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JACOB FUNK, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Dr. Jacob Funk (Vancouver) comes to the Northwest from Kansas City where he just completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting at the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri—Kansas City. He earned his masters in choral conducting from the University of British Columbia, and his undergraduate degree in vocal performance from John Brown University. He has been on the music faculty of John Brown University and Northwest Arkansas Community College, where he taught choir and voice. Jacob has taught 5-12 grade vocal music in the state of Kansas, conducted choirs at the University of Arkansas, the University of British Columbia, and has prepared choruses for the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. He teaches at Clark College, Vancouver, where he is the Director of Choirs. BRUCE BROWNE, FOUNDER Dr. Bruce Browne is Emeritus Professor of Choral and Vocal Music at Portland State University. He was Artistic Director and Founder of Choral Cross Ties, Artistic Director of Portland Symphonic Choir, and co-founded Male Ensemble Northwest. He has been Guest Professor at University of Iowa; Boise State University; Oklahoma State University; and abroad at College of London and University of Guadalajara. He received his D.M.A. from the University of Washington under Rodney Eichenberger and has been privileged to work closely with Eric Ericson, Frieder Bernius, Robert Shaw, Andrew Parrott, Helmut Rilling and James DePreist. Choirs under his direction have sung by invitation at five National Conventions of ACDA, three of MENC, and one of ISME. His choirs have also appeared as guests of the countries of Greece, Spain, and Estonia, among others. Browne has served on national committees of National Endowment for the Arts and the American Choral Directors Association, for which he was Northwest Regional President for two years. He has recorded on the labels of Freshwater Records, Telarc, Clarion, and Albany Records. In 2015, he appeared as guest director/clinician in New York and Rhode Island, among other places. In 2012, he founded “Coro in Schola”, a choir whose mission is to provide mentoring and promote excellence in at-risk high school choral programs. Events In 2012, Browne was honored by the Northwest Chapter of American Choral Directors Association, with their Northwest Leadership and Service award. In Spring, 2015, Dr. Browne assumed DCA duties at the University of Puget Sound in Spring, 2015, while his colleague and friend, Dr. Steven Zopfi, was on sabbatical. More recently he has provided choral leadership as guest conductor in New York, Texas, Colorado, and in the Pacific Northwest. For the past two years Browne has been a music critic for Oregon Arts Watch, writing reviews for choirs, opera productions, and chamber ensembles. AMY COLE, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT |