Guest Conductor Bruce Koliha

Chora Nova is excited to have Bruce Koliha as our Guest Conductor for the March 2012 Schubert & Schumann concert.

Bruce Koliha has taught choral music for 35 years, 30 of which have been at Monte Vista High School in Danville, California. Under his direction the Monte Vista High School Chamber Singers, Concert Choir and Treble Choir have placed first seven times in the prestigious Golden State Choral Competition. His Concert Choir has sung back-up to international recording stars Andy Williams (1989) and Rosemary Clooney (1990). In 2004 he was the first ever recipient of the California Music Educator’s Association (CMEA) Bay Section Outstanding Choral Educator Award. Mr. Koliha received the CMEA Pearson-Scott Foresman/ Silver Burdett Choral Educator Award for 2008 “Honoring Excellence in Choral Education and Performance.” In 2010 he won the Educator of the Year award from the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Koliha graduated from California State University, San Francisco in 1975 with a Bachelor of Music degree and received his teaching credentials from U.C. Santa Barbara the following year. In 1987 he received his Master’s degree from Cal State University, San Jose, mentored by Dr. Charlene Archibeque.

Mr. Koliha has led 10 international concert tours with his singers, concertizing several times in virtually every Western European country as well as Poland, Hungary, Australia, New Zealand, China, Greece and Russia. In 2001 the group had a special concert tour to Italy, singing concerts in Venice, Florence and Rome and having the rare opportunity to sing in the Sistine Chapel. In 2009 his Concert Choir sang the Mozart Requiem in Carnegie Hall. This summer the choir will travel to Brazil for their first South American appearance.

In addition to his high school teaching, Mr. Koliha also directed the choir at St. Mary’s College in Moraga for six years, taught choral music, ear training and music theory classes for several years at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg and voice and music theory at Laney College in Oakland. Mr. Koliha has also been active in directing church choirs, leading choirs in Methodist, Congregational and Lutheran churches as well as three years conducting the Post Chapel choir at the Presidio of San Francisco. He is currently Music Director at the San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church in Alamo.

Guest Conductor Robert Ashens

San Francisco-based musician Robert Ashens, whose distinguished career as pianist and conductor has brought him to many world capitals, is Artistic Director / co-founder, West Coast Opera (Opera Oregon).  Recently, he debuted with Berkeley, Anchorage and Virago Opera companies; he co-founded the Johann Strauss Society of America, as well. The Maestro also conducts ballet and symphonic works with companies internationally.  A frequent conductor at the Shedd Institute in Eugene, he has conducted seven musicals, with a return scheduled for next summer.

 

With a repertoire of over one hundred operas, he has conducted to great acclaim for regional opera companies throughout the United States and in many major cities of Europe, especially in Italy.  He has also accompanied many opera luminaries in concert.  Ashens is in constant demand as a lecturer, accompanist and program director for concerts and recitals nationwide.

 

Maestro Ashens has toured nationally as conductor with the Broadway companies of A Chorus Line and Jesus Christ Superstar, premiered many new works of both Broadway and Opera and maintains a monthly program, “West Coast Opera presents Opera Night at Servino’s” in Tiburon.

 

Robert Ashens is a Eugene Mid-Valley Rotarian and a member of Phi Beta, and is listed in Who's Who in American Music.