Therees Tkach Hibbard — Five Words or Less

Dr. Therees Tkach Hibbard is the director of the Manitou Singers and St. Olaf Chamber Singers, and teaches choral conducting, literature and voice at St. Olaf College. She has served as conductor, adjudicator, choreographer and clinician for numerous choral organizations throughout Great Britain, Europe and North America; as well as in Greece, Hong Kong and Muscat, Oman. Her work as a voice and movement specialist in the training of choral singers and conductors has created unique opportunities for her to collaborate with choirs and conductors from around the world. Prior to her appointment to the St. Olaf faculty, she has served as Associate Director of Choral Activities at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, as well as previously working for twelve years as a singer, dancer, choral conductor, singing tutor and senior lecturer at several UK colleges and universities in the London area including the London College of Music, the Royal College of Music Junior Department, Imperial College and Roehampton University. She also served as one of the founding tutors for the Choral Conductors’ Training Course for the Association of British Choral Directors that she helped develop and implement throughout the UK. Her research on enhancing choral performance through movement training has led to the development of a comprehensive choral education philosophy of "BodySinging"; most clearly demonstrated through her work with choirs such as the Oregon Bach Festival Youth Choral Academy, the Animato Choir of Lesvos, Greece, and The American Boychoir. In addition to her work as a conductor and teacher, she has also performed professionally as vocal soloist, dancer and choral singer in London, UK and throughout the United States.