GVCC History
Founded by Robert Slater, the group now known as the Green Valley Community Chorus began in 1974 as separate men’s and women’s choruses.
The first concert was given in October of 1975 with the two choruses singing several songs separately and together. Today, the chorus has evolved into a full mixed concert ensemble performing an array of concert works of the most treasured choral-orchestral masterworks of western music history.
As of May 2014, the Chorus has entered into partnership with the University of Arizona to allow highly talented doctoral candidates in Choral Conducting refine their skills and broaden their experience by serving as Music Director of the Chorus during their doctoral studies. We are pleased with the growth and expansion of our collective talents which this partnership has brought both to us as singers and to our audiences.
Community Involvement
Each summer, the Community Performance & Arts Center Foundation receives half of the proceeds of our Summer Concert ticket sales from concerts performed at CPAC.
In addition, the GVCC Helen Nelson-Carroll Scholarship Committee has donated funds to local school systems to purchase music books for the lower grades and to support choral music programs in our local intermediate and high schools. Also, in past years, the Chorus has provided scholarships to University of Arizona music students to further their education in the area of choral music studies. Since the Chorus was formed, we have awarded several thousand dollars to our local area schools and the University of Arizona to sustain choral music education in our community.
Our community involvement efforts are largely made possible by ticket purchases to our concerts and tax-deductible donations received from our community. Please help GVCC to continue to support our community efforts by purchasing tickets to our future concerts and also by sending tax-deductible donations to P.O. Box 391, Green Valley, AZ, 85622. Your support is invaluable to us and is greatly appreciated!
Grants/Scholarships Presented to Local Schools & Students
On Wednesday, December 13, 2023, GVCC Scholarship Chair Joyce Lepak presented a grant from GVCC in the amount of $1200 to Sahuarita Middle School. Pictured from left to right are Stephanie Silman, principal of Sahuarita Middle School, Joyce Lepak, GVCC Scholarship Chair, and Susan Bjork, Sahuarita Middle School music teacher.
On Monday, December 5, 2023, GVCC Scholarship Chair Joyce Lepak presented grants to two local schools and a third grant to a University of Arizona Choral Conducting doctoral student at our Winter 2023 holiday themed concert. Each grant was in the amount of $1200. Pictured in the first photo below is Amanda Hatch of Continental School, second photo pictures Luke Diamond, Walden Grove High School, and the third photo pictures Mengda Jiang, University of Arizona Choral Conducting graduate student. The fourth photo is of all of our recipients. Luke Diamond’s Walden Grove Chamber Choir performed at this concert, and Mengda Jiang guest directed the Green Valley Community Chorus who performed “Ocho Kandelikas” under her direction at this concert:
On Tuesday, August 23, 2022, GVCC presented a grant in the amount of $1200 to Walden Grove High School, Sahuarita, to enhance their choral music program at the school. Pictured on the left below is Luke Diamond, WGHS Choral Director, and on the right is Joyce Lepak, GVCC Scholarship Chair.
On Monday, August 22, 2022, GVCC presented a grant in the amount of $1200 to Continental School, Green Valley, to enhance their music program at the school. Pictured below on the left is Joyce Lepak, GVCC Scholarship Chair, and on the right is Cynthia Belletti, Continental School K-5 music teacher.
On Monday, August 22, 2022, GVCC presented a grant in the amount of $1200 to Sahuarita Middle School, Sahuarita, to enhance their choral music program. Pictured from left to right below are Robert Beachy, Assistant Principal SMS, Joyce Lepak, GVCC Scholarship Chair, Jessica England, SMS Choral Director, and Stephanie Silman, SMS Principal.
In December 2020, GVCC presented $1,000.00 scholarships to two students that are currently pursuing their doctoral degrees at the Fred Fox School of Music at the University of Arizona, He Huang and William Mattison.
He Huang is in his second year as a DMA student in choral and orchestral conducting at the University of Arizona, where he has served as the assistant conductor of the Arizona Choir and Treble Glee. Prior to his studies at the University of Arizona, He Huang was a lecturer at Chuzhou University (China) for eight years, where he also served as the music director and conductor of the college choir. He Huang has conducted several choirs in China, for which he won several awards, such as first-place award in the Anhui Arts Exhibition Show for College Students, and the “Outstanding Conductor” award at the Yangtze River Delta City Chorus Competition. He Huang had been selected in the “Young Elite Talents “of Anhui Province, China. GVCC is pleased to be able to present a $1,000.00 scholarship to He Huang, who is pictured below:
William Mattison is a proponent of Sacred Music from all of its eras who is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Choral Conducting at the University of Arizona. Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania and raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Mattison earned his Bachelor degree in Sacred Music and Music Education from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey. His academic focus of study at Westminster dealt with finding ways to incorporate the tenets of Dr. Frank Abrahams Critical Pedagogy for Music Education with the accepted focuses of Liberation Theology. Mattison also holds a Master’s degree from the University of Notre Dame in Sacred Music where he focused on Choral Conducting with Dr. Nancy Menk, Dr. Tom Merrill, and Dr. Carmen Helena-Tellez. Mattison served several parishes in the United States as vocalist and organist and taught in several schools, including in Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Arizona. GVCC is pleased to be able to present this $1,000.00 scholarship to William Mattison, who is pictured below.
On Wednesday, November 25, 2020, GVCC Scholarship Chair Bobbie Richards presented a check in the amount of $600.00 to the Sahuarita High School Music Booster Club. Pictured below on the left is Christine Garcia, Director of Band and Orchestra, and on the right, Bobbie Richards, GVCC Scholarship Chair. Not pictured: Annie Zurbuchen, GVCC President.
On Wednesday, November 25, 2020, GVCC presented a $600.00 check to Walden Grove High School. Pictured from left to right below are Walden Grove Assistant Principal Kristen Blaser, GVCC Scholarship Chair Bobbie Richards, Walden Grove Director of Choral, Music, and Theater Ben Lebovitz, GVCC President Annie Zurbuchen, and Walden Grove Assistant Principal Preston Elchert.
On Tuesday, November 17, 2020 GVCC Scholarship Chair Bobbie Richards and GVCC President Annie Zurbuchen presented a check in the amount of $600.00 to Continental School.
Pictured above are GVCC President Annie Zurbuchen, Continental School Music Director Seth Murzyn, and GVCC Scholarship Chair Bobbie Richards.
On Tuesday, November 17, 2020 GVCC Scholarship Chair Bobbie Richards and GVCC President Annie Zurbuchen presented a check in the amount of $600.00 to Sahuarita Middle School.
Pictured from left to right are GVCC President Annie Zurbuchen, GVCC Scholarship Chair Bobbie Richards, Director of Orchestra and Choir at Sahuarita Middle School Jessica England, and Sahuarita Middle School Vice Principal Robert Beachy.
On Friday, February 28, 2020 GVCC Scholarship Chair, Bobbie Richards presented a check in the amount of $1200.00 to the Walden Grove High School Music Director, Ben Lebovitz.
Pictured are the members of the Walden Grove High School Chamber Choir and standing L to R are: Dr. Theresa Hill- Principal, Kristen Blasar and Kreston Elcher- Assistant Principals, Ben Lebovitz, and Bobbie Richards. Not Pictured: Betty Atwater, GVCC President.
On Friday, February 28, 2020, GVCC Scholarship Chair, Bobbie Richards, presented a check in the amount of $1200.00 to Dr. Connie Nokes, Sahuarita High School Choir Director. Not pictured: Betty Atwater, GVCC President.
On November 20, 2019, Bobbie Richards, GVCC Scholarship Chair presented a check in the amount of $1200.00 to Continental School in Green Valley.
L to R… Joe Ferguson, Band and Choir, Continental School, Annie Zurbuchen, GVCC Vice President, Betty Atwater, GVCC President, Bobbie Richards, GVCC Scholarship Chair, Rozana Rico, Superintendent of Continental School District, and Seth Murzyn, Orchestra, Band, and Elementary Music, Continental School.
On October 24, 2019 Bobbie Richards, GVCC Scholarship Chair presented to the Sahuarita Middle School Chorus a scholarship check in the amount of $1200.00.
Seated from left to right are: Stephanie Silman, Principal, Bobbie Richards, GVCC Scholarship Chair, Betty Atwater, GVCC Board President, and Jessica England, Choral Director. Standing are members of the Sahuarita Middle School Chorus.
On October 11, 2019 Bobbie Richards, GVCC Scholarship chair presented a check in the amount of $4000.00 to Angelica Dunsavage at the Fred Fox School of Music located on the campus of the University of Arizona.
Pictured left to right: Annie Zurbuchen, GVCC Vice President, Betty Atwater, GVCC President, Dr. Miguel Felipe, U of A Director of Choral Activities, Aaron Rice, GVCC Artistic Director, Angelica Dunsavage, 3rd year choral conducting doctoral candidate, and Bobbie Richards, GVCC Scholarship Chair.
Monday, October 7, 2019– GVCC presented a $2000 grant to the Community Performance and Art Center, CPAC. GVCC is excited to contribute this grant to a CPAC donation fund being established for the exclusive purpose of purchasing a new sound system for the CPAC Performance Theater!
Pictured from left to right are GVCC Interim Treasurer Brian Graaf, CPAC Executive Director Chris Ashcraft, GVCC Artistic Director Aaron Rice, & GVCC President Betty Atwater.
Friday, April 5, 2019–GVCC presented a check from our Chorus to Walden Grove High School for $1,000 to further our mission of promoting choral music in our Community.
Pictured left to right: Benjamin Lebovitz, Director of Choral Music and Theatre, Walden Grove High School, Bobbie Richards, GVCC Scholarship Chair, and Chris Laughland, Assistant to the Principal, Walden Grove High School. Not pictured, Betty Atwater, GVCC President.
Wednesday, March 6, 2019–GVCC presented a check from our Chorus to the Sahuarita High School Choir in the amount of $1000.
Pictured from left to right are GVCC President Betty Atwater, GVCC Scholarship Chair Bobbie Richards, Sahuarita High School Choir Club President Katie Zinn, Vice President Sabrina Molina, Treasurer Thomas Trejo, and Sahuarita High School Choir, Band, and Orchestra Director Christine Garcia.
Thursday, December 13, 2018—GVCC Scholarship Chair Bobbie Richards presented a $1,000 grant to Continental School, Green Valley, for use in their choral music programs.
Pictured L to R–Joe Ferguson–Band and Choir, Continental School, Bobbie Richards–GVCC Scholarship Chair, Seth Murzyn–Orchestra, Band, and Elementary Music, Continental School, and Continental School Principal Mary McNichols.
Thursday, November 1, 2018 — GVCC Scholarship Chair Bobbie Richards presented a $4,000 scholarship to Thomas Wininger.
Thomas is a second year DMA candidate in Choral Conducting at the University of Arizona. A Nebraska native, Thomas received a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from Wartburg College in Waverly, IA and a Master’s Degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Nevada in Reno.
Pictured L to R–Brian Graaf, GVCC Vice President, Betty Atwater, GVCC President, Bobbie Richards, GVCC Scholarship Chair, Thomas Wininger, and Moises Paiewonsky and Dr. Miguel Felipe of the University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music
October 27, 2018 — 25+ members of our 80+ member GV Community Chorus participated in the 2018 White Elephant Parade.
The theme of the parade was “Making Music Together”. Chorus members had fun singing songs along the parade route to support this theme and the White Elephant.
We are grateful that the White Elephant has supported GVCC with a grant for the last three years! Thank you White Elephant!
On April 23, 2018, GV Community Chorus Scholarship Chair, Bobbie Richards presented Ben Lebovitz, Walden Grove High School Choir Director, with a check in the amount of $1,000.00 in support of GVCC’s mission to promote Music Education in our community.
Also pictured is WGHS Principal, Teresa Hill. (Click this photo to enlarge.)
April 12, 2018 — GVCC Scholarship Chair, Bobbie Richards, presented Sahuarita High School Choir Director, Christine Garcia, with a $1,000 check in support of music education in our local schools. (Click this photo to enlarge.)
In support of the Arts in Green Valley, the Green Valley Community Chorus Scholarship Chair, Bobbie Richards, presented music teacher Seth Murzyn a $1,000 check for the Continental School choir program.
(Not pictured: Joe Ferguson)
The Green Valley Community Chorus participated in the White Elephant Parade on October 28, 2017. The White Elephant Charity has been very generous in awarding GVCC grants for the past 2 years. Thank you, White Elephant!
We “pay it forward” by awarding grants and scholarships to local schools and the University of Arizona.
Friday, September 29, 2017 — Bobbie Richards, GVCC Scholarship Chair, presented John McMeen with a check in the amount of $4,000.
Pictured (L to R): Betty Atwater, Dr. Bruce Chamberlain, John McMeen, and Bobbie Richards.John has an undergraduate degree in Music Education from Lipscomb University in Nashville, and a Masters of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Mississippi. He is in his second year in the DMA program at the University of Arizona and will also be assistant to Dr. Bruce Chamberlain with the Tucson Symphony Chorus.
Thursday, May 18, 2017 — Ben Lebovitz, Choir Instructor at Walden Grove High School accepted a $1,000 check from the Green Valley Community Chorus.
Pictured L to R: Dr. Manuel Valenzuela, Superintendent SUSD #30; Betty Atwater, GVCC Board President; Ben Lebovitz, WGHS Choir Director; Bobbie Richards, GVCC Scholarship Chairperson; and Hector Estrada, WGHS Assistant Principal.
Wed., May 11, 2017 — The Green Valley Community Chorus Scholarship Chairperson, Bobbie Richards, presented a Certificate of Scholarship in the amount of $1,000 to Autumn Watson, a senior at Sahuarita High School.
Pictured L to R, back row: Meegan Burr (SHS Counselor), Karla Nistler (SHS Counselor), Thomas Herrera (SHS Choir Director) and Scott Downs (SUSD Assistant Superintendent). Front Row: Bobbie Richards and Autumn Watson.
Ms. Watson will be attending Brigham Young University in the fall in pursuit of a degree in music.
Green Valley Community Chorus 