September Guest Conductor – Kathleen Hollingsworth – See Bio
A dedicated and passionate musician, Kathleen has been immersed in music since her childhood. Her unique path has allowed her to work with musical giants such as Phil Mattson, Dr. Edith Copley, Dr. Joshua Haberman, Fareed Haque, Michele Weir, John Medeski, Billy Martin, Martin Bejerano, Terence Blanchard, Danilo Perez, Gary Lindsay and Rhiannon. She is the current Vocal Music Director at Clackamas Community College, founder/director of the Music Performance and Technology Program and founded Renegade Gospel which grew from the Playa Choir, a 70-voice ensemble that performs at Burning Man every summer. She has released two acclaimed original albums that span genres of Americana, singer-songwriter, jazz, funk and original soul. Most recently, her album ISH has been on the RMR jazz charts for over 3 weeks, peaking at number 10.
October Guest Conductor – Margaret Green – See Bio
Margaret Green has enjoyed making music in the Portland-metro area for over 25 years. She is the vocal music director at Evergreen High School after 25 years at the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, an arts magnet in Vancouver, Washington. Green is an active adjudicator and guest clinician and National Board-Certified Educator. For twelve years she was the conductor of Belle Voci Women’s Vocal Ensemble and for five years the women’s choir director and Lewis and Clark College. Highlights for Green from the past five years include: headlining the Oregon ACDA Middle School Honor Choir in 2016 and 2018, recipient of Washington PTA Outstanding Teacher Award, singing Gospel Christmas with the Oregon Symphony, and being featured in a KATU Leaders in Learning television segment showcasing leaders in the teaching profession.
November Guest Conductor – Betty Busch – See Bio
Betty Busch has served as the founding conductor of Jubilate! The Women’s Choir of Corvallis for 26 years. Ten years ago, she moved from Corvallis to McMinnville and finding no choir to join there founded and conducts the similarly missioned McMinnville Women’s Choir.
Both choirs share these missional goals: To serve as “singing communities” in their respective cities. Are open to any woman singer regardless of skill or previous choral experience Sing a variety of music in many styles and languages Value and perform music of social justice
For the 2020-2021 season, both Jubilate and the McMinnville Women’s Choir joined together on Zoom to continue to learn, perform, and join in community. The resulting concerts can be viewed on each choir’s YouTube channel. The choirs hope for in-person singing this year.
Betty looks forward to joining and learning with the women of Aurora as we sing together this November.
Accompanist
Coco’s Bio
Coco Bender is a pianist residing in the Pacific Northwest. She recently performed with Cascadia Composers, recorded original film scores by Portland composer Christina Rusnak for the Pioneers: First Woman Filmmakers Project, and during the pandemic presented a series of outdoor recitals featuring music by H. Leslie Adams, William Grant Still, Bartok, and others. Coco is a co-artistic director and musical director of an all-women circus, Girl Circus, and a member of the balkan orchestra Kef. She teaches a large studio of students, from ages 5 to 75, in the greater Portland area. She has taken master classes with Inna Faliks, Tamara Stefanovich, Dr. William Chapman Nyaho, and others. Coco currently studies with Dr. Thomas Otten.