Dr. Marcela Molina (MM ’04, DMA ’13) will serve as the 2022 Youth Honor Choir conductor at the Western American Choral Directors Association Conference in March.
The Western American Choral Directors Association Conference has been held annually since 1966. ACDA Western Division has developed into a unique organization that continues to serve and inspire choral directors and actively promotes the art of choral music.
The concert will take place Saturday, March 6, 2022, at the Terrace Theater in Long Beach, California.
Since earning her degrees from the University of Arizona’s Fred Fox School of Music, Dr. Molina has been making waves at the Tucson Girls Chorus first serving as Artistic Director in 2006 and then taking the helm as Executive Director in 2011.
Under her leadership, the TGC has grown significantly in both programming and community engagement. She has transformed TGC into a collaborative and inclusive environment for music educators and classrooms that they serve.
The members of the Chorus say that Dr. Molina is a “brilliant and bold leader” that has brought the TGC to a new level with her “vision, support, and love.”
To Dr. Molina, the Tucson Girls Chorus was more than just a place for young girls to learn music and sing well. It was a place for anyone and everyone to find themselves.
Being born in Bogotá, Columbia, Dr. Molina advocates for diversity and in her time has grown the TGC from 67 singers to over 200 singers that hail everywhere from the foothills to the south-side.
Dr. Molina told the Arizona Daily Star that “when you talk to the girls, they talk about how empowered they are and they (develop) such deep friendships. They just start believing in themselves and they will literally find their voice.”
In 2017, Dr. Molina lead the Tucson Girls Chorus to be awarded the 2017 Copper Cactus Award for Charitable Business sponsored by the Tucson Metro Chamber.
Aside from her legacy at the Tucson Girls Chorus, Dr. Molina continues to make impacts in the music community.
Due to her significant achievements and attributions to her community, Dr. Molina was a 2011 honoree for Tucson’s 40 under 40.
In 2014, Dr. Molina was one of eight in the state of Arizona chosen as a Cox Hispanic Heritage Month honoree.
In 2016, she was selected as finalist for the Woman of Influence Awards in the category Arts and Culture Champion, an award that honors women who have contributed toward major advancements in their fields.
In 2019, she was named Choral Director of the Year by the Arizona Choral Directors Association.
Because of her achievements and passion for music, Dr. Molina is a frequent clinician and guest conductor at choral festivals and conferences across the country.