VOICES IN THE OAKS CHORALE

Sponsored by the Oracle Piano Society, the Voices in the Oaks Chorale is a community chorus, made up of singers from the Oracle/Oro Valley/Tucson area. We are a small, non-auditioned chorus of 20 – 30 singers.

Our location in the high desert town of Oracle, Arizona is perfect for any singer who wants a quality choral experience, but is tired of fighting traffic to drive to rehearsal in downtown Tucson. Our venue, the Oracle Center for the Arts is only a 30 minute drive from Oro Valley!

Rehearsals are held on Thursday evenings from 6-8:15 pm at:

Oracle Center for the Arts

700 E Kingston St

Oracle, AZ 85623

Messiah rehearsals begin November 16, 2023 at 6 pm. Bring your own score, if you have one, or full scores are available for $10 each. We request a small free-will donation of $20 to participate.

Spring Concert rehearsals begin on Thursday, January 25, 2023 from 6-8:15 pm. Participation fee of $60 incdludes all music.

To register online for the Spring Season, click here: https://form.jotform.com/230034500016132

ADA Accessibility:

If you are interested in becoming a Voices in the Oaks participant and require ADA accommodations, please complete the form below.

ADA ACCOMMODATION FORM

Please contact ADA Coordinator, Bridget Cook at ada@oraclepianosociety.org if you have ADA related questions.

Concert Schedule 2023-2024 Season:

As more information is available regarding concert programs, it will be posted here.

Fall Concert: November 12 at 3 pm at Oracle Center for the Arts

Messiah Sing Along: Sunday December 17 at 3 pm at Oracle Center for the Arts

Messiah Sing Along: Tuesday, December 19 at 4 pm at Saddlebrooke Ranch Sol Ballroom.

Spring Concert: April 21, 2024 at 3pm at Oracle Center for the Arts

Choral Director

Meg Palermo is the new Choral Director for the Voices of the Oaks Chorale in Oracle, AZ. Meg conducts the Treble Glee Choir at the University of Arizona, where she is also a DMA student in Choral Conducting. She has been teaching and directing choirs since 2002 at high schools in Las Vegas, New Jersey, Gilbert, and Phoenix. Most recently, she was the choir director at Desert Vista High School from 2015 to 2023, where she built a large choral community, directed 6 choirs, and led a nationally-recognized choir program.

Meg has adjudicated festivals in New Jersey, Laughlin, Paradise Valley, and will be a clinician for the AMEA fall festival in Tucson this fall. She has also led music in various churches, currently serving as the music director at Scottsdale Congregational United Church of Christ. In addition, she has been directing the music for musical theater productions since 2002, and also has had a private studio for many years, where she teaches piano and voice.

Meg was born and raised in Connecticut. She earned her MM in Choral Conducting from Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, NJ, and her BM in Music Education (Choral Vocal, piano performance minor) from the University of Delaware. She currently resides part-time in Tucson, and part-time in Ahwatukee with her blended family, and her 2 children, Tessa and Will.

Piano Accompanist

Devin Gardner has 35 years experience within the field of music, beginning piano studies at age 6, and adding oboe several years later. In 1997, Devin was awarded a fellowship with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington DC, allowing him to gain further experience while working closely with principal players within the NSO, as well as visiting guest artists. Along with principal spots in the American Youth Philharmonic, Devin studied and performed chamber music at the Levine School of Music, where he had the opportunity to work alongside guest artists such as Itzhak Perlman and Leon Fleisher. Attending Cincinnati Conservatory of Music on scholarship, Mr. Gardner went on to further obtain degrees with full tuition scholarships from George Mason University and the University of Arizona. Devin currently maintains a private piano and oboe studio, and serves as an accompanist for the woodwind department at the UofA. He is especially fond of modern French flute repertoire, with Dutilleux, Bozza, and Jolivet being some of his favorite composers. In addition, Mr. Gardner performs throughout Arizona and Texas with the Arizona Opera, Sierra Vista Symphony, El Paso Symphony, and St. Philips in the Hills. Living in the scenic Foothills with his two beautiful dogs Venkman and Zeddemore--named after two of his favorite Ghostbusters--he is also an avid participant in bowling, pool, and darts, and enjoys walking with his dogs all over Oro Valley and Marana.

VOICES IN THE OAKS CHORALE

The Voices in the Oaks Chorale is a community chorus, comprised of singers from the surrounding Tucson area. The Chorus is not auditioned. All are welcome to join us. The only requirements are a love of singing, the dedication to attend rehearsals and to learn the music, and to perform to your best ability. The Chorale presents two concerts per season plus a Messiah Sing Along in December.

History:

In February of 2016, Mary Huebner founded the Voices in the Oaks Chorale to bring a choral music component to the Oracle Piano Society. The purpose was to bring enjoyment of vocal music to anyone who wanted to participate, and to enhance appreciation for music in particular. The chorus has created a chorale community that grows in number and musicianship with each concert presented! Mary directed the chorus until March 2019 when she stepped down from the conductor's box and stepped up on the risers doing what she loves; to sing.

Past Directors:

2016-2019: Mary Huebner

2019-2020: Donte' Alexander Ford

2020-2021: Luke Diamond

2021-2023: Mirae Lee