NCCO11 Featured Artists
The Executive Board has invited two visionary artists to share their wisdom and experience with our membership.
Dr. Iris S. Levine is a nationally acclaimed choral conductor, educator, and arts leader, widely recognized for her contributions to women's choral music and higher education. She is the founder and artistic director of VOX Femina Los Angeles, Southern California’s premier women’s chorus. Under her visionary leadership, VOX has earned an esteemed reputation through over 350 performances across the United States, Mexico and Canada, and appearances at major national conferences, including ACDA, Chorus America, and GALA Choruses. Dr. Levine is known for cultivating strong, collaborative relationships with composers, resulting in nearly 70 commissioned works that have significantly expanded the treble choir repertoire.
Dr. Levine currently serves as Interim President of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where she has held a range of academic leadership roles including Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences, Interim Dean of the College of Education and Integrative Studies, and Chair of the Department of Music. As a faculty member, she taught conducting and music education courses and conducted the Kellogg Chamber Singers.
She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Music from the University of Southern California, where she studied with Rod Eichenberger and James Vail, and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Temple University under Alan Harler.
An active leader in the American Choral Directors Association, Dr. Levine has served in numerous state, regional, and national roles. She is the editor of the Iris S. Levine Treble Choral Series with Pavane Publishing and a contributing author in Conducting Women’s Choirs: Strategies for Success, Choral Reflections: Insights from American Choral Conductor-Teachers, and Choral Repertoire by Women Composers. She continues to inspire singers and conductors nationwide as a frequent clinician, adjudicator, and advocate for inclusive and innovative choral artistry.
Dr. Levine lives in Culver City, California, with her wife, Lesili, and their two cats, who believe every rehearsal is for them.
Dr. Marcela Molina has led the Tucson Girls Chorus (TGC) since 2006, initially as Artistic Director and becoming Executive Director in 2011. In addition to shaping the organization’s executive and artistic vision, she conducts the Advanced Choir (grades 9–12) and the Alumnae Choir.
Under her leadership, the Tucson Girls Chorus has experienced remarkable growth in both programming and community engagement. It has transformed into a vibrant, collaborative organization offering inclusive opportunities for youth and providing ongoing resources and support to music educators. TGC is frequently invited to share its programming strategies as a model of innovative practice.
Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Dr. Molina began her musical journey as a classical guitar major and later pursued choral conducting at Javeriana University in Bogotá. She holds degrees from Westminster Choir College and the University of Arizona. Her writings have appeared in Antiphon and in the books Teaching Through Performance in Choir, Volume 2 and Choral Reflections: Insights from American Choral Conductor-Teachers. In 2019, she was named Choral Director of the Year by the Arizona chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (AzACDA).
Dr. Molina’s choirs have been described as “simply astonishing,” “powerful and mesmerizing,” and praised for their “sublime sound coupled with mature stylistic sensitivity.” She frequently serves as a clinician and guest conductor for choral festivals across the country. In 2025, she served as one of the honor choir conductors at the ACDA National Conference and made her debut at Carnegie Hall.
She has served on the board of AzACDA and on standing committees for the ACDA Western Division. She currently serves on the boards of both the ACDA Western Division and Chorus America. Additionally, Dr. Molina is the Director of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra Chorus and co-editor of the Molina/Brown series at La Voz Publishing.