My name is Laura Kim Lodin, and I am the first-year choral director at Beckman High School in Irvine, California. Bel Canto is our advanced auditioned women’s ensemble, composed of singers in grades 9–12. Within this ensemble, we explore SSAA choral literature representing a wide variety of genres, styles, and historical periods.
This spring, Bel Canto presented a season centered on Americana repertoire, featuring works by composers and arrangers such as Aaron Copland, Stephen Foster, George Gershwin, Moses Hogan, Randy Newman, and Kyle Pederson. Bel Canto also actively seeks out and performs music by women composers, including Amy Beach, Aryana Norman, and Jeanine Tesori.
As a new director, I deeply value Bel Canto not only for their musical talent, but also for their strong sense of community, resilience and openness to growth. These singers continually strive to refine their artistry and approach every rehearsal and performance with dedication and heart. Their commitment to excellence and to the choral art form has been truly inspiring.
It has been an absolute joy to work with these young musicians, and I would be honored to share their music with the broader choral community at CASMEC. The opportunity to perform on a larger stage would be both meaningful and transformative for these singers, and I strongly believe they are ready for the challenge. In addition, our Choir Booster is enthusiastic and prepared to support this opportunity should Bel Canto be selected as an Open Space Performance group for CASMEC 2027.
Thank you for your time and consideration in reviewing our application materials.
Director Info
