Robert L. Arcovio

Robert L. Arcovio is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree in choral conducting at USC. He received a Bachelor of Music with emphasis in music education from USC in 2012. He is the choral director at Hand Middle School in Columbia where, in addition to teaching three levels of chorus, he directs the Hand Chamber Choir, an auditioned ensemble that meets once a week after school. Under his direction, the Chamber Choir has earned a superior rating at the Carowinds Festival of Music, and his students have participated in the South Carolina ACDA Middle School/Jr. High Honor Choir. He sponsors a club to get young men interested in singing, as well as the Hand Middle School Chapter of the Tri-M Music Honor Society, which participates in service activities in the community throughout the year. Robert is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association and the National Association for Music Educators, and he regularly attends state, regional and national conferences. In addition to teaching, he works as a section leader at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Irmo, SC, and sings in the USC Men’s Chorus under the direction of Dr. Alicia Walker.

Yasmin Bradshaw

Yasmin Bradshaw is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting at USC. She is a graduate of Mississippi College with a Bachelor of Music Education degree, Voice emphasis. As a member of the Mississippi College Singers, she participated in appearances in Carnegie Hall and ACDA Southern Division Conference, as well as with the International Choral Collaboration in South Africa. Yasmin is the choral director at Hand Middle School, where she teaches three levels of chorus and general music classes. She is a very active member in the National Association for Music Education and American Choral Directors Association, and she regularly attends conferences on the state, regional, and national level. Also, Yasmin is the music director at Main Street United Methodist Church in downtown Columbia, SC, and she performs with the chamber ensemble “Limited Time Only” under the direction of Dr. Alicia W. Walker.

Emily Williams Burch

Emily Williams Burch is pursing the Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from USC. She holds a Masters of Music Education from Florida State University, where she assisted with the Capital Children’s Choir, and a Bachelor of Music Education from Louisiana State University, where she graduated magna cum laude. Emily is the founder and artistic director of RISE Chorales, a community choir organization with a mission of experiencing musical artistry, education, and personal growth through the choral arts and community experiences. Prior to that, she served on the podium as Director of Education and Music for the Savannah Children’s Choir for nine years and worked as Department Chair/General Music/Piano Teacher at Garrison School of Visual and Performing Arts. She continues to have the privilege of traveling the country as a Teacher Trainer and Choral Curriculum Developer for Quaver’s Marvelous World of Music, an interactive K-8 music curriculum. Additionally, she serves as an Artistic Adviser for Perform International, where she helps organizations create and realize their dreams on tours in the US and abroad. Choirs under Mrs. Burch’s direction choirs have performed regionally, nationally, and internationally. Mrs. Burch has volunteered in various roles within the American Choral Directors Association, including Repertoire & Resources Chair for Children’s and Youth Community Choirs for the Southern Region.  She enjoys visiting different states and working as a clinician for both treble and middle school honor choirs.

Dwight Dockery

Dwight Dockery is currently pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts in choral conducting at USC. Previously, he worked as conductor of the Concert Choir at Greenville Choral Society (NC), director of choral activities at North Carolina Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount, NC, and director of music at First Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) in Smithfield, NC. Additionally, he served as academic advisor and instructor of music for the School of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, from 2011-2016. A native of Tennessee, Dwight earned the Bachelor of Music degree in music theory and composition from Maryville College in Maryville, TN, before moving to Greenville, NC, to earn the Master of Music degree in choral conducting at East Carolina. He has continued studies through various summer workshops and festivals at the Eastman School of Music, Georgia State University and East Carolina University. His primary conducting teachers include Larry Wyatt, Daniel Bara, Stacey Murphy Wilner and Larry Smithee. Also an active composer, he has had works performed by soloists and groups around the country. 

Jonathan Hall

Jonathan Hall is pursuing a D.M.A. in choral conducting at USC. He holds the Master of Music degree in choral conducting, and the Bachelor of Music Education degree in choral music from Winthrop University. Jonathan is the choral director at Rock Hill High School (RHHS), and serves as the director of music ministries at Woodland United Methodist Church in Rock Hill. RHHS chorus students under Jonathan's tutelage ranked first in the state for the AAAA SC Choral Festival in 2014 and 2015. Additionally, students participated in the SC All State Chorus, SC Solo and Ensemble Festival, SC ACDA Honor Choirs, Southern Division and National ACDA Honor Choirs. In 2012 he earned his National Board Certification in Music for Early Adolescence/Young Adulthood. He is on the leadership team for South Carolina ACDA serving as the treasurer and is an active member of SCMEA where he held the office of All State Weekend Coordinator for the SC All State Chorus. Jonathan co-presented a collegiate session ''Incorporating Composition in the Secondary Classroom'' at the Southern Division MENC Conference, has led reading sessions for SCMEA Choral Division, and presented interest sessions at the SC ACDA Fall Conference. He lives in Rock Hill, SC, with his wife Jessica and dog Heidi.

Christopher Lopez-Moore

Christopher Lopez-Moore, an Edgefield SC native, is currently a graduate at the University of South Carolina pursuing a Master of Arts in teaching degree. He received his bachelor's degree in vocal performance from Coker College. During his study at Coker College, he served as the tenor section leader in multiple ensembles and was the activities manager where he planned retreats and other activities for the ensembles. His theater experience includes playing Rapunzel's Prince in "Into the Woods,"  the lead role of Kaspar in "Amahl and the Night Visitors," and Mitch Mahoney in "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." Recently he was cast in the lead of Frantz in the French opera, "Le 66." Christopher enjoys baking, gymnastics, dance and teaching vocal technique throughout the Columbia community. He truly believes that you are the force behind your dreams, and if your dreams don't scare you, they are not big enough.

Kirstina Rasmussen Collins

Choral conductor, composer and educator, Kirstina Rasmussen Collins grew up in the Midwest singing in school choirs and writing pop songs. She moved to Los Angeles to study music composition at University of Southern California’s School of Music. Studying with Morten Lauridsen, Kirstina further discovered her love for writing for the voice, while having transformative experiences singing with the USC Chamber Singers. Following her Bachelors of Music, Kirstina followed her passion for choral music to Boston University, where she studied Choral Conducting with Ann Howard Jones, receiving her Masters in Music degree. Kirstina had the privilege to teach for a year as a visiting instructor at Luther College, working with Tim Peter and the late Weston Noble, from whom she learned much about the communal impact of choral music.  She carried this understanding to later teaching environments:  Proctor Academy (a college prep boarding school) and Colby-Sawyer College in New Hampshire, Newport Center United Methodist Church back in California, and two West Los Angeles elementary schools, before returning to graduate work at the University of Southern California. After returning to school, she also directed a Los Angeles based women’s choir, the Ebell Chorale, and taught choir and music appreciation courses at Ezra University, a small bible school in LA. Through the years, Kirstina has had commissions, premieres and performances of her choral works: by the Harvard Glee Club, San Francisco Choral Society, and Peninsula Women’s Chorus, among other ensembles.  As a vocalist, she enjoyed singing in the Tanglewood Symphony Chorus under Jon Oliver, and the Los Angeles Master Chorale under Grant Gershon. Kirstina is now pursuing a DMA in Choral Conducting at the University of South Carolina, after transferring from the DMA program at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles.  She is eager to learn more about her craft, teach theory and ear training, and eventually teach music and choir at the collegiate level full-time.

Jantsen Touchstone

Jantsen Touchstone is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting at the University of South Carolina. He received the Bachelor of Music in church music, Bachelor of Music Education, and Master of Music in choral conducting from Mississippi College where he worked as a graduate assistant under Dr. Jamie Meaders. He has most recently served as an elementary music teacher at Madison Ridgeland Academy and Worship Pastor at Hinds Independent Methodist Church. As a choral conductor, he worked with the Hinds Independent Methodist Church choir since 2010, the MRA Honor Choir and Chapel Singers since 2014, and was co-conductor of the MC Men’s Glee ensemble for the 2012–2013 academic year. Jantsen is an active vocalist and was a tenor soloist in the Mississippi College Honor’s Recital in ‘09. He has also performed in two musicals at Mississippi College including “Little Women” (John Brooke) and “The Secret Garden” (Dickon). He was also an active chorister of the Mississippi College Singers, Mixed Company (a vocal jazz ensemble), and Men’s Glee. He is the recipient of the Juliette Burnette Memorial Scholarship for church music, 2010. Jantsen is a member of the American Choral Director’s Association, National Association for Music Educators, and the Mississippi Music Educators’ Association. He and his wife Amy live in Columbia, South Carolina with their two Boston terriers, Ollie and Thea.