Hosts Choir Festival

The Juniata College Concert Choir is under the direction of Dr. Russell Shelley, Assistant Professor of Music at Juniata College. Under Dr. Shelley’s direction, the Concert Choir has performed in 15 different states, as well as Germany and Austria. The Concert Choir has also released a CD in each of the past six years. Dr. Shelley is a member of the Music Educators National Conference, the American Choral Directors Association and is past-president of the Pennsylvania Collegiate Choral Association. In October of 1998, Dr. Shelley taught for two weeks at the National Conservatory in Bucharest, Romania. While in Bucharest, he conducted Kontakion, the premier academic choir in Romania.

The Mansfield University Concert Choir is under the direction of Dr. Peggy Dettwiler, Director of Choral Activities. The Concert Choir is a highly select ensemble of about 48 singers. Under her direction, award winning Mansfield University choral groups have performed at state, divisional and national Music Educators National Conference conventions, American Choral Directors Association conventions, and toured Europe in 1996 and 1999. In May of 1996, the choir participated in the "Florilege Vocal de Tours Choral Festival" in Tours, France. Dr. Dettwiler earned her DMA at the Eastman School of Music. Dr. Dettwiler is also the president of the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.

Lycoming College Choir is under the direction of Dr. Fred M. Thayer Since its beginning in 1947 by Walter McIver, the choir has had just two conductors. The Tour Choir has presented concerts in every state east of the Mississippi River. They have toured abroad in Canada, England, Puerto Rico, Spain, Germany, Poland, and The Czech Republic. Dr. Thayer's graduate degrees are in composition with a doctorate of musical arts from Cornell University. A composer and a member of ASCAP, he recently received his 18^th ASCAP award. He has also received numerous "Meet the Composer" grants. During the summer, Thayer is the associate conductor of the Gregg Smith Singers at the Adirondack Festival of American Music in Saranac Lake, N.Y. The Gregg Smith Singers and the Adirondack Chamber Orchestra have jointly commissioned him to write nine works since 1982.###