About The Choral Festival
Montana’s International Choral Festival has become known throughout the world for its artistic excellence and hospitality. Having evolved from its grassroots beginnings into a prestigious international event, Missoula’s International Choral Festival remains a flagship for choral festivals worldwide.
Our Mission
The Montana International Choral Festival is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting artistic excellence, global understanding, friendship, and goodwill through choral music.
Our Vision
The Montana International Choral Festival is a non-competitive event produced by volunteers in a beautiful mountain setting that connects musicians from diverse cultural traditions with regional audiences and local community hosts.
Our Values
The Board of the Montana International Choral Festival commonly holds and endeavors to put into practice artistic quality, audience accessibility, political & cultural diversity, volunteerism, community involvement, and person-to-person experience.
The Montana International Choral Festival was founded in 1987 by Donald Carey, a Missoula choral conductor and music professor. Carey had been inspired by a similar Festival in Nancy, France four years earlier. The first Festival was a huge success. It is now held every other year in Missoula. Over the decades, choirs have come to Missoula from every continent except Antarctica. In 2019, choirs from 11 countries accepted invitations to sing at the 11th International Choral Festival, July 17-20, 2019. Click here to learn more about the Festival’s history.
Staff and Board of Directors
Executive Director
Rita Pastore
Rita recently moved into the position of Executive Director of the Montana International Choral Festival after wrapping a multi-year professional career in community development. As a nonprofit consultant specializing in large-scale special-event fundraising, she has collaborated with hundreds of inspiring leaders, activists, artists and organizations advising on the business of nonprofit resource development. She has produced highly-regarded, award-winning documentaries and high-impact fundraising events; and has been recognized for the national impact of her work. Rita considers herself exceptionally fortunate to be working with a unique community-based arts organization and is continually impressed by the international recognition and artistic excellence of the volunteer-driven organization she currently serves.
Artistic Director
David Heidel
Born in Broadus, Montana, David received his Bachelor of Music Education degree in 1976, and Master of Music Education degree in 1986, both from the University of Montana. He taught choir in the Great Falls and Hamilton public schools until 1984. From 1984 until retiring in 2001 he was director of choirs at Sentinel High School in Missoula. During his teaching career, David was president of the Montana Choral Directors Association, and received the Montana Choral Director Association’s “Distinguished Service Award” in 2000. Along with Dean Peterson, David was co-founder and co-director of the Missoula Youth Choir until 2000. He served on the International Choral Festival Board of Directors from 1990 until 2001; served on Spokane’s Musicfest Northwest Board of Directors, and was voice division chairman from 2004 until 2007. David has adjudicated in festivals around the Northwest and has been the Montana International Choral Festival’s Artistic Director since 2007. In 2015, David was elected to CFN – The Choral Festival Network Board of Directors. Now retired as a registered piano technician, he resides in Spokane, Washington with his wife, Michele.
Officers
Saxon Holbrook
President
Saxon Holbrook is from Missoula and participated in the first International Choral Festival in 1987 with the Missoula Youth Choir, studied in Vienna with Donald Carey and the UM Chamber Chorale, and continues singing with numerous ensembles. He returns to the MICF Board after a temporary hiatus due to term limits. Saxon is the Technical Director for Montana Public Radio and MontanaPBS in the Broadcast Media Center at the University of Montana. When he isn’t working or singing, you’re likely to find him floating the Blackfoot River, enjoying the company of friends and family or working on projects around Rainbow Gulch Farm.
Sharon Smith,
Secretary
Stephen Kalm
Vice President
Lisa Buseman, Treasurer
Treasurer
Directors
Karen Callan, Don Gisselbeck, Gina Hegg, Don McCammon, Jason McDaniel, Rachael Morawski, Kyla Morton, Linda Osmanson, Danny Syman, Ali Winberry