Personnel
Paul W. Schultz, Artistic Director and Founder, Northwest Repertory Singers
A native of Richmond Michigan, Paul W. Schultz has accrued a distinguished career as a teacher and conductor throughout the United States spanning over five decades. He received both Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts degrees from Central Michigan University, a Ph.D. in music education from Michigan State University, and has studied conducting with Helmuth Rilling at the Internationale Bachakademie in Stuttgart, Germany. His choral ensembles consistently receive the highest acclaim for their standards in repertoire, interpretation and musicianship. They have appeared at the state, regional, and national conventions of both the Music Educators National Conference and the American Choral Directors Association.Dr. Schultz taught in the public schools in Michigan for 20 years and has served on the faculties of Tacoma School of the Arts, University of Puget Sound, and Michigan State University. He retired in 2006 after 44 years of teaching. Dr. Schultz prepared and conducted the major choral presentations for the Third World Harp Congress Convention in 1996. He also served as artistic conductor with Tacoma City Ballet and was the founder and first conductor of the Tacoma Symphony Chorus.
Dr. Schultz founded the Northwest Repertory Singers in August 2001. NWRS has quickly become one of the Puget Sound region’s most revered choral ensembles. They are a very select group of distinguished Puget Sound musicians dedicated to performing a wide variety of quality choral music at a high artistic level. Performances during their first decade have received hearty acclaim and played to capacity audiences.
They sponsored the Rolling Requiem in 2002 to commemorate the anniversary of September 11, 2001. This performance of Mozart’s Requiem was presented at 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2002 to an audience of more than 900 people at Mason United Methodist Church in Tacoma’s Proctor District. The choir has presented collaborations with The Coats, Tacoma Youth Chorus, Lake Union Civic Orchestra, and Northwest Sinfonietta. They received critical acclaim for their 2006 performances of Mozart’s Requiem with Northwest Sinfonietta under the direction of Christophe Chagnard. Their performance for Seattle Pro Musica’s American Masterpieces Choral Festival in June, 2007, received the highest praise from composer Morten Lauridsen and conductor Dale Warland. April, 2008 featured two performances of Beethoven’s Symphony #9 (Choral) with Northwest Sinfonietta and conductor Christophe Chagnard. Maestro Chagnard stated these performances were one of the highlights in the history of Northwest Sinfonietta. The Tacoma News Tribune concluded: “What a joy to have an orchestra and singers of this caliber performing works like this—it’s something Tacoma should be proud of.” Dr. Schultz has twice received the Distinguished Service Award given by the Washington American Choral Directors Association. He was the recipient of the prestigious American Choral Directors Association Northwestern Division Lifetime Achievement and Leadership Award in 2004. He is a life member of the American Choral Director’s Association and a member of Chorus America. Dr. Schultz remains active as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States. He resides in Gig Harbor with his wife, composer Dr. Donna Gartman Schultz.
Photo by chip van gilder www.chipshotphoto.com
Kyle Haugen, Assistant Director
Mr. Haugen, a Tacoma native, directs the Young Men’s Choir and co-directs the mixed Chorale for Tacoma Youth Chorus. He holds a BA from the University of Puget Sound, where he is a senior associate director for the Office of Admission, and a Master of Sacred Music degree from Luther Seminary in conjunction with St. Olaf College. He has held church music positions in the Tacoma area; in St. Louis Park, Minn.; and in Boston, Mass., where he was the tenor soloist for the premiere of Daniel Pinkham’s Missa Brevis. A published composer, his music has been performed widely in the U.S. and was featured on a PBS holiday program televised nationwide. Accompanist: Marjorie Skreen-Dickerson
Ms. Skreen received a BM from the University of Puget Sound and an MM from the University of Washington. She is a member of the Tacoma Chapter Music Teachers Association where her students have been chosen as convention representatives. Ms. Skreen served on the Pierce College faculty, and she currently accompanies NWRS and serves as organist at Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church in Gig Harbor. She has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, appeared as a vocal soloist with the Tacoma Symphony, and as a featured artist with the Orpheus Chorus. She has accompanied NWRS since their founding in 2001.
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