Great Bend High School announces that internationally acclaimed conductor, composer, and clinician Dr. Z. Randall Stroope will visit Great Bend Nov. 11-13 to work with vocal music students throughout the region.

Dr. Stroope, whose choral compositions are performed by ensembles worldwide, will conduct intensive workshops with Great Bend High School choirs, Great Bend Middle School choirs, the USD 428 Youth Choir, and invited choirs from several central and western Kansas schools. This rare opportunity will give local students the chance to learn directly from one of the most respected figures in choral music education.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Stroope to Great Bend,” said Susan Stambaugh, vocal music and youth choir coordinator for USD 428. “His expertise as both a composer and educator will provide our students with an invaluable learning experience that will elevate their musicianship and deepen their understanding of choral artistry.”

Stambaugh has named this three-day residence the Spiritu Choral Collective in hopes it will be the first of a yearly series of choral opportunities for area central/western Kansas high school choirs.

“I chose the Latin word ‘Spiritu’ to represent the breath and spirit that give voice and life to song,” she said. “As for the chosen words ‘Choral Collective,’ it serves to represent the collaborative hub that brings together choirs from the surrounding area to foster artistic growth through shared learning experiences. It is hoped that this organization’s endeavors will facilitate access to master clinicians and specialized workshops, creating opportunities that individual choirs might not be able to provide independently.

“As a supplement to the already established opportunities in Kansas, such as honor choirs, local and regional clinicians, KMEA workshops and contests, the Spiritu Choral Collective aims to provide another opportunity for central and western Kansas choirs to come together to learn and celebrate choral music.” 

This first year’s opportunity is provided by much appreciated seed money from the USD 428 Education Foundation and area supporters, Stambaugh said. There is still an opportunity for more supporters to sponsor this event and they should contact Stambaugh immediately if they are interested. 

There is still limited availability for area schools interested in participating. Directors should contact Stambaugh immediately for details on scheduling and logistics.. Send emails to susan.stambaugh@usd428.net.  

About Dr. Z. Randall Stroope

Z. Randall Stroope is an internationally recognized composer and conductor, having conducted concerts in 26 countries and published over 200 musical works. Randall is the Artistic Director of an international summer music festival in Rome, and has directed music for Vatican mass 12 times. Recent guest conducting engagements include Jakarta (Indonesia), Milan, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Barcelona, Dublin, Stockholm, Berlin, and Tallinn. In the United States, Stroope has directed 41 performances at Carnegie Hall and numerous other conducting workshops, clinics, and performances at universities and festivals.

Stroope has his own publishing entity for several of his newest works (w.zrstroope.com) as well as publishing through several other companies, including Oxford, Walton, and Alliance Music Publishing. The Conversion of Saul, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Amor de mi alma, Tarantella, Dei Matris Cantibus, Christi Mutter, We Beheld Once Again the Stars, The Pasture, Revelation, I Am Not Yours, Hodie! (This Day), and the 30-minute choral/orchestral work, In Paradisum, are among his best known works.

Besides maintaining a very active guest conducting schedule throughout his career, Randall was also a Distinguished Professor of Music at three universities. He holds degrees in music education, voice performance, piano performance, and conducting. He did post graduate conducting/score study with Margaret Hillis, Chorus Master of the Chicago Symphony and over a decade of composition study with Normand Lockwood (Prix de Rome winner) and student of the famous French teacher, Nadia Boulanger (who studied with Gabriel Fauré). Randall has a home/studio near Santa Fe, New Mexico and one on Merritt Island, Fla.