BACH FESTIVAL SOCIETY OF WINTER PARK ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF SECOND ANNUAL CHOIR OF DISTINCTION COMPETITION
Winter Park, Fla. (April 30, 2024) — Edgewater High School High School’s Eagle Chorus, directed by Alex Glover, and Winter Springs High School’s Bear Voices, directed by Kara Ferland, have been named the 2024-2025 “Choirs of Distinction” by the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park. Launched in 2023 as Bach's newest education initiative, the Choir of Distinction competition recognizes one high school choir from Orange County and one from Seminole County that demonstrates exceptional potential in musicianship, sight-reading and presentation.
The Bach Festival Society of Winter Park stands as a beacon of musical excellence, devoted to nurturing a love for music across generations. Through innovative in-school programs and specialized initiatives tailored to continuing education, their commitment to fostering musical talent extends beyond age boundaries. The prestigious Choir of Distinction Award exemplifies their dedication to cultivating a new generation of music enthusiasts and practitioners. By recognizing and honoring outstanding achievements in choral performance, the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park not only celebrates excellence but also inspires aspiring musicians to reach greater heights. In this way, the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park continues to be a stalwart steward of musical heritage, ensuring that the legacy of Bach and the joy of music endure for years to come.
Recorded auditions submitted by the candidates are reviewed by a panel of college choral directors, and the finalists are judged on their live performances. The winning choirs enjoy a nine-month program of choral instruction, workshops, and performances with the Bach Festival Choir and orchestra. Areas of instruction include music theory, choral techniques, musicianship, and performance practice. “We are so proud of [directors] Alex Glover and Kara Ferland,” said Bach Festival Society Artistic Director Dr. John Sinclair. “The Bach Festival Society is delighted to continue our Choir of Distinction program, which represents our commitment to the future, and I could not be more pleased with the talent and potential of these two directors and their choirs.
About Artistic Director and Conductor John V. Sinclair
Award-winning Artistic Director and Conductor John V. Sinclair has led the Bach Festival choir for 35 years. He is a career educator serving as the John Tiedtke Professor of Music at Rollins College, as well as conductor of the International Moravian Music Festivals and Orlando’s Messiah Choral Society. Dr. Sinclair has also conducted over 1,000 performances of the EPCOT Candlelight Processional at Walt Disney World.
About the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park
The Bach Festival Society of Winter Park celebrates the power of music to delight, inform, and inspire by presenting world class performances of the music of JS Bach and the countless musicians influenced by him. The Society also offers robust music education programming designed to cultivate the next generation of choral musicians. Founded in 1935 at Rollins College, the Bach Festival Choir was described by London’s Royal Philharmonic guest conductor Edwin Outwater as “the finest all-volunteer choir in the county, and among the best in the world”.
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