Actually, I think all performing artists are athletes. Think about the implications – the importance of health and fitness, the hours of practice and rehearsal, the training, the coaching, the performances, the injuries and ailments, the competitions, the tears of failure, the tears of triumph. What other parallells do you see? When I think about the parallells between arts and athletics, I feel more open to the possiblity of connection beyond my music circle. The possibility of deeper, broader connections in the greater community excites me and gives me hope for the future.
Singing
On Sunday, March 28 at 10am, I’m singing “Precious Lord” for a special Truth and Reconciliation service at Neighborhood Church. Being able to sing this special song from the bottom of my heart while in the context of my church work is a blessing I never take for granted.
Composition
While I’m working on 3 new commissions at the moment, orchestration and composition studies are occupying much of my time. Taking lessons, reading Piston and Adler, studying works by various orchestral composers, and working on foundational assignments to help improve my compositional process – it’s humbling but rewarding.
Conducting
We’re on tour in Costa Rica, where I’m conducting the Harvard-Westlake choirs in 3 concerts over 6 days. Pura vida!
For Fun
Memories from the Western ACDA Regional Conference in San Jose:
With conductors Kevin Tyson, Jeffrey Benson, and Scot Hanna-WeirWith singer/composer/activist Melanie DeMorePromoting my compositionsI’m on an advertising poster!
At the river’s edge – such beauty and energy just a 5 minute walk from home.
We each are a miracle. Our gathering together is a miracle. And we are each other’s gifts.
My favorite part of the holiday season happens within the first 10-15 days after Thanksgiving, when Christmas lights are just starting to appear on houses. The sparkle and splendor of the season feel new and long-awaited. That’s when the first holiday parties start, the baked goods are fresh, and the potlucks feature the first fruits of our holiday spirit. Because many students have finals, juries, and projects due the week before winter break, schools put on their holiday concerts and festivals as soon as possible after Thanksgiving. Teachers have what feels like NO TIME AT ALL to build back the rehearsal momentum lost from the Thanksgiving break, and must immediately produce the most highly anticipated (and mandatory) performances of the year. Students learn the meaning of grace and hope as they succeed despite their frequent tardiness, unexpected absences, and lack of preparation, sometimes due to illness and often due to severe overwhelm due to all their other social and academic obligations. It’s a time of frenzy, high stress, and anxiety, but also beauty, tenderness, nostalgia, and magic – I love it.
We each are a miracle. Our gathering together is a miracle. And we are each other’s gifts.
Around 10-15 days before Christmas, people are exhausted. Students and teachers stress over juries and finals. The decorations are starting to look boring and worn out, instead of nostalgic and precious. At this point, folks are tired of bringing and eating potluck food. The leftovers are overwhelming and unwanted. The awkward Secret Santa and “white elephant” gift exchanges are happening, whether you like it or not.
We each are a miracle. Our gathering together is a miracle. And we are each other’s gifts.
Whether I’m 10 days into the season, 10 days out from Christmas Day, or it’s the 10th day of Christmas (January 3) and I’m ready take down the Christmas tree 2 days early, I constantly long for that remarkable moment when time stops and we recognize that all the preparation, hard work, and risks we’ve taken have led us back to each other, back to being together. Concerts, shows, church services, family gatherings, parties with friends and co-workers… all our gatherings are miracles. We each are a miracle. Our gathering together is a miracle. We are each other’s gifts. I think about how this compares with the nativity story, the first Christmas: a story of traveling and toiling and risking and trying. It’s messy and painful. Think of all the waiting, the searching, the desperation and disappointment; the fear. And then… the miracle of birth in a most humble place.
Each of us was a risk that someone once took. This Christmas, may we remember…
We each are a miracle. Our gathering together is a miracle. And we are each other’s gifts.
Up Your Game Reading Session
Ready to “up your game” as a choral singer? Prepare to make connections, build musicianship skills, and be inspired. During this 3-hour session, you’ll make music with and learn from session singers, contractors, conductors, and teachers offering real-world insight and experience in the field of choral music.
Scholarships available Scores and refreshments provided Designed for Advanced Singers Ages 15+
For Fun
Pics with pianist Aron Kallay, plus my Dad, my friend Mark Hilt (formerly from Harvard-Westlake), and my friend Donna Perkins from Neighborhood Church… all at the premiere performance of my piece LA River Scenes on December 16.
Thank you to everyone who was there. It was an incredible performance!
We got a beautiful new piano for Christmas. This instrument was cherished for decades in the home of a dear friend, and it will be cherished in my own home for decades to come. (The kitties like it, too!)
Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, and a very Happy New Year!
We’re all surviving to the best of our ability. But our abilities and resources differ depending on our circumstance, our history, or our environment. Sometimes a person’s burden is not so obvious, especially in festive settings. So in the midst of both abundance and scarcity, may we strive to pay attention and speak and act graciously with each other this Thanksgiving.
NUUC Christmas Concert – December 19
Enjoy selections from Magnificat by J.S. Bach, plus traditional sing-along favorites you won’t want to miss. Guaranteed to make you smile!
Compositions
Five performances in Colorado, Dec 6-21
Internationally acclaimed guitar virtuoso, composer, and Colorado native Aaron Larget-Caplan joins Kantorei in holiday performances featuring seasonal selections written for Guitar and Choir, including the world premiere of his own Cider Meditations. We will also feature works by composer and guitarist Jeffrey Van, whose compositions gained widespread recognition through his collaborations with the renowned Dale Warland Singers. Adding to the excitement of new musical discoveries, the concert will present the world premiere of a new work by composer Zanaida Robles, commissioned by Kantorei’s own Scott Horowitz and his wife, Leah Weinberg.
Join us as we combine traditional holiday spirit with contemporary compositions, offering audiences both seasonal favorites and the excitement of hearing new works performed for the first time.
LA River Scenes blends melodies I made up in my childhood and young adult years with impressions from my recent experiences with the LA River Kayak Safari tour company. The LA River Kayak Safari journey begins with a bike ride along the LA river’s edge followed by an fascinating history lesson about the Elysian River Valley and finally an exciting kayak trip down the luscious river with baby rapids and deep pools of up to 10 feet. My piece reflects the love and pride I feel for my hometown and my excitement over discovering I can go kayaking near Dodger Stadium in summer.
HALLOWEEN MEMORIES I decided to go ahead and carve my pumpkin even though it was several days after Halloween had passed. WORTH IT!!
CHOCOLATE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY
I helped organize this year’s HW Professional Development Interdisciplinary Session “Chocolate Day!” From holding the huge alien fruit pods to tasting the difference between the bitter, slimy-yet-crunchy fresh fruit and the powdery, complex-flavored bean once the fruit was fermented and roasted; to exploring the intersections of history, art, science, and economics and finally tasting and packaging our work: making chocolate with the help of brilliant friends is fun!
I also did some research and found these two songs about chocolate that I’d never heard before:
Chocolate Sundae on a Saturday Night by Doris Day
Chocolate by Soul Patrol
Ollie and Archie, warming our hearts as they warm each other
We’re now an official not-for-profit organization!!
Zanaida Stewart Robles Singers creates intergenerational artistic experiences by inspiring and cultivating cultural, intellectual, and spiritual engagement through choral music.
The ZSR Singers Summer Choir Intensive is happening August 4-10 at Neighborhood UU Church, Pasadena. Cost is $100 per person. Ages 16+
I just submitted the manuscript for my new setting of O Magnum Mysterium for soprano and organ. The work was commissioned the American Guild of Organists and will be premiered next year at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis during the 2026 AGO National Convention.
Singing
Photo by Mercy Luna
Saturday, May 24 was a night of powerful choral singing at the Wallis Theater in Beverly Hills. I was honored to be a soloist with the GRAMMY Award-winning group Tonality in the premiere performance of Alexander Lloyd Blake’s new work entitled Running From, Running To: A Musical Reflection on Ahmaud Arbery.
Read more about this powerful work in these news features in the LA Times and the LA Sentinel
Travel
My HW choral students performed Haydn’s Paukenmesse at Carnegie Hall earlier this month. Though I didn’t conduct the performance myself, it was incredibly rewarding to hear the singers rave about their experience and to see them dance together with joy and pride over their accomplishments. Dr. Julie Yu-Oppenheim was efficient, expressive, and hilarious in rehearsal. And she was masterful on the podium in performance. My students loved her! When we weren’t in rehearsal, we got to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Big Apple.
For Fun
We had a fun summer-time meet-up with members of the Southern California Vocal Association (SCVA) and composers from the California Choral Directors Association (CCDA)
While I’m celebrating my own journey today, I want to send a little encouragement your way, too. May this season of your life bring unexpected kindness, meaningful change, and reasons to smile. We’re all in this together, and I’m so grateful for the connection.
Celebrating 10 years as a DMA
I wanted to be a “doctor of music” ever since I was 8 years old. In December 2014, after more than 4 long years, I graduated with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. I walked in the Thornton graduation ceremony in May 2015. Here’s a memory of me with my daughters on that special day. I think 8-year-old me would be amazed!
Conducting
Registration starts in just a few days!
Sign up to be part of our Summer Intensive with the ZSR Singers — we’re singing Carmina Burana this year!
Come see the Frostig School community production of “Bye Bye Birdie” on May 29, 30, 31 at 7pm and June 1 at 2pm at the Frostig School in Pasadena. I’m playing in the band!
