Choral Leadership Workshop

About: Andrew Crane joined the BYU faculty in 2015, where his main duties include conducting the Brigham Young University Singers and teaching courses in the graduate conducting curriculum. Previous to this appointment, he served for four years as Director of Choral Activities at East Carolina University (ECU), and six years in the same position at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). He is also the former choral director at Provo High School. Teaching honors include the BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications Excellence in Mentoring award, and the CSUSB College of Arts and Letters Outstanding Professor award for scholarly, research, and creative activities.

About: Tram Sparks is a Professor of Practice in Choral Music at the USC Thornton School of Music and served as Choral & Sacred Music Department Chair from 2022-2025. Recent artistic highlights include conducting the NWACDA collegiate festival chorus in a performance of Brahms’ Nänie, Vienna Teng’s Hymn of Acxiom, and the world premiere of Saunder Choi’s Citizens of the Neon Republic at the 2026 NWACDA conference. In 2024, Sparks conducted the USC Thornton Chamber Singers in Ellen Reid’s Oscillations: One Hundred Years and Forever at the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Noon to Midnight Festival. In June 2023, Sparks conducted the festival chorus, including the USC Thornton Chamber Singers, and the New England Symphonic Ensemble in a performance of Faure’s Requiem at Carnegie Hall. 

A native of Vietnam, Sparks was Associate Professor of Music at Temple University (1999-2009), has served as music director at churches and synagogues in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, and is a frequent guest conductor and choral clinician. Sparks holds a B.M. in Piano Performance, a M.M. in Choral Conducting from Temple University, and a D.M.A. in Choral Conducting from the Yale School of Music.