Sigma Alpha Iota

28 Winter 2023 • sai-national.org NATIONAL ARTS ASSOCIATE a man or woman who is nationally recognized for distinguished contribution to the arts ISHANI BHOOLA Ishani Bhoola was initiated as a National Arts Associate by the Long Beach Alumnae Chapter in January. The Long Beach Alumnae Chapter was honored to initiate international violinist Ishani Bhoola as a National Arts Associate on January 15, 2023. She is a passionate, committed, and dedicated professional violinist and educator from England who has spent many years living in the United States (Chicago and Los Angeles). Born and raised in Bristol, UK, Ishani studied at the Purcell School of Music and the Guildhall School of Music, winning numerous prizes and awards, including first prize in the 5th Sascha Lasserson Competition. Ishani gave her debut solo recital at the Purcell Room on London's South Bank. She was a member of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the English Chamber Orchestra. In the United States, she was a member of the Grant Park Symphony in Chicago (2000), and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra (2001-2010). While in LA, she was in demand as a freelance musician in the studio industry performing on hundreds of movie sound tracks. Besides Ishani's boundless energy as a performer, she runs exceptional programs all over the world. She has founded and set up chamber music courses, concerts series, and youth projects across the globe from South Africa and France to Los Angeles and Haselmere, England. She founded and directs the Waverley Ensemble (2011), which performs high quality baroque music throughout England, and founded the prestigious Haselmere International String Competition (2017), which offers young players a chance to gain significant solo concert exposure. She also established the Issegiac International Music Academy in France (2019) which holds a variety of courses and workshops for amateur musicians, providing them the experience of being taught by and playing beside world class musicians. Ishani also founded International Youth Orchestra Bridges which brings young instrumentalists from the US, UK and South Africa together to share in their cultures, appreciate their differences, and make music. She presently is Artistic Manager for Hennessey Brown Music, whose goal is to promote and seek out talent of all genders, identities, classes, beliefs, and help create opportunities for composers and musicians of different backgrounds. Besides her great sense of humor, she is warm, empathetic, and full of integrity. She inspires others, promotes others, and tries to help advance the musical life of all those she meets. Visit her website at: https:// www.ishanibhoola.com/ PHILIP BRUNELLE Philip Brunelle was initiated as a National Arts Associate by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Alumnae Chapter in September. Mr. Brunelle is a globally-recognized conductor, choral director, organist, and musical entrepreneur based in Minneapolis, MN. At age six, he requested and received a vocal score of Handel's Messiah for Christmas. As a teenager he was already working as a professional church organist; at 19 he became the youngest member of the Minnesota Orchestra. He was Music Director of the Minnesota Opera for 17 years. Mr. Brunelle believes listeners and musicians alike must experience music of many genres and styles. He has worked enthusiastically—and tirelessly—to expand audiences for rarely heard works of the past and vocal, choral, operatic, and orchestral music of the present. Since 1969 he has served as organist and choirmaster at Plymouth Congregational Church. In that same year, he founded VocalEssence and remains its artistic director today. He currently serves on the boards of Chorus America and the International Federation for Choral Music. He was the Executive Director for the 2014 World Choral Symposium held in Seoul, South Korea. US audiences recognize Philip through frequent appearances on Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion, beginning with the very first show in 1974. He also appears with Garrison Keillor at the invitation of orchestras around the world. Philip conducts across the United States, South America, and Europe, including with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Berkshire Choral Festival, the BBC Singers, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Seattle Symphony. He is often called upon to adjudicate choral competitions all over the world, with recent visits to South Korea, China, Norway, Togo, and Hungary. Philip holds five honorary doctorates and has been recognized for his commitment to choral music by Norway (Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit), the United Kingdom (Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire), Hungary (Kodály Medal), Sweden (Royal Order of the Polar Star) and Mexico (Ohtli Recognition Award). Philip's choral editions and opera orchestrations are published by G. Schirmer, Theodore Presser, Walton Music, Editions Salabert (Paris, France), and Boosey & Hawkes. Distinguished Members

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