Meet Our Leaders

Over the years, KI Concerts has partnered with renowned choir and band directors to deliver unforgettable festival tours all over the world. Meet the leaders who have touched so many with their talent, expertise, and mentorship.

Hilary Apfelstadt

Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt is Professor Emerita of Choral Studies at the University of Toronto where she held the Elmer Iseler Chair in Conducting.  In 2013, she received the Inaugural Teaching Excellence Award from the Faculty of Music...

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Heather J. Buchanan

Australian born conductor Heather J. Buchanan is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Montclair State University, New Jersey, USA, where she conducts the 160-voice Chorale, 60-voice University Singers, and 24-voice Vocal Accord...

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John Dickson

John Dickson is Professor Emeritus and former Director of Choral Studies at Louisiana State University’s School of Music.  Holding the School of Music’s first Chair as the Edward G. and Catherine M. Galante Chair for Choral Music Education...

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Rollo Dilworth

Dr. Dilworth is an active conductor, composer, educator and clinician. In addition to his work at the collegiate level, he frequently leads various youth choral projects throughout the greater Philadelphia area...

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Dr. Kyle Fleming

Kyle has served throughout the Denver-Boulder area for 20 years as a conductor, music educator and singer. He has led choral ensembles at every level, including high school and middle school, and is currently the Director of Choral Activities at Regis University...

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Janet Galván

Dr. Janet Galván has empowered and inspired choral conductors, choral singers, and educators nationally and internationally. She has contributed to the choral art through innovative and diverse programming, staging, rehearsal techniques, and choral conducting workshops...

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Craig Hella Johnson

Craig Hella Johnson brings unparalleled depth of knowledge, artistic sensitivity, and rich imagination to his programs. He has earned a reputation as one of the finest choral conductors in the United States...

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Henry Leck

An internationally recognized choral director, Henry Leck is a professor emeritus in choral music at Butler University, where he served on the faculty for 27 years. He is the Founder and Conductor Laureate of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir and Indianapolis Youth Chorale...

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Kevin Padworski

Kevin T. Padworski serves as the Artistic Director of The Colorado Chorale and Director of Vocal Music at Colorado Academy. Padworski performs extensively, and has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards declaring mastery in multiple disciplines...

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Jeffery Redding

Jeffery Redding, the 2019 GRAMMY Music Educator Award Recipient, is the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Redding has led his choirs in performances at national, regional, and state conventions...

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Pearl Shangkuan

Dr. Pearl Shangkuan is a highly sought-after conductor, lecturer and clinician who has led performances and workshops across six continents. Director of Choral Activities and Professor of Music at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, she is also chorus director of the Grand Rapids Symphony, a Grammy-nominated professional orchestra...

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Elena Sharkova

Russian-American conductor Elena Sharkova was born and raised in St. Petersburg and received her training at the famed Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire, alma mater to Tchaikovski, Prokofiev, Schostakovich, and Balanchin, and holds a graduate degree in conducting...

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Z. Randall Stroope

Z. Randall Stroope is an American conductor and composer. He has conducted in Salzburg, Dublin, Vienna, Rome, Barcelona, Prague, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Cambridge. Randall has also conducted at the Vatican mass every year since 2009. He has conducted 40 times at Carnegie Hall and directed 48 all-state choirs...

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Frank Ticheli

Frank Ticheli's music has been described as being “optimistic and thoughtful" (Los Angeles Times), “lean and muscular" (New York Times), “brilliantly effective" (Miami Herald) and “powerful, deeply felt crafted with impressive flair and an ear for striking instrumental colors" (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)...

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