T.J. Harper (USA)
T. J. HARPER is Associate Professor of Music, Director of Choral Activities, and Chair of the
Department of Music at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA. Choirs under the direction of Dr. Harper have performed at regional and national conferences for the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). He has received invitations as conductor, clinician and lecturer throughout the United States and internationally in Argentina, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, and Venezuela. Dr. Harper received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California where he graduated with honors. He was the Chair of the ACDA International Activities Committee, the past Director of the ACDA International Conductors Exchange Program, and most recently was a Board Member for the International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM).
Cristina Gallardo-Domâs (Chile / Spain)
Cristina Gallardo-Domâs is a soprano, born in Santiago, Chile, who frequently performs in operas by Puccini. Gallardo-Domâs made her debut as Madama Butterfly in 1990 at the Municipal Theatre of Santiago and, three years later, began performing in opera houses in Europe, making her La Scala debut in 1993 in La Rondine. Gallardo-Domâs’ many Puccini performances include: Turandot and Madama Butterfly at the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera, and Royal Opera House; La bohème at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, and Paris Opéra; Manon Lescaut at the Zurich Opera and Los Angeles Opera; Simon Boccanegra (by Verdi) at Vienna State Opera, Bavarian State Opera, and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia; and Suor Angelica at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and Teatro Colón. Gallardo-Domâs is known for her Madama Butterfly and was featured in the heavily promoted new production of this work that opened the 2006/2007 season at the Metropolitan Opera and marked the beginning of Peter Gelb’s tenure as General Manager of the Met. According to her website, she was personally chosen by the director, Anthony Minghella, for this role, having successfully performed it previously at the Royal Opera. In 2010 Gallardo-Domâs created the role of Matilde Neruda in the Los Angeles world premiere of Daniel Catán’s Il Postino. Gallardo-Domâs received a degree with honors in music from the Escuela Moderna de Música in Santiago and also studied at the Juilliard School in New York. She has been recognized with top cultural honors in Chile: the Gabriela Mistral Award and the Gran Cruz Apostol Santiago. She has also won top prizes in singing competitions. Gallardo-Domâs lives in the Canary Islands, Spain, with her husband, a Spanish lawyer, and her two children.
Pawasut Jodi Piriyapongrat (Thailand)
Pawasut Piriyapongrat earned her bachelor’s degree in Music Education with honors from Chulalongkorn University; Master of Music in Church Music and Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Music from the University of Southern California, where she studied choral conducting with the late Dr. William Dehning. Through her extensive choral experiences, including conducting Thai Youth Choir (2007-2009) and Chulalongkorn University Concert Choir (2007-present), and many collaborative works of the latter with professional Thai and international orchestras, Pawasut has earned her recognition as Thailand’s leading choral conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and choral educator with engagements locally and internationally, including in USA, China, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. She dedicates much time and energy in bettering choral standards in Thailand through her involvement with Thailand Ministry of Education and initiatives with Chulalongkorn University that include various workshops, an annual choral festival, and choral camps for university choirs in Thailand. Some of her initiatives were in collaboration with American Choral Directors Association. She is a full-time faculty member of Music Education Department, Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University, and serves as President of Thailand Choral Conductors Association.
