Announcing Our New Musical Leadership!

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The Sounds of Aloha Chorus is proud to welcome our own Bryce Irvine as our new Interim Musical Director and Rob Hartley as our new Interim Assistant Musical Director!

Musical Director Mark Conching, who has led the Sounds of Aloha since 2015, recently informed us that professional commitments required him to step back from directing. During Mark's second tenure as Musical Director, the chorus began taking on a more prominent role in the Hawaii arts community, produced well received shows, concerts, performances, and social events, twice won first place in its chorus division in the Barbershop Harmony Society's Far Western District competition, and — perhaps most impressive — not only survived but thrived during the COVID pandemic.

Fortunately for the Sounds of Aloha, we have another home-grown directing talent in Bryce. Bryce joined the chorus at age of 17 and has been a lead section leader, assistant director, a stage actor in our scripted shows, and a singer in the quartet 19th Avenue. Outside the chorus he is a Choir Director for the youth program Hawaii Education of the ARTS (HEARTS) and a staff member for the Windward Clubhouse of the Boys and Girls Club. After performing as a kid for the Honolulu Boy Choir (where a visiting SOA quartet first introduced him to barbershop), as well as in SOA's former youth barbershop group 8zero8 and at his alma mater Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, Bryce went on as an adult to perform in six community musical productions directed by the legendary Ron Bright, for three years with the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Chamber Singers, and for 11 years in the traveling musical “Honu By the Sea,” with which he toured worldwide. Bryce has confidently and capably stepped into his new role and will debut as Musical Director in our March 31, 2023 performance in Hawaii Pacific University’s spring choir concert. "Laugh Tracks." 

In addition, the chorus is blessed to again call upon our twice-serving past Musical Director, Rob, this time as Interim Assistant Musical Director. Rob brings decades of leadership accomplishments in the chorus at every level, as well as his professional talents as a multi-faceted music educator and musician.

We are excited at our upcoming musical adventures and grateful to Bryce and Rob for leading us in them!