WSMA Middle Level State Honors Project: Conductors
| 2009 Middle Level State Honors Conductors |
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An internationally recognized choral director, Henry Leck is an associate professor and director of choral activities at Butler University in Indianapolis where he conducts the Butler University Choir and teaches conducting and music education classes. Leck is widely known as a specialist in choral techniques, the child's voice and boy's changing voice. He is a regular guest faculty member at various universities throughout the country.
In 1986 he became the founder and artistic director of the Indianapolis Children's Choir, which is now a program of approximately 1,200 children in 12 choirs in residence at Butler University and two affiliate choirs, plus an early childhood division. Since its inception, the choir has become one of the premiere music education and performing organizations having performed often by audition for national professional music organizations. In addition, the choir has performed concert tours globally and nationally, including four performances in Carnegie Hall. Leck also founded the Indiana All-State Children's Honor Choir and the Indiana Middle/Junior High School Honors Choir, which he conducted for three years each. He has conducted all-state choirs and festival choirs in nearly every state.
Leck received his training from the University of Wisconsin, University of Colorado and Indiana University where he received a master's degree in choral conducting.
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Brazilian-born conductor, Lucia Matos has appeared with numerous orchestras in the United States and abroad. Her first commercially distributed CD, with the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, was released in 2006 by Cala Records. Also intensively involved with opera, Lucia Matos has conducted several productions at Opera Illinois and was a semi-finalist at the 2007 Bela Bartok International Opera Conducting Competition.
Lucia Matos studied conducting with Henrique Gregori and after graduating she was assistant conductor for two professional orchestras in Brazil (Sinfonica Municipal de Campinas and Orquestra da UNICAMP). In 1998 she was awarded a fellowship to continue her studies in the United States. She received master of music and doctor of musical arts degrees from the University of Iowa, studying with William LaRue Jones. Since fall 2008, Lucia Matos is the Music Director of the NIU Philharmonic and Opera Theater. She has been also recently appointed Music Director of the Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra.
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James Swearingen's talents as a performer, composer/arranger and educator include a background of extensive training and experience. He has earned degrees from Bowling Green State University and Ohio State University. Swearingen is currently professor of music, department chair of music education and one of several resident composers at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. He also serves as a staff arranger for the famed Ohio State University Marching Band. Prior to his appointment at Capital in 1987, he spent eighteen years teaching instrumental music in the public schools of central Ohio. His first teaching assignment took him to the community of Sunbury, Ohio. He then spent 14 years as director of instrumental music at Grove City High School where his marching, concert and jazz bands all received acclaim for their high standards of performing excellence.
In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Swearingen manages to be very active as a guest conductor, adjudicator and educational clinician. Appearances have included trips throughout the United States, as well as Japan, Australia, Europe, Canada and The Republic of China.
Swearingen's numerous contributions for band have been enthusiastically received by school directors, student performers and audiences worldwide. With over 450 published works, he has written band compositions and arrangements that reflect a variety of musical forms and styles. Many of his pieces, including 81 commissioned works, have been chosen for contest and festival lists throughout the country.