Artistic Director – Jeffrey Benson
Dr. Jeffrey Benson is currently Director of Choral Activities at San José State University. Previously, Dr. Benson served as Director of Choral Activities and Fine Arts Department Chair at H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program in Arlington, Virginia. The Washington Post hails his choirs for singing “with an exquisite blend, subtlety of phrasing, confident musicianship and fully supported tone…that would be the envy of some professional ensembles.”
Dr. Benson has served as cover conductor for the Grammy award-winning Washington Chorus, where he helped to prepare the ensemble for Maestros Julian Wachner, Leonard Slatkin and Marvin Hamlisch. In 2006, Benson was invited to La Universidad Americana in Managua, Nicaragua to assist the university in forming the first a cappella choir at the institution.
Choirs under his direction have performed on multiple state and regional conferences of ACDA and NAfME and have toured throughout the United States and Europe, including invited performances at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The White House and Washington National Cathedral. Recently Dr. Benson’s choirs have been invited to perform with the Rolling Stones, Andrea Bocelli, the Los Angeles Festival Orchestra and the Skywalker Orchestra. In 2006, the Woodlawn Chamber Singers under Dr. Benson’s direction were the only high school choir invited to sing on the National Conference of Chorus America in Washington, DC.
Dr. Benson received his Masters degree and his Doctorate in Choral Conducting/Music Education from The Florida State University and his Bachelors degree in Music Education from New York University.
Director Emeritus – Janice Gunderson
Janice Gunderson became the second director of the Peninsula Master Chorale (renamed Peninsula Cantare) in January 1997 after serving as the accompanist since 1986. After 15 very successful years, she retired as director in December 2011.
Founding Director – Carl Sitton
Carl Sitton founded the Peninsula Master Chorale (now Peninsula Cantare) in 1971 and directed it until his death in 1996. He began teaching at Cañada College, Redwood City, California, at its inception in 1968 and was head of the voice and choral departments. He was known widely in the United States as a choral conductor and composer. A student of the French composer, Darius Milhaud, he published over twenty five compositions and arrangements, as well as nine commissioned scores for theater and dance and two anthems commissioned by Woodside Village Church for their centennial celebration in 1993. He was president of the Bay Area Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and appeared as a conductor at the national convention of the American Choral Directors Association.