Pacific Youth Choir Staff Biographies

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Staff Biographies

Mia Hall Savage
Artistic Director

With more than 20 years of choral education experience, Mia Savage is known for her excellence in choral artistry, along with her enthusiasm and passion for conducting young people. She has received numerous recognitions from national and international conductors for her work with youth choirs. In addition to being Artistic Director of Pacific Youth Choir, Mia directs the Coventry Singers at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, has an active voice studio, and is a popular adjudicator and clinician. In May 2004, she will be the guest conductor of the All-City Youth Choir. Mia has been asked to be a member of the Dean's Advisory Committee to the School of Music at the University of Oregon.

Before founding the Pacific Youth Choir, Mia was director of the Oregon Repertory Singers Youth Choirs, gaining regional and national recognition for their top choirs. She led a highly successful youth choir program at First Presbyterian Church, as well as having taught all levels at Oregon Episcopal School.

Choirs under Mia’s direction have received coveted invitations to perform at Golden Gate International Festival, Heritage Gold Festival, Oregon Bach Festival, Composers Symposium, American Choral Directors Association Regional Convention, and Pacific International Children‘s Choir Festival.

Mia holds bachelor's and master's degrees in music from the University of Oregon. Additionally, she has studied in Stuttgart, Germany at the Musik Hohe Schule. While there she had the opportunity to sing professionally under many
outstanding choral directors including Helmuth Rilling and Frieder Bernius.

Ben Landsverk
Assistant Director

Ben Landsverk is a multi-faceted musician. In addition to leading Pacific Youth Choir's Tsunami, Ben is currently composing and recording with San Francisco-based
artist Holcombe Waller. Before coming home to Portland, Ben was in New York City where he worked with various choral organizations as both a singer and a director. A graduate of Yale University, Ben received a Bachelor of Art's degree in music.

At Yale, Ben was music director for the famed Yale Whiffenpoofs, both music director and a choir member with The Duke's Men of Yale, a violist with Yale Symphony Orchestra, bassist and co-founder of the Yale Jazz Dialect. Ben has studied with several internationally known voice coaches. In 1996 his Yale group was selected as the top male a cappella collegiate group in America, and sang for President and Mrs. Clinton's White House Christmas party.

Ben is a graduate of Portland's Wilson High School, where he was selected for all-state and all-Northwest in choir, orchestra, and jazz band. As a senior he directed the Wilson orchestra, and took them to the state competition. He has won numerous honors for his musicianship and has performed in choirs and ensembles and as a soloist throughout the world.

Pacific Youth Choir Staff
Program Coordinator: Ruth Finn

The staff of Pacific Youth Choir is dedicated to nurturing and educating students in the artistry of choral music, including vocal technique, ear training, breathing, and performing. The staff work together to ensure an environment that will encourage all choir members to perform to the best of their ability.

Pacific Youth Choir • 503.780.1675 • In Residence at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Portland, Oregon •