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2024 ACDA Eastern Region Conference

H onor C hoir C onduc t ors
Honor Choir Conductors

Collegiate and Adult Mixed Voice High School Mixed Voice

Alysia Lee is a Kennedy Center Citizen Felicia Barber is an associate profes-
Artist and the founder and artistic direc- sor, adjunct, of choral conducting and
tor of Sister Cities Girlchoir, the youth- conductor of the Yale Camerata at
centered choral and songwriting academy Yale University. In addition to teaching
in Philadelphia, Camden, and Baltimore graduate-level choral conductors and
in its twelfth season. Her piece Say Her Name is per- aspiring undergraduate conductors, she is developing
formed worldwide. She has recent composition com- a new initiative designed to prepare Yale students to
missions from Baltimore Choral Arts, Portland Lesbian work with young musicians in both school and church
Choir, Artemisia Trio, and ComMission Possible. She settings. Her research interests include fostering class-
frequents as a guest conductor, most recently with the room diversity in choral curricula and the linguistic
Mendelssohn Chorus and Boston Children’s Chorus. performance practice of African American spirituals.
She is a board member of Chorus America. Speaking/ A sought-after guest conductor, she will conduct the
facilitation engagements include the U.S. Department Carnegie Hall Festival in 2024. She holds a BM in
of Education, The Kennedy Center, Save the Music, vocal performance from Oral Roberts University, an
Carnegie Hall, and many universities/colleges, school MME from Mansfield University, and a PhD in mu-
districts, and professional associations. sic education and choral conducting from the Florida
State University.

Elementary
Middle School/Junior High Mixed Voice

Sophia Papoulis is a conductor, clinician,
singer, and music educator based in New Liana Salinas is a music educator and en-
York City. An expert in children’s voices, trepreneur based in Miami, Florida. Sali-
she seeks to empower the youngest of nas is passionate about leading people—
young artists in her work, and is honored especially young people—to find their
to direct the 2024 ACDA Eastern Elementary Honor purposes and use their voices confidently!
Choir. Most recently, Papoulis served as the senior asso- She believes in the power of music to inspire change,
ciate conductor for the award-winning Young People’s and in the practice of choral singing to unite. Salinas
Chorus of New York City, where she conducted young proudly serves as the artistic director for the Miami
people since 2007. Last season, she conducted YPC in Children’s Chorus, an organization near and dear to
Brundibár, a children’s opera written before the start of her heart. She is entering her twenty-fifth season with
World War II by Hans Krása and Adolf Hoffmeister. the MCC, having been a chorister, conductor, and now
She has furthered her impact as a widely sought-after artistic director. Salinas is also the CEO and founder
guest conductor and choral clinician, bringing her ex- of My Music Match, a company that matches students
pertise to choristers and choral conductors around the with teachers for private lessons, group classes, master-
US and the world. classes, and live music events in Miami, New York, and
online all over the world.

166 CHORAL JOURNAL January 2024 Volume 64 Number 5