Artistic Achievements
Time and time again receiving critical acclaim for their skilled performances and sensitive interpretation of the choral repertoire, the Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir has gained worldwide and national respect for their artistry and musicianship. Our Performing Department choirs regularly collaborate with top performing groups and appear on major concert series. Under Artistic Director Robert Geary, our choirs have earned particular praise for their embrace of contemporary composers, and have participated in many world premieres of new compositions, many of which have been commissioned and/or written specifically for the Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir.
Representative Awards & Honors
The Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir has received the following awards:
- Grand Prix St. Petersburg Choral Festival: Gold Medals in the Spiritual/Gospel/Jazz, Folklore, and Children's Choirs categories (2008)
Hong Kong International Children’s Choral Festival: Gold Medals in both the Children's Choir and Contemporary categories; Silver Medal in the folk category (2006)
42nd International C. A. Seghizzi Choral Competition, Gorizia, Italy – Special Prize for the highest score of equal-voiced choirs; Silver Medal in the Contemporary category (2003)
Children as the Peacemakers Choir of Angels Award, presented to Ensemble for taking initiative to raise funds for September 11 victims (2002).
International Choir Olympics, Linz, Austria - First Prize in Contemporary Music (in a field of competition that included 360 adult and children’s choirs); Three Gold Medals in Contemporary, Children’s Choir, and Gospel/Spiritual categories (2000)
33rd International Festival of Choral Song, Miedzyzdroje, Poland – Grand Prize; Special Award for Artistic Interpretation (1998)
2nd International Children’s & Youth Choir Festival, Giessen, Germany - Gold Medal; Outstanding Conductor Award – Robert Geary (1997)
Des Moines International Children’s Choir Festival, Iowa USA – Awarded “Best of Choirs,” First Prize in Contemporary category, Second Prize in Folk category (1997)
Kathaumixw International Choral Festival, British Columbia - First Prize in Contemporary Music (1996 & 1992)
International Peace Child Award to Robert Geary for co-founding the Golden Gate International Children’s Choral Festival (1991)
Featured Performances
Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir performing groups have collaborated on special projects with many noted Bay Area performing organizations, including:
- San Francisco Symphony and Chorus
- San Francisco Opera
- Cal Performances
- Oakland East Bay Symphony and Chorus
- Kronos Quartet
- Philharmonia Baroque
- San Francisco Chamber Singers/Volti
- San Francisco Choral Society
- Baroque Choral Guild
- Berkeley Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
- University of California Orchestra and Chorus
- Fremont-Newark Philharmonic
- Oakland Youth Orchestra
- Young People’s Symphony
- Crowden School
- Magnificat
We have also been featured in the presentation of adventurous new theatre and dance creations, including appearances with:
- Mark Morris Dance Group
- Magic Theatre
- George Coates Performance Works
- Yerba Buena Center
Appearances at choral conferences and symposia include:
- American Choral Directors Association national and regional conferences
- Organization of American Kodaly Educators national and state conferences
Appearances at “pop culture” events include:
- A rock concert with the “Barenaked Ladies”
- San Francisco 49ers, including SuperBowl XIX
- Oakland Athletics
- Golden State Warriors
- John Denver
Finally, our children have also been featured at events raising funds for charitable causes, including:
- State of the World Forum
- Habitat for Humanity International
- National Children’s Cancer Society
- Children as the Peacemakers.
New Music Commissioned and Premiered by Piedmont East Bay Children's Choirs
| Maia Aprahamian | Emergence (United Nations 50th Celebration) |
| Sue Bohlin | I've Been to Haarlem, The Boy on the Beach, Déjà vu, Ode to Summer, The Code, To the Angels (in memory of choir member Nick Hartono), Haaloo ya Haaloo, Little Birch Tree, It’s Raining, Traveling Girls, In Anchor Bay, Sea Boots, Four White Horses/Miss Mary Mack |
| William Copper | Piano |
| Kui Dong | Let Frogs and Crickets Carry It On |
| Charles Griffin | Agnus Dei, who knows if the moon’s a balloon, Tongue Twisters |
| Douglas Johnson | When Egrets Err |
| Pekka Kostiainen | There Was . . . |
| Bill Ludtke | The Pillow of Kantan |
| Kirke Mechem | Sing All Ye Joyful |
| Pablo Ortiz | Jitomates Risuenos, Benedicion |
| Kirstina Rasmussen | A Haiku Garden |
| Arkady Serper | Three Russian Songs |
| Mark Winges | The Moon Dance, Magic Strings, The Moon Welcome, Give Us, Moon Greeting, Welcome, The Oh of Moon and Piano (under the NEA’s Continental Harmony project), A Winter Carol, A Cricket Needs a Queen |
Participation in Premieres of New Music Produced by Others:
| John Adams | El Nino |
| Matthias Bretschneider | Kennst du ein Lied |
| David Brunner | The World is Full of Poetry |
| Bob Chilcott | Can You Hear Me? |
| Morten Lauridsen | Dirait-on |
| Miya Masaoka | While I was walking, I heard a sound…. |
| Felicia Sandler | The Cat |
| Clark Suprynowicz | Caliban’s Dreams |
| Erling Wold | Sub Pontio Pilato |
Discography
- Imagine a World of Children Singing (2004)
- Freed From Words, compositions by Mark Winges sung by Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir and San Francisco Chamber Singers (2002)
- Recording for the film, American Gun, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley (2001)
- Voices Over the Ocean, joint project with Max-Reger Musikschule, Meiningen, Germany (2000)
- Hear Through The Ages, featuring "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" with Ryan Houston, soloist (1999)
- Sing All Ye Joyful, Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir's first CD (1994)
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