ANNOUNCING THE 2nd BIENNIAL EMERGING CHORAL COMPOSER COMPETITION WINNER
PCC is pleased to announce the winner of the 2nd biennial Emerging Choral Composer Competition Winner; Kahan Taraporevala. Kahan's winning work, titled "Once Sweeter," will be performed by Plano Civic Chorus at our concert "Sing Anything: Family Caregivers, and Memory" on March 8, 2025. Read below for more information about our winner!
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Kahan Taraporevala
2025 Emerging Choral Composer Competition Winner Kahan Taraporevala is a composer, producer, and teacher. Born in 1999 and growing up in Mumbai and Singapore, he studied the piano from age five. Striving to bring people together through the transformative power of music, Kahan's compositions aim to engender meaningful conversations that transcend cultural and linguistic boundaries. Kahan's works have been performed by choirs and ensembles in the United States, Canada, and India. Kahan has a BM in Music Composition (Founders Scholar) with a Minor in Conducting from the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University (2022) and an MM in Music Composition from the University of North Texas (UNT) College of Music (2024). He is currently pursuing a PhD in composition at UNT. |
About The PCC Emerging Choral Composer Competition
Created in 2022, this competition was begun as a way to spark the imagination and creativity of new and emerging choral composers, and encourage a new generation of composers to contribute meaningful works to the choral arts.The winning entry of the competition will receive a $1,500 cash award plus reimbursed travel expenses of up to $500.00 to attend the premiere of his/her composition on March 8, 2025.
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GUEST JUDGES
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ABOUT THE JUDGES
ZACHARY MOORE
Zachary J. Moore (b. 1992) is an American composer, conductor, and speaker. Combining his interests in film, classical music, and film scoring, Zach strives to tell meaningful stories through his music that will captivate, transform, and transport listeners. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in composition at Stephen F. Austin State University and studies under Dr. Stephen Lias.
Over the last decade Zach has completed over 30 commissions for high school to professional level choirs including Luther College (2022), The University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire (2020), and Lawrence University (2019). Zach's choral works have been performed internationally in prominent locations including Carnegie Hall, The Taipei National Concert Hall, and Saint Patrick's Cathedral NY. Throughout his career Zach has received distinguished awards including third place in both the American Prize National Competition (2014) and the Marvin Hamlisch International Film Scoring Contest (2018). More recently, Zach took first place in the Plano Civic Chorale Emerging Choral Composer Contest (2022).
DEBRA SCROGGINS
Trained as a pianist and singer, Debra Scroggins has enjoyed a career as a teacher, soloist and professional chorister, and has sung with such prestigious choral groups as Conspirare’s Company of Singers, Robert Shaw’s Festival Singers, Kansas City Chorale and the Berwick Chorus of the Oregon Bach Festival. These experiences have enriched her understanding of the needs of the singer and the conductor of choral music. Since 2013 Debra has served as Composer in Residence for the Plano Civic Chorus. She also serves in the same capacity for The Texas Voices, a Dallas-area professional chamber choir.
In the last ten years her music has been performed throughout the US and in Europe, South America and Russia. Debra is frequently commissioned to create new choral works for churches, schools, universities, professional ensembles and civic choirs, and in 2010 she was named Texas Music Teachers Association Commissioned Composer. Debra’s music is published by Oxford University Press, Alliance Music Publications, Choristers Guild, John Rich Music Press, Pavane Publishing, Santa Barbara Music Publishing and earthsongs. Some of her music is also self-published.
DR. RANDY HOOPER
Dr. Hooper is the Director of Choirs and Vocal Activities at Texas A&M University-Commerce where he conducts the Tenor and Bass Chorus, the Treble Chorus, the Chamber Singers and University Chorale while overseeing the master’s program in choral conducting and teaching undergraduate courses in conducting. Choirs under Dr. Hooper’s direction have performed in Carnegie Hall, the Moody Concert Hall, the Meyerson Symphony Center and the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe in the Dallas, TX Arts District as well as in various venues in Germany, Austria, England and France.
Dr. Hooper is an active composer, arranger and editor of choral music. His edition of the 17th century composer Jan Pieterszoon Sweelink’s Psalm 100 is published with Carl Fisher. Original works by Dr. Hooper are published by MusicSpoke and arrangements by Dr. Hooper are published with Earthsongs publishing. He is also actively engaged in research and presented his research on the choral music of Anthony Burgess at the first International Anthony Burgess Foundation Symposium in Manchester, England; this research was later published.
Dr. Hooper earned degrees from Texas State University, Baylor University, and Louisiana State University. Prior to his position at Texas A&M University-Commerce, Dr. Hooper held similar positions at Tennessee Tech University, Georgia State University and taught high school choral music for eleven years in Texas. Dr. Hooper has been a teacher and conductor for over 34 years.
Zachary J. Moore (b. 1992) is an American composer, conductor, and speaker. Combining his interests in film, classical music, and film scoring, Zach strives to tell meaningful stories through his music that will captivate, transform, and transport listeners. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in composition at Stephen F. Austin State University and studies under Dr. Stephen Lias.
Over the last decade Zach has completed over 30 commissions for high school to professional level choirs including Luther College (2022), The University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire (2020), and Lawrence University (2019). Zach's choral works have been performed internationally in prominent locations including Carnegie Hall, The Taipei National Concert Hall, and Saint Patrick's Cathedral NY. Throughout his career Zach has received distinguished awards including third place in both the American Prize National Competition (2014) and the Marvin Hamlisch International Film Scoring Contest (2018). More recently, Zach took first place in the Plano Civic Chorale Emerging Choral Composer Contest (2022).
DEBRA SCROGGINS
Trained as a pianist and singer, Debra Scroggins has enjoyed a career as a teacher, soloist and professional chorister, and has sung with such prestigious choral groups as Conspirare’s Company of Singers, Robert Shaw’s Festival Singers, Kansas City Chorale and the Berwick Chorus of the Oregon Bach Festival. These experiences have enriched her understanding of the needs of the singer and the conductor of choral music. Since 2013 Debra has served as Composer in Residence for the Plano Civic Chorus. She also serves in the same capacity for The Texas Voices, a Dallas-area professional chamber choir.
In the last ten years her music has been performed throughout the US and in Europe, South America and Russia. Debra is frequently commissioned to create new choral works for churches, schools, universities, professional ensembles and civic choirs, and in 2010 she was named Texas Music Teachers Association Commissioned Composer. Debra’s music is published by Oxford University Press, Alliance Music Publications, Choristers Guild, John Rich Music Press, Pavane Publishing, Santa Barbara Music Publishing and earthsongs. Some of her music is also self-published.
DR. RANDY HOOPER
Dr. Hooper is the Director of Choirs and Vocal Activities at Texas A&M University-Commerce where he conducts the Tenor and Bass Chorus, the Treble Chorus, the Chamber Singers and University Chorale while overseeing the master’s program in choral conducting and teaching undergraduate courses in conducting. Choirs under Dr. Hooper’s direction have performed in Carnegie Hall, the Moody Concert Hall, the Meyerson Symphony Center and the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe in the Dallas, TX Arts District as well as in various venues in Germany, Austria, England and France.
Dr. Hooper is an active composer, arranger and editor of choral music. His edition of the 17th century composer Jan Pieterszoon Sweelink’s Psalm 100 is published with Carl Fisher. Original works by Dr. Hooper are published by MusicSpoke and arrangements by Dr. Hooper are published with Earthsongs publishing. He is also actively engaged in research and presented his research on the choral music of Anthony Burgess at the first International Anthony Burgess Foundation Symposium in Manchester, England; this research was later published.
Dr. Hooper earned degrees from Texas State University, Baylor University, and Louisiana State University. Prior to his position at Texas A&M University-Commerce, Dr. Hooper held similar positions at Tennessee Tech University, Georgia State University and taught high school choral music for eleven years in Texas. Dr. Hooper has been a teacher and conductor for over 34 years.