Senior Division

NCC Associate Artistic Director Dr. Pamela Blackstone is a renowned and respected conductor on the national and international choral scene, where her expertise and innovative approach to singing have empowered performers of all ages to achieve the highest level of excellence in musicianship, performance, vocal technique and artistic creativity. A native of Chicago, Illinois, Dr. Blackstone began her training as a pianist, violinist, singer and dancer. Exemplifying unique musical and technical mastery, she obtained her Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance and graduated valedictorian from the School of Fine Arts at the University of Kansas (KU), under the tutelage of Dr. Jack Winerock and Claude Frank. During her time at KU, Dr. Blackstone attended the Aspen Summer Music Festival and School, studying piano and chamber music with Rita Sloan. Dr. Blackstone’s love for the choral art form led her to pursue a Master of Music degree in choral conducting from the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance, under the direction of Dr. Eph Ehly. Following her passion for teaching, Dr. Blackstone became the Director of Choral Activities at Westark College in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and emerged as one of the Midwest region’s most sought-after choral clinicians, judges, and show-choir choreographers. Completing her formal education, Dr. Blackstone received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting from the University of California Los Angeles with Dr. Donald Neuen. As part of her tenure, she won various competition and scholarship awards from organizations such as the American Choral Directors Association and the Choral Conductors Guild.

Dr. Blackstone has served as the Assistant Conductor of the Los Angeles-based Angeles Chorale, and has taught vocal and choral music at UCLA, Santa Ana College, and church organizations across the nation. Her conducting appearances include concerts at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Royce Hall and The Broad Stage, with international appearances in Oxford and London, England; Beijing and Xian, China; Rome, Florence and Venice, Italy, including the Vatican City; Berlin, Vienna, Prague, and Budapest; as well as the Korean Demilitarized Zone, Seoul, South Korea, and Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan. This summer’s performances will include Portugal and Spain. Throughout her career, her long-standing philosophy has been “performance excellence through personal excellence.” Combined with her expertise in the healing arts profession, Dr. Blackstone has advocated for an integrated, holistic approach to music education that embodies an eclectic array of modalities and methodologies, enriching her students mentally, emotionally and kinesthetically. In addition, Dr. Blackstone’s awe-inspiring energy revered as “positively contagious” has established her as an invaluable vocal instructor and in-demand performance coach on both coasts. Recent students have been accepted with scholarships at top-level programs across the country, including the University of Southern California, University of California Los Angeles, Manhattan School of Music, New York University, Mannes School of Music, Boston Conservatory, University of Michigan, Peabody Institute, Indiana University, Stanford and Harvard. Her pupils have also enjoyed noteworthy success in the areas of film, theatre and the recording studio.

San Francisco born and based educator, entertainer, and composer, Cole Thomason-Redus has spent the last quarter-century serving the music industry in many diverse ways, highlighting his vast array of skill-sets. Currently, Cole is a Program Manager in the Department of Diversity, Equity & Community at the San Francisco Opera. He is also an Associate Conductor for the National Children’s Chorus and recently served as Director of Education for the GRAMMY Award-winning vocal ensemble, CHANTICLEER. Prior to this, Cole served a seven-year tenure as Curator of Classical Music at Apple, Inc., after having worked for three years as a Classical Music Analyst for the Music Genome Project at Pandora Media, Inc. Schools and organizations for which he has taught include the San Francisco Boys Chorus, Ragazzi Boys Chorus, Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, and San Francisco Arts Education Project. He was a co-founding director of International Orange Choral and has sung with numerous ensembles throughout the Bay Area.

San Francisco born and based educator, entertainer, and composer, Cole Thomason-Redus has spent the last quarter-century serving the music industry in many diverse ways, highlighting his vast array of skill-sets. Currently, Cole is a Program Manager in the Department of Diversity, Equity & Community at the San Francisco Opera. He is also an Associate Conductor for the National Children’s Chorus and recently served as Director of Education for the GRAMMY Award-winning vocal ensemble, CHANTICLEER. Prior to this, Cole served a seven-year tenure as Curator of Classical Music at Apple, Inc., after having worked for three years as a Classical Music Analyst for the Music Genome Project at Pandora Media, Inc. Schools and organizations for which he has taught include the San Francisco Boys Chorus, Ragazzi Boys Chorus, Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, and San Francisco Arts Education Project. He was a co-founding director of International Orange Choral and has sung with numerous ensembles throughout the Bay Area.

Originally trained as a licensed civil engineer, Dr. Kristen Simpson pursued advanced music degrees in choral music to facilitate a career change to music. She has taught courses at Santa Ana College, Texas State University and the University of Southern California, and currently works with the choral program at Villa Park High School as the assistant director and collaborative pianist. She also directs the Ebell Chorale and serves as the director of music at La Canada United Methodist Church. In addition to her work as a conductor, Dr. Simpson is well-known for her keyboard skills and has performed as a collaborative pianist at division and national conventions for the American Choral Directors Association, as well as for the undergraduate and graduate student conducting competitions at the 2015 American Choral Directors Association national convention. She also works with Tonality as a collaborative pianist and singer and recently completed a term serving on its Board of Directors. Dr. Simpson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Cornell University, a Master of Music degree. in choral conducting from Texas State University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral music from the University of Southern California.