Jo-Michael Scheibe recently spent some time in Busan, Korea for a Choral Festival & Competition. Mike was part of the five-person jury.  The other jurors included Hak-Won Yoon, Professor Jung-sun Park, Professor Georg Grün, Mark Anthony A. Carpio. Hak-Won Yoon, an Artistic Director and Conductor of Incheon City Choral, was the Chairperson of the Jury. In Yoon’s forty years of leading many choirs and chorales, he raised the standard of Korean choral. Scheibe is the chair of the Thorton School of Music’s Department of Choral and Sacred Music at the University of Southern California, where he also conducts USC Chamber Singers, teaches choral conducting and choral methods, as well as supervises the graduate and undergraduate choral program.  Scheibe is also the National President of the American Choral Directors’ Association.  Scheibe’s artistic collaborations include performances with Luciano Pavarottie, Salvatore Licitra, The Rolling Stones and many more.  Under his leadership, ensembles have performed at six national ACDA conventions, two national conventions of Music Educators, and more conventions.  Ensembles and choirs under Scheibe’s lead demonstrate skill and artistic vision.  He is in high demand nationally and internationally. Park won “the Best Musician of the year” in 1990 as part of the composition given by the Association of Korean Musicians and many more awards.  His compositions have been performed several times at by Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Seoul Symphony Orchestra, Korean Symphony Orchestra, and other ensembles. Professor Georg Grün founded the Kammer Chor Saarbrücken in 1990 and has been the artistic director ever since.  he is one of the most sought-after international choral conductors. Carpio graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Music with a Bachelor’s Degree in Piano cum laude.  He returned immediately as a faculty of the Piano Department.  Mark was chosen to succeed Music Professor Andrew O. Veneracion as the choirmaster. He then led the group through numerous successes such as first prizes in the Habanera and Polyphony categories in the Certámen Internacional de Habaneras y Polifonia and the Grand Prix in the 35th Florilege Vocal de Tours France and Grand Prize in the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing. The jury for the Choral Competition was composed of well-deserving, quite talented individuals, all with remarkable artistic eyes. The Busan Choral Festival & Competition is an annual internationall celebration of choral music attracting top tier amateur and student choirs with their renowned conductors to provide an opportunity to celebrate their talent and love of choral music.  This year was the 10th anniversary for Busan Choral Festival & Competition.  There were many excellent choral singers releasing beautiful music that continues to raise the standard for the level of expertise.  The event was broken down into a few main programs: Academy, Competition, Composers, Concerts, Festival, Parade, and Workshop.  Academy is an intensive choral conducting course.  Workshop includes presentations by jury, guest composers and guest artists. Congratulations to Chant for winter by Dale Trombore for first prize in the Composition Competition and Aleron from the Philippines for the Grand Prize!  Everyone did a marvelous job and the event was beautiful and enjoyed by all.