Annual Christmas Concert - Sold Out

Shawna Stewart

Dr. Shawna Stewart is Director of Choral Studies at Biola University in La Mirada, CA where she conducts the Biola University Chorale and the Vocal Jazz Ensemble. As associate professor, she teaches courses in conducting and choral methods. Dr. Stewart holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music (M.M. Conducting), the University of Southern California (D.M.A. Choral Music), and has served on the faculty at John Brown University and North Dakota State College of Science. She has also held the position of Music Director at several churches in CA and NY. Presently, with an additional interest in early childhood music education, she is the owner of and teacher at Children’s Music Academy in Whittier, CA.

Dr. Stewart frequently serves as an adjudicator and guest clinician for choral festivals, workshops and honor choirs throughout the United States, including ACDA, SCVA, and ACSI. Under her direction, the Biola University Chorale has performed at the 2016 and 2020 Western Division Conference of the American Choral Directors Association and the 2017 National Collegiate Choral Organization’s Biennial National Conference. She is a member of ACDA, NATS, and SCVA, has served on the California ACDA board (6 years), and is currently a Western region national board member for NCCO.

John Tebay

John Tebay received his Bachelor of Music Education from Biola University. He began his career in 1976 as Minister of Music and Worship at Calvary Church of Placentia, California, USA, where he directed the music program for 17 years. In 1981, he became the choral director at El Dorado High School in Placentia, California. He has been director of choral studies at Fullerton College in Southern California since 1985. During that time, he has conducted the 110-voice Concert Choir, the Chamber Singers, the Collegiate Chorale, the Men’s Chorale, the Women’s Chorale, the Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and the song and dance troupe, Bravo.

John’s choirs have performed for ACDA, NCCO, CASMEC and MENC Choral Conventions. Other performances include national and international engagements. He is currently Dean of Fine Arts at Fullerton College.

Robert G. Feller

While serving as a graduate assistant at the Eastman School of Music, Robert G. Feller graduated with a Master’s Degree in Performance and Literature in Trumpet, and was awarded the coveted Performer’s Certificate for outstanding performance. His trumpet teachers have included Barbara Butler (Chicago), Boyde Hood (Los Angeles Philharmonic), Anthony Plog (International Recitalist/ Freiburg School in Germany), John Clyman (Los Angeles), Vincent Chickowitz (Chicago Symphony) Master class performer, Joan La Rue (Long Beach), Gary Wiedeman (Garden Grove), and Frank Maltz (Huntington Beach).

Mr. Feller studied conducting with Larry Curtis (Instrumental, CSULB), Hans Beer (Orchestral, USC), David Wilson (Choral, USC), and David Effron (Orchestral, ESM). He was the founder and director of the Professional Christian Wind Ensemble conducting numerous concerts in Southern California. For two years he also served as the conductor of the Pacific Brass Ensemble, Southern California’s premier Brass Ensemble. For the 5 years of its existence, he was the conductor of the Los Angeles Holiday Brass concerts which was comprised of the best brass players in Southern California.

He has been a performing member of the California Philharmonic, California Wind Orchestra, the Long Beach Municipal Band, the Rochester Philharmonic, Pasadena Symphony, Pasadena Chamber Orchestra, the Ontario Brass, the Nazareth Brass Quintet, and played lead trumpet in dozens of Civic Light Opera productions. He has been a trumpet performer in many of Disneyland’s atmosphere groups including playing lead trumpet for the nationally acclaimed Symphonic Fantasy Tour. From 1989 – 2016 Mr. Feller was the Head Clinician for Disney Performing Arts Excellence in Entertainment Workshops leading approximately 4000 film scoring session workshops. In the course of ten years, he traveled extensively with the Continental Brass and Singers, conducting and playing trumpet in more than 2000 concerts in over 29 countries Worldwide. Mr. Feller was a founding member of Gabriel Brass, a trumpet trio with a four-piece rhythm section, whose crowning achievement was to represent the USA in North and South Korea as well as China. He’s lead teams to Romania to minister to orphans and abandoned babies with Heart2Heart International in 2002, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and is scheduled to return every other year.

Currently Mr. Feller is the Head of Winds and Percussion at the Biola University Conservatory of Music. He also conducts the Symphonic Winds, directs the Brass Ensemble, and coaches the Woodwind Quintet, Brass Trio, and Horn Quintet. In addition to teaching Basic and Advanced Instrumental Conducting, Brass Methods, Instrumental Literature for Schools, Guided Research for Instrumental Literature and Pedagogy, he coordinates other activities related to instrumental music.

He just recently retired from playing trumpet, but he was a member of Quartet Biola, a faculty quartet from the Biola Conservatory of Music, who traveled to Japan, mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Singapore performing in solo concerts, recitals, giving masterclasses, and leading workshops. During his career, he has performed in 31 different countries.

Marlin Owen

Marlin Owen is head of Strings Department at Biola University and conductor of the Symphony and Opera Orchestras. He also teaches courses in music history, world music cultures and has been awarded Biola’s “Distinguished Professor of the Year” award. He is a very active performer as a solo cellist, chamber musician, guest conductor and clinician with performances through the U.S., Mexico, Europe and Asia. He studied cello with Peter Farrell at University of California – San Diego, Janos Starker in Switzerland, piano with Edward Epple, and guitar with Manuel Lopez Ramos in Mexico City. He conducted the UCSD orchestra, the San Diego Civic Youth Orchestras and has an ongoing commitment to train young musicians. He is an active supporter and performer of 20th C. composers and music of world cultures. Recent musical travels have been to Eastern Europe, Thailand, Kenya, the Middle East, Norway, Italy, Iceland, Iceland, China, Japan, Indonesia and Singapore. For the past 20 years he has performed chamber recitals and conducted concerto concerts with the internationally famed pianist of the Beaux Arts Trio, Menahem Pressler, Biola University’s Distinguished Artist in Residence.

Joshua Childress

Joshua Christian Childress is an alumni from Biola University and current Graduate Student at CSU Long Beach. From the start of music career in grade school, Joshua has strived to achieve the best sound he possibly could and to glorify God. From starting clarinet, to picking up saxophone in junior high and excelling at Redondo Union High School, Joshua has received multiple soloist rewards throughout various competitions. In his college career, Joshua has received the top soloist reward in the 2018 Greeley Jazz Festival, and the Top Collegiate Saxophonist Reward in the 2019 Reno Jazz Festival. Now Joshua has gone on into the professional LA scene as a studio musician, producer, teacher and performer. Joshua has also recorded for Converse, Kelly Rowland, LA times and DiscoverLA while releasing his debut album “Let’s Go There!”. Joshua can be seen playing all over both LA and Orange County.