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Charlene Archibeque Biography

Charlene Archibeque

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Living in: United States

Having recently retired after thirty five years as Professor of Choral Music from San Jose State University, Dr. Archibeque continues to remain active in the choral field as clinician, guest conductor, adjudicator, teacher. As a teacher of teachers her choral workshops throughout the world are acclaimed as "practical, comprehensive, and insightful". Her summer workshops at SJSU and for many ACDA State and other University workshops attracted thousands of participants. She appeared on the faculty for Westminster's "Five Perspectives", twice at the Santa Fe "Perspectives", the Four Corners Workshops in Arizona, for both the Tennessee and Oklahoma Fine Arts Institutes, and for many Invitational Festivals. Some of her areas of expertise include conducting technique, vocal training in the choral rehearsal, musicianship skills, rehearsal technique, choral diction, blend and tone quality, as well as performance practices with historical perspective.

While serving as Director of Choral Activities at SJSU she successfully recruited an impressive number of talented singers and conductors to the University and guided several thousands in their choral studies. Over 80 conductors completed their Masters Degrees in Choral Conducting under her supervision and are now in positions of choral leadership throughout the United States, many as University Choral Conductors and Directors of Choral Activities themselves.

While at SJSU Dr. Archibeque conducted both the Concert Choir and the renowned SJSU Choraliers in hundreds of concerts, including preparing and conducting the choirs in over 160 major works with orchestra. For thirty years she collaborated with conductors such as Seiji Ozawa, George Cleve, Leonid Grin, and Samuel Cristler. For over twenty five years she provided the greater San Jose Community with a series of outstanding Scholarship Concerts at St. Joseph Cathedral, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for music scholarships and featuring many solo singers who have gone on to professional careers. Her choirs were selected to perform at twenty five Regional, Divisional, State, and National Conventions of the American Choral Directors Association.

Dr. Archibeque has served as Headliner, panelist, presenter, speaker, and clinician worldwide, including the World Choral Symposium in Rotterdam, Holland 1999, the National Federation of Music Societies in York, England 1989 (first woman and first American ), and the first National Australian Choral Symposium in Melbourne in 1986 as well as the International Music Worskhops in Lausanne, Switzerland and the USAREU in Berchtesgaden, Germany. She has conducted in many of the major concert halls of the world including Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Royal Albert Hall, the Berlin Philharmonic and Shauspielhall with her own choirs and as guest conductor of various Honor Choirs.

The SJSU Choraliers under Dr. Archibeque recorded seven professional Compact Disks and completed sixteen concert tours to Europe, Mexico and Australia. Winners of seven of the most prestigious competitions in Europe, they were named "Choir of the World" in 1991 at the Wales Eisteddfod, winner of the famed Grand Prix in Tallin, Estonia 1994 and and winner in the Spittal, Austria competition among others. In Gorizia, Italy, 1996 Dr. Archibeque won the coveted Best Conductor award along with six other trophies including winner of the Folk Music Category.

Prior to 1970, Dr. Archibeque taught for thirteen years in San Diego at all levels of public school music and taught the first experimental program in team teaching at the junior high level. In Northern California she served as Minister of Music for the Burlingame Presbyterian Church.

During her teaching career she was asked to conduct All-State Choirs and Honor and Festival Choirs in forty four of the fifty states, six provinces of Canada, and for Divisional Honor Choirs of the Music Educators National Conference and the American Choral Directors Association. Named one of the top ten honor choir clinicians in America in the 1988 ACDA survey, she continues to enjoy directing and workshopping with choirs at all levels. Her rehearsals are acclaimed for keeping singers intellectually involved, constantly inspired to achieve deep levels of commmunication with the audience, and magically tuned in to their own highest capabilities.


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