A LETTER FROM THE DEAN
Cal State Fullerton’s University Singers have epitomized choral excellence for more than 50 years, first under the batons of David Thorsen and John Alexander and now under the leadership of Dr. Robert Istad. With an impressive roster of international tours, recording sessions, professional collaborations, and performance opportunities, the singers continue to captivate audiences at home and abroad with their resonant voices and dynamic range of repertoire. Please join me in wholeheartedly congratulating Dr. Robert Istad and the University Singers as they prepare to share their artistry with you today.
2024 has been an incredible year for the University Singers, beginning with a performance at the ACDA Western Division Conference in Pasadena last spring. In August, Istad and the singers took a break from local performances to embark on a humanitarian choral tour of Rwanda and South Africa. This experience continues to shape the group’s focus on outreach to diverse communities from across the globe. Upon their return, the University Singers joined Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl for Disney’s Marvel Studios Avengers Saga Live! By November, they were singing at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Star Wars Live!, later capping their extraordinary year with Andrea Bocelli in the nationally broadcast holiday concert Andrea Bocelli and Friends, featuring recording artists Josh Groban and Dua Lipa, among others.
Performing on the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) National Conference stage is an incredible honor for our students and one that is afforded to only a handful of choirs. This legacy of distinction is also echoed in the mission of ACDA. Since 1959, the association has elevated and promoted choral music for everyone through teaching, performance, composition, and advocacy, ensuring it remains at the forefront of education. Thank you, ACDA members, for your continued advocacy of choral music and our University Singers’ well-deserved opportunity to perform for you today.
I am in constant awe of these inspiring students and their accomplishments; I know you will be equally impressed by their dedication, professionalism, and talent. Best of luck, Titans! I can’t wait to see what your future holds.
Sincerely,
Arnold Holland, EdD Dean, College of the Arts
DECONSTRUCTING BRAHMS
Brahms’ Op. 29 motets are a pinnacle of the choral repertoire, and I fell in love with both motets the first time I performed each of them. I chose to program the Brahms second motet “Schaffe in mir, Gott” because I remember having a transformative experience singing it under John Alexander’s leadership during my graduate work. John’s passion inspired me to fall in love with Brahms. I enjoy sharing my favorite music with my students because I hope they will experience a similar magic. My students performed Brahms “Schaffe in mir, Gott” in the complete version he intended before we began to dismantle it this January. I believe that understanding the uninterrupted genius of a masterpiece essential to deconstruction. The act of “deconstructing” Brahms’s masterpiece is an intentional effort to transport the singers and listeners deep within his artistic spirit.
I spent many months identifying each interpolated composition. I searched for works that could convincingly converse with the musical and spiritual rhetoric of “Schaffe in mir, Gott.” The most special of these musical conversations lies in Jeffrey Derus’ world premiere “Whoever You Are.” Jeffrey is a Cal State Fullerton alum and is a former member of our chorus. I invited Mr. Derus to compose a response to the opening moments of the Brahms, and his work initiates a rhetorical fulcrum of unconditional welcome. I hope the musical dialogue you experience today humanizes Brahms beyond your musical expectations. May you find the juxtapositions transcend the collective modern generalization of Brahms’ life and struggles. I hope you relate to him in this program not as a distant, historical genius, but as a human artist striving to communicate the depth of his artistic soul in sound. You might even find a bit of your own story tucked between the phrases of our performance.
Thank you for listening.
–Rob
PROGRAM
WINNER OF ACDA’S 2024 BROCK PRIZE FOR PROFESSIONAL COMPOSERS
Lakbay ng Agila (Eagle’s Flight)
Saunder Choi
Amber Napoli and Em Nguyen, soloists
DECONSTRUCTING BRAHMS
Schaffe in mir Gott from Two Motets, op 29, II
Johannes Brahms
Whoever You Are
Jeffrey Derus
Ver wirf mich nicht von deinen angesicht from Two Motets, op 29, II
Johannes Brahms
O Crux
Knut Nystedt
Tröste mich wieder mit deinen Hülfe from Two Motets, op 29, II
Johannes Brahms
Jubilate Deo
HyoWon Woo
und der Freudige Geist er halte mich from Two Motets, op 29, II
Johannes Brahms
LAKBAY NG AGILA by Saunder Choi Winner of
ACDA’s
Brock Prize for Professional Composers
Saunder Choi is a Los Angeles-based Filipino composer and choral artist whose works have been performed internationally by various groups including Conspirare, the Philippine Madrigal Singers, Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Pacific Chorale, World Youth Choir, Asia Pacific Youth Choir, Brightwork New Music, People Inside Electronics, and many others. As an arranger and orchestrator, Saunder has written for Tony-Award winner Lea Salonga, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, Orquestra Filarmónica Portuguesa, Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, etc.
“As a musician, I’ve always been fascinated by choral works derived from bird songs. From Clement Janequin’s masterful use of 15thcentury French as onomatopoeic “bird sounds” in his Le Chant Des Oiseaux to Francisco Feliciano’s musical reimagining of an interaction between a sparrow and its hunter in Pamugun, the innate musicality of birds has inspired millennia of musical work. In relation to this triumphant poem by Joey Vargas, it would be remiss not to mention that the Philippine eagle (a.k.a. the monkey- eating eagle) is, in fact, the Philippines’ national bird. You can distinguish it from other eagles by its distinct crown of brown and white plumage. And yes, it does feed on monkeys, particularly long-tailed macaques. Due to years of negligence and deforestation, Philippine eagles are considered critically endangered. Hunting and killing them is a criminal offense, punishable by law. This piece is dedicated to the conservation of our national bird. Lakbay ng Agila (Eagle’s Flight) was commissioned by Providence High School for the Providence Singers, under the direction of Marisa Bradfield. Like the eagle’s journey, their young people prepare for the majestic flight out into the world, always leading with empathy, strength, and love.”
– PROGRAM NOTES BY COMPOSER
ANG KAGILA-GILALAS NA PAGLALAKBAY NG AGILA
Simula sa pagkabata, mahahanap ng agila ang gamit ng kanyang paa at huni ng kanyang kanta.
Matututunang tumayo ulit-ulit mang mabigo hanggang matutong tumalon nang bahagya, may hinahon.
Susukatin nya ang lawak
Na kayang abutin ng pakpak sa marahang pagpagaspas, pag-aaral ng pag-alpas.
Ang simulang tangkang igkas, balikwas bawat wasiwas, bigwas bagwis, tila igtad, igpaw nang igpaw hanggang makalipad.
Kikilitiin ang hangin, sa matinis n’yang awitin. Himpapawid, lalambingin, aangkinin, aariin.
Ganto’ng lakbay ng agila mula sa asam, pag-asa, patungo sa ninanasa, tuktok ng tagumpay, tuwa.
THE ASTONISHING JOURNEY OF AN EAGLE
While it is still young, the eagle will sure to find the use of its feet and the tune of its songs.
It will learn to stand no matter the times it fails until it learns to jump just a little, with patience.
It shall measure the length its wings may reach as it steadily wags them, learning to be free.
The first attempt at sudden release, flicking while flapping, flinging wings, like a spring, flailing till it flies.
It flirts with the winds, with the sweetness of its hymns. The air it caresses, claims, conquers.
This is the eagle’s journey from longing, hoping towards what it desires, peak of success, joy.
by Joey Vargas
SCHAFFE IN MIR GOTT FROM TWO MOTETS, OP. 29, II.
Psalm 51:10-12
Schaffe in mir, Gott, ein rein Herz, und gib mir einen neuen, gewissen Geist.
Verwirf mich nicht von deinem Angesicht und nimm deinen heiligen Geist nicht von mir.
Tröste mich wieder mit deiner Hülfe, und der freudige Geist erhalte mich.
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Create a pure heart within me, O God, and grant me a new and sure spirit.
Do not drive me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.
Comfort me once again with your assistance, and sustain me with your joyful spirit.
Schaffe in mir, Gott is an undisputed gem of the choral music world. Written in the earlier stages of Brahms’ career, the German composer had just undergone a series of disappointing setbacks including poor reception of his self-performed first Piano Concerto, a failed engagement, and consternation in the musical ideologies and social circles of the time. One can imagine that this gentle text, asking for God’s comfort and sustenance, was in response to the turmoil of Brahms’ tumultuous life. The acappella work premiered in 1860, and the mastery of counterpoint is fully on display throughout a variety of compositional techniques, beginning with a tender homophonic setting of the first two stanzas of the Psalm 51 text. In stark contrast, the next section is a complex fugue, weaving together the convoluted intricacies of human error with the desperate fear of being abandoned for one’s sins. After this emotional outburst, the next section returns to sweet simplicity, asking for peace. Finally, the joyful sustenance of God’s comfort realizes itself in another fugue, this time energetic and jubilant.
– PROGRAM NOTES BY BEKKA KNAUER
WHOEVER YOU ARE text by Jalaluddin Rumi
Jeffrey Derus (b. 1989)
Come, Come, Whoever You Are
Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. It doesn’t matter. Ours is not a procession of despair. Come, even if you have broken your vows a thousand times Come, come Whoever you are.
Jeffrey Derus is a nationally-recognized composer, local music educator, and CSU Fullerton School of Music alum. His work “I Will Go” was the winning composition
of the 2023 ACDA Brock Prize for Professional Composers. He is also a recipient of a Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico residency and a Britten-Pears and Holst Foundation residency in Aldeburgh, UK. The following notes were made by the composer himself.
““Whoever You Are” is a piece that answers a cry with a call. This is a call of internal activism. We all want to do what we can to help others but often forget to help ourselves first. As a response to the first movement of Brahm’s Schaffer in mir, Gott, Rumi writes from the lens of a higher power, inviting the listener to join the call of inner work, “Come, come, whoever you are.” Given the time in which we live, we focus heavily on outward notions of love and support for others. But if we focus on how to heal ourselves, we will hold space with such openness and compassion with a greater love that we have only dreamed of knowing. Rumi says, “Ours is not a procession of despair” but one of unconditional self-love. We can change the world by changing ourselves first. Whoever you are, you deserve the love you so freely give.”
– PROGRAM NOTES BY THE COMPOSER
O CRUX
text by Venantius Fortunatus (517-600)
O crux, splendidior cunctis astris
Mundo celebris hominibus, Multum amabilis sanctior universis, Quae sola fuisti
Digna portare talentum mundi; Dulce lignum, Dulces clavos, Dulcia ferens pondera; Salva praesentem catervam, In tuis hodie, Laudibus congregatam.
Knut Nystedt (1915-2014)
O Cross, more radiant than the stars, Celebrated throughout the earth, Beloved of the people. Holier than all things, Which alone was found worthy To bear the light of the world; Blessed Tree, Blessed Nails, Blest the weight you bore; Save the flock which today Is gathered to praise you.
The ethereal text of this dissonant work is 6th century poet and priest Venantius Fortunatus who was the Venetian Bishop of Poitier. Over 700 years later, Norwegian choral and orchestral composer Knut Nystedt has set this medieval poem in a challenging, vocally expansive composition that has been performed world-wide for the last four decades. The tonality of the work is ever-changing, and employs scopious harmonies reminiscent of Nystedt’s work as an organist. While the beginning and end of the piece are expressed in the softest of pianos, the bulk of the work is all about dynamic contrast, painting the dichotomy of Christ’s boundless love against the
immense suffering he bears in our place. Nystedt’s harmonic mastery expresses the ultimate gratefulness for the sacrifice of Christ, offering up sweet and solemn praises from the gathering of his flock.
– PROGRAM NOTES BY BEKKA KNAUER
JUBILATE DEO
Jubilate Deo omnis terra Servite Domino, in laetitia Introite in conspectu ejus in exsultatione.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord all ye lands Serve the Lord with gladness: Come before his presence with singing and exaltation
Born in South Korea, composer Hyo-Won Woo is a director and teacher whose works are performed across the globe. Her signature compositional style marries Korean traditional music with Western contemporary choral music as seen in today’s performance of her Jubilate Deo. In the Catholic liturgy, “jubilate deo” is number 99 of the Latin Vulgate, with its direct translation found in Psalm 100. Woo’s setting of this text is exuberant, integrating the “joyful noise” with Korean syllabic and phonic effects like “ta ttang” and “tu-ki tung.” Woo divides the text into two distinct sections, the jubilate portion which bookends the piece, and the penitent servite text found in the work’s center. While the piece begins and ends with a quick tempo and exciting rhythmic pulse, the contemplative middle portion is thoughtful and nuanced, offering the listener an opportunity to come before the Lord in humility and quietness before rejoicing once again.
– PROGRAM NOTES BY BEKKA KNAUER
Hyowon Woo (b. 1974)
ABOUT DR. ROBERT ISTAD
Dr. Robert Istad, a Grammy Award-winning conductor who “fashions fluent and sumptuous readings” (Voice of OC) with his “phenomenal” artistry (Los Angeles Times), is Professor, Director of Choral Studies at California State University, Fullerton and Artistic Director of Pacific Chorale. He was recognized as CSUF’s 2016 Outstanding Professor of the Year. At CSU Fullerton, Istad conducts the University Singers and manages CSUF’s large graduate choral conducting program. Recently, he and the University Singers performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Andrea Bocelli, Jennifer Hudson, Kathleen Battle, the Eagles, and recorded albums with Yarlung Records and with composer John Williams and Sony Classical.
Under his leadership, Pacific Chorale continues to expand its reputation for excellence for delivering fresh, thought-provoking interpretations of beloved masterworks, rarely performed gems and newly commissioned pieces. In July 2023, he led Pacific Chorale’s first international tour in seven years, conducting performances at leading venues in Austria, Germany and the United Kingdom. His artistic impact can be heard on three recent recordings featuring Pacific Chorale, including the 2022 Grammy Award-winning “Mahler’s Eighth Symphony” with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gustavo Dudamel on Deutsche Grammophon (2021), for which he prepared the chorus. It won Best Choral Performance and also garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Engineered Album, Classical. Additionally, Istad prepared Pacific Chorale for Pacific Symphony’s commercial recording of Sir James MacMillan’s “Fiat Lux” released on Tonsehen Records (2024), and conducted the Pacific Chorale’s recording “All Things Common: The Music of Tarik O’Regan” released on Yarlung Records (2020). He regularly conducts and collaborates with Pacific Symphony, Berkshire Choral International, and Yarlung Records. His extensive credits also include recording for Sony Classical and guest conducting Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, Bach Collegium San Diego, Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, Bath Philharmonia, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Tesserae Baroque, and Freies Landesorchester Bayern. Istad has prepared choruses for such renowned conductors as Gustavo Dudamel, Carl St.Clair, Esa-Pekka Salonen, John Williams, John Mauceri, Keith Lockhart, Nicholas McGegan, Vasilly Sinaisky, Sir Andrew Davis, Bramwell Tovey, Carl St.Clair, Eugene Kohn, Giancarlo Guerrero, Marin Alsop, George Fenton, and Robert Moody.
Istad and the University Singers travel throughout the world and have presented concert tours of Rwanda & South Africa (2024), Australia (2022), Spain (2019), and Scandinavia, the Baltics and Russia (2017). They have performed at numerous regional and national ACDA conferences including the 2024, 2018, and 2012 ACDA Western Division Conferences and the 2013 ACDA National Conference. They also performed for the 2013 National Collegiate Choral Organization National Conference. Other highlights include a 2015 residency and performances in Paris, France, engagements at the 2012 Ottobeuren and Eingen Festivals of Music in Germany, a 2010 performance for UNESCO in Pisa, Italy, and a 2008 performance at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary.
Istad received his Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, his Master of Music degree in choral conducting from California State University, Fullerton and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral music at the University of Southern California. He studied conducting with Dr. William Dehning, John Alexander and Dr. Jon Hurty. Istad, who is on the Executive Board of Directors of Chorus America and serves as Dean of Chorus America’s Conducting Academy, is in demand as guest conductor, lecturer, and clinician.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY SINGERS
As one of the nation’s premiere collegiate choral ensembles, California State University, Fullerton’s University Singers have epitomized excellence for more than 50 years. Under the baton of Dr. Robert Istad, the University Singers are internationally acclaimed for their exquisite musicianship and have performed with renowned orchestras in prestigious venues at home and abroad, touring more than a dozen countries since 2007. Continuing to build upon this remarkable legacy, Istad and the University Singers regularly collaborate with professional orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Pacific Symphony, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. They have earned praise for their professionalism and expressive musicality from conductors they have worked with including Carl St.Clair, John Mauceri, John Williams, Eugene Kohn, Sir Neville Marriner, James Conlon, and Keith Lockhart.
Whether performing under the batons of John Williams or Gustavo Dudamel at the Hollywood Bowl; backing the vocals of Andrea Bocelli; or featured at Carnegie Hall, Chartres Cathedral, or Cal State Fullerton’s own Meng Concert Hall, the University Singers never fail to deliver the unmistakable sound synonymous with their reputation. In 2017, they recorded an album with Sony Classical under the baton of John Williams in a recording of music he composed for Steven Spielberg. Also in 2017, Istad and the University Singers released a commercial recording with Yarlung Records entitled “Nostos: The Homecoming of Music”– eleven vocal works sung and recorded in one take, without sheet music or editing. Not content to merely excel in the classical realm, the University Singers have also performed with Juanes, M83, Beck, Beach House, and Sean Lennon and can be seen in the PBS production “The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses.”
PERSONNEL
SOPRANO I
GABRIELA ATKINSON
B.M. Vocal Performance; Marketing; Chicano Studies
ERIKA JACKSON*
M.M. Performance, Choral Conducting
B.A. Choral Music Education, Cal State Fulerton (2016)
AMBER NAPOLI
B.M. in Vocal Performance
QUINTESSA WEDELL
B.A. Choral Music Education
SOPRANO II
ALLIAH ANID
B.M. Vocal Performance
SOPHIA KHURANA
B.M. Vocal Performance
EM NGUYEN
B.M. Vocal Performance
ROSE TAYLOR*
M.M. Performance, Choral Conducting
B.A. Choral Music Education, Cal State Fullerton (2017)
ALTO I
KATELYN CRUZ
B.M. Vocal Performance
EMILY HERNANDEZ
B.A. Choral Music Education
SAVANA THOMAS
B.M. Vocal Performance
MELANIE WHITER
B.A. Choral Music Education
ALTO II
JOY DORKO
B.A. Choral Music Education
BEKKA KNAUER*
Assistant Director
M.M. in Performance, Choral Conducting
B.M. Music Education, Cal State Long Beach (2017)
KATELYN PACPACO
B.M. in Vocal Performance
SARAH TURNER
B.A. in Choral Music Education
TENOR I
ARON DEMAREST
B.M. in Vocal Performance
ALAN GARCIA*
M.M. in Performance, Choral Conducting
B.A. Choral Music Education, Cal State Fullerton (2015)
KENSON GOMEZ
B.A. in Choral Music Education
JEREMY LEE*
M.M. Performance, Choral Conducting
B.A. Music and B.S. Economics, Loyola Marymount University (2022)
TENOR II
JOSHUA EVANS
M.M. Vocal Performance; B.M. Vocal Performance, Cal State Fullerton (2023)
STEVEN MCCANN*
M.M. Performance, Choral Conducting
B.A. Choral Music Education, Cal State Fulerton (2017)
*denotes section leader
ALEXEI REHORN
B.M. Vocal Performance
BRYCE RIVERA
B.A. Choral Music Education Adolescent Development (minor)
BASS I
TIMOTHY CERVENKA
M.M. Vocal Performance
B.M., Vocal Performance, Cal State Long Beach (2019)
ADAM DARUVALA
B.A. Choral Music Education
GERRIT HOEVERS
B.A. Choral Music Education
ADRIAN RANGEL-SANCHEZ*
M.M. Performance, Choral Conducting
B.A. Music Education, Cal State Fullerton (2016)
BASS II
BRYSON HUANG
B.A. in Choral Music Education
FERNANDO MUÑOZ*
M.M. in Performance, Choral Conducting
B.M. Vocal Performance, Music Education, Cal State Long Beach (2016)
MILES ROJO
B.M. Vocal Performance, Choral Music Education; Philosophy (minor)
MITCHELL SAMPANG
B.A. Choral Music Eduction
STUDENT REFLECTIONS
BRYSON HUANG | Transfer Music Education Major
“California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) has provided me with the skills needed to advance my goal of becoming a choir teacher and a supportive community composed of my future colleagues in the field of music. The choral and vocal faculty here at CSUF are top notch in both performance and teaching, with each professor being extremely supportive and passionate in nurturing our musical futures. As a result of such great faculty, many of the CSUF students are extremely skilled, which allows them to excel in the fields of Vocal Performance and Music Education.”
ERICA JACKSON | Graduate Choral Conducting Major
“I am a full-time teacher, graduate student, and mother of four, passionate about music education and choral conducting. Returning to CSUF for my M.M. in Choral Conducting was an easy choice because of the faculty’s unwavering support and the wealth of opportunities to refine my artistry. From leading a successful high school choral program to now teaching elementary music, choir, and band, I have grown in ways I never expected. CSUF doesn’t just shape musicians—it nurtures educators, leaders, and lifelong learners who are ready to make an impact!”
STUDENT REFLECTIONS
BRYCE RIVERA | First-Time Freshman Choral Conducting Major
“Being a first time freshman straight out of high school, I was quite anxious to go into college. However, the moment I walked onto the campus, I was greeted with warmth and friendliness from all of the titans. To be a titan is to show camaraderie to all students regardless of their background, to be a lifelong learner who always tries their best, and to never settle for average. I have gained opportunities that span across the country and I have even started working as a professional in my field while still studying because of the opportunities I have been given. I am proud to be graduating as a titan in 2025 with a degree in Choral Music Education and a minor in Adolescent Development, and I attribute all my success to the wonderful faculty throughout the School of Music and Education.”
ALLIAH ANID | First-Time Freshman Vocal Performance Major
“CSUF’s School of Music has been an enriching educational experience for me. Not only has the faculty provided detailed lessons and ample feedback, but they have also offered various opportunities in the field of music. Through CSUF’s vocal performance program, I have been privileged to learn from and perform with professional singers in preparation for my musical career. Cal State Fullerton’s vocal workshops, operas, and choir programs have given us amazing experiences that give first-hand exposure within the music industry.”
ALL CAL STATE FULLERTON ALUMNI AND STUDENTS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND OUR ALUMNI RECEPTION TONIGHT!
Friday, March 21, 2025 at 10 P.M.
The Playwright Irish Pub 1722 Routh Street, #102
CSUF CHOIR HIGHLIGHTS
