The judges for the 2011 Choral Festival

Christian Grube,  William Hatcher and Dr. Ginger Colla,

Christian Grube

Christian Grube is Professor for Choir Conducting at the Berlin University of Arts.  Formerly, he was Director of the famous boys’ choir, the State and Cathedral Choir of Berlin. In 1975, Grube founded the Chamber Choir at the university which tours worldwide and has performed with Herbert von Karajan, Seiji Ozawa and Zubin Mehta.   He has served as a guest conductor, adjudicator and has conducted choral workshops and master classes worldwide. Because of the diplomatic influence of his work, in 1995, Grube was awarded the National Medal for Distinguished Service, the highest civilian honor given by the German government. In 2010 the Berlin Chorverban awarded him the “Brother and Sister Mendelssohn Medal” in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Choral life in Berlin. Professor Grube adjudicated the 2007 and 2009 California International Choral Festival & Competition.

William Hatcher

Professor Hatcher spent 43 years conducting and teaching choral music at the University of Iowa. His choral ensembles have been widely honored and have toured worldwide.  He was the National President of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and was the recipient of both the Howard S. Swan Award and the Weston Noble Award for lifetime achievement by ACDA. In 2010, he was the Convention Honoree at the ACDA Western Division Convention. Mr. Hatcher was the Coordinator and Associate Director of the 1,000 voice Olympic Honor Choir which sang for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1984 Olympiad in Los Angeles. He also was the Choral Adjudicator for the 2003 Hong Kong Music Festival with over 120,000 entries. He adjudicated the 2007 and 2009 California International Choral Festival & Competition.

Ginger Covert Colla

Dr. Colla is an adjunct professor at Modesto Junior College, where she conducts the Masterworks Chorus.  She holds the title of Professor Emeritus at California State University, Stanislaus where she was Professor of Music Education and Director of Choral and Vocal Studies from 1986-1999.  Colla was honored as the recipient of the California Music Educators Association Award as the Outstanding Choral Music Educator in California in 1989 and received the Howard S. Swan Award for Choral Excellence presented by the California Chapter of the American Choral Director’s Association in 2004.  She adjudicated the 2009 California International Choral Festival & Competition.