The Truckee Tahoe Community Chorus of Sierra College was organized in the spring of 2002 and is co-sponsored by Sierra College the Osher Life Long Learning Institute. Since 2002 the chorus performs two concerts in the spring and two winter holiday concerts annually. TTCC performs many concerts in collaboration with a full piece orchestra and smaller instrumental ensembles and accompaniment. Delivering exceptional performances of a broad range of vocal music and featured soloist and quartets. We welcome new members with musical backgrounds and vocal talents, who can commit to the rehearsals and disciplines of learning the musical arrangements, chosen by our highly skilled and qualified Directors.

The mission of the Chorus is to enrich its audiences through innovative programming and exceptional performances of a broad range of vocal music. Inherent in its mission is the Chorus’ belief that choral music is a compelling collaboration that creates a powerful, shared experience unifying listeners and musicians of all backgrounds, beliefs and ages. The Truckee Tahoe Community Chorus “TTCC” contributes to art and humanity; develops the creative process: expects a high level of artistry and excellence in performance; stresses the importance of rehearsal and practice; installs a sense of group effort and cooperative teamwork amongst the participants and promotes vocal music in the Truckee and North Lake Tahoe Community.  

ff ABOUT OUR DIRECTORS  ff

Chris Nelson earned both Bachelor and Master Degrees from the University of Utah where he worked as Assistant Director of Bands while in graduate school where he studied conducting under Forrest Stoll. Later studies included conducting work with Dennis DeCoteau of the San Francisco Ballet. While at the University of Utah, he worked as a freelance trombonist in various house and show bands as well as with the Utah Symphony under the direction of Maurice Abravanel. On graduation he taught chorus, band, orchestra, and jazz ensembles in the public schools in Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, and Belmont, California. From 1971 to 1998 he held a position at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill California. With the support of the Mountainaires Barbershop Chorus, he organized the Truckee Tahoe Community Chorus in January of 2002.

Susan K. Horst completed a Master of Music in choral conducting in 2005 at University of Nevada, Reno where she assisted with conducting the Symphonic Choir. Ms. Horst hails from Juneau, Alaska where she held both instrumental and choral positions in the Juneau schools.  She was a frequent artistic director and workshop conductor with the Juneau Lyric Opera and the University of Alaska Southeast. Ms. Horst was also a national consultant for Yamaha Music where she trained teachers on Yamaha’s Music in Education Technology Assisted Music Program (MIE) and developed curriculum. Ms. Horst received her Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Music Education from Western State College in Gunnison, CO. Ms. Horst is a founding member of the Reno Baroque Ensemble and sings with Toccata and The Reno Philharmonic Chorus.

Tom Acord earned his B.M. degree from Texas Technical University and his M.M. and D.M.A. degrees from The University of Texas, Austin. His career began with selection for the Santa Fe Opera Apprenticeship Program. He was a Metropolitan Opera Audition finalist, national finalist in the San Francisco Merola Opera Program, scholarship winner to the American Institute of Singers in Graz, Austria, and a national finalist in the National Association of Teachers of Singing “Singer of the Year.” He has performed major roles with the Portland Opera, Festival Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Sao Paulo Opera (Brazil), San Francisco Spring Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and Reno Opera. His symphony appearances include San Jose, Boise, Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, Oakland, and Marin. Throughout his career, Tom has produced, conducted, directed and designed operas on the national scene as well as in university opera workshops. In sacred literature, Dr. Acord has performed the tenor solos in all of the major oratorios and sacred works in the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout the West Coast. Last year, Dr. Acord retired from CSU East Bay as Associate Dean of the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, completing 36 years at that University.  Tom is a featured tenor soloist in most of our concert performances.

ff ABOUT OUR ACCOMPIANIST ff

Sandra Carlson Davis began studying the piano formally at age 7, and as a child and teenager was the accompanist for many school musicals and choirs, while also being active in school bands as a woodwind player. She studied music at Santa Rosa Junior College and worked for their Summer Repertory Company for 3 summers as a rehearsal accompanist, and in a traveling ensemble performance troupe. Foregoing music as a career, she obtained her BA in Psychology from UC Santa Barbara in 1980. Upon moving to the Truckee area in 1984 she has continued to accompany church and school choirs, musicals and soloists. She has been a worship leader for Calvary Chapel of Truckee for 15 years and enjoys arranging, playing keyboard and singing in the Truckee Praise Band.