Dr. Pamela Blackstone is a renowned and respected conductor on the national and international choral scene, where her expertise and innovative approach to singing have empowered performers to achieve their highest levels of musicianship, vocal technique, and creative artistry. Currently, she serves as Associate Artistic Director and Chief Programming Officer of the GRAMMY® Award-winning National Children’s Chorus. For over three decades, Dr. Blackstone has devoted herself to the art of performance and music education with passion and awe-inspiring energy. Her concert appearances have included Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Royce Hall, and The Broad Stage, with international appearances in London, Oxford, Wales, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Copenhagen, Oslo, Rome, Florence, Venice, Vatican City, Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Beijing, Xi’an, the Korean DMZ, Seoul, Tokyo, Kyoto, Sydney, Cairns and Melbourne. Her recent musical collaborations include projects with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Grant Gershon and the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, American Youth Symphony, VOCES8, Sharon Farber, Nico Muhly, Caroline Polachek, and Meredith Monk. As a college educator, Dr. Blackstone held the position of Director of Choral Activities and Vocal Studies at the University of Arkansas, Fort Smith, and emerged as one of the Midwest region’s most sought-after choral clinicians, judges, and choreographers. She also served as the Assistant Conductor of the Los Angeles-based Angeles Chorale, and has taught choral and vocal music at the University of California Los Angeles, Santa Ana College, and church organizations across the nation. In addition, Dr. Blackstone is a featured conductor and clinician at music conferences throughout the country. Dr. Blackstone obtained her Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from the University of Kansas, a Master of Music degree in choral conducting from the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting from the University of California Los Angeles. Combined with her expertise in the healing arts profession, Dr. Blackstone has advocated for an integrated, holistic approach to music education that embodies an eclectic array of modalities and methodologies, enriching her students mentally, emotionally, and kinesthetically. In addition, Dr. Blackstone has established herself as an invaluable vocal instructor and in-demand performance coach across the nation. Recent students have been accepted with scholarships at top-level programs including the University of Southern California, University of California Los Angeles, Manhattan School of Music, New York University, Mannes School of Music, Northwestern University, Boston Conservatory, Berklee, Oberlin, University of Michigan, Peabody Institute, Indiana University, Stanford and Harvard.

Tiffany Anne Chiang, born and raised in New York City, is a conductor, pianist and soprano. Tiffany is the Choral Director at Mark Twain I.S. 239 for the Gifted and Talented in Brooklyn. Prior to joining the faculty at I.S. 239, she taught at W.C. Bryant High School, served on the music faculty at Camp Encore/Coda in Maine, and was the co-founder and artistic director of the NYU Alumni Choir. Tiffany is a graduate of James Madison University and New York University, where she received her Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degrees, respectively. Tiffany is also a proud alumna of LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and the Performing Arts, where she was a vocal music major. Over the years, Tiffany has received accolades and awards for her teaching and work. She was a recipient of the NYU Outstanding Promise in the Field of Music Education Award, Big Apple Award Finalist, and GRAMMY® Music Educator Award Quarterfinalist.

Mario Raven is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. He has served as a teaching artist and music educator in public, private, and charter schools, teaching K-12 grades for the past 20 years in both choirs and bands. Between 2012 to 2021, he won 15 superior-rated awards (11 first place, plus 4 grand prize trophies) for choirs and bands at Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm competitions in California. Mario has been featured in the New York Times, Spectrum News, and The Hub League of American Orchestras for the LA Philharmonic / Gustavo Dudamel’s YOLA programs. He has also trained choirs that were invited and performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City for his mentor Bruce Rogers. In addition to conducting, Mario spends significant time composing original music. His choral compositions have been premiered and performed at the ACDA Western conference convention and one of his compositions was selected as the California Golden State Choral Competitions “test piece” for all large choirs. Mario’s Kyrie was performed in Italy for the Pope. He has also composed, conducted, and served as music director for two musicals that premiered in Gifu, Japan, and at the Women & Film Club in Hollywood, California. Mario’s education includes undergraduate studies at the University of Cincinnati / College Conservatory of Music in voice and piano, the Cincinnati, Ohio School for Creative and Performing Arts in piano, composition, voice, band/orchestra, and Mount San Antonio College in conducting. He is a member of ACDA and recently presented his music theory curriculum for CCDA at ECCO in Yosemite.

Kaitlin Simonson is the founder and Artistic Director of Lux Mea Women’s Chorus. She teaches music at The Brearley School in Manhattan. Kaitlin relocated to New York after teaching choir at Canarelli Middle School in Las Vegas, NV. Under her direction, the six choirs performed throughout the southwest, earning superior ratings at festivals and competitions. As a Senior Associate Conductor for the National Children’s Chorus in New York, Kaitlin works with Senior Division students in the Debut Ensemble and Premier Ensemble. She is trained in the Kodàly Method, an experience-based pedagogy method that efficiently instills excellent musicianship in singers of all ages. Kaitlin has been a guest conductor of honor choirs in Nevada and Arizona. Her rapport with students and focus on the human connection through music make her rehearsals unforgettable. As a classically trained soprano, Kaitlin has performed as a soloist with the Southern Nevada Symphony Orchestra and the San Diego Pro Arte Voices. She is an experienced choral singer praised for her sight-reading abilities, preparation and collegiality. Kaitlin holds a Master of Music degree in vocal performance from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she studied with Dr. Linda Lister. In addition, she holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree in choral music education, cum laude from Northern Arizona University where she studied with Dr. Edith Copley and Dr. Ryan Holder. Kaitlin has completed three years of coursework in the Kodàly Methodology with Susan Brumfield at Portland State University. She serves on the KONY board as a general member. She is a member of ACDA, OAKE, and NAfME.

Luke McEndarfer is a GRAMMY® Award-winning American conductor and one of the most compelling visionaries in the classical music world today. His dynamic career spanning over two decades has been shaped by an unwavering commitment to ambitious innovation, artistic creativity, and musical excellence. Currently, he serves as Artistic Director, President and CEO of the National Children’s Chorus, one of the most successful youth arts organizations in the United States. His conducting collaborations include work with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, American Youth Symphony, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Opera Company, Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, the Joffrey Ballet, Opera Parallèle, VOCES8, and Kronos String Quartet. Over the years, he has prepared choruses and soloists for Gustavo Dudamel, Grant Gershon, James Conlon, Stephen Layton, David Alan Miller, Ibrahim Maalouf, John Rutter, Helmuth Rilling, David Willcocks, Eric Whitacre and the late Paul Salamunovich. To date, his premiere conducting performances include music by Morten Lauridsen, Sharon Farber, James Wright, Sarah Quartel, Stephen Cohn, Thomas Hewitt Jones, Daniel Brewbaker, Sage Lewis, Shawn Kirchner, Paul Gibson, Rufus Wainwright, and Nico Muhly.

In 2004, McEndarfer was appointed director of the acclaimed Paulist Choristers, and in 2008 his dream to create the National Children’s Chorus took flight. Since then, the NCC has grown from only sixteen families in Los Angeles to over 1,400 across the country, offering its students cutting-edge training and life-changing musical experiences. Under McEndarfer’s leadership, the NCC has built an unparalleled educational platform, leading young singers from the age of five, and guiding them through to the college level. McEndarfer’s Senior Division vocalists are GRAMMY® Award-winning, claiming music’s highest honor for Best Choral Performance in 2022. Across the nation, they comprise one of the most accomplished youth choruses, with performances at the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Royce Hall, and Walt Disney Concert Hall. International debuts have taken place throughout Europe, Asia and Australia. In 2020, McEndarfer initiated the building of a new annual opera academy, starting in Vail, Colorado, that would grow to engage aspiring voices in the art of opera, curated with an extraordinary curriculum exclusively designed for youth. Though the NCC has been his primary focus the last several years, McEndarfer’s background and experience encompass numerous conducting appearances featuring adult choral and symphonic masterworks. Upcoming plans include an exciting new launch within this genre of choral music as a natural extension of his artistic vision, and deep passion for the full choral repertoire. Equally at home in the studio, he has worked on several motion picture soundtracks and appeared on CNN, CBS, ABC, and Fox, as well as NBC’s Today Show and the former Tonight Show with Jay Leno. McEndarfer has also conducted in performance with Josh Groban, opened for John Legend, and been featured on Entertainment Tonight for the Oscars in 2014. In 2019, McEndarfer was honored with an invitation to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on a day the organization was formally recognized for its excellence in nonprofit growth and arts management.

Since the age of six, McEndarfer has studied piano extensively, winning competitions and musical honors with the Music Teachers’ Association of California. He is a two-time graduate of UCLA, holding a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature and a Master of Music degree in conducting, the latter with full scholarship under the tutelage of Donald Neuen. Studying privately, McEndarfer has been the conducting pupil of Kenneth Kiesler, Marianne Ploger, Lucinda Carver, Simon Carrington, and the late Paul Salamunovich. Year-round, McEndarfer manages a demanding work and travel schedule that requires his presence around the country and internationally.

Dr. Pamela Blackstone is a renowned and respected conductor on the national and international choral scene, where her expertise and innovative approach to singing have empowered performers to achieve their highest levels of musicianship, vocal technique, and creative artistry. Currently, she serves as Associate Artistic Director and Chief Programming Officer of the GRAMMY® Award-winning National Children’s Chorus. For over three decades, Dr. Blackstone has devoted herself to the art of performance and music education with passion and awe-inspiring energy. Her concert appearances have included Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Royce Hall, and The Broad Stage, with international appearances in London, Oxford, Wales, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Copenhagen, Oslo, Rome, Florence, Venice, Vatican City, Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Beijing, Xi’an, the Korean DMZ, Seoul, Tokyo, Kyoto, Sydney, Cairns and Melbourne. Her recent musical collaborations include projects with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Grant Gershon and the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, American Youth Symphony, VOCES8, Sharon Farber, Nico Muhly, Caroline Polachek, and Meredith Monk. As a college educator, Dr. Blackstone held the position of Director of Choral Activities and Vocal Studies at the University of Arkansas, Fort Smith, and emerged as one of the Midwest region’s most sought-after choral clinicians, judges, and choreographers. She also served as the Assistant Conductor of the Los Angeles-based Angeles Chorale, and has taught choral and vocal music at the University of California Los Angeles, Santa Ana College, and church organizations across the nation. In addition, Dr. Blackstone is a featured conductor and clinician at music conferences throughout the country. Dr. Blackstone obtained her Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from the University of Kansas, a Master of Music degree in choral conducting from the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting from the University of California Los Angeles. Combined with her expertise in the healing arts profession, Dr. Blackstone has advocated for an integrated, holistic approach to music education that embodies an eclectic array of modalities and methodologies, enriching her students mentally, emotionally, and kinesthetically. In addition, Dr. Blackstone has established herself as an invaluable vocal instructor and in-demand performance coach across the nation. Recent students have been accepted with scholarships at top-level programs including the University of Southern California, University of California Los Angeles, Manhattan School of Music, New York University, Mannes School of Music, Northwestern University, Boston Conservatory, Berklee, Oberlin, University of Michigan, Peabody Institute, Indiana University, Stanford and Harvard.

Dr. Allan Laiño, American Prize winner, is the Principal Conductor & Advanced Studies Director of the National Children’s Chorus and the Artistic Director of the Congressional Chorus in Washington, DC. His conducting highlights include The Kennedy Center Honors 2018, the internationally televised Annual Christmas Concert for Charity at the National Shrine, and NSO Pops holiday concerts. He has prepared choral ensembles for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Marin Alsop, BSO Pops and Jack Everly, National Symphony Orchestra Pops and Steve Reineke, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Piedmont Symphony Orchestra, Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience, and the Josh Groban Live National Tour. In 2018, he served as substitute chorus master for National Geographic's first symphonic commission: Lera Auerbach's ARCTICA with the NSO. As Co-Conductor of the Sunday Night Singers in 2012, he earned First Prize at the World Choir Games in the Mixed Chamber Choir Champions Division. He is the 2018 winner of The American Prize in Conducting—Community Chorus Division, and was a finalist in two categories for the 2019 American Prize in Composition. In 2021, he was the awardee in music for The Outstanding Filipinos in America presented at Carnegie Hall. Dr. Laiño was a Diversity Fellowship recipient at the University of California, Irvine, earning his Master of Fine Arts degree in choral conducting in 2009 and Bachelor of Arts degree in voice in 2006. He moved to the DMV in 2012 to pursue his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting (2015) at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Dr. Kristen Simpson was originally trained as a licensed civil engineer before pursuing advanced music degrees in choral music to facilitate a career change to music. She has taught courses at Santa Ana College, Texas State University and the University of Southern California. Prior to joining the NCC, Simpson was the assistant director and collaborative pianist at Villa Park High School, director of music at La Canada United Methodist Church, director of the Ebell Chorale, and co-conductor of choir at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA). In addition to her work as a conductor, Dr. Simpson is well-known for her keyboard skills and has performed as a collaborative pianist at regional and national conventions for the American Choral Directors Association, as well as for the undergraduate and graduate student conducting competitions at the 2015 American Choral Directors Association national convention. In addition to her work with the NCC, Simpson served as assistant conductor for Tonality, a professional choral ensemble based in Los Angeles that focuses on using music to encourage conversations on social justice topics. She also performed with Tonality as a collaborative pianist and completed a term serving on its Board of Directors. Most recently, she prepared singers for collaborations with the Kronos Quartet for Michael Abels’ At War With Ourselves, and participated in a private performance for the Second Gentleman of the United States as well as administrators of the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities. Simpson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Cornell University, a Master of Music degree in choral conducting from Texas State University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral music from the University of Southern California. While at Cornell, Simpson was one of two students selected as a chimesmaster to play the Cornell Chimes and continues to serve on its alumni advisory council to shape the future of this 150+ year musical tradition on campus.

Bryan Aguilar is a Texas native and has lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for seven years. He received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of North Texas where he sang with the A Cappella Choir and the Collegium Early Music Ensemble, as well as toured and sang at the Boston Early Music Festival in 2019. He currently teaches high school in the Dallas area. As a second-generation Mexican-American, he focuses on creating musical experiences for every child and from every walk of life. He also sings professionally and is on the rosters for multiple choral ensembles in the DFW area, including the Highland Park Chorale and the Orpheus Chamber Singers.

Dr. Kristen Simpson was originally trained as a licensed civil engineer before pursuing advanced music degrees in choral music to facilitate a career change to music. She has taught courses at Santa Ana College, Texas State University and the University of Southern California. Prior to joining the NCC, Simpson was the assistant director and collaborative pianist at Villa Park High School, director of music at La Canada United Methodist Church, director of the Ebell Chorale, and co-conductor of choir at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA). In addition to her work as a conductor, Dr. Simpson is well-known for her keyboard skills and has performed as a collaborative pianist at regional and national conventions for the American Choral Directors Association, as well as for the undergraduate and graduate student conducting competitions at the 2015 American Choral Directors Association national convention. In addition to her work with the NCC, Simpson served as assistant conductor for Tonality, a professional choral ensemble based in Los Angeles that focuses on using music to encourage conversations on social justice topics. She also performed with Tonality as a collaborative pianist and completed a term serving on its Board of Directors. Most recently, she prepared singers for collaborations with the Kronos Quartet for Michael Abels’ At War With Ourselves, and participated in a private performance for the Second Gentleman of the United States as well as administrators of the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities. Simpson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Cornell University, a Master of Music degree in choral conducting from Texas State University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral music from the University of Southern California. While at Cornell, Simpson was one of two students selected as a chimesmaster to play the Cornell Chimes and continues to serve on its alumni advisory council to shape the future of this 150+ year musical tradition on campus.

Shavon Lloyd is an award-winning composer, baritone, conductor, and music educator. Since receiving his Bachelor of Music degree in music education from The Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, Lloyd has been a frequent guest conductor throughout New York State, working with elementary, middle, and high school honors ensembles. As an educator, he has participated in the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA), contributing to both the Belonging, Equity, Diversity, and Representation (BEDR) Committee and the Composition Committee. Lloyd recently received his Master of Music degree in vocal performance from The Juilliard School, where he performed in multiple productions, including Händel's Atalanta (Nicandro, cover), Purcell's King Arthur (Grimbald/Cold Genius), and Puccini's Gianni Schicchi (Betto). Lloyd has also performed in several professional productions, most recently covering the role of Il Sagrestano in Puccini's Tosca and Simon in an all-Black production of Joplin's Treemonisha (Opera Theatre of St. Louis). In 2024, he made his Opera Saratoga debut as Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls. Regarding his compositions, Lloyd has won grand prizes in several competitions, including the Manhattan Choral Ensemble’s New Music for New York Competition (2015), the 18th Street Singers’ Composition Contest (Washington, D.C., 2018), and the Orpheus Chamber Singers Commissioning Competition (Dallas, TX, 2020). His works have been performed internationally across the United States, Canada, South America, and, most recently, Africa. Lloyd currently lives in New York City, where he is a Senior Associate Conductor for the National Children’s Chorus, a frequent guest teacher, and an international performer of both classical and musical theatre repertoire.