About
Vox Musica
Vox Musica, directed by Daniel Paulson, was founded in 2006 in a niche of untapped potential in Sacramento’s budding classical music scene. This women’s vocal ensemble enjoys the privileged position of nurturing the choral arts by combining outstanding vocal artistry with innovative programming. Vox Musica is committed to excellence in performance of diverse and challenging choral literature for women’s voices and is dedicated to promoting new works, including many premiers and commissioned works. In a local review, Edward Ortiz, Arts Editor for the Sacramento Bee, hailed Vox Musica as a “welcome addition to the music scene,” praising the group’s “stunning clarity,” “intense color,” and “delicate touch.” Through collaborations with composers, conductors, choirs and musicians from around the world, Vox Musica’s featured concert projects have included collected works from the 18th century Venetian Ospedali, eastern music from India, Persia, and Georgia, a concert project for Taiko Drums and Women’s Choir, a concert project for DJ and Women’s Choir, and more recently a concert project for looping violin and Women’s Choir. Vox Musica has released one compact disc, has presented dual concert seasons in both Sacramento and Napa, and has been a featured artist on the prestigious Old First Concert Series in San Francisco and the American Choral Directors Association’s 2011 National Convention in Chicago, IL. More recently, Vox Musica was selected as the recipient of the 2015-16 American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP) National Award for Adventurous Programming.
Since our inception Vox Musica produced 40 concert projects and has given over 100 concert performances. Our repertoire includes 417 different musical works 273 of which were written by living composers, and of those living composers 60 were local composers living in Sacramento, Ca. We have given over 180 premieres, 60 of them world premieres, 65 local premieres, and 55 commissioned by Vox Musica. Our repertoire comes from over 30 different countries and we have sung in over 25 different languages including some not so familiar languages such as: Swedish, Japanese, Hungarian, Georgian, Ukrainian, Slavonic, Yiddish, Farsi, Georgian, Arabic, Tamil Marthi, Nahuati (Ancient Aztec), and Nisenan (Ancient Native American Language).
Founder/Music Director
Daniel Paulson, holds a Bachelor of Music degree in voice performance from Sacramento State University, and a Masters of Music Degree in Choral Conducting from the Three-Summer Masters of Music degree program at California State University, Los Angeles.
Hailed as an “astute programmer” and a conductor who can “coax urbane performances from his singers,” Daniel has been a featured conductor on the International Festival of New American Music in Sacramento, CA, the Old First Concert Series in San Francisco, CA, the Northern Zone Music Educators Association’s High School Honor Choir in Nevada, CA, and the American Choral Directors Association’s 2011 National Convention in Chicago, IL. He is a student of Dr. William Belan, Professor Emeritus of Choral Studies at California State University, Los Angeles, and Donald Brinegar, Director of Choral Studies at Pasadena City College and adjunct Professor of Graduate Choral Conducting at the University of Southern California.
As a commissioned composer, Daniel’s catalogue includes over twenty works written for strings, piano, and chorus. His recent commissions include two major works for the Crocker Art Museum’s exhibitions of both Gottfried Helnwein and Sam Francis. Several of his arrangements have been released on the compact disc, Christmas Colours, and are available for purchase on iTunes.
His extended education includes studying early music with the Western Wind Ensemble, the King’s Singers, and at the 2013 American Bach Soloist’s Summer Academy. He has been a two-time guest presenter for the Los Rios Community College District “INNOVATE” Technology Summit, working with educators on the use of the IPAD in the classroom, and recently was a featured presenter at the TEDx Conference, here in Sacramento. In addition, this past summer he served as a guest lecturer for several music conservatories in Costa Rica.
Currently, he is Professor of Voice and Choral Music at Sacramento City College, is a resident artist with the Tahoe Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and serves as Founder & Music Director for Vox Musica. For more information visit his website: [ http://www.dpmusic.net ]
Artists
Meet our Artists
Becky Parker
Soprano
Becky Parker, soprano, graduated from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA with a degree in Music Therapy & Piano Performance & a minor in French. Becky enjoys hiking, fishing, & spending time with family.
Beth Nitzan
Soprano
Beth Nitzan, soprano, holds a BA in music from Pomona College with emphases in Vocal Performance & Choral Conducting. She has studied at CSU Fullerton, Westminster Choir College & San Jose State.
Anne-Marie Endres
Soprano
Anne-Marie Endres, soprano, received her Master of Music degree in vocal performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and completed post-grad work in choral conducting at Portland State Univ.
Stephanie Tomicich
Soprano
Stephanie Tomicich, soprano, holds a voice and music education degree from Sacramento State University and teaches elementary general music in the Roseville City School District.
Erin Brothers
Soprano
Erin Brothers, soprano, received her Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Psychology degrees from McMurry University in Abilene, TX.
Laura Mclellan
Soprano
Laura Mclellan, soprano, received a degree in Environmental Studies from Brown University and now works for the State Water Resources Control Board. Outside of Vox and work she enjoys rowing with the River City Rowing Club.
Susanna Peeples
Soprano
Susanna Peeples, soprano/alto, received her Masters of Music in Music Education degree from the University of the Pacific in Stockton and is director of choirs at Ronald E. McNair High School.
Heather Razo
Soprano/Accompanist
Heather Razo, soprano/accompanist, holds a Bachelors degree in Humanities from Sacramento State University and is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in Collaborative Piano and Voice Performance at Notre Dame de Namur University.
Sarah Henshaw
Alto
Sarah Henshaw, alto, is a regular performer with ComedySportz Sacramento, translates Japanese anime and games, and choreographs musicals at Sac Woldorf and Music Mayhem Productions. Her loves include food, her fur babies, and her woodland elf.
Paige Kelly
Alto
Paige Kelly, soprano, is currently a Vocal Performance major at Sacramento State studying under the tutelage of Dr. Robin Fisher. This is her second season with Vox Musica.
Veronica Tonus
Alto
Veronica Tonus, alto, received her Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA. She is a flautist in the Woodland Community Band and teaches elementary music in Davis, CA.
Ema Gluckmann
Alto
Ema Gluckmann, alto, has been with the Congregation B’nai Israel Choir for the past 30+ years! When not singing, Ms. Gluckmann’s day job as a high school chemistry teacher keeps her quite busy.
Amy Lynne Spier
Alto
Amy Lynne Spier, alto, attended CSU, Fresno, where she earned her bachelors degree in Mass Communication and Journalism followed by her Master's Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Cat Fithian
Alto
Cat Fithian, alto, has been singing her whole life, in the car on family trips, throughout her schooling, in church choirs and in storytimes at the public library. She is the biggest fan of her son, an up-and-coming film-maker.
Holly Goritz
Alto
Holly Anne Goritz, alto, received a double major in Human Development and Psychology from UC Davis, and currently teaches at the campus' lab preschool.
Jennifer Crawford
Alto
Jennifer Crawford, alto, is honored to be in her eleventh season with Vox Musica. When not singing, Jennifer can be found writing computer code, volunteering as a Master Food Preserver, herding cats, or knitting.
Dana Daggett
Alto
Dana Daggett, alto, has sung in numerous church choirs and comunity choral groups since she was 5 and enjoys cooking, wine, weaving, and, most of all, her family.
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