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Southern California Choral Artists was founded in 2021 as a non-profit arts organization. We are an auditioned chamber choir of 30-40 members who love sharing the joy of choral singing with each other and our community. Our regular season consists of at least 4 concerts featuring a variety of musical genres and styles.
Because we seek to create meaningful musical experiences, we value interaction and education in our performances. Our audience members often tell us how much they love learning about the music from our director’s comments, which help them more fully enter into the music and enjoy it.
We also love to collaborate with other arts organizations, including school choirs, community choirs, and orchestras. The season finale concert of our inaugural year was a joint performance with the MSJC College Singers, and our 2022-2023 season includes appearing with Temecula Valley Symphony for their Holiday Concert.
We rehearse on Monday evenings at the beautiful Murrieta Springs Seventh-day Adventist Church, and our regular performance venue is the acoustically-exquisite Grace Presbyterian Church in Temecula. Our regular performance season runs from mid-August through May. We invite experienced singers to join us, and hold auditions by appointment.
Southern California Choral Artists seeks to enrich people’s lives by creating vibrant and meaningful musical experiences that engage the heart and mind.
We will strive to provide high-quality rehearsals and performances that will foster the wellbeing of our performers and audiences, inspire and develop musicians of all ages, and promote the ongoing appreciation and enjoyment of the choral arts.
Eric is a music educator, church musician, singer, and choral director. He is a tenured, full-time music faculty member of Mt. San Jacinto College, where he directs the College Singers and teaches music theory, ear training, music appreciation, and private voice lessons. Prior to taking the position at MSJC, he was adjunct faculty at Riverside City College for four years, teaching voice and serving first as Assistant Director and then Conductor of the Riverside Master Chorale. He directed the Temecula Valley Symphony Chorus from its formation in 2015 through the Spring of 2021. Eric founded a new arts organization, the Southern California Choral Artists, in the Summer of 2021.
In 2020 he began a summers-only program at Cal State University Los Angeles, pursuing a Master’s Degree in Choral Conducting, studying with Dr. Christopher Gravis, Dr. William Belan, and the esteemed Donald Brinegar. This revolutionary program has already deeply impacted his approach to the choral arts and was part of the inspiration for forming his own performing ensemble.
With degrees in both Church Music and Bible, Eric serves on the leadership team and leads worship at Grace Bible Church of Murrieta – the reason he and his wife moved from the east coast to California in 2010. He is thankful to God for the many opportunities to intersect with people’s lives through shared musical experiences. His favorite musicians are his wife Heidi Jeanne, their older son Xander, who joined the ensemble in 2014, and Zeke, who just made his debut in October 2021 with some pretty strong lungs.
Wendi has enjoyed tremendous musical opportunities as a keyboard collaborative artist, musical director, and educator since 1985. Wendi’s vocal and instrumental coaching has prepared young artists for national and international recitals, auditions and competitions such as the regional Metropolitan Opera auditions, Spotlight and Young Artist competitions, and the prestigious Eisteddfodd competition in Wales. As a choral collaborator, she has performed with choirs on various concert stages and cathedrals in China, Wales, Ireland, England, Eastern Europe, Germany and the United States under the direction of Michelle Jensen (Azusa Pacific University Chamber Singers), John Byun (Riverside Community College/Temecula Valley Master Chorale), and Dr. Jonathan Talberg (CSU Long Beach). As a member of ACDA, SCVA and NCCO, Wendi has collaborated with renowned clinicians such as Charlene Archibeque, Eric Whitacre, Richard Burchard, Josh Haberman, Geoffrey Boers, Jo-Michael Schiebe, and John Alexander.
Wendi is also in demand as a musical director/conductor in the field of musical theater. Most recently, Wendi has collaborated on projects at Mt. San Jacinto College, Citrus College, Fullerton College, Riverside Community College, and with Southern California community theater companies such as Worldwide Theatrical Productions, Broadway Gardens, Candlelight Dinner Theater and Christian Youth Theater. Recent show credits include Mary Poppins, Spelling Bee, Bye Bye Birdie, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, Dogfight, Godspell, Shrek, Les Miserables, Ragtime, Legally Blonde, Wizard of Oz, and the award-winning performance of Sweeney Todd.
Wendi earned a Master’s degree in Keyboard Collaborative Arts at Azusa Pacific University under the teaching of Dr. Joel Clifft (USC), Dr. Eugene Alcalay (Julliard), and Dr. Cheryl Lin Fielding (Julliard). She lives in Murrieta, CA with her husband, David. She also enjoys the opportunity to collaborate with her son, Steven, on film projects. Wendi credits the Lord for her accomplishments.
