2012 Conductors
Alan Rieck, Conductor
Alan J. Rieck, Assistant Professor of Music, conducts the Women’s Concert Chorale, Symphonic Choir, Women’s Chorus, and teaches courses in music education. Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Rieck served as Assistant Director of Choral Studies and professor of music education at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona where he taught courses in conducting, current issues in music education, and music education teaching methods; and conducted the Men’s Chorale and Women’s Chorale. While in Flagstaff he also served as assistant director of the Master Chorale of Flagstaff, was the founding director of the Children’s Chorale of Flagstaff, and during the 2000-2001 school year served as the NAU Director of Choral Studies.
Gary Schwartzhoff, Conductor
Gary R. Schwartzhoff is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where he conducts Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, The Singing Statesmen and teaches conducting. Schwartzhoff received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Central College in Pella, Iowa and a Master of Music Degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa. A recipient of the Helen Kemper Doctoral Fellowship Award, he received a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Conducting at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri, where he studied conducting with Dr. Eph Ehly.
Schwartzhoff has been active throughout his professional career in the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) where he served as President of the North Central Division from 1992-94. In 2010, the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association (WCDA) bestowed the Morris Hayes Award to Schwartzhoff for lifetime achievement in the choral art. In 2007, the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association named Schwartzhoff the Outstanding Church Musician in the state of Wisconsin. Schwartzhoff has presented choirs on twenty-four conventions before the state, divisional and national levels of ACDA and MENC. In February 2009, he conducted the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Choral Festival at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. In 2009, Schwartzhoff was inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma in recognition of scholarship, service, and commitment to student success. In 2011, Schwartzhoff will conduct the Minnesota Men's All State Choir.
Schwartzhoff is the artistic director and conductor for The Master Singers, a community chamber ensemble with membership from throughout the Greater Chippewa Valley. He serves as Director of Music at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Eau Claire, where he conducts the Chancel Choir. Schwartzhoff has served as guest conductor and adjudicator for numerous choral festivals throughout the United States and Canada.
Terry Voss, Conductor
Terry Voss is in his thirty-third year of teaching with twenty-three years at Totino-Grace High School in Minneapolis, MN.Voss earned his BME from Viterbo University, La Crosse, WI and MST from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
At Totino-Grace High School Mr. Voss is department chair, director of the Concert Choir, Honors Concert Choir, Chorale, Chamber Singers, Company of Singers, Men's Chorus and supervises the junior varsity and men's show choir.In addition to directing these ensembles he teaches the 75 member junior high choir at Epiphany Catholic School in Coon Rapids, MN andprivate voice lessons and directs three sessions a year of the TG Junior High Show Choir and is vocal director of the Minnesota 4-H State Arts-In Show Choir.
In their 2010 season the varsity show choir, Company of Singers, went undefeated at every competition including all best vocal, best choreography, best band and best female soloist awards and capped their season as the National Champions in Chicago Fame Events Competition.In 2011 the group went undefeated in regular season and placed second in two National Competitions both in Chicago and Nashville and in 2012 received 1st runner-up at their first four competitions and capped the season with a Grand Championship at Wheaton-Warrenville.
For the past 32 years Mr. Voss's students have enjoyed successes in one of the Minnesota All-State Choirs.Currently several alums are successful in the professional music world, i.e. theatre, dance and opera.
Terry Voss currently is the Midwest Region ACDA Show Choir Repertoire Chair, previously served on the Minnesota State ACDA Board, has published several articles in choral journals, his choral groups have been featured and he has presented interest sessions at the state conventions and serves as a clinician and adjudicator throughout the country having recently directed the 2011 Missouri All-State Show Choir.This summer he co-directed the Gustavus Show Choir Camp held in July at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN.
