The South Dakota Junior Honor Choirs will be performing in concert at the Performing Arts Center of Rapid City on Saturday, January 25, 2014 at 2 PM. The SD Junior Honor Choirs were established in 1993 through a supportive effort of the SD American Choral Directors Association. Each year singers in grades 7 through 9 throughout the state of South Dakota audition to be able to participate in this event. Guest conductors, for the 92-voice mixed choir and the 82-voice women’s choir, are from the sunny state of Florida, Dr. Russell Robinson, University of Florida, and Dr. Kevin Fenton, Florida State University.
Kevin Fenton is professor of choral conducting and ensembles, and the director of University Singers at The Florida State University. Choirs under Dr. Fenton’s direction have been invited to perform for regional and national conventions of ACDA, CMS and MENC on ten occasions, including the Festival Singers of Florida performance at the convention of the Southern Division of ACDA in 2012 and the University Singers performance at the National Convention in Dallas in 2013. A champion of new music, Dr. Fenton has conducted over twenty premiere performances, including Dan Forrest’s “Long, Long Ago” 2013; Troy Robertson’s “This Mystery” 2013; Jason McCoy’s “Santo” 2012; Jeffrey Ames’ “I Can Feel the Spirit” 2011; Eric Barnum’s “In Paradisum” 2010; Sydney Guilliame’s “AuRDéla du Chagrin” 2010; and Clifton Callender’s “Reasons to Learne to Sing” 2010. Kevin also teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in choral conducting and choral literature and directs the FSU Vocal Jazz Ensemble.
Before his arrival at Florida State University in 2000, Dr. Fenton served as Director of Choral Activities at James Madison University and Virginia Tech. He has conducted honor choirs and clinics in thirty six states throughout the country, including twenty all-state honor choirs. During 2012-13, Kevin conducted All-State Choirs in North Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. Kevin has conducted for music and worship conferences of the American Baptist, Reform Presbyterian, Presbyterian PC(USA), and United Methodist Churches. Dr. Fenton conducted the Beijing International Choral Festival Choir with China’s People’s Liberation Orchestra as a part of China’s Choral Conductor’s Meeting in 2007. Kevin’s textbook, Foundations of Choral & Conducting, has been adopted by more than thirty universities throughout the United States. Additionally, Dr. Fenton is a recipient of the Gamma Mu Chapter of Delta Omicron Music Professor of the Year Award and the FSU Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 2007, Kevin founded the Festival Singers of Florida—a
choir of music educators and performers from throughout Florida. The choir is based in Orlando and is dedicated to “inspiring and engaging through impassioned singing.”
Dr. Fenton is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association, currently serving as president of the Southern Division and is looking forward to the 2014 Southern Division Convention that will take place in the stunning Jacoby Music Hall in Jacksonville, Florida.
Russell Robinson has been on the faculty at the University of Florida since 1984, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in choral and music education and is Professor of Music and Chair of the Music Education department. Highly in demand, Dr. Robinson has made over 300 appearances as a conductor, speaker and presenter at festivals, workshops, honor choirs, all-state choirs and state, regional, national and international conferences in the US, Europe, Asia, Africa, Central America, South America and Australia, as well as conducting venues, which include: Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Boston’s Symphony Hall, the White House, Washington’s National Cathedral and the Wiesbaden, Germany Kurhaus.
He is a past President of the Florida Music Educators Association, Interim Associate Dean of the UF College of Fine Arts, National Collegiate Chair for the Music Educators National Conference (MENC) and#MENC Choral Adviser. Dr. Robinson is a published author, composer and arranger with over 200 publications in print, including choral compositions, arrangements, articles, books, and instructional DVD’s.
They have selected a wide variety of repertoire, from classical to contemporary. General admission for this event is $5. This event is held in conjunction with the South Dakota American Choral Director’s Mid-Winter Conference, held at the Ramkota and First Presbyterian Church. Singers representing the Rapid City area are from Rapid City Stevens, Rapid City Central, Rapid City West, Rapid City Southwest, Rapid City St. Thomas More, Custer, Hot!Springs, Spearfish, Lead-Deadwood and Sturgis.