In Praise of Mary—Local composers

One of the last students of legendary teacher Nadia Boulanger, David Conte has been Professor of Composition and Conductor of the Conservatory Chorus at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music since 1985, and Composer-in-Residence for the San Francisco theater company Thick Description since 1990.  He is the composer of over seventy published works, including five operas, a musical, and works for chorus, solo voice, orchestra, chamber music, organ, piano, guitar, and harp. With composer Todd Boekelheide, Conte co-wrote the film score for the documentary Ballets Russes, shown at the Sundance and Toronto Film Festivals in 2005, (now available on DVD) and composed the music for the PBS documentary, Orozco: Man of Fire in 2006, shown on the American Masters Series in the fall of 2007.

Currently living and working in the Bay Area, Frank Ferko previously spent 30 years as a very active musician in Chicago. From 2001 to 2003 Mr. Ferko held the position of Composer-in-Residence with the Dale Warland Singers, long regarded as one of America's finest a cappella choirs.  His works have been performed by many other distinguished ensembles in concert or in radio broadcast in 30 countries on six continents.  Winner of many awards for his compositions, Mr. Ferko has also served as adjudicator in several national competitions and since 1991 he has presented his own works in lecture/demonstrations at universities, conservatories and high schools across the country and abroad. His works are published exclusively by E. C. Schirmer, and many of his works have been recorded for compact disc on the Arsis, Cedille, Gasparo, Raven, Pro Organo, ZigZag, Notegun, New Art and Liturgical Press labels. In the past few years Mr. Ferko's profile articles about significant American music ensembles and solo artists of our time have appeared in The Diapason and Choir & Organ.