'Music They Wrote' Collaborators

"Suffrage Cantata' Narrator

Simone Ledward Boseman

Singer, writer, and performer Simone Ledward-Boseman believes in the power of music and storytelling to drive empathy and affect social change. A native of Vallejo, California, Simone infuses smooth soul with elements of funk, hip hop and spoken word- creating a unique brand of conscious music that uplifts and inspires. As a performer, she searches for the truth behind every passage and aims to draw listeners into the full power of the story through an honest portrayal that peels back the intricate layers of the human experience.

'Alarcón Madrigals' Composer

Roger Bourland

Composer Roger Bourland has composed over 100 works for all media: solo, instrumental, chamber, vocal and choral music, electro-acoustic music, and music for orchestra, wind ensemble, and other large ensembles, as well as for film and radio. From 1983-2013 he taught at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, including being awarded the Distinguished Teaching award and being appointed the Chair of the Department of Music.

Learn more about Roger HERE

'Resilient Voices' Dancer/Choreographer

Jannet Galdamez

Born and raised in Los Angeles, dance artist and choreographer Jannet Galdamez has studied dance styles from jazz and ballet to salsa and Afro Cuban. She is currently the rehearsal director and a teaching artist with CONTRA-TIEMPO Activist Dance Theater and a member of the Kimbambula Cuban Dance ensemble.

Helen Mendoza

Supporters will recognize Helen Mendoza as a Founding Member of VOX, as well as the director and producer of our virtual offerings over the past two years. She is also the producer of award-winning documentaries Every Three Seconds and For the Bible Tells Me So.

Orchid Quartet

Formed in 2016 while on tour with Japanese rock star Yoshiki, the Orchid Quartet have performed and toured with some of the top names in music. Quartet members have also performed on major motion picture and television soundtracks and are currently performing in a candlelight concert series.

Learn more about the women of the quartet HERE

'Resilient Voices' Lyricist

Marian Partee

In her creative work as a playwright, lyricist, and librettist, Marian Partee celebrates the courage, tenacity, and ingenuity of women. With a background in acting and singing, Marian is committed to writing well-rounded characters with believable dialogue and singable lyrics.

Rosephanye Powell

A highly commissioned composer, Dr. Rosephanye Powell also serves as a conductor, educator, and performer all over the country. She has received numerous awards, including the "Living Legend Award” presented by California State University African Diaspora Sacred Music Festival in Los Angeles. She was listed in the first edition of the international publication Who Is Who in Choral Music, and has been included in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and Outstanding Young Women in America in recent years.

Learn more about Rosaphanye HERE

'Suffrage Cantata' Composer

Andrea Ramsey

ASCAP Plus award-winning composer Dr. Andrea Ramsey enjoys an international presence as a composer, conductor, scholar, and music educator. She enjoys regular opportunities to conduct all-state and divisional level honor choirs, festival events at Carnegie Hall, and serves as a principal conductor for the Pacific International Young Women’s Choral Festival in Eugene, Oregon.

Jake Runestad

Jake Runestad is an award-winning and GRAMMY-nominated composer with commissions and performances from ensembles such as Washington National Opera, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Santa Fe Desert Chorale. His busy schedule of commissions, residencies, workshops, and speaking engagements enables him to be one of the youngest full-time composers in the world.

Learn more about Jake HERE

'Resilient Voices' Guest Singers

Serenata Treble Choir

Serenata Treble Choir is one of five vocal ensembles at Los Osos High School. LOHS is nestled in the foothills of Rancho Cucamonga and part of the Chaffey Joint Union High School District. Under the direction of VOX singer Mrs. Bethany Encina since 2014, the singers at Los Osos consistently receive superior ratings at SCVA Festivals in performance and sight reading. Serenata was invited to join the Inland Master Chorale for their 2019 performance of John Rutter’s Mass for the Children, and collaborated with composer Bill Connor during the composition and premier of his pieces From the Mountains to the Sea (2015) and Cool (2018).

'Resilient Voices' Composer

Christina Whitten Thomas

Award-winning composer Christina Whitten Thomas's works have been performed throughout the U.S., including premieres at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Disney Concert Hall. She is particularly committed to writing for the voice, and is passionate about working with contemporary poets and original texts.