ABOUT US

 

The Norwegian Ladies Chorus of Seattle is a non-profit organization that celebrates Norway's rich musical heritage through traditional and contemporary choral music.  Chorus rehearsals are on Tuesday evenings from 7pm to 8:30pm at the Leif Erikson Lodge in Ballard. Hope you can join us! Contact us if you'd like to join in!

 

NLC Executive Committee:

 

President                                 Julie Svendsen

 

Vice President                        Victoria Hunter

 

Correspondence Secretary  Juanita Holmes

 

Recording Secretary              Joanna Elizondo

 

Treasurer                                Nancy Hiraoka

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​Joseph To, Director    

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Joseph To is an accomplished music director leading multiple organizations, including the Norwegian Ladies Chorus of Seattle, the Magnolia Chorale, Northminster Presbyterian Church, and Northwest Girl Choir. With a master's degree in choral conducting and a bachelor's degree in music education, Joseph's expertise shines through his passion for world music, particularly Chinese choral music. He has conducted extensive research and captivating presentations on Mandarin and Cantonese choral music, successfully integrating ethnomusicology into secondary music education.

Furthermore, Joseph serves as the World Music and Dance Repertoire and Resources Chair for the Washington Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (WAACDA). His outstanding contributions to the communities garnered him the "Outstanding Emerging Choral Director" award from WAACDA in 2022. An active presenter on ethnomusicology at local and regional music conferences, Joseph is dedicated to fostering Access, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in choral music-making, ensuring a meaningful musical experience for all. 

 

Zhanhong Kuang, Accompanist

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Zhanhong Kuang earned her BA degree in Piano Performance from Seattle Pacific University in 2018. She regularly collaborates with other musicians to perform chamber music, choral music, and church music. She currently serves as a collaborative pianist at Seattle Pacific University. In addition, she has been working as an accompanist for the Seattle School District since 2017, Tukwila School District since 2022, and has accompanied numerous choir concerts, musicals, music festivals, and competitions. From 2019, Zhanhong has been serving as the accompanist for the Norwegian Ladies Chorus of Seattle. Besides accompanying, Zhanhong also enjoys teaching. She teaches private lessons at her own studio in Seattle.

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Members of the 2022-2023 Chorus include--

 

Sheila Bartanen, Carol Benzon, Margaret Berg, Kirja Bruzzichesi, Barbara Dougherty, Joanna Elizondo, Marti Enke, Etta Gronvold, Nancy Hiraoka, Juanita Holmes, Victoria Hunter, Tami Jones, Tricia Kloth, Marilyn Molinari, Ragnhild Park, Elin Rummel, Claire Sagen, Kari Danielsson, Ruth Sundheim, Julie Svendsen, Arlene Templin, and Noel Wannebo

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