MusicFest Northwest is excited to announce that the 2024 Festival will launch its first ever choral festival! In its 79th year of bringing arts to the communities of Spokane, MusicFest Northwest is striving to create more opportunities for artists of all ages through the addition of clinics, masterclasses and lectures year-round. Barbara Tappa, director of one of the choral festival’s participating ensembles, Le Donne, stated that “singing is a lifelong journey. It doesn’t stop once you leave school. It helps us find beauty and meaning in life and gives us an outlet to cope when life brings challenges. During a concert, choirs can touch the hearts and souls of others.”  The festival will also include performances from the Chorale Coeur d’Alene directed by Dr. Joshua Chism and the Spokane Symphony Chorale, directed by Dr. Meg Stohlmann. Natalie Marssdorf, a singer with the symphony chorale added, “having a festival like this shows the growth of the Spokane region over the past years and is a testament to the quality and dedication of our musical communities.”

For this first Musicfest Choral Festival, Dr. Nicole Sonbert (director of Muscfest Northwest) in collaboration with Dr. Meg Stohlmann (Director of the Vocal and Choral music at Gonzaga University), pulled out all the stops to bring in a top-of-the-line adjudicator. Dr. Jeffrey Allen Murdock, an internationally renowned educator and conductor, serves as Director of Choral Studies, Professor of Music, and founding director of the Arkansas Center for Black Music at the University of Arkansas. Murdock boasts an impressive history conducting with choirs and orchestras across 27 states and 7 countries, including appearances with Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and the Gulf Coast Symphony. He has also appeared as a vocal soloist with the Fort Smith Symphony, Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, and Southern Mississippi Opera. An accomplished classical musician, Dr. Murdock also has a rich history and exemplary knowledge in Gospel music, having collaborated with Gospel recording artists including Donnie McClurkin, Richard Smallwood, Mary Mary, Marvin Winans, Marvin Sapp, Lisa Knowles, Kathy Taylor, and numerous others. Dr. Murdock’s research interests include cultural hegemony in choral music education, social justice in music education, culturally responsive pedagogy in music education, and music in urban schools. Dr. Murdock is a 2016 Connor Endowed Faculty Fellow in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, a 2018 recipient of the Golden Tusk Award, the 2019 Most Outstanding Faculty Member among University of Arkansas faculty, and the 2021 Grammy Music Educator of the Year. We at MusicFest Northwest are incredibly excited about the expertise Dr. Murdock will bring to our community.

To learn more about Dr. Murdock visit: https://www.jallenmurdock.com/about

The 2024 MusicFest Choral Festival will feature the Spokane Symphony Chorale, Coeur d’Alene Chorale, and Le Donne choir. Each ensemble will perform a short set of their own music and conclude with a performance from the combined choirs, directed by Dr. Murdock. The festival will take place on Saturday, May 18th from 10:00AM to 4:00PM at the Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center on the campus of Gonzaga University. It will include group masterclasses and clinics for the participating choirs. Additionally, please join us at 3 p.m. in the Coughlin Theater of the Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center for a free performance.  You won’t want to miss this opportunity to connect, create and celebrate the arts with Dr. Murdock and MusicFest Northwest, this May 2024!