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EUGENE ROGERS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Lauded for leading performances of“ pure magic”( The Washington Post), conductor Eugene Rogers is at the vanguard of American musicians, recognized for his musical and educational leadership around the world. Rogers is a committed conductor, teacher, arranger, and industry thought leader, championing timely new works, bringing historically overlooked music to life, and supporting next-generation talents.
Rogers is a two-time Michigan Emmy Award winner, a 2017 Sphinx Medal of Excellence recipient, and was nominated for a GRAMMY Award in 2015. Musical America magazine has named him one of the top music industry professionals, and his work has been profiled on CNN, PBS, and on radio stations and in print and online publications across the world.
Since 2020, Rogers has served as Artistic Director of The Washington Chorus. He is also the Founding Director for EXIGENCE, a professional vocal ensemble affiliated with the world-renowned Sphinx Organization. Alongside his own appearances as guest conductor for orchestra, chorus, and opera, he has also proudly acted as chorus master to leading conductors including Gianandrea Noseda, Marin Alsop, Joe Hisaishi, James Conlon, and Bernard Labadie.
AARON COPP SCENIC & LIGHTING DESIGNER
Aaron Copp’ s recent designs include a new Netflix special, The Good Life, by Mike Birbiglia, Broadway productions of The Old Man and the Pool and The New One, Rachel Bloom’ s Death Let Me Do My Show at the Orpheum, Bernstein’ s Mass at the Kennedy Center, Falling Out of Time at Carnegie Hall, Red State Blue State for Colin Quinn at the Minetta Lane, Candide at Tanglewood Music Center, and One Line Drawn by Brian Brooks for Miami City Ballet. Music projects include designs for The Silk Road Ensemble, Natalie Merchant, Diamanda Galas, Maya Beiser and the Bang On A Can All-Stars. He has worked extensively in the dance world, and in 2008 received his second Bessie Award for Jonah Bokaer’ s The Invention of Minus One. He had a long association with Merce Cunningham, designing such pieces as Ground Level Overlay, Windows, and Biped, for which he also won a Bessie.
Rogers is an Associate Professor of Music and the Director of University Choirs at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. He currently serves on the board of Chorus America and is the former national chair of the Diversity Initiatives Committee for the American Choral Directors Association. Rogers is also active as an arranger, with publications including the Eugene Rogers Choral Series and the EXIGENCE Choral Series for Mark Foster Publishing.
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