to the site of Seth Houston, choral conductor, composer, and scholar. Seth recently completed coursework for the DMA degree in choral music at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. While there, he served as co-conductor of USC Thornton University Chorus, director of music at Unitarian Universalist Community Church in Santa Monica, and founding artistic director of Canticum Novum LA. Seth now directs the DeKalb Festival Chorus and is ChiArts partner conductor with the Chicago Children’s Choir. Seth has presented research on the music of Schumann, Brahms, and the American shape-note tradition at national conferences of the American Brahms Society, National Collegiate Choral Organization, and College Music Society. Seth’s compositions and arrangements are published by Santa Barbara Music Publishing, Inc. Check out Seth’s bio, news, upcoming events, and compositions. You can also find Seth on YouTube, SoundCloud, and Facebook. Highlights include:

1. Houston’s compositions Stars I Shall Find, Emerald Stream, Snowflakes, and May the Lord Bless You and Keep You and his arrangements A Miner’s Life and The Reapers All with Their Sharp Sickles are published by Santa Barbara Music Publishing, Inc.
   

2. Houston’s composition Stars I Shall Find (SA or TB version) was included in the Two Year College Reading Session at the 2013 ACDA National Convention in Dallas, TX.
   

3. Houston will conduct Haydn’s Missa in Angustiis (“Lord Nelson Mass”) with the DeKalb Festival Chorus in DeKalb, IL, on May 5. See a recent performance by the DeKalb Festival Chorus here.
   

4. Houston will conduct the CUSD #300 high school honor choir in Algonquin, IL, on October 21-22, 2013.
   

5. Houston’s arrangement of the Appalachian christmas hymn Brightest and Best, for choir with soprano soloist, organ, and percussion ensemble, was premiered by the DeKalb Festival Chorus on December 16, 2012. The performance also included music by Bach, Mendelssohn, and Gjielo. Listen here.
   

6. Starting in August 2012, Houston serves as ChiArts partner conductor at Chicago Children’s Choir and director of high school choirs at Chicago Waldorf School. See a recent performance here.
   

7. The recently released fifth edition of Northern Harmony includes five of Houston’s compositions: Aeolian Harp, Desert Sorrow, Interstate, Lake Forest, and Smear.
   

8. Three choirs premiered new works by Houston in early June 2012: The Wayfarer was premiered on June 10 by the Donald Brinegar Singers, A White Rose on June 12 by Canticum Novum LA, and Two Minds on June 15-16 by Horizon Music Group.
   

9. USC Thornton Chamber Singers, conducted by Jo-Michael Scheibe, performed The Reapers All with Their Sharp Sickles during their summer 2012 tour of New Zealand and Australia, culminating in the New Zealand Choral Federation’s national conference.
   

10. Houston conducted Canticum Novum LA, together with Vicente Chavarria and Rayvon Moore, in a program of new music on June 12, 2012. Houston premiered two works by Benjamin Salisbury.
    

11. Houston conducted USC Thornton University Chorus, together with Zanaida Robles, in Bovard Auditorium on April 18, 2012. The concert included Houston’s edition of Soar Away and the premiere performance of his arrangement of A Miner’s Life. See a video here.
    

12. USC Thornton Oriana Women’s Choir, conducted by Troy Quinn, premiered the choral duet version of “Stars I Shall Find” on March 30, 2012.
    

13. Seth presented a paper on Brahms’s Zigeunerlieder at the American Brahms Society’s national conference in New York City on March 23, 2012.
    

14. Seth served as co-conductor of USC Thornton University Chorus for the 2011-2012 academic year. Seth served as assistant conductor of USC Thornton Concert Choir in 2010-2011.
    

15. Seth presented a poster session on shape-note singing at the national conference of the National Collegiate Choral Organization in November 2011.
    

16. Seth co-founded and co-conducts Canticum Novum LA, a new choir dedicated to new music by Los Angeles composers. Their first concert, on June 21, 2011, presented works by Nick McKaig, Ryan Harper, Dale Trumbore, Zanaida Robles, and Houston. The second concert, on June 12, 2012, presented new works by Vicente Chavarria, Daniel Choi, Benjamin Salisbury, and Houston.
    

17. Seth was composer in residence at the Cal State LA Summer Choral Festival in July 2011.
    

18. Seth’s paper on Brahms’s Zigeunerlieder was named Outstanding Student Paper at the College Music Society’s Pacific Southwest Conference.
    

19. Seth conducted USC Thornton Concert Choir Mendelssohn’s Andenken (April 1, 2011) and in the premiere of his composition Snowflakes (October 13, 17, and 22, 2010).
    

20. Seth presented a DMA recital, featuring works by Bach, Byrd, Haydn, Brahms, Effinger, Brandon, and Houston, on November 16, 2010. Click on the “Recordings” tab to hear excerpts.
    

21. Seth presented a paper on Robert Schumann’s Das Paradise und die Peri at the College Music Society’s national conference in Minneapolis, September 25, 2010.
    

22. Seth’s composition Let Peace Begin with Me won the USC Thornton Children’s Song Composition Competition and was premiered at the USC Neighborhood Children’s Choral Festival on March 11, 2010.