New director has choral, Barbershop credits
Jordan Rakita responded to a Phoenicians ad on the FWD website for a Barbershop chorus director. He expressed interest in the position along with a resume that proved him to be highly qualified and the Chapter Board quickly agreed to begin working with him to rebuild the chorus.
Jordan is pursuing a doctorate in choral conducting at Arizona State University where he directs the tenor/bass ensemble Canticum Bassum which includes 20 or more male singers who he introduced to the joy of Barbershop singing.
He began his Barbershop experience singing lead in his 2004 FWD High School contest first-place quartet, the Burninators from Green Valley High School in Las Vegas. Later he sang for several years with the Westminster Chorus, which won an International Gold Medal at that time.
Jordan is Canto Conductor and Music Literacy Instructor for the acclaimed Phoenix Children's Chorus and recently completed an internship with the 120-member Phoenix Symphony Chorus which performs throughout the season with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra.
Jordan earned a master’s degree in choral conducting at Northern Arizona University. He served as the director of the University Singers at NAU, pioneered a tenor/bass ensemble through the Flagstaff Youth Chorale, and was a voice instructor at the Curry Summer Music Camp teaching private lessons and master classes.
He also was part of the Grammy-award-winning Phoenix Chorale. As an educator, he is the former director at Gilbert Christian High School and the Heritage Academy, instructing hundreds of high school students. His ensembles have consistently received awards locally and regionally. He also is a sought-after clinician, guest conducting at Cantaremos, the Boys to Men Festival and Southwest Christian Student Arts Festival.
He and his wife Kayla, who is an English teacher at ASU, live in Tempe and are the parents of daughter Ruby and son Milo.
With his outstanding career in conducting and teaching vocal music Jordan can play a major part in bringing the Phoenicians Chorus back on stage with captivating music and thrilling presentation as it has in the past.
