Selecting repertoire for developing singers is not only an art, it is a responsibility. In this practical session, participants will explore key compositional elements that underpin quality developmental repertoire, explore modifications to meet student learning needs, and identify best practices for future repertoire cultivation. Importantly, participants will leave with a lengthy, vetted list of repertoire suggestions for developing singers that represents multiple voicings, cultures, and styles that can be expanded and adapted over time.
Building Brilliant Beginnings: Curating Quality Choral Repertoire for Developing Voices
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Alex Gartner
Alex Gartner is the artistic and executive director of the Pensacola Children's Chorus (PCC). A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Gartner previously served as the assistant director of the Cincinnati Youth Choir. An active composer and clinician, he has conducted all-state and regional honor choirs and led presentations throughout the United States. His own choirs have performed twice at Carnegie Hall and in many other esteemed concert venues across the country and internationally in China, Italy, France, Ireland, and Costa Rica. Gartner holds a certificate in Arts & Culture Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania, along with advanced degrees in music education from the University of Florida and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He was a recent recipient of the Louis Botto Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship by Chorus America.
Mary Biddlecombe
Mary Biddlecombe is a nationally renowned specialist in choral music for developing voices, specializing in contextual music literacy, symphonic repertoire, and pedagogy through creative collaboration. A member of the faculty at Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music since 2012, she serves as artistic director of the Vanderbilt Youth Choirs program and teaches collegiate classes in choral studies and music education. She also serves as director of the Blair Academy, a comprehensive precollegiate music program serving approximately 800 families in the Nashville community. Biddlecombe holds an MM in choral conducting from The Florida State University and a BME from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. She enjoys singing professionally with Vocal Arts Nashville and with the all-volunteer Nashville Symphony Chorus.
