Alison Custer and Erin Linton are the choral directors at Clinton Junior High School in Clinton, Mississippi. At CJHS, Ms. Custer directs the 7th Grade Treble Choir and 7th & 8th Grade Troubadours Boy Choir. Mrs. Linton directs the 7th & 8th Grade Cappella Mixed Choir and 8th Grade Bella Voce Women's Choir. Mrs. Linton also directs the award-winning Ambassadors show choir, while Ms. Custer serves as the Assistant Director to the group. Ms. Custer serves as the State Treasurer for the MS American Choral Director's Association. Mrs. Linton serves as Past President of the Junior High Division of the Mississippi Music Educator's Association. Mrs. Linton has also served as District VI Choir Chair of the Junior High Music Division. Ms. Custer and Mrs. Linton both graduated from Mississippi College with a Bachelors in Music Education, Vocal Emphasis. Ms. Custer just recently completed a Master of Music Performance in Conducting from Mississippi College.

Performing arts is highly regarded in the Clinton, MS community. At Clinton Junior High School the choral department involves over 200 7th and 8th grade students each year. Performances of the school's four choirs include: a Christmas concert, Spring Concert, and participation in assessment festivals, at both the District and State Level. All choirs have consistently received Superior ratings at district and state festivals in the areas of sight-reading and stage performance. In addition, there are students who continue to represent the CJHS choral department through successfully auditioning into one the Mississippi All-State Junior High Honor Choirs each year.

Shawna K. Hinkle is the Vocal Music Director at Dover City Schools in Dover, Ohio. Ms. Hinkle has a Music Education degree from Muskingum University and Masters in Music from Kent State University. She studied conducting at Kent State University with Dr. CM Shearer. Ms. Hinkle has recently conducted the Tuscarawas Philharmonic Orchestra Honors Women’s Ensemble, co-chaired the Ohio Music Education Association District 8 Honor Choir events, and assisted with the East Central Ohio Education Service Center Middle School Honor Choir. She also serves as the conductor for the Kent State University Tuscarawas University Choir.

The Ars Nova Singers is an auditioned mixed ensemble from Dover High School located in Dover, Ohio. Members of the ensemble, ranging from grades 9-12, are selected through a process including sight singing, prepared selection of choice, and participation in the OMEA Solo & Ensemble Adjudicated Event. The ensemble performs many genres of literature including a capella and accompanied repertoire at various local events. They recently performed with the vocal group Cadence at the Kent State University Tuscarawas Performing Arts Center. Members participate in the DHS Concert Choir as well as other vocal and instrumental ensembles offered at Dover High School.

Chris Young, choral director of Sumner Hill JH has a Master of Music Education Degree and is a National Board Certified Teacher. He has been named Teacher of the Year twice from his school and in 2001 Chris was named MENC’s State Music Educator of the Year. Having served on both the MMEA and ACDA state boards, he is now serving as President of the state MENC. Chris taught for seven years at Vicksburg Jr. High and has been teaching at Sumner Hill JH in Clinton since 1999. He has presented workshops and judged music festivals throughout Mississippi.

The Sumner Hill JH Concert Choirs have a long history of receiving Superior ratings in District and State Festivals as well as Solo and Ensemble Festivals. They have performed throughout the state of Mississippi including singing the National Anthem at the Mississippi Braves games for several years. The Sumner Hill Choir has also provided the opening entertainment for Universal Studios for the past 18 years on their spring trip. Other highlights include performing at Carnegie Hall.

Dr. Melissa Morgan is the Pfeifer Memorial Chair of Music at Luther College High School where she is responsible for the Luther College Senior Choir, the auditioned choir, AVE, the Luther Band, the string ensemble, and the IB music program. She is also the founder and director of the auditioned mixed-voice, Prairie Chamber Choir. Raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, Melissa holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Toronto, a Master of Music Performance from the University of Western Ontario, a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Regina.

The Luther College Senior Choir is a non-auditioned mixed-voice choir made up of students from grades 10 through 12. They perform numerous times each year at churches, annually at the Luther College Christmas Candlelight services, and at the Luther Home Concert held towards the end of the academic season. Luther choirs have performed at the Association of Canadian Choral Communities Podium Conference and as showcase choirs at the Rocky Mountain Music Festival in Banff, Alberta, Canada. They sing a wide range of repertoire including Canadian music, folk songs, hymns, and art music from the Renaissance to the Twentieth Century.

Carol Joy Sparkman is Director of Choral Music at Clinton High School in Clinton, Mississippi, where she directs four choirs and two contemporary a cappella ensembles. Sparkman is a founding member of a team who has established Service-Learning partnerships for continuing education in choral music. The team travels each summer to South Africa to work with music educators and choirs. She serves on the MS ACDA Board as Repertoire and Resource Chair for Contemporary and Commercial and is the Southeast Regional Director for the A Cappella Education Association. She also is an active NAfME and NATS.

Arrow Singers is the umbrella of the choral department at Clinton High School and consists of four choirs and two pop a cappella ensembles. The six groups have consistently earned superior ratings at state choral assessments, have won Best in Class at choral festivals, and perform at local and state events. Colla Voce, the mixed choir, performed as one of four selected choirs, and the only high school, at the MS conference of the American Choral Directors Association in Spring 2017. Arrow Singers is proud to be in the Clinton Public School District, one of the top five districts in the state of Mississippi.

Lauren Harper is the middle school vocal music director at Holland Hall in Tulsa, OK. She earned her BM in music education from Shorter College and her MM in music education from the University of Georgia. Ms. Harper has studied under Dr. Martha Shaw, Dr. Daniel Bara, and Dr. Sherri Weiler, and has toured with choirs around the United States and Europe. Ms. Harper previously was a choral director in Atlanta for six years where her ensembles performed around the southeast. Harper was also a member of the Atlanta Master Chorale. She has served as an Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute faculty member, and currently serves on the OAI Choral Advisory Panel.

The Holland Hall Middle School Honor Choir (MSHC) was founded in 2011 out of a high level of interest in choral music at Holland Hall in Tulsa, OK. The ensemble is a non-auditioned group of 4th-8th Graders who meet every Tuesday morning at 7:10 am. The MSHC has singers consistently make annual ACDA National and Regional Honor Choirs, and they are involved in OMEA, Circle the State with Song, and have sung with the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus. Students have performed around Oklahoma and, notably, at Carnegie Hall. Holland Hall has been Oklahoma’s finest Independent Episcopal School since 1922.

Hilary Apfelstadt is Professor and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Toronto where she holds the Elmer Iseler Chair in Conducting. Her duties include conducting the MacMillan Singers and the Women's Chamber Choir, as well as overseeing conductors of the Men's Chorus and the Women's Chorus, and supervising graduate conducting majors. She also conducts Exultate Chamber Singers in Toronto. In 2013, she received the inaugural Teaching Excellence Award from the Faculty of Music. She was national president of the American Choral Directors Association from 2007 - 2009.

The University of Toronto Faculty of Music has four choirs totaling approximately 200 singers: MacMillan Singers, an advanced mixed ensemble; Women's Chamber Choir, Men's Chorus, and Women's Chorus. Each of these groups is made up of almost exclusively music majors, many studying voice. They perform separately and collectively during the academic year, performing a range of choral music both a cappella and accompanied. Students participating in the Lincoln Center concert opted to do this in addition to their normal choral curriculum requirements and are proud to represent the Faculty of Music.

Ryan Perrotte, president of In Tune With the Arts Studios, is the Director of Choral Studies at Peters Township High School in McMurray, PA. He is currently on staff at Camp A Cappella and is the PA state representative for the A Cappella Education Association. As director of Rowdy Rhythm and Vocal Confluence, he has gained notoriety with the Barbershop Harmony Society performing at both their International and Midwinter Stages. He’s shared the stage at the Kennedy Center with renowned performers such as Marvin Hamlisch and Shirley Jones. Ryan currently resides in Wexford, PA with his wife and two boys.

Peters Township High School’s “Rowdy Rhythm”, under the direction of Ryan Perrotte, is an energetic, a cappella chorus who has recently gained international acclaim through the Barbershop Harmony Society. They were selected to perform at the Barbershop International Saturday Night Spectacular (2015) and Midwinter Contest (2017) and have gained notoriety for their entry in the Macy’s All School A Cappella Challenge. (2015) They are thrilled to be back with DCINY Total Vocal, performing with Deke Sharon once again! They would like to thank their families and friends for all of their support in this incredible endeavor!

Karen Hurd received a degree in Music Education from Shorter College (now Shorter University) in Rome, Georgia. She has been on the faculty of The Heritage School for 14 years, where she serves as Director of Choral Activities, as well as teaching music to students in grades 1-12. In addition, Mrs. Hurd serves as coordinator for the Georgia Independent Schools Association (GISA) All-Select High School Chorus Event. In her years at Heritage, Mrs. Hurd has been fortunate to implement several musical programs including a youth choral ensemble, a middle school Orffestra program, musical theatre classes, and a piano program. She and her husband reside in Newnan, Georgia.

The Grove Singers have been the pinnacle of The Heritage School's performing arts program for nearly 40 years. The singers enjoy performing for their school family, the community of Newnan, Georgia, and beyond. In recent years, students have performed at Walt Disney World as part of the Magic Music Days Program. As a small chamber choir, The Grove Singers have fantastic opportunities for independent musical growth. This is their first experience performing in Lincoln Center.

Thomas Nikora is in his third year as Cantoris’ Musical Director. Joining in 2016, Thomas has been instrumental in the continued success of the choir. Under his directorship, the choir has put on concerts that have not just covered the breadth and width of traditional choral music, but also contemporary pieces that attract the younger generation of concert-goers. An accomplished pianist, Thomas completed his Bachelor of Music in 2016. Thomas has performed as a soloist with several orchestras all over New Zealand, as well as in America. Thomas also conducts the Tawa Community Orchestra in Wellington. Prior to directing Cantoris, Thomas sung with various notable choirs in Wellington like the Orpheus Choir and Nota Bene. Thomas' musical interests include musical theatre, opera, late Romantic composers and contemporary works.

Zane is the founder of the MMC vocal/composition program at MMC as well as an internationally recognized and award winning composer/educator/researcher. His oratorio "i believe" has been performed in Winnipeg, Toronto, New York, Stuttgart (Germany), Lodz (Poland), Murau (Austria). His work in music and music education serves the ideals of sustainable and peaceful communities. Please see www.zanezalis.com for more information. Garth Rempel - co -Director In addition to directing the instrumental music programs at Miles Macdonell Collegiate, Garth also serves as Artistic Director of the internationally recognized Winnipeg Youth Chorus. He is passionate about helping young people to attain high levels of success in performance. (He also continues to perform professionally.)www.winnipegyouthchorus.com

Nathan Prisk, a native of Washington State, has been the Fine Arts Director and Upper School Chorus Director at Creekside Christian Academy for 8 years. He graduated from Clayton State University in Morrow, Georgia and is privileged to work with the excellent students, staff, and parents at Creekside Christian Academy.

Voices of CCA (Creekside Christian Academy) is an audition-entry vocal performance ensemble that was established to pursue advanced ensemble and choral repertoire.

Semper is a blossoming new chamber choir at Stuyvesant High School in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan. The students come from a broad community of the Stuyvesant Choruses, directed by Mrs. Liliya Shamazov. Most recently, the Stuyvesant Choruses have collaborated with Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) in performances of Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem in D Minor, Verdi’s Messa da Requiem, and Songs of Inspiration and Hope. The next big event will be Orff’s Carmina Burana with DCINY on Memorial Day, May 28th, 2018. Semper is an entirely student-run organization led by current seniors Grace McManus and Alex Whittington. The soprano-tenor duo has participated in performances of various great works at Stuyvesant High School and at Carnegie Hall with DCINY. Semper acts as an entity independent of the other Stuyvesant choirs, engaging in the performance of a broad range of repertoire, including Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Magnificat, Haydn’s Die Jahreszeiten, and Beethoven’s Christus am Ölberge. Semper is incredibly honored to be participating in DCINY's 2018 Concert Series and is looking forward to sharing their passion for vocal music with a broader audience.

Elizabeth Moore is director of Choral Activities in the Central Regional School District in Bayville, NJ. She is also a freelance conductor/pianist and a staff accompanist at The Westminster Conservatory in Princeton.

Central Regional High School Chorale is an auditioned mixed choir for students in grades 9-12 from Bayville, NJ. Recent performing highlights include the White House, Carnegie Hall, The National Tree in Washington D.C., and the NJMEA WInter Conference.

Cole Hamilton is a graduating senior from Tulane University. He has been in Them A Cappella since his freshman year and been the group's business director, music director, and now president.

SIMPLY PUT, WE ARE THEM. More elaborately, we are a contemporary co-ed a cappella group at Tulane that performs our own original arrangements of everything from Radiohead to Chance the Rapper. We put on two yearly concerts at the end of each semester, and you can find us performing at various events around Tulane University and New Orleans.