 |
 |
| Home |
|
||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
- Staff - Our Founder |
Artistic Staff
Administrative Staff
James Miles is the Music Director for the San Diego Children's Choir and will be teaching the Intermediate and Concert Choirs. He earned his Master’s Degree in Conducting at San Diego State University studying with Harold Warman and Donald Barra. While pursuing his Master’s Degree, James conducted the San Diego State University Concert Band, Symphony Orchestra and Wind Symphony in which he also performed as principal flute. In the past ten years he has been teaching, his positions have included Music Director at Escondido High School, Instrumental Music Director at Granite Hills High School, as well as River Valley Charter High School and Canyon Oaks Junior High where he was Music Department Chair. Before joining the San Diego Children’s Choir, Mr. Miles had been Music Director at La Mesa First United Methodist Church since 2001. Most recently, Mr. Miles served as Education and Outreach Manager for the San Diego Symphony where he produced youth concerts and orchestral education experiences throughout San Diego County. Throughout his career in San Diego, Mr. Miles has directed the Fallbrook Master Chorale, the Grossmont College
Master Chorale and the Fallbrook Lamplighters. He has sung tenor with the San Diego Master Chorale, SoundArt a
capella with Ron Gillis, and Grossmont Master Chorale. He is also an active concert flutist.
Currently, in addition to his responsibilities for the San Diego Children's Choir,
Mr. Allen is Artistic Director of the San Diego Women’s Chorus, a position he has
held since 1996, the organist at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, where he has been for
almost 25 years, and provides accompaniment, as well as vocal coaching, for voice studios
and classes at San Diego State University. He is also the conductor the Aztec Concert Choir.
Ms. Orem is an award-winning choral director who is devoted to music education for children and their teachers alike. Since 1975, she has taught music on every level, from preschool throught college. She directed the first San Diego City Elementary Honor Choir in 1992 and then again in 1999 where she was honored as the Choral Director of the Year for the San Diego City Schools. She was then selected as one of the Outstanding Elementary Music Specialists for the Southern Border Section of the Music Educator's National Conference (MENC/CMEA) and recently conducted the Elementary Honor Choir in 2007. Currently, Ms. Orem is a classroom music teacher at Jerabek Elementary
School in Scripps Ranch (since 1990), where she has been teaching kindergarten
through fifth grade and leading an after-school volunteer choir.
She is a local and national presenter for the American Orff-Schulwerk and Kodaly Associations and
currently the president of the San Diego AOSA chapter. Ms. Orem also consults for the
San Diego State University Education Department and plays handbells with the Church of the
Good Samaritan Bell-a-Peal handbell choir.
Ms. Widney was a long time member of the San Diego Children's Choir, from soon after it was formed until her graduation in 1999. She participated in five Concert Tours with the Choir including international tours to Scotland, England and Italy. Upon her recent graduation from UC Riverside, Ms. Widney began a music program and founded the school choir at King/Chavez Academy
of Excellence in Barrio Logan where she just completed her fourth year leading the choir and third year
teaching fourth grade. Ms. Widney is also involved at Camp Stevens Choir Camp as the Choir Director.
She began accompanying at age nine for her school and church, and has accompanied the Eastern Idaho Regional Children's Chorus and the Idaho Falls Youth Symphony Chorale. In college she was involved in the Marie Eccles Caine Foundation Collaborative Artistry program where she accompanied voice, brass, wind, and string players for a variety of recitals and master classes. While in high school she participated in the Junior Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition. She has received awards in multiple piano competitions including the Utah State Fair, the Idaho Federation of Music Clubs Scholarship Program, Idaho State MTNA Yamaha, and the Gwladys Comstock Piano Competition. In addition to her duties with SDCC, she occasionally accompanies various school choirs in the region and has accompanied San Diego City Middle School Honor Choirs for 3 years. She teaches piano privately, and serves as the Communications Secretary for the Music Teachers' Association of California San Diego Branch.
Ms. Flores has been involved with a variety of aspects in the musical community throughout her life. Having attended the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts high school, she was involved in the Choral Ensemble, San Diego City Honor Choir, Advanced Women’s Ensemble, Concert Choir, “Dreamgirls” production, advanced placement music theory class, and advanced piano class. She studied with Dr. Kathleen Kranz and participated in the MTNA Young Artist Performance Competition and the Southern California Junior Bach Festival. During her college years, she was involved with the University Choir and Gospel Choir where she was featured in a solo piece by select members of the choir. She received intensive training in piano performance, composition, music history, music theory, and conducting. Ms. Flores is active in the community as the current Miss Philippines San Diego County, promoting the Filipino culture and reaching out to other cultures as an ambassador of good will. She teaches private piano lessons to children. She composes her own music and loves to share that music with other music lovers.
Dr. Kranz has enjoyed an extensive career as an accompanist in musical theater, voice, opera, chamber music, and instrumental classical music. From 1988-2004 she was Professor of Piano at Fairbanks School for the Performing Arts, and during her tenure there also served as Head of the Theory Department and Senior Accompanist. Dr. Kranz is recognized in Who's Who of California, Who's Who of American Women, and is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM) of the Music Teacher's National Association (MTNA). She is a member of the College of Examiners of the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto, Canada. When not working with the Choir, Dr. Kranz operates her own private piano
studio which she has done for the past 25 years.
Ms. Manion is an accomplished concert pianist and has been performing for choirs and solo performances for over thirty years. Her travels include Europe, and many parts of the U.S., doing both solo and accompaniment work. She is an experienced private piano teacher of 25 years, and has been active as an accompanist for musical theatre here in San Diego for many years in various venues. She frequently plays for various choirs at churches and schools throughout the city. Her work has included accompanying the Chamber Singers and Concert Choir at San Diego State University, and several city-wide Honor Choir performances. Ms. Manion loves to compose and perform, and has recoreded three CD's
of her original works, which have been performed on national
television and radio.
Ms. Wishnuff taught for 15 years at the Blairgowrie Music Centre in Johannesburg. She is also an enthusiastic singer and has been a member of the South African Broadcasting Symphonic Choir and the prestigious chamber choir, The Chanticleers Singers' under the direction of one of South Africa's icons, Richard Cock. In addition to her work for SDCC,
Ms. Wishnuff is the Music Director for the Community Congregational Church
in Pacific Beach, and
teaches piano at the California Institute of Music,
at the Oceanside Academy of the Performing Arts, and at her home.
Besides her responsibility for all Choir Administration,
Ms. Icenhower is a Choir Mom and a member of
the SDCC Board of Directors.
As a long time Choir parent, Ms. Smith was President of the Choir's Parent Association for several years.
and currently serves on the Parent Board as Secretary.
|
Home · Profile · Personnel · Schedule · Touring · CDs and More Governing Boards · Choir Supporters Copyright © 1999-2007, San
Diego Children's Choir
|
Christopher Allen is the Director of SDCC's Youth Choir. He
has been in the San Diego area since 1982 where he has been involved in many facets of choral
music. A synopsis of his past activities are as follows:
Margie Orem is the Director of SDCC's Preparatory
Choirs. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education
from CSU Chico and a Master's of Art in Teaching from Grand Canyon University. She
has taken master conducting classes from Robert Shaw, Anton Armstrong and Henry Leck.
Lauren Widney is an Associate Director for SDCC. She received her degree in Music from University of
California at Riverside. At UC Riverside, Ms. Widney was lead soprano in the Chamber Choir
and was a member of the Gluck Music Fellows. She was also co-founder of the student run a
capella group, "High - C".
Deborah Cannon is an accompanist for the Concert and Preparatory Choirs.
She graduated as the Outstanding Graduating Pianist in 2002 from
Utah State University with a Bachelor's degree in Music. Her emphasis was piano
performance and pedagogy.
Fresas Flores is the accompanist for the Intermediate Choir at the Audubon Elementary site. She received her Bachelor’s degrees in Music and Business Administration from UC Berkeley with an emphasis on piano performance.
Kathleen Kranz is an accompanist for the Youth and Concert choirs.
She received her Bachelor's Degree in Music and Theater and her Masters
in Piano Performance from Florida State University and her Ph. D. in Music
Theory from the University of California, San Diego.
Priscilla Manion is an accompanist for the Concert Choir.
She earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees
in Piano Performance from Wheaton College Conservatory of Music and
University of Redlands.
Ronel Wishnuff is an accompanist for for the Preparatory and
Intermediate Choirs.
Ms. Wishnuff received her Bachelors of Music degree from the University of the
Witwatersrand in Johannesburg with a distinction in piano and is currently
obtaining a Masters degree in Piano Performance at San Diego
State University.
Donna Icenhower is SDCC's Manager.
Ms. Icenhower has extensive management experience. She has been a designer,
merchandiser and buyer for multiple organizations including Fashion Conspiracy,
Fedmart Corporation and Moonsoon Stores. As the Vice President and General
Manager for Cote D' Ore Sportwear, Ms. Icenhower designed the product line
and supervised all subcontractors, sales, production and shipping.
Jackie Smith is the Finance Coordinator
for the Choir.