Masterworks 6 Hope – Copland & Gershwin

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.

Learn More About Maestro Giunta

Heartland Youth Choir Mary Craven Bartemes, Director

Founded in 2003, Heartland Youth Choir (HYC) provides a performance-based advanced choral music education program for youth that emphasizes musical literacy and character development. As a non-profit, community organization, the choir also provides a unique opportunity for children of diverse backgrounds with a particular aptitude in vocal music to explore that interest beyond their school setting. Quality literature from all styles and periods form the foundation for this exploration.

Heartland Youth Choir operates as the youth choir of choice for the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra for works like Carmina Burana.  In recent years, the choir has been featured in performances of Carmen, Turandot, Billy Budd, and La Boheme, amongst others, with the Des Moines Metro Opera.  HYC ensembles have been featured in concert tours that have taken the choir both nationally and internationally with other children and youth choirs, and collaborates frequently with various Des Moines based arts organizations. Heartland Youth Choir also hosts a one-of-a-kind choral music festival which brings together singers from throughout the state of Iowa to collaborate with an internationally renowned choral composer. This season, HYC welcomes composer Leeann Starkey as its guest clinician and composer.

Cantemus, the choir featured in this performance, is the advanced treble choir of Heartland Youth Choir, consisting of 6th-8th grade students from across the Des Moines Metro. They rehearse weekly, and perform frequently both in Des Moines, and around the country. Heartland Youth Choir consists of 5 performance-based choirs for ages 6-18. They also host a class, Musical Explorers for ages 4-5. 

Now under the direction of its new artistic director, Mary Craven Bartemes, Heartland Youth Choir seeks to continue its mission while welcoming a new chapter in the life of the choir.  This spring, members of Heartland Youth Choir will tour to New Orleans for the Crescent City Choral Festival, as well as to St. Louis, and Omaha.

Mary Craven Bartemes is the Artistic Director of the Heartland Youth Choir, and is a Des Moines, IA native. With nearly a decade of teaching experience grades K-12 in both private and public schools she has distinguished herself as an excellent music educator. She is frequently called upon to conduct honor choirs, workshops, and enjoys mentoring new and aspiring music educators.

She earned a Bachelor’s of Music Education from Drake University, and a Master’s in Music Education with a Kodály concentration at the University of Saint Thomas. She also holds certifications in Kodály Methodology, Orff-Schulwerk, Conversational Solfege, and First Steps in Music for infants and toddlers.

Mary has been with Heartland Youth Choir since 2013, serving in various roles, including intern, accompanist, conductor, and now Artistic Director. She has expanded HYC's programs, including launching a satellite choir and the Musical Explorers daycare enrichment program for ages 2-5. She currently conducts 4 of the 5 performing choirs in HYC, as well teaching its early childhood music offerings.

Mary lives with her husband Theodore, a software developer and Des Moines musician, and their son James. Her passion for music education enriches the cultural landscape of Des Moines for young singers.