Page 40 - CJJan24

2024 ACDA Midwestern Region Conference February 7-10, 2024 Omaha, Nebraska

H eadliners/S pecial E v en ts
Headliners/Special Events

conducted more than forty choral festivals throughout Peter A. Eklund is the current president-
the Midwest and is a frequent judge at show choir com- elect of the UNL Faculty Senate, and a
petitions. He teaches voice at the SNJ Studio of Music Hixson-Lied Endowment Professor of
in Omaha and conducts the SNJ Singers, a select High Music. He was recently named one of the
School A Cappella Choir. He served as president of the national quarter-finalists for the Grammy
Nebraska Choral Directors Association, and chair of National Music Teacher of the Year and was a national
choral affairs for Nebraska MEA. finalist for the NFHS Outstanding Music Educator in
2019. Trained as a classical pianist and organist in the
finest traditions of Western historical music, he is also
a strong advocate for ethnic and world music spanning
University of Nebraska–Lincoln all genres. His academic choirs have performed on
University Singers over forty-five ACDA and NAfME state, regional, and
national conventions. Eklund studied conducting and
score study at the University of Iowa. He divides his
time as conductor, guest lecturer, editor/arranger, and
teacher/mentor.

R3 Choirs

Aimee Beckmann-Collier is the Ellis
and Nelle Levitt Distinguished Professor
Emerita of Conducting at Drake Univer-
sity, where she served as director of cho-
ral studies from 1989 through 2019. A
frequent clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor for
high school and college choral festivals, contests, and
University Singers, the University of Nebraska–Lin- all-states, she has conducted in Carnegie Hall and Av-
coln’s premier and historic flagship choral ensemble, ery Fisher Hall. Drake ensembles under her leadership
presents the finest and most versatile choral singers in performed in major venues throughout Europe, as well
the University. In 2022, they performed in many of as for conferences of ACDA’s North Central Region.
Frances most famous Gothic cathedrals. While many Beckmann-Collier’s professional service includes terms
of the choir’s singers are music majors, students from as president of ICDA and ACDA’s North Central Re-
throughout the University are encouraged to audition gion. She chaired North Central’s 2012 and 1992 Con-
and participate. This ensemble performs music from ferences and was assistant chair of the 2015 ACDA
the thirteenth century through the present, including National Conference, as well as editor of Sounding Board
works written especially for them. University Singers and Melisma.
has performed for state conventions of the Nebraska
Choral Directors Association, Nebraska MEA, region-
al North Central ACDA conferences, and regional and
national meetings of the Music Educators National
Conference.

38 CHORAL JOURNAL January 2024 Volume 64 Number 5