Sing Omaha

CANTICUM

Canticum is Sing Omaha’s adult concert choir. This ensemble has grown from 27 singers to 42 in advance of the 2011–12 season, and will settle near 55 singers for the 2012–13 concert season. This growth will facilitate diversity in artistic programming, while allowing Sing Omaha to continue to meet the needs of adult community singers who desire a high level of artistry.

Canticum is made up of current and former high school, collegiate, and church choir singers. The ensemble demands a high degree of musicianship and stresses efficient sight-reading, attention to phrasing and dynamics, and a wide spectrum of tone colors. Singers enjoy the fast-paced nature of a weekly rehearsal, and regularly invest personal time to ensure preparedness in ensemble rehearsals.

Canticum recorded its first CD in 2009, and will undertake a second recording project in 2011–12. In addition to recording and a busy concert schedule, Canticum regularly has the privilege of working and performing with locally, nationally, and internationally-renowned clinicians and ensembles.

ABOUT THE CONDUCTORS

Jen Hill – Interim Conductor

Jen Hill is the Associate Artistic Director of Sing Omaha. She earned a bachelor’s degree in music education at the University of NE Omaha in 2002, and has taught music in the Omaha Public, Omaha Catholic, and Millard Public School districts. She serves as Director of Music at Elkhorn United Methodist.

She has performed as a chorister for Opera Omaha, the Omaha Chamber Singers, and Sing Omaha’s adult choir, Canticum. In addition to her classical performance experience, Jen has performed and recorded as a vocalist with professional Omaha-based R&B/Funk band, The 9s, since 2000, and with local jazz musician and recording artist Steve Raybine. 

She recently traveled to South Africa to work as a music educator with Music for Life, a faith-based music organization focusing on Africa's most vulnerable children. 

She is currently serving Sing Omaha as the conductor of both Harmonia and Canticum.

 

matt hill

Matt Hill founded Sing Omaha in February, 2007 with the desire to grow and strengthen the choral community in the Omaha-metro area.

As a member of Canticum Novum (now Canticum, the professional adult choir for Sing Omaha) from 2000 – 2006, Matt served as the Baritone section leader, and student conductor. With the departure of Canticum’s founder, Dr. Z. Randall Stroope, for Rowan in NJ in the summer of 2006, Matt took the podium as the group’s Artistic Director and enjoyed a fantastic season with this select adult ensemble.

Matt studied applied voice, choral conducting and composition with Dr. Stroope. He also studied piano and composition with Jackson Berkey and Dr. James Johnson.

Matt works as a choral arranger, specializing in custom show choir shows and performs frequently as a pianist and vocalist for weddings and other special events.

Since 2000, he has performed as both a chorister and soloist with numerous Omaha-area ensembles including: Opera Omaha, the University of Nebraska at Omaha Concert Choir, the Omaha Chamber Singers, and Canticum.

As the Executive & Artistic Director of Sing Omaha, Matt is focused on living out the motto of Sing Omaha: “To inspire passionate musicianship and artistic excellence while focusing on people first.”