Peyton Gajurel has been teaching choir in title 1 public schools for 10 years. She has built two sweepstakes programs, Drew Academy being one of them. Mrs. Gajurel is passionate about connecting students of all walks to music and art, with a dedicated emphasis on encouraging lifelong music appreciators and contributors irrespective of future vocations. Through creating musical breadth and diversity, she strives to reach students of low socioeconomic status so that they might recognize new avenues and ladders.

Drew Academy Treble Chorus is a small ensemble with huge achievements. The group is comprised of 10 students that not only excel in music but also in all of their other life ventures. Drew Academy Treble Chorus has received sweepstakes ratings at UIL Concert and Sight-Reading contest, every student received a superior rating in Solo and Ensemble Contest, and are some of the highest achieving scholars on campus. Many of these students live at or below the poverty level and they are a prime example of how one's socio-economic status does not have to limit their adventures and achievements in life.

Paul Graves – is an accomplished teacher, director, and pianist. He has taught middle school through college level music courses for the past 26 years throughout Oklahoma and Kansas. Under his direction, choirs received superior ratings at district, state, national, and international festivals. Paul has been named Who’s Who Among America's Teachers and was named as a 2020 Region IV Kansas Teacher of the Year semi-finalist. He was nominated for the Jester Award, as well as receiving the Mary Jane Tealle award three times for Musical Direction. Paul is married to Denice and has three daughters: McKenzie, Molly, and Hayden.

The Haysville Middle School Concert Choir is a non-auditioned choir consisting of students in the 7th & 8th grades in Haysville, Kansas. The choir is made up of students from all socio-economic backgrounds that come together to perform challenging music for concerts, festivals and adjudication. In addition, this choir receives superior ratings and awards at district, state and national music festivals. Pre-Covid, the choral program comprised over 350 students in five choirs, grades 6th through 8th. Under Mr. Graves' direction, students are continually selected for league, regional and KMEA All-State honor choirs, sharing the love of music with thousands of concert-goers.

Dawn Doherty was born in NYC and raised in Ireland. She is an All Ireland Champion musician & singer. Dawn received her Undergraduate Degree in Irish Music at the University of Limerick, Ireland, a Masters Degree from UL in Music Therapy and holds a second Master’s Degree in Science & Education. She is the director of her Music Academy and her students have won several prestigious awards and accolades during her inception in NY 9 years ago. She is the co- director of the Aisling Irish Center Ceili band & director of the Aisling Irish Center ballad group with her teaching partner Frankie Mc Cormick. Her school accommodates nearly 100 students in the Westchester area. Dawn has traveled nationally and internationally as a musician and has been a special Irish guest singing at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, NY.

Dawn Doherty director of the Academy of Irish Music & singing has spearheaded her school and this ensemble into a huge success story on an international scale in a short period of time. This ensemble was thriving throughout the pandemic with high level of performances Nationally & Internationally most notably the Late Late Christmas Toy show in Dublin, Ireland, virtually. Dawn and her teaching partner Frankie Mc Cormick produce music videos every year with this ensemble which soar in popularity in the US and their home land, Ireland. This ensemble perform at many prestigious venues in NY and they love to perform at children’s hospitals during the festive season to bring cheer to the sick children. They also enjoy performing for the elderly in senior centers and nursing homes. Getting the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall is a dream come true for all of them.

Jennifer Kale is the director of the new choral program at Gray Middle School. Growing up as a band and choir kid, she knew this was something that needed to be in her life forever! Jennifer lives with her husband, children, and two dogs in Clermont, Florida.

The Gray Middle School Chorus is a relatively new ensemble! Our school program had been cut for several years, and in January of 2022 it was brought back! Jennifer Kale was brought in to rebuild the program. The Gray Middle School chorus is heavily involved in their community, performing at local events and City Hall functions.

Amy Symes is in her 16th year as choral director at K.O. Knudson Academy of the Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada. She graduated from The University of South Dakota where she received a Bachelor of Music Education degree, with an emphasis in vocal performance and a 2013 graduate of Lesley University with a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Arts Integration. She has crafted professional development training on Arts Integration Best Practices that were presented at the local, state and national levels including; The Smith Center ConFABulation Summer Institute and Magnet Schools of America National Conferences. Mrs. Symes is a member of the Nevada Department of Education Leadership Network, and the Public Education Leadership Foundation. Mrs Symes is involved as a Department Chair, Arts Integration Co-Chair, and School Organizational Team Member, and is the current President for the Nevada Music Educators Association.

Vocale is the top vocal ensemble at K.O. Knudson Academy of the Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada. These students are 7th and 8th graders that represent the highest caliber of musicianship at K.O. Vocale continues to receive Superior ratings at district festivals. This ensemble also has a great history of performing with professional musicians; Tim McGraw, The Tenors, Clint Holmes, and more.

John Benton is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill where he received his Bachelors of Music and Masters of Arts in Teaching degrees. While at UNC, he was the recipient of the Sydney M. Dowd Fellowship for Piano Performance Studies. John is currently the Director of Choirs at Chapel Hill High School as well as McDougle Middle School in the Chapel Hill Carrboro City School district. In 2021, Steinway and Sons honored John as a Steinway Verified Teacher for excellence in teaching. John’s students have performed across the United States at numerous venues. This is his fourth performance at Carnegie Hall.

The McDougle Middle School Choir was formed in 1994 when the school was founded. John Benton currently serves as the Director of Choirs and Orchestras. The choir has performed at numerous venues across the United States including; The Walt Disney World Resort, Six Flags Over Georgia, Carowinds Festival of Music, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Kings Dominion, and Six Flags Great Adventure. In 2019, they made their Carnegie Hall debut with DCINY as part of their ‘Buena Onda’ concert with Alberto Grau and Maria Guinand and are excited to be performing again with Greg Gilpin on this performance.

Rodney Wynkoop has served as artistic director of the Choral Society of Durham since 1986. He is the founding director of the Vocal Arts Ensemble of Durham and the former Director of University Choral Music at Duke University, where he conducted the Duke Chorale and the Duke Chapel Choir for over 30 years. Dr. Wynkoop has led choirs in two previous performances at Carnegie Hall and performed at numerous national and regional conventions of the American Choral Directors Association. He is a recipient of the Lara Hoggard Award for Distinguished Service in Choral Music in North Carolina.

The Choral Society of Durham (CSD) builds and celebrates community connections through choral music. Now in our 74th year, CSD has developed a reputation for excellence in performing significant choral works with professional orchestras and soloists. Our adventurous repertoire, which includes not only time-honored masterworks but also an ever-broadening range of repertoire from various traditions, has attracted enthusiastic audiences and loyal supporters. Besides our annual holiday concert in Duke Chapel, CSD has recently sung Philip Glass’s Itaipu, Roland Carter’s “Make Some Noise,” Cecilia McDowall’s The Girl From Aleppo, and André Thomas’s gospel-style Mass. For more information, visit choral-society.org.

William Sauerland (he/they) is an Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies for the School of Music at Purdue University – Fort Wayne, conducting the choral ensembles, teaching classes in applied voice and music education, and supervising student teachers. He was previously on faculty at San Francisco State University, Chabot College, and the Pacific Boychoir Academy. A former member of Chanticleer, Sauerland maintains a busy schedule as a countertenor. Sauerland holds degrees from Columbia University, the Royal College of Music, and Miami University (Ohio). Dr. Sauerland’s book “Queering Vocal Pedagogy” was published by Rowman & Littlefield in June 2022.

The choral program of Purdue University Fort Wayne School of Music consists of three ensembles: University Singers, Chamber Treble Singers, and Choral Union. In recent years, the ensembles have been accepted to perform for the Indiana Music Education Association state conference. In 2019, the ensembles sang backup for Hugh Jackman at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The University Singers is directed by Dr. William Sauerland, and assisted by collaborative pianist Dr. Geoffrey North. The Chamber Treble Singers is directed by Emily Bird, with assistance by Evan Keenan. Choral Union is co-directed by Jonathan Busarow and William Sauerland.

Dr. Angelica Dunsavage [she/they] serves as Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Tennessee State University, where she conducts the TSU University Choir and the Meistersingers and teaches courses in conducting and music education. Prior to her appointment at TSU, Angelica taught music education and choral/vocal classes at Washington State University. She received her DMA in Choral Conducting and Music Education from University of Arizona, her MM in Choral Conducting from Bowling Green State University, and her BS in Music Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Angelica serves as Chief Editor of Publications for the National Collegiate Choral Organization, and has previously served as editor for state and regional journals. She has presented posters and interest sessions for NCCO, ACDA, NAfME and College Music Society conferences, and regularly serves as a clinician for area schools.

Tennessee State University Meistersingers is an auditioned chamber ensemble comprised of students of various majors. Meistersingers regularly performs for events on campus and in the community. Most recently, the ensemble has performed at the Country Music Hall of Fame, and participated as the chorus for a premiere opera with the Nashville Symphony. Meistersingers is under the direction of Dr. Angelica Dunsavage.