ArkMEA 5-7 Honor Choir
Clinician: Rebecca Lakes, Children’s Chorus of San Antonio & North East Independent School District (San Antonio, TX)
When:
Elementary: Tuesday, July 29th, 2025
Where:
Rehearsal location:
Mosaic Templars Cultural Center
501 W. 9th Street
Little Rock, AR 72201
Concert location:
The Cathedral of Saint Andrew
617 S Louisiana Street
Little Rock, AR 72201
AR-ACDA 7-9 Treble Honor Choir
Clinician: Clorese Gray-Porter, Plano Independent School District (Plano, TX)
When:
Monday, July 28th – Tuesday, July 29th, 2025
Where:
Cathedral of St. Andrew
617 S. Louisiana St.
Little Rock, AR 72201
Clorese Porter is in her seventh year as the head choral director at Plano Senior High School, and is in her 19th year of teaching choral music. Prior to PSHS, she was the head choral director at Grapevine High School. Choirs under Clorese’s direction have consistently received sweepstakes awards at UIL Concert and Sight-Reading and she served as music director of multiple musicals on campus. Prior to Grapevine high school she was the associate choral director at Newman Smith High School where she co-directed on the 2010 A Cappella Choir invited performance at TMEA. A graduate of Paul Dunbar High School in Fort Worth, Clorese attended Texas Christian University, earning a Bachelor of Music in Education degree. While at TCU, she was a member of the Women’s Chorus, Choral Union, and Concert Chorale and participated in performances for the TMEA and SWACDA conventions and at Carnegie Hall. Clorese holds a Master of Music in Music Education from UNT. Clorese is a member of TMEA, TCDA, and TMAA, and she is the 2010 recipient of TCDA’s Distinguished Young Director Award. She resides in Lewisville with her wonderfully patient husband, Patrick Porter.
AR-ACDA 10-12 Symposium Chorus
When:
Monday, July 28th – Tuesday, July 29th, 2025
Where:
Cathedral of St. Andrew
617 S. Louisiana St.
Little Rock, AR 72201
Dr. Frank Eychaner is an internationally celebrated conductor, teacher and communicator. He is recognized for his enthusiastic and engaging teaching style, artistic ensemble leadership and his depth and breadth of content knowledge. He believes in a collaborative process that provides authentic learning situations through engaging the whole person while celebrating different perspectives and facilitating individual growth toward achieving personal and professional goals.
Eychaner is Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Central Arkansas where he conducts the Concert Choir and award-winning Chamber Singers. The UCA choirs frequently concertize, collaborate and tour. They toured high schools in Central Arkansas in 2024 and the Concert Choir will perform in Carnegie Hall in May 25. He says, ‘my favorite part of my job is working with the UCA choirs, especially when I’m collaborating with student conductors building their skill and artistry.’ Dr. Eychaner is the Director directs the MA in Choral Conducting degree at UCA and he is actively seeking highly qualified candidates to join the program.
He is frequently engaged as a guest conductor. He will conduct a world premiere performance of the Xantoló Requiem by Mexican composer Julio Morales in Carnegie Hall in May, and he will spend 10 days as guest artist and conductor with Promotora de las Belles Artes in Tijuana, MX in October, an organization that serves young women at risk of falling prey to sex trafficking by providing safety and training in musicianship and choral performance.
Eychaner is frequently engaged as a clinician. He has presented more than 150 interest sessions on dozens of topics across the US, in Mexico, Cuba and Korea. He is the author of ‘Foundations of Conducting Technique’ with GIA Publications.