Page 144 - CJJan24

2024 ACDA Eastern Region Conference February 28 - March 2, 2024 Providence, Rhode Island

f
orming C
er
hoirs
P
Performing Choirs
Lux Nazareth Area High School
Nightingales

Lux is an award-winning chamber choir dedicated
to accessibility of professional-quality choral music Nightingales began in 2006 as an after-school, au-
performance and education based in Washington, D.C. ditioned choir. It became a non-auditioned curricu-
Since its founding in 2014, the group has earned praise lar course in 2008 and then an auditioned curricular
from famed choral musicians around the world, and course in 2014. We meet three days out of a six-day
collaborated with the likes of Paul Mealor and Lynn cycle for seventy-two minutes. The choir consists of
Trapp. They’ve earned awards on both regional and students in grades 9-12 with singers of varying levels of
national levels, including a Featured Choral Album on vocal experience and music reading. The Nightingales
Classical MPR. Ever passionate for contemporary mu- performed in several ACDA-PA conferences; at the
sic, Lux has given over twenty premieres since 2019, PMEA State Conference in 2014, 2017, 2022; and the
including their first composition contest in 2021. PMEA/NAfME Eastern Region Conference in 2019.
The group can also be heard at community events and
Robby Napoli was a founding member of nursing homes around Nazareth.
Lux at seventeen years old and has en-
joyed working with the group since 2014. Kelly Rocchi has been the choral director
He studied music education and compo- at Nazareth Area High since 2006. She
sition at the Sunderman Conservatory at is the director of two curricular choirs,
Gettysburg College, and is now the choral director at one extra-curricular choir, oversees two
Chesapeake High School, where he directs the Concert student directed a cappella groups, and
Choir, Chamber Singers, and a cappella group, Evolve. teaches piano and music theory. Rocchi has served as
Napoli’s ensembles have premiered over thirty pieces in a guest conductor around the state and was selected
the past four years, released hours of recordings, and as the Penn State School of Music Outstanding Mu-
won both local and national awards. Napoli enjoys per- sic Education Alumni Award winner in 2021 and was
forming contemporary choral music, and is particular- named as a semi-finalist in the Pennsylvania Teacher
ly passionate about inspiring and creating opportunity of the Year Program in 2021. Choirs under her direc-
for the upcoming generations of choral musicians. tion have been invited to sing at several ACDA-PA and
PMEA state and Eastern Region conferences.

142 CHORAL JOURNAL January 2024 Volume 64 Number 5