Masterworks 6 Beethoven's Ninth

Joseph Giunta Conductor

One of America’s most distinguished, versatile and dynamic conductors, Joseph Giunta is a musician of international acclaim. He is recognized as an important American conductor for his innovative programming and for his compelling interpretations of traditional and new music. His musical depth combined with his boundless energy and contagious enthusiasm makes him one of the most respected and successful orchestra leaders in the United States.

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Iowa State Singers James Rodde, Director

The Iowa State Singers is a 72-member mixed choral ensemble comprised of students who come from numerous areas of study at Iowa State. This select ensemble performs the finest literature from Renaissance to contemporary, including newly commissioned works. In addition to performing various local concerts, the Singers tour annually and present an authentic Madrigal Dinner every January. Every spring they perform a masterwork with all ISU choirs, most recently Orff's Carmina Burana, Handel's Messiah, Brahms' German Requiem, and other such works.

The Iowa State Singers have been honored in recent years with invitations to perform at several highly distinguished music conferences, including the 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2018, and 2019 ACDA conferences in Sioux Falls,  Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Salt Lake City, Chicago, and Kansas City, and the 2008 and 2011 NCCO National Conferences in Cincinnati and Fort Collins. Thousands of choral conductors from the United States and abroad have responded enthusiastically to the choir's offerings. The members of the Iowa State Singers have been thrilled with these opportunities and gratefully acknowledge their former members, whose commitment to artistry helped to develop one of the very beautiful traditions at Iowa State University.

The Singers have also traveled internationally, singing to critical acclaim in the Baltic States and Scandinavia (2003), China (2006), Korea (2011) where they shared a concert with the world-renowned Incheon City Chorale, Western Europe (2015), and Norway (2019). In 2013 the Singers were honored as the national winners of The American Prize, College/University Chorus Division.

Des Moines Choral Society James Rodde, Director

The Des Moines Choral Society, under the direction of Artistic Director Dr. James Rodde, is made up of auditioned volunteer singers from throughout Central Iowa. With a 39-year tradition in the community, the Des Moines Choral Society is a major force for the promotion of quality choral music in Iowa.

The Des Moines Choral Society seeks to enrich Iowa’s cultural landscape by offering inspiring choral music programs to the public. Our hallmarks will be vocal excellence, diverse and innovative programs that explore both musical and cultural themes, and engaging collaborations with arts and community organizations. The Des Moines Choral Society aspires to be recognized as one of Iowa’s artistic treasures.

Dr. James Rodde, the Louise Moen Endowed Chair in Music and Director of Choral Activities at Iowa State University, became the Artistic Director of the Des Moines Choral Society in January, 2003. Dr. Rodde's choirs have been honored with performances at distinguished events, including four national and four divisional ACDA conventions. An active clinician, Dr. Rodde has conducted several All-State Honor Choirs, most recently in Wisconsin, Texas, South Dakota, Iowa, Colorado, Minnesota, and Nebraska.