April 2024

By Molly Kohler Pei

Channel Islands Choral Association (CICA) and Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra (CHICO) join together in a collaborative concert program of dynamic and uplifting choral and orchestral music. The program features Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus and Missa Brevis in C Major, K. 220, aka Spatzenmesse (“Sparrow Mass”) and Rutter’s Mass of the Children written with special attention to layering the composition with a children’s chorus and soloists.

Over 165 singers from across Ventura County will be on stage to perform major choral works by W.A. Mozart and John Rutter. The Spectacular Chorus is comprised of CSU Channel Islands University Chorus, Pleasant Valley School District Chorus, Santa Paula High School Cardinal Concert Choir, Ventura High School Chorale, Rancho Campana High School Concert Choir, and Adolfo Camarillo High School Concert Choir.  The concerts are conducted by Dr. KuanFen Liu, Associate Professor at the California State University of Channel Islands and the Artistic Director of both CICA and CHICO.

“I am thrilled to bring a musical program to Ventura County audiences that showcases choral singers from the community and students from our  elementary, middle and high schools and CSU Channel Islands,” says Artistic Director, Dr. KuanFen Liu. “I am proud that the performance opportunities we provide to students enrich their learning experiences and inspire them to be lifelong learners.”

Concert dates are scheduled for Saturday, May 4 at 7 PM and Sunday, May 5 at 3 PM.  Performances are at Rancho Campana High School Performing Arts Center, 4235 Mar Vista Drive in Camarillo.

To purchase tickets, visit the CHICO website at cichamberorchestra.org. STUDENTS & KIDS ARE FREE!

The CSU Channel Islands University Chorus performed in concert at the Santa Barbara Old Mission Parish on December 2nd at 7PM and Ventura First United Methodist Church at 3PM.  A Ceremony of Songs features choral music ranging in styles from Classical to Contemporary. The program opens with Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols scored for a mixed chorus, solo voices, and harp. Excerpts from W.A. Mozart’s Coronation Mass K. 317, and compositions by Morten Lauridsen, Ola Gjeilo, Eric Whitacre, William Dawson, T. Dorsey, and Ken Medema round out the program. Proceeds from a suggested donation of $20 at the door go towards choral music education. The concert is sponsored by Channel Islands Choral Association. See the Calendar for additional information.

April 2023

By Molly Kohler Pei

Channel Islands Choral Association (CICA) and Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra (CHICO) join together in a collaborative concert program of dynamic and uplifting choral and orchestral music. Over 100 singers from across Ventura County will be on stage to perform Christopher Tin’s Baba Yetu and Dan Forrest’s Jubilate Deo. The Spectacular Chorus is comprised of CSU Channel Islands University Chorus, Pleasant Valley School District Chorus, Santa Paula High School Cardinal Concert Choir, Ventura High School Chorale, and Rancho Campana High School Concert Choir. Audiences will also be treated to the world premiere performance of Bevan Manson’s Odesa Overture, dedicated to the people of Ukraine.

The concerts are conducted by Dr. KuanFen Liu, Associate Professor at the California State University of Channel Islands and the Artistic Director of both CICA and CHICO. Concert dates are scheduled for Saturday, April 22 at 7 PM and Sunday, April 23 at 3 PM. Performances are at Rancho Campana High School Performing Arts Center, 4235 Mar Vista Drive in Camarillo.

The choral portion of the program features compositions in eight languages. Baba Yetu, a Swahili language setting of the Lord’s Prayer, is the theme song for the 2005 video game Civilization IV. This critically acclaimed piece is the recipient of the first Grammy® Award for video game music and has transcended its genre into mainstream popularity. Jubilate Deo, set in Latin, Hebrew, Arabic, Mandarin, Zulu, English, and Spanish, brings to life the global aspect of the traditional Psalm 100 text “O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands.”

“I am thrilled to bring a musical program of global representation to Ventura County audiences,” says Artistic Director, Dr. KuanFen Liu. “I am especially inspired that we are performing a newly commissioned work that commemorates the bravery and resilience of the people of Ukraine. The Odesa Overture calls for peace and a more harmonious world.” Admission is a suggested $20 donation at the door. For more information, visit the CICA website at cicachoir.org or the CHICO website at chicovc.org.

August 2022

By Dean Butler

Channel Islands Choral Association (CICA), proud sponsor of the CSU Channel Islands University Chorus and the Pleasant Valley School District Chorus, recently announced their 2022-23 concert season. Direct from their heralded performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall this past summer, CICA is inviting CSUCI students, faculty, staff, alumni, community members, and, in a project called, PROJECT: LIGHTS ON, inviting area high school-aged students to audition and participate.

“We are getting closer and closer to helping area high schools turn the lights back on in their choir rooms,” says CICA President, Dean Butler. “Walk onto many area high school campuses and ask to see their choir room and I think you will get some strange looks. Those rooms just don’t exist or have been converted into storage spaces.” CICA is hoping that Project: Lights On will reenergize choral singing and assist local high schools in recruiting teenage talent by giving them the opportunity to sing with a university choral program and professional orchestras  in major concert events. “By doing so, we are creating a healthy feeder program for CSUCI’s music program while inspiring young artists to become contributors to their communities through the arts,” explains Mr. Butler.

Dr. KuanFen Liu, Associate Professor of Music at CSUCI and conductor of the University Chorus, currently serves as CICA’s Artistic Director. “It was encouraging to see so many high school students sharing the stage with us in performance at Carnegie Hall this summer,” says Dr. Liu. “I really believe that this was an  extraordinary experience that made a positive impact in their lives and they will treasure it for a long time.”

CICA has planned a very exciting 2022-23 concert season with a  multigenerational focus in mind. “De Colores, A Choral Celebration of Colors & Cultures,” a concert highlighting multicultural choral compositions, will be performed on Friday, December 2 in Camarillo and on Sunday, December 4 in Santa Paula. Santa Paula High School will join with the University Chorus and area community members in both performances.

In April, CICA along with the Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra, will present their annual Choral Spectacular! “I have chosen music for this performance with the young student voice in mind,” says Dr. Liu. “High school students will be able to have their own chance to sing a prepared piece, a combined piece, and then a grand finale piece with the added excitement of a full symphonic orchestra.” 

Dates for the Choral Spectacular! are set from April 22 & 23, 2023. A full performance of Dan Forrest's “Jubilate Deo” will be featured at the concert. “We were just a few weeks away from performing ‘Jubilate Deo’ in 2019 when the pandemic struck and we had to cancel all our performances,” remembers Mr. Butler. “We now get to revisit that missed opportunity. And how exciting to do this with the new voices and additions of our high school students. It really will be a very special concert capping off a very special year!”

For non-registered CSUCI students, auditions for one or both semesters of the CSU Channel Islands University Chorus are now underway. We especially encourage area high school students and CSUCI faculty, staff, alumni and community members to join us this year. For more information or to schedule an audition, please contact Dr. KuanFen Liu at downbeatplus@gmail.com. 

Spring 2022

By Dean Butler

In an effort to recharge and refresh high school choral programs and dust off the many unused chairs for high school students, CICA is proud to announce a new project honoring students in Camarillo and throughout Ventura County. Project: LIGHTS ON! will focus on giving high school students the opportunity to perform with the Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra under the skillful baton of Artistic Director, Dr. KuanFen Liu in their 2022-23 concert season. In addition, students and their Directors will be supported through a mentoring program designed to bring the support, experience and expertise of local choral conductors, coaches and vocalists to our local high schools and their staffs. Additionally, high school choral programs are financially supported through granted access to CICA’s extensive choral music library.

December 2022

By Dean Butler

So big, in fact, that it was called a HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR! Channel Islands Choral Association (CICA) and the Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra (CHICO) in collaboration with the CSU Channel Islands University Chorus, and the Santa Paula High School Concert Choir presented excerpts from Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna, George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, and Camille Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony No. 3. This celebratory program was conducted under the skilled baton of Dr. KuanFen Liu, Artistic Director and Assistant Professor of Performing Arts at CSUCI on Saturday, December 4 at 7:00 PM at St. Mary Magdalen Church, 25 N. Las Posas Road in Camarillo, and Sunday, December 5 at 3:00 PM at First United Methodist Church, 1338 E. Santa Clara Street in Ventura.

“It’s definitely a time to celebrate with music,” said Artistic Director, Dr. KuanFen Liu. “We have waited for almost 2 years to be able to safely return to live, in-person concerts, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring to the community this glorious and uplifting program.” This program was intentionally selected to reflect the joy it is to sing choral music once again in a more traditional way. For three seasons, CICA has been hosting an all-virtual program. “We had great success and fun creating our virtual programs for our members and audiences. These virtual programs allowed us to explore the underrepresented music of women and Black choral composers. And, now that we have been given more of a green light to resume in-person singing, we want to celebrate with you music that has resonated with mankind for centuries and still inspires us today.”

CICA President, Dean Butler tells us some of the ways that CICA and the CSU University Chorus were able to safely return to what he is calling their “bridge back.” “All our members are now required to show proof of vaccination. In addition, we have combined both virtual rehearsals with in-person, outdoor rehearsals on Saturdays. Our members are learning how to sing all masked and socially distanced, but this doesn’t seem to bother any of them as the joy of singing in-person is greater than any of the inconveniences.”

Concert-goers ages 12 and older attending the performances needed to show proof of vaccination. Face coverings were required to be worn by everyone. Dr. Liu stated, “Our audiences will be able to enjoy the performances in a very traditional way - the orchestra will be on the main platform with the choir distanced in the balconies of both concert venues. This will give our audience a beautiful sense of choral singing that for centuries was the custom while keeping everyone as safe as possible.”

Tickets were by a suggested $20 donation to CICA and were only available at the door. All seats were first-come, first-serve. For more information, see our Holiday Spectacular webpage or the CHICO website at cichamberorchestra.org.

Into the Light:
Celebrating BLACK Composers in Choral Music

By Molly Kohler Pei

Spring 2021

Channel Islands Choral Association (CICA) presented a Virtual Choral Experience, streaming On Demand from June 4th - 20th, 2021.   Into the Light: Celebrating Black Composers in Choral Music features the CSU Channel Islands University Chorus and the Pleasant Valley School District Chorus.  The program is hosted by CICA Artistic Director Dr. KuanFen Liu and President Dean Butler.

CICA continues its commitment to present choral literature and composers that represent diversity in genre, style, racial, ethnic, and cultural heritages.  The event highlights non-idiomatic choral music of some of the most famous and influential Black composers that have too long been neglected in the Western tradition.  The Virtual Choruses perform music by Bobby McFerrin, Undine Smith Moore, Mark Miller, Victor C. Johnson and Ysaÿe Barnwell.  

CICA in partnership with CSU Channel Islands and Pleasant Valley School District aims to promote choral music that raises awareness and celebrates the diversities among us.  Southern California is shaped by the remarkable contributions of its residents. The program pairs the music with examples of individuals and communities that showcase the rich diversity of  Los Angeles. 

The CSU Channel Islands University Chorus is composed of students, faculty, staff and community members.  Highlights of the weekly Zoom rehearsals are the dedicated segments for a community circle in which the participants engage in subject matter related to the music and the theme of the program.  Dr. Raquel Baker, Assistant Professor of English at CSU Channel Islands, facilitated a Two-Way Conversation about performing the music of Black composers as well as other provocative issues.  Highlights of this unique exchange are part of the virtual program.  Viewers will enjoy the robust dialogue covering topics such as how to use choral music to create equality and how a community can advocate for Asian Americans during this time when there is an upsurge of anti-Asian violence.  Inspired by the interchange of heartfelt comments and calls to action for social justice, the students in the chorus created a video poem performance piece in which each reflects on how to be a part of change.

Virtual performances are mastered by Arts Laureate, an elite recording team that sets up virtual performances for groups such as the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and NPR’s JazzSet at the Kennedy Center. 

Into the Light:
Celebrating Women Composers in Choral Music

By Molly Kohler Pei

Winter 2020

Channel Islands Choral Association (CICA) presented a Virtual Choral experience, streaming on demand beginning in December of 2020. Into the Light: Celebrating Women Composers in Choral Music featured the CSU Channel Islands University Chorus and the Pleasant Valley School District Chorus. CICA Artistic Director Dr. KuanFen Liu and President Dean Butler hosted.

Dr. Liu chose the theme to bring awareness to underrepresentation of women composers past and present in concert programming. The program showcases the works of contemporary women composers Betty Nicholson, Dale Trumbore, Dr. Andrea Ramsey, Sarah Quartel and Elizabeth Alexander. Interviews with Dale Trumbore and Dr. Ramsey highlight the challenges each have faced in the competitive field of choral music.

Virtual Choirs, once a novelty, are now mainstream. For the first time since its inception in 2004, CICA has combined the winter concerts of its two sponsored choruses into a Virtual Choir event. COVID-19 has forced the closure of concert venues and challenged music organizations to seek new ways to engage with their audiences. Scholastic Choral Arts programs are compromised by the inability to meet and rehearse in person.

As the sponsor of the CSU Channel Islands University Chorus and the PVSD Chorus, CICA was determined to find a way for these important programs to thrive despite the difficulties of online instruction and rehearsal. Using funds from donors and a grant from CSUCI Instructionally Related Activities, CICA created the Dr. Archie Shum Virtual Choir Room. This innovative virtual space allows members of both choruses to enjoy a new experience of socially distanced singing and rehearsal.

Rehearsing a full program of music for the Virtual Choirs was challenging but ultimately a success. “We navigated the new virtual landscape with technological challenges,” Dr. Liu said, “such as varying internet bandwidths that caused lapses in synchronicity.” Weekly Zoom rehearsals with the Music Directors and Choral Assistants offered guidance and support. CICA provided extensive materials for singers to practice at home and prepare for their contribution to the Virtual Choir. A community circle at the end of each rehearsal offered an opportunity for singers to share their insights, struggles and stories of living with the new realities created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Virtual Choir performances were mastered by Arts Laureate, an elite recording team that sets up virtual performances for groups such as the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and NPR’s JazzSet at the Kennedy Center.

The Museum of Ventura County provided its beautiful venue, the Smith Pavilion, showcasing artwork of Ojai Studio Artists for the additional video segments. The theme of the exhibit, Mending the Divide, accentuated CICA’s mission to encourage the inclusion of women composers in concert programming.

Proceeds from the first run in December benefitted the Virtual Choir programs sponsored by CICA.

Past Events

Fundraiser for Choral Music Education

This fantastic fundraiser took place at D’Amore’s Famous Pizza in Camarillo last December.