BREATH OF RECONCILIATION: A Whisper Between Earth and Soul
Enhanced by stunning artistic projections, this performance showcases the National Treble Chorus, including a world premiere by composer Moira Smiley. Centered around the theme Breath of Reconciliation, this program focuses on healing, unity, and resilience.

The remainder of the concert will spotlight the Tucson Girls Chorus, as well as The Reconcile Choir—an ensemble comprising members of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, the Edina Chorale, and the Congregational Church of Excelsior. 

MARCELA MOLINA, GUEST CONDUCTOR

Dr. Marcela Molina's choirs have been described as "simply astonishing," "powerful and mesmerizing," and "sublime sound coupled with mature stylistic sensitivity." She has been leading the Tucson Girls Chorus since 2006, initially serving as Artistic Director and becoming Executive Director in 2011. In addition to guiding the executive and artistic vision of the organization, she conducts the Advanced Choir (grades 9-12) and the Alumnae Choir. Under her leadership, the Tucson Girls Chorus has experienced significant growth in programming and community engagement, transforming into a vibrant and collaborative organization that offers inclusive programming for youth and provides resources and support to music educators year-round. TGC has often been invited to share programming strategies as an example of innovative initiatives.

Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Dr. Molina began her musical studies as a classical guitar major and later pursued choral conducting at Javeriana University in Bogotá, Colombia. She holds degrees from Westminster Choir College and the University of Arizona. She has contributed articles to Antiphon and the books Teaching through Performance in Choir, Volume 2 and Choral Reflections: Insights from American Choral Conductor-Teachers. In 2019, she was named Choral Director of the Year by the Arizona American Choral Directors Association (AzACDA). Dr. Molina frequently serves as a clinician and guest conductor for choral festivals across the country. She has served on the board of AzACDA, on standing committees for the ACDA Western Division, and currently serves on the boards of ACDA Western Division and Chorus America. Additionally, Dr. Molina is the Director of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra Chorus.

DIANA SAEZ, GUEST CONDUCTOR/COMPOSER

Dr. Diana V. Sáez is the Director of Choral Activities at Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland, directing the University Chorale, Women’s Choir, and Choral Society. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Sáez served as Visiting Choir Director at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois and Visiting Choir Conductor at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. Dr. Sáez also directed the Catholic University Women’s Choir for six years and served as artistic director of the World Bank-IMF Chorus for sixteen years.

“I am a firm believer that we must learn and teach music from different cultures. And by different cultures, I don’t mean only the music from specific geographical areas but also the music from different cultural groups within the United States, such as music created by the working class, the LGBTQ+ community, urban and rural areas, native people, women of color, the Appalachian region, and my own community, Latinx.” – Diana
As a leading specialist in the field of Latin American music, Dr. Sáez is a frequent guest conductor, adjudicator, and lecturer in both the United States and abroad. In the past five years, she has presented at American universities, national and regional ACDA conventions, and various engagements in North and South America. She has also guest conducted at the Festival Distrital de Coros en Bogotá, Colombia and directed regional honor choruses in Virginia, Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Dr. Sáez is perhaps best known for serving as artistic director of Cantigas, an award-winning chamber choir that she founded with the mission to increase awareness and appreciation of Latin America and Spanish choral music. For 25 years, Cantigas was a principal performer of Latin American music in North America, with appearances at the ACDA Eastern Division Convention, Kennedy Center, and Strathmore Center, as well as international tours in Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. In 2014, the choir was awarded the Choral Excellence Award for Most Creative Programming by the Choralis Foundation in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Sáez began her musical education at the Escuela Libre de Música in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She earned a Master of Choral Conducting from Temple University and a Doctorate in Musical Arts at the University of Maryland, College Park. She also holds a Master of Education from Harvard University.

MOIRA SMILEY, COMPOSER-IN-RESIDENCE

An active composer and performer, Moira has written commissions for the LA Master Chorale, Conspirare, Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble, Mirabai, Stile Antico, American Choral Directors Association, Voces Novae, VocalEssence, Pacific Chorale, NOTUS, Ad Astra Festival and countless others.  Her arrangements and original compositions for choir – especially those with her signature body percussion – are performed by millions of singers around the world. The European premiere of Time In Our Voices was performed by the voices and mobile phones of Ars Nova Copenhagen under the direction of Paul Hillier. In 2018-2019 Moira released the album and choral songbook, Unzip The Horizon as companion to her The Voice Is A Traveler solo show. She continues composing and improvising in collaboration with artists in film, video game production, theater and dance, and her work can be heard on feature film soundtracks, BBC & PBS television programs, NPR, and on more than 70 commercial albums. Her most recent premieres include her secular liturgy, The Song Among Us for Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble and Keep On for VocalEssence. Her current projects include Utopias for voices and strings, and a re-telling of Ovid’s tale of Narcissus for mobile phones and voices. 

BREATH OF RECONCILIATION: A Whisper Between Earth and Soul

PROGRAM

Saturday June 14, 2025 @1:00 PM
CARNEGIE HALL

Tuscon Girls Chorus 
Marcela Molina, conductor
Nicky Manlove, assistant conductor

National Youth Chorus 
Marcela Molina, guest conductor
Diana Saez, guest conductor
Moira Smiley, composer-in-residence
SHAW From Rivers
UGALDE Ave Maris Stella
SAEZ El Temporal
SALAZAR El Pescador
SMILEY Who We Are (world premiere)
WONG Take This Gift

RECONCILE CHOIR
Adam Giebner, artistic director & conductor
Paige Armstrong, conductor
Peter J. Durow, conductor
JoAnna Johnson, conductor

HAGEN/TAKACH Path to Each Other
MOODY/THE WAILIN' JENNYS One Voice
PEDERSON Reconcile
PEDERSON Soon We Will Be Done
DAVIS Love Like Fire
DUROW Gentle is joy
WHITACRE Sing Gently
DEMORE Lead with Love
PEDERSON Be the Bridge