​POINTS OF INTEREST

• Don & Susan have been married since 1986 and are the proud parents of James (b.1994) and Marc (b. 1997).

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• Don's "ancestry" path of conducting studies: Gabriel Fauré > Nadia Boulanger > Robert Shafer > Don Krudop.

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• Don was the founding director of the choral music programs and choirs at:

          Regent University (University Choir, Chamber Choir, Vox Coelestis)

          The Visual & Performing Arts Academy (Academy Choral Ensemble, Cantare, Vox Concordia, Vox Harmonia)

          Salem High School (Mixed Chorus, Women's Chorus, Men's Chorus, Concert Choir, Vocal Ensemble, Salem Madrigals)

          Courthouse Community United Methodist Church (Sanctuary Choir)

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• Don is the fifth Artistic Director in the 66 year history of the Virginia Beach Chorale. His predecessors are: Charles Daws, Charles Oliver, Walter Noona, and Lou Sawyer. Lou and Don account for 44 of those years.

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SOME MUSICAL HISTORY

• Don sang in the "American Youth Performs" All-Nation Choir at Carnegie Hall in 1971 under the direction of Weston Noble and Aaron Copland.

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• Don played trombone in the West Morris Regional High School (Flanders, NJ) concert band, 1967-71. Sitting in that same section was good friend and outstanding composer, David Lantz.

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• Don was a member of the graduating class of 1975 at Shenandoah, the University's 100th year. At that commencement ceremony, Don was presented the Algernon Sydney Sullivan award, given to the outstanding member of each graduating class at numerous institutions throughout the southern United States.

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• Don sang lead in "The Hoboken Zephyrs" barbershop quartet at the King's Dominion theme park in Doswell, Virginia, the first two summers the park was open (1975 & 76).

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• Under Don's direction, the Norfolk, VA  "Commodore Chorus" was named  the 1986 SPEBSQSA Southern Division and Mid-Atlantic District Intermediate Champions.

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• Don sang tenor in the barbershop quartet, "Old Dominion Line," 1991 & 1994 SPEBSQSA Southern Division Champions, and 1992 & 1993 SPEBSQSA International Quarter-Finalists.

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• The Salem High School "Silver Blend" was recognized as the largest high school women's barbershop harmony chorus in the United States in 1994. They performed at the Sweet Adelines International Region 14 Conference that same year.

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• Choirs from Salem High School and the Visual & Performing Arts Academy were chosen to perform at the Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA) annual in-service conference in 1992 (Madrigals), 1997 (Treble Concert Choir), 2000 (Madrigals), 2005 (Madrigals), 2007 (Vox Harmonia), & 2014 (AcademyTreble Choir) in Richmond, Hot Springs, and Norfolk. They performed at the Southern Division conference of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) in 1996 in Nashville, TN, and 2001, in Louisville, KY.

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• The Salem Madrigals, the premiere choir at Salem High School, presented the world premiere performance of "Treasure the Gifts" by renowned composer, Daniel Gawthrop in 1998. Mr. Gawthrop presented a symposium on "Composing as a Career" and was in attendance at the premiere performance.

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• The Salem Madrigals represented the Commonwealth of Virginia on a concert tour of England and Wales in 1999. Concert venues included the

  • Bath Abbey (Bath),

  • Yorkminster (York),

  • Westminster Abbey (London),

  • Westminster Cathedral (London), and

  • Whitchurch United Methodist Church (Cardiff).

            Prior to their departure, the choir received a visit from country star and sausage magnate, Jimmy Dean, in response to their inclusion of Mr.                   Dean's song, "Virginia," in the tour repertoire.

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• Choirs of Salem High School and The Visual & Performing Arts Academy were honored to perform with numerous college and university choirs and professional ensembles:

  • The King's Singers,

  • Chanticleer,

  • The City Choir of Washington,  

  • The Virginia Symphony,

  • Symphonicity (the symphony orchestra of Virginia Beach),

  • The "Conservatory Choir " of Shenandoah University,

  • The  "Commonwealth Singers" of Virginia Commonwealth University,

  • The "Diehn Chorale" of Old Dominion University,

  • The Roanoke College Concert Choir,

  • The Greensboro College Concert Choir, and

  • The Christopher Newport University Concert Choir. 

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• The Salem Madrigals performed for President Bill Clinton's staff Christmas party at The White House - Washington, DC, in 2000.

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• Rodney Eichenberger, Conducting Professor Emeritus at Florida State University, and creator of the recorded professional development seminar, "What They See is What You Get," noted that the Salem Madrigals choir was "one of the finest choirs I have ever worked with."

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• At the 2007 Heritage "Festival of Gold" in New York City, composer Doreen Rao, during a post-performance clinic with the combined Salem Madrigals and Vox Harmonia, turned to the audience and said "I wish all of you could come up here and watch the magic that happens between this man and this choir."

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• At a choral symposium on his music in 1996 at Greensboro College (NC), composer Daniel Gawthrop responded to a question about a specific interpretation of one of his compositions by saying "Don Krudop is on a very short list of people who are able to see into my heart as a composer."

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• Choirs from Salem HS and the Visual & Performing Arts Academy were selected to sing numerous times at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. The Salem Madrigals in 2005, Visual & Performing Arts Academy choirs in 2014 and 2019.

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• Choirs from Salem High School and the Visual & Performing Arts Academy were selected to sing numerous times at the Walt Disney World and Universal Studios resorts in Orlando, FL. Performances included: Disney "Magic Music Days" (2004), The "Disney Honors" Festival (2006), Universal Studios "Star Singers" (2012), The "Disney Arts Performers" (2015), and "The Candlelight Processional" at Epcot (2017).

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•  Choirs from the Visual & Performing Arts Academy, Salem High School, and Princess Anne Junior High School participated in choral festivals and clinics in:

  • London, England

  • York, England

  • Cardiff, Wales

  • New York, NY

  • Washington, DC

  • Orlando, FL

  • Las Vegas, NV

  • Atlanta, GA

  • Nashville, TN

  • Gatlinburg, TN

  • Louisville, KY

  • Greensboro, NC

  • Richmond, VA

  • Williamsburg, VA

  • Winchester, VA

  • Newport News, VA  

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• Vox Harmonia, the premiere choir of the Visual & Performing Arts Academy, performed with R&B star Timbaland at GQ magazine's "Gentlemen's Banquet" in NYC in 2008. In the audience that night: Usher, Hillary Swank, Forrest Whittaker, Steve Nash (coach of the NBA Brooklyn Nets),  and James Cameron, among others.

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• Vox Harmonia was the featured guest ensemble on the City Choir of Washington's 2010 Christmas concert at the National Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC. The concert was reviewed by Joe Banno of the Washington Post newspaper. Of Vox Harmonia's portion of the performance, Mr. Banno said: "Best of all was the guest ensemble, Vox Harmonia, a student chamber choir from the Visual and Performing Arts Academy at Salem High School, Virginia Beach. Holding hands, leaning their bodies forward, and riveting wide-eyed attention on conductor Don Krudop, they sang with a rapt concentration and ravishing sound that took the breath away."

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• Vox Harmonia sang the national anthem for President Barack Obama in 2012.

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• Vox Harmonia performed in concert with Brooke Shields and the Virginia Symphony in 2016.

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• Vox Concordia, the VPA Academy advanced treble ensemble, sang with Symphonicity (the symphony orchestra of Virginia Beach) on Virginia Ballet International's performances of Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite" in 2012, 2013, 2014, & 2015.

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• Vox Concordia, the VPA Academy advanced treble ensemble, sang with The Virginia Symphony as Joanne Faletta conducted portions of Arrigo Boito's opera "Mefistofele" in 2016.

 

• The Virginia Beach Chorale has performed in concert with the late, great country star Kenny Rogers and popular trio, The Tenors.

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• The Virginia Beach Chorale presented the world premiere performance of "Sing to Me" by esteemed composer, Joseph Martin at the Spring Concert in 2019. The song was commissioned to celebrate the Chorale's 60th anniversary and Don's 10th year as Artistic Director. From the Jw Pepper website: "Fans of Joseph Martin's iconic The Awakening will find interest in the scope and theme of this inspiring piece. Growing from a rising musical motive, it evolves into a celebration of music and its ministry to the human spirit. "

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• The Virginia Beach Chorale presented the world premiere performance of a newly commissioned work by Daniel Gawthrop in the spring of 2021. The new composition, entitled "Resplendent Light," is dedicated to the memory of those lost in the tragic incident at the Virginia Beach Municipal Complex on May 31, 2019. The premiere took place during a virtual memorial ceremony produced by the City of Virginia Beach. Watch the ceremony here.

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• Regent's University Choir and Chamber Choir have both appeared in performance on the Christian Broadcasting Network's flagship broadcast, "The 700 Club" and were the featured ensembles on the web-streamed "Regent Christmas Special" in December 2020. The choirs were also  highlighted in the "Regent Spring Concert," on May 14, 2021. Want to watch? Click here

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• Regent University's Vox Coelestis was honored to participate in an a cappella workshop with Deke Sharon in 2023. Deke created all the musical arrangements for the "Pitch Perfect" movie series.

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