Conductor, Matthew Chi Lee

Bio: The John P. Stevens Chamber Ensemble is the select choir at John P. Stevens High School in Edison, NJ. Chamber has consistently received Gold or Superior ratings at state, national, and international festivals. In 2017, Chamber was named Grand Prize winner at the Sing N' Joy Princeton International and was awarded the Morten Lauridsen Prize. The JPS Chamber Ensemble has been invited to perform on the campuses of Montclair State University, Westminster Choir College, Wagner College, and Rutgers University. They were selected to perform at the 2022 ACDA Eastern Region Conference in Boston, Massachusetts.

Ensemble Statement: The John P. Stevens Chamber Ensemble is a highly selective choir whose mission is to perform works by living composers, composers of color, and other underrepresented groups at a high caliber. Comprised of more than 90% students of color, repertoire performed by this choir seeks to promote music from a vast array of cultural traditions, including the South Asian Diaspora. Students are partners in music selection and take the lead in choreography, sectional rehearsals, and diction coaching (especially in the case of Hindustani or Carnatic traditions). Culture-bearers are frequently invited to advise on the performance practices relevant to the music at hand. The 32 members of the Chamber Ensemble also serve as student leaders within the broader 150-member JP Stevens choir program. This ensemble also performs frequently at community events and assisted living centers.