishing, Hinshaw Music, Pavane Publishing and Walton Music. She specializes in Jewish choral music and has presented sessions on the subject internationally including the international conference of the European Center for Jewish Music (EZJM) in Hannover, Germany, and national conferences of the College Music Society, National Association for Music Education, National Collegiate Choral Organization, North American Jewish Choral Festival and ACDA.

Duffy is vice president of the National Collegiate Choral Organization and recently served as president-elect of the Northwestern ACDA and Northwest representative of the NAfME National Choral Council.

Duffy earned her DMA in choral music from the USC Thornton School of Music, Her MM in conducting from the University of Miami Frost School of Music, Juris Doctor at the University of Michigan Law School and her BMA and BA with honors in English from the University of Michigan.

To get in touch with Coreen, you can email her at coreen.duffy@colorado.edu. You can also find her on Facebook or Instagram (@coreenduffy).

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

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“When people talk about what skills kids are lacking in America these days, two of the skills that come up a lot are the ability to listen to each other and have some empathy for each other. Some people would say it’s not just kids that are lacking those skills; it might be what is really missing from our society. I think choir is the best subject to teach those skills.”

Hailed by The Oregonian for providing “the finest choral concerts in Portland in recent memory,” Ethan Sperry is the Director of Choral Activities at Portland State University, where he conducts the world-renowned Chamber Choir and leads undergraduate and graduate programs in conducting. He is also the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Oregon Repertory Singers, one of America’s most distinguished adult choruses. Choirs under his direction have performed at over a dozen ACDA and NAfME Conferences, won over thirty awards and medals at international choir competitions on four continents, and sung at The Hollywood Bowl, The Kennedy Center, and the United Nations. Under his direction in 2013 The Portland State Chamber Choir became the first American Choir ever to win the Grand Prix at the Seghizzi International Choral Contest in Italy, and in 2017 they became the first American choir to win the Grand Prix at the Bali International Choral Festival, the largest choral gathering in Asia. Sperry has recorded albums for the Naxos and Gothic labels.

A prolific arranger of World Music for choirs, Dr. Sperry is the editor of the Global Rhythms series for Earthsongs Music, one of the best-selling choral series in the world, and is also published by Hal Leonard. Sperry is also a frequent collaborator with film composer AR Rahman and has appeared as a guest conductor for him numerous times including at Bollywood Night at the Hollywood Bowl and the 2008 Filmfare Awards, the Indian equivalent of the Oscars. He also serves as a consultant for the KM Music Conservatory in Chennai, the first classical music school in India, which opened in 2009.

He has earned a bachelor's degree in Philosophy from Harvard College and Masters and Doctoral degrees in Choral Conducting from the University of Southern California. Prior to moving to Oregon, Sperry served for 10 years on the faculty of Miami University in Ohio where he conducted the Men’s Glee Club, Collegiate Chorale, and Global Rhythms Ensemble. He has also served as Artistic Administrator of the Arad Philharmonic Chorus in Romania and Conductor of the Coeur Regional de Guadeloupe, the only Symphonic Chorus in the French West Indies.

To get in touch with Ethan, you can email him at ethansperry@gmail.com. You can find the Portland State University Chamber Choir on Facebook (@psuchamberchoir), Instagram (@psuchamberchoir), or Tiktok (@psuchamberchoir), and you can find the Oregon Repertory Singers on Facebook (@OregonRepertorySingers) or Instagram (@orsingers).

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

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Thank you for listening to our show this season!!

Here are the favorite choral pieces from our guests in the fourth season:
St. John Passion, Johann Sebastian Bach
St. Matthew Passion, Johann Sebastian Bach
Ave Maria, Franz Biebl
Requiem, Johannes Brahms
“Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen” from Requiem, Johannes Brahms
No Time, Susan Brumfield
I Sing Because I’m Happy, Rollo Dilworth
Requiem,Gabriel Fauré
African American Requiem, Damien Geter
Gloucester Service, Herbert Howells
La Guerre, Clément Janequin
Sweet Rivers, Shawn Kirchner
O Magnum Mysterium, Morten Lauridsen (x2)
Le Cantique des cantiques, Daniel-Lesur
Coenantibus autem illis, Juan de Lienas
I Am Harvey Milk, Andrew Lippa
Miserere, James MacMillan
Mass for Double Choir, Frank Martin
Terza Messa, Marianna Martines
Light of the East, Byung-Hee Oh
Sicut Cervus, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Tu Es Petrus, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
The Road Home, Stephen Paulus
Let My Love Be Heard, Jake Runestad
Abendfeier in Venedig, Clara Schumann
And the Swallow, Caroline Shaw
Fiddler’s Hymn, Pete Sutherland
Alleluia, Randall Thompson
Earth Song, Frank Ticheli
The Sacred Veil, Eric Whitacre
Serenade to Music, Ralph Vaughan Williams

Here are the composers that our guests suggested you check out:
Johann Sebastian Bach
Michael Barrett, see Choir Fam Episode 97
Amy Bernon
Sherry Blevins
Margaret Bonds
Johannes Brahms
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Chiara Margarita Cozzolani
Maurice Duruflé
Gabriel Fauré
Dan Forrest
J.D. Frizzell, see Choir Fam Episode 91
Katerina Gimon
Laura Hawley
Franz Joseph Haydn
Darius Lim
Andrew Lippa
Cecilia MacDowall
Joanna Marsh
Frank Martin
Selga Mence
Kyle Pederson
Florence Price
Zanaida Robles (x2)
Marie-Claire Saindon
Caroline Shaw
Ken Steven (x2), see Choir Fam Episode 98
Peteris Vasks
Tracy Wong (x3), see Choir FamEpisode 58

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

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