WILSON-WICKER NAMED ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

The Board of Directors of the Gwinnett Choral Guild has appointed Renée Wilson-Wicker Artistic Director for the 30 year old community chorus.  Working collaboratively with the Board, Wilson-Wicker will be responsible for articulating a strong artistic vision, music selection and planning for performances, collaborations and recordings for the 2013 season and beyond.

 “We are very excited to have Renée on board,” said John Kilpatrick, The Gwinnett Choral Guild’s Board President. “She is a dynamic and inspirational music director with name recognition among peers throughout Gwinnett County.  She also has a reputation for bringing passion, inspiration and energy to choral music. Given Renee’s demonstrated track record for excellence, our Guild members are looking forward to singing under her direction.”

 Wilson-Wicker is an active performer, conductor, and veteran educator.  She earned her Bachelor of Music degree with an emphasis in Vocal Music Education from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio and the Master of Music degree in Voice Performance from the renowned Manhattan School of Music in New York City.  In her undergraduate career, she performed as a soloist and ensemble member in choral and orchestral groups, also serving as a section leader and student conductor.

 While in New York, graduate work emphasized early music and dramatic literature with performances in the Baroque Vocal Ensemble and her symphonic debut with the New York Symphonic Arts Ensemble.  Wilson-Wicker has performed a wide variety of works throughout her career by such composers as Bach, Britten, Duruflé, Handel, Mozart, Saint-Saëns, Sibelius and Vivaldi, spanning contrasting styles of music. She sang as a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus and Chamber Chorus under the direction of Robert Shaw both in Atlanta and in Carnegie Hall and currently performs with Coro Vocati, under the direction of John Dickson, serving as the Alto section leader.

Wilson-Wicker is also a music educator, presently in her 19th year of teaching, the majority of which has been in Georgia. She is the Director of Choral and Orchestral Activities and Fine Arts Department Chair at Lanier High School, currently in the 3rd year of her tenure. Mrs. Wicker is in demand as a conductor, clinician and adjudicator for honor ensembles and events within the state of Georgia.  She was the inaugural choral director for Grayson High School, which was honored to perform for the Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference and in Carnegie Hall while consistently receiving superior ratings in performance evaluations and competitions.    

 Wilson-Wicker holds membership in the Georgia Music Educators Association, National Association for Music Education and American Choral Directors Association. She has served as State Choral Chair for GMEA, is the current GMEA Vice President for All-State Events and is a certified choral adjudicator.

 The most treasured roles in her life are that of wife, grandmother, aunt and teacher.                                     

 Established in 1983, the Gwinnett Choral Guild is a volunteer community choir based in Gwinnett County.  Its members are singers from all walks of life and are bonded by a love for choral music.  The 501(c)3 non-profit organization is a member of Chorus America, The Metropolitan Atlanta Arts and Culture Coalition, and the Atlanta Coalition of Performing Arts.

For more information about the Gwinnett Choral Guild, call 404-223-9962 or visit http://www.gwinnettchoralguild.org/