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From left: Axa Dennise Zarate of Peru; Laura Echarri Hermoso of Spain; Florence Meissner-Adamer of Germany; Elise Gauthier of France; Olivia Araya of Chile; Cmila Cardús of Argentina; Yanina Murga of Ecuador; Nicolas Watbled of France; Daniel Österlund of Sweden; Marcelo Maldonado of Bolivia; Anges Mambassa of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Jason Choi of South Korea; Nelson López Sosa of Paraguay; and Christian Wolfert of Germany. Photo by Randy Collier, Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.All rights reserved.This story appears here courtesy of TheChurchNews.com. It is not for use by other media.
By Christine Rappleye, Church News
Fourteen musicians from 12 countries joined The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square for the October 2024 general conference October 5-6, as part of the choir’s global participant program. They are from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, France, Germany, Paraguay, Peru, South Korea, Spain and Sweden.
The program moved from a pilot program to a permanent program earlier this year.
Ten singers participated in each of the April 2023 and October 2023 general conferences. Twelve musicians from 10 countries, including the first ones from Europe, sang with the choir during the April 2024 general conference.
Each global participant is initially recommended through area leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Then each goes through the multistep choir audition process with a recording, musical theory tests and live singing session with choir officials — a similar process for those who live within 100 miles of Salt Lake City. Also, they must be able to travel to the United States and demonstrate English proficiency.
It is anticipated that they will visit Salt Lake City in groups of 12 for each general conference, and each participant will serve up to five years or until they have visited general conference twice, according to choir leaders.
This conference, two singers, Yanina Murga of Ecuador and Olivia Araya of Peru, are back for a second conference.
Those selected join the choir virtually for rehearsals leading up to general conference and also spend about two weeks in Salt Lake City for more training, including Choir School, rehearsals with the choir and attending “Music & the Spoken Word.”
Those interested in becoming global participants should visit thetabernaclechoir.org/global-participant-program for information.
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Fourteen musicians from 12 countries are joining The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square for the October 2024 general conference Oct. 5-6, as part of the choir’s global participant program. They are from Argentina, Austria, Bolivia, Chile, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, France, Germany, Peru, South Korea, Spain and Sweden. Graphic courtesy of Church News.Copyright 2024 Deseret News Publishing Company.Here they are listed by Church area:
Europe Central Area
- Elise Gauthier, 28, of Brive la Gaillarde, France, and currently studying in Vienna, Austria
- Laura Echarri Hermoso, 45, of Pamplona, Spain
- Florence Meissner-Adamer, 34, of Tubingen, Germany
- Nicolas Watbled, 50, of Bearn, France
- Christian Wolfert, 43, of Frankfurt, Germany
Europe North Area
- Daniel Osterlund, 50, of Stockholm, Sweden
South America Northwest
- Camila Cardus, 28, of Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Marcelo Maldonado, 39, of Cochabamba, Bolivia
- Yanina Murga, 46, of Guayaquil, Ecuador
- Axa Dennise Zarate, 26, of Tacna, Peru
South America South
- Olivia Araya, 41, of Chillan, Chile
- Nelson Lopez Sosa, 35, of Luque, Paraguay
Asia North Area
- Jason Choi, 40, of Seoul, South Korea
Africa Central Area
- Anges Mambassa, 42, of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Copyright 2024 Deseret News Publishing Company.