The San Diego Chorus is delighted to welcome back coach Ryan Heller to their Fall 2024 Recharge event September 6 - 8th. Ryan is the Director of Alamo Metro Chorus in San Antonio, Texas, a chapter of Sweet Adelines International. With his trademark exuberance, Ryan is as energy-driven as the sound and performances that he inspires from each musician! A "barbershop brat," Ryan joined the Barbershop Harmony Society as a high school freshman, singing with then Evergreen District champs, Vocal Gentry. Under Ryan's past leadership, the Pride of Portland Chorus won regional championships each cycle of competitions, making six appearances on the international stage with five top ten finishes. In April of 2013, Ryan received his Master Director 700 award when Pride of Portland Chorus took first place at our regional contest, with a record-breaking score of 701 points. Heller also holds the title of the Artistic Director and Conductor of Chorus Austin in Austin, TX. Chorus Austin has been honored with numerous awards, including the 2018 Austin Critic’s Table Award for Best Classical Performance, and the 2017 Dale Warland Singers Commission Award from Chorus America. Past positions include Music Director / Conductor of the Southwest Washington Symphony, and Co-founder / Conductor of Portland Vocal Consort and the Columbia Chorale of Oregon.  Ryan's vibrant career also includes frequent engagements as Musical Director / Chorusmaster of musical theater productions throughout the West Coast, including Sweeney Todd, Annie, Brigadoon, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, The Magic Flute and La Cenerentola. In 2016 Heller served as Conductor for the world premiere opera The Canticle of the Black Madonna; He has appeared or recorded with numerous groups, including the Austin Symphony, Portland Opera, Rose City Chamber Orchestra, William Hall Master Chorale, Capella Romana, Astoria Music Festival, and Broadway Rose Theater Company. He has had the pleasure of touring with several ensembles throughout the USA, Europe, New Zealand, and China.  Ryan was the Co-Founder, Conductor and Artistic Director of the Portland Vocal Consort, one of Portland, Oregon’s, premier professional choirs, and spent a decade as the Conductor / Artistic Director of the Southwest Washington Symphony; In 2001, he Co-Founded the Columbia Chorale of Oregon, a group he led until 2010. Heller has led ensembles across the United States with appearances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Chicago’s Symphony Hall. He has toured internationally in Italy, Germany, New Zealand, Finland, Estonia, Sweden and, China, where he led combined choirs from Texas at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing and at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.  Heller holds a Master of Music degree in Conducting from Portland State University and his Bachelor’s of Music degree in Conducting from Chapman University. The San Diego Chorus hosts Recharge weekends for Chorus Members bi-annually. The 3-day events are coaching intensives, featuring Guest coaches from across the U.S. and internationally. The San Diego Chorus is currently ranked 5th Internationally and recently accepted a Wild Card invitation from parent organization Sweet Adelines International. The Chorus will take the stage as contestant #1 in the Quartet and Chorus Semi Finals in Kansas City in October of 2024. The San Diego Chorus will be one of 32 competitors performing in the International Semi Finals, presenting a barbershop ballad and up tune. Contests are adjudicated by four judges, each of whom intensively evaluate one of the four categories that comprise the overall score: Sound, Music, Expression and Visual Communication. Every competing organization has the potential to earn 100 points per category per song. The total possible points available for a performance is 800. Choruses that rank within the top 10 earn a chance to present a second entertainment package in the finals for the championship title. The 15 minute finals package blends a barbershop number with contemporary a cappella numbers. Heller is one of several world-class coaches the San Diego Chorus will work over the next year as they prepare for competition.
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September 14, 2024 - The San Diego Chorus is delighted to welcome coach Dan Wessler to our upcoming rehearsal on August 14th. Dan is a barbershop arranger, singer, and chorus director who currently resides in Long Beach, California. Wessler has been arranging for barbershop quartets and choruses since 2011. Dan’s songs are frequently performed on the Barbershop Harmony Society contest stage at both the district and international level, to high acclaim. He writes contestable and performance arrangements for various groups around the world, a number of which have been published by Hal Leonard. Dan Wessler holds a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Choral Conducting and Literature from University of Colorado Boulder (2023) and a Master’s Degree in Choral Conducting from Western Illinois University (2012). He is currently the Musical and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles based Westminster Chorus, four-time International Barbershop Chorus Champion and 2009 Choir of the World Champion. Dan also sings with After Hours, the 2018 International Barbershop Quartet Champion, with whom he travels and sings frequently, inside and outside of the United States. He is a frequent clinician at barbershop chorus festivals, and teaches courses internationally at barbershop educational events. Dan also currently serves on the adjunct faculty of Concordia University Irvine, teaching undergraduate choral methods. Before moving to Southern California, he served as Director of Choral Activities at Freeport High School in Freeport, Illinois from 2012-2020.
 With an average score of 95.6%, Westminster Chorus was recently awarded the 2024 BHS International Chorus Champions The San Diego Chorus hosts member-only Coaching Events for singers multiple times a year, particularly when preparing for competition. The chorus is currently ranked 5th Internationally and has accepted a Wild Card invitation from parent organization Sweet Adelines International. The Chorus will take the stage as contestant #1 in the Chorus Semi Finals in Kansas City in October of 2024. The San Diego Chorus will be one of 32 competitors performing in the International Semi Finals, presenting a barbershop ballad and up tune. Contests are adjudicated by four judges, each of whom intensively evaluate one of the four categories that comprise the overall score: Sound, Music, Expression and Visual Communication. Every competing organization has the potential to earn 100 points per category per song. The total possible points available for a performance is 800. Choruses that rank within the top 10 earn a chance to present a second entertainment package in the finals for the championship title. The 15-minute finals package blends a barbershop number with contemporary a cappella numbers.
MARCH 2024 - The San Diego Chorus is thrilled to welcome coach Cy Wood. Cy is a judge in the Performance Category for the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS). Currently, he sings baritone in MixTape, a BHS quartet based in Ohio that is the current champion for the Johnny Appleseed district. He also serves as Executive Director for the Young Professionals Choral Collective (YPCC) as well as a creative artist and coach. He moved to Ohio to teach music and theatre at Butler Tech School of the Arts, which he lovingly did so for 7 wonderful years. Before that, Cy worked in New York City for nearly a decade as a professional actor, producer, special events coordinator, and creative director. Some shows that he has been involved with include current and past Broadway, Off-Broadway, Special Events and National Tours. Cy is a third-generation barbershopper. He joined the Idaho Gateway Chorus when he was just 15 years old. While studying in college, Cy joined High Flight singing baritone, a competitive collegiate quartet. Though they were together only a few months, they won the Rocky Mountain District collegiate contest, and later went on to place 12th at the 2006 International Competition. Wood joined NYC's acclaimed chorus Voices of Gotham in 2012 and quickly became the baritone section leader as well as a board member at large. In 2013, Cy was asked to be VoG's Choreographer and Presentation Leader. He has had his work performed on the international stage as well as many stages in North America including Carnegie Hall. Since moving to Ohio, Cy has performed with a BHS Top Ten Chorus, Southern Gateway Chorus where he also served on the music team and was the Performance Director.
In addition to his active coaching and chorus lifestyle, Cy was the baritone of On Tap. This quartet won the Mid-Atlantic District Northern Division Contest in 2014 and 7th place at the MAD District competition. On Tap entertained their audiences until their disbandment in 2015 due to two of the members moving away from NYC. The San Diego Chorus hosts member-only Coaching Events for Chorus Members multiple times a year, particularly during competition preparation cycles. The chorus is currently ranked 5th Internationally and has accepted a Wild Card invitation from parent organization Sweet Adelines International. The Chorus will take the stage as contestant #1 in the Quartet and Chorus Semi Finals in Kansas City in October of 2024. The San Diego Chorus will be one of 32 competitors performing in the International Semi Finals, presenting a barbershop ballad and up tune. Contests are adjudicated by four judges, each of whom intensively evaluate one of the four categories that comprise the overall score: Sound, Music, Expression and Visual Communication. Every competing organization has the potential to earn 100 points per category per song. The total possible points available for a performance is 800. Choruses that rank within the top 10 earn a chance to present a second entertainment package in the finals for the championship title. The 15 minute finals package blends a barbershop number with contemporary a cappella numbers. Wood is one of several world-class coaches the San Diego Chorus will work over the next year as they prepare for competition. Master Director Kathleen Hansen notes that the organization is preparing to perform on the Region 21 Golden West Stage for evaluation in April. "There are so many facets of musicality and performance that we fine-tune concurrently in preparation for competition," Hansen says. "Multi-dimensional coaches like Cy bring valuable insight and guidance to our singers as we refine our contest and entertainment packages for the International stage."
 Westcoast Harmony Chorus was named the best mid-sized chorus in the world in 2013. In September 2022, they placed 6th in the International Championship. The San Diego Chorus is delighted to welcome coach Anne Downton to their Winter 2024 Recharge event. Anne serves as Director of Westcoast Harmony Chorus in Vancouver, Canada, a chapter of Sweet Adelines International. With her unique blend of enthusiasm, expertise and attention to detail, Anne's guidance is both actionable and effective for singers. Anne's barbershop career began in 2000, when she found her way to Westcoast Harmony Chorus. She was instantly hooked and hasn't looked back since. Anne became a co-director of Westcoast in 2005, and stepped into the role of Director in 2011. She earned the title Master Director at the age of 24, making her the youngest person to attain this designation. Under Anne's direction, Westcoast has won the Region 26 Chorus Competition multiple times, and also earned the title of 2013 International Harmony Classic Champions. Anne is a member of the Sweet Adelines International Faculty, having established herself as a trusted vocal coach for individuals, quartets and choruses around the world. She is also the chair of the Director Resource Toolkit Task Force. In the past, she has served as the Region 26 Education Coordinator, on the Region 26 Regional Education Faculty, and the International Music Sales & Marketability Committee.  Anne Downton is the Baritone of the 2017 Quartet Champions, Frenzy. The quartet also received the 2017 Most Entertaining Award. Anne sings baritone with the 2017 International Quartet Champions, Frenzy. She also sang baritone with the Young Women in Harmony quartet, Stir It Up, winning a 2nd place medal at the International Rising Star Contest. Anne lives in the Greater Vancouver area, and in her “other life”, works at a law firm as a senior corporate legal assistant. In 2010, Anne completed her Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Criminology from Simon Fraser University. Anne's teaching specialties include vocal production, left-brain techniques to achieve artistry, practical applications to achieve unity, identifying ensemble strengths/needs and building plans and teams to support growth and success. The San Diego Chorus hosts Recharge weekends for Chorus Members bi-annually. The 3-day events are coaching intensives, featuring Guest coaches from across the U.S. and internationally. The San Diego Chorus is currently ranked 5th Internationally and recently accepted a Wild Card invitation from parent organization Sweet Adelines International. The Chorus will take the stage as contestant #1 in the Quartet and Chorus Semi Finals in Kansas City in October of 2024. The San Diego Chorus will be one of 32 competitors performing in the International Semi Finals, presenting a barbershop ballad and up tune. Contests are adjudicated by four judges, each of whom intensively evaluate one of the four categories that comprise the overall score: Sound, Music, Expression and Visual Communication. Every competing organization has the potential to earn 100 points per category per song. The total possible points available for a performance is 800. Choruses that rank within the top 10 earn a chance to present a second entertainment package in the finals for the championship title. The 15 minute finals package blends a barbershop number with contemporary a cappella numbers. Downton is one of several world-class coaches the San Diego Chorus will work over the next year as they prepare for competition. Master Director Kathleen Hansen expects big things from the Chorus, and is looking forward to competing. "The singers of the San Diego Chorus bring a high level of musical excellence to our organization," Hansen says. "Working with individuals with our unique blend of talent and dedication is a rare opportunity. Our singers have chosen to have a championship mindset, which sets the tone for all that we do as an organization."
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CONTACT
619-796-5162 MAILING PO Box 33365 San Diego, CA 92163 NONPROFIT EIN 501c3 95-6095457 AFFILIATIONS Region 21 Golden West Sweet Adelines International COPYRIGHT San Diego Chorus © 2023 All Rights Reserved TERMS & CONDITIONS |
OPEN REHEARSALS
Weekly on Wednesdays 6:45 p.m. - 9:45 p.m. Plan a Visit REHEARSAL LOCATION Casa Del Prado, Room 207 Balboa Park San Diego, CA 92101 Detailed Location Information 45 |
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