Sigma Alpha Iota

DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS from Chorus America, the 2001 ASCAP award for adventurous programming, and the 2000 U.S. Library of Congress' Local Legacies Award, acknowledging the chorus as one of nation's cultural treasures. In 2009, the chorus performed the Inter-American Music Awards Concert at the SAI National Convention in Chicago, premiering works by Friend of the Arts Michael Braz and SAI Betty Bertaux. She has prepared the chorus for performances with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the Ravinia Festival, the Grant Park Symphony, Music of the Baroque, and Chicago Sinfonietta for conductors including Sir Georg Solti, Claudio Abbado, Christoph Eschenbach, John Nelson, James Conlon, Nicholas Kraemer, Jane Glover, and Carlos Kalmar. She has conducted the chorus in appearances with Julia Roberts, Garth Brooks, Dennis DeYoung, and the Canadian rock group Barenaked Ladies; featured broadcasts on Chicago's classical radio WFMT; through five CD recordings and regional and national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association, the Organization of American Kodaly Educators, and Chorus America; and concert tours of Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, China, and South Africa Having earned her Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Ellsworth serves as editor for the Opera Workshop series with Boosey and Hawkes Publishers. She has over 20 years of university teaching and singing experience and has been honored to serve on the music panel for the National Endowment for the Arts. In demand as guest clinician, she leads workshops and festival choirs throughout the United States. She has also led festivals in the Republic of Ireland, England, and given presentations for the national association of choral directors in Brazil. She is the Repertoire and Standards Chair for children's choirs for the Central Division of the American Choral Directors Association. NATIONAL ARTS ASSOCIATE Valerie Floeter Valerie Floeter was initiated as a National Arts Associate by the Milwaukee Alumnae Chapter in June. The highest selling composer for Northwestern Publishing House, Floeter's first piano book, 12 Sacred Solos for Piano, went to a fourth printing within a year of publication. She earned her Master's in Organ Composition from Concordia University of Wisconsin after receiving her Floeter Bachelor's Degrees in Mathematics with an Education Major. She studied conducting under National Arts Associate Dr. Frederick Fennell at a Lakeland College workshop. Since 2002, Floetner has served as Adjunct Organ Instructor at Wisconsin Lutheran College. She teaches piano and organ at Wisconsin Lutheran High School and Mount Calvary Lutheran School and performs for the Grace Lutheran Church in Waukesha. She instructs attendees at the WELS Middle School Band and Warrior band and Leadership Camps while maintaining a private piano and organ studio. Floeter has performed accompaniment with National Arts Associate and trumpeter Dr. Patricia Backhaus since 1998 in cathedral concert series, state tours, state fairs, and concerts across North America and in England and Germany. With Dr. Backhaus, she has recorded five CDs. She also performs with a children's choir and younger musicians for competitions and recitals, including Suzuki studios. ROBERT GIBSON Robert Gibson, composer and double bassist, was initiated as a National Arts Associate by the Washington DC Alumnae Chapter in April. Gibson studied double bass with Jane Little (Atlanta Symphony), Analee Bacon (University of Georgia), Warren Benfield (Chicago Symphony), John Mathews (Baltimore Symphony) and Lucas Drew (University of Miami). While completing his Bachelor's of Music degree at the University of Miami he performed as a member of the Greater Miami Philharmonic Orchestra under Alain Lombard. His composition studies were with Steven Strunk (M.M., Catholic University) and Lawrence Moss (D.M.A., University of Maryland). Gibson was a composer member of the Contemporary Music Forum of Washington, DC from 1987–2000. As a jazz bassist and composer he has appeared leading his own groups and, during the early 80's, as a sideman with internationally recognized artists including Mose Allison, Bob Berg, Marc Copland, Tom Harrell, Eddie Harris and Barney Kessel. Gibson's compositions include Concerto for Double Bass and Chamber Orchestra, A Sound Within for piano solo, Offrande for string quartet, and numerous works for various chamber ensembles. They have been performed throughout the United States, including concerts at the Bowling Green 21st Annual New Music and Arts Festival and the national conferences of The College Music Society, The National Flute Association, and the Society of Composers, Inc. Gibson's works have also been presented on National Public Radio and in Europe, South America and China. Gibson Noted artists and ensembles who have performed his works include pianist Santiago Rodriguez and The National Symphony Bass Quartet, who commissioned his composition Soundings (2001). His large orchestra work Through the Ear of a Raindrop was premiered by the University of Maryland Symphony Orchestra in May 2002. His string quartet Flux and Fire was commissioned by The Stony Brook Contemporary Chamber Players for their Nineteenth Annual Premieres Concert at Stony Brook University and in New York City in November of 2006. Gibson's awards in composition include seven Creative and Performing Arts Awards from the University of Maryland, the Artist Fellowship in Music, three Individual Artist Awards from the Maryland State Arts Council, and a Community Engagement Grant from the American Composers Forum. Since 1985 he has worked with computer music systems, and his electronic works have been performed at national and international conferences and festivals, including The Society for Electro–Acoustic Music in the United States national conferences and the Sonic Circuits Electronic Music Festival. His music for film and television includes a documentary score for the National Geographic Explorer series. DISTINGUISHED continued on page 38 sai-national.org FALL 2010 PAN PIPES 37

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