A brief history of our prior directors: Richard Owen, Interim Director - Spring of 2002 Richard Owen received his Bachelor's in government and philosophy from Dartmouth College and his Master's in accompanying from the Manhattan School of Music with additional studies in composing and conducting. Mr. Owen went on to study orchestral conducting at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Austria, with Maestro Leopold Hager. Mr. Owen has conducted opera and symphony in Germany, Austria, Poland, the United States and Italy, making many professional recordings. Mr. Owen was the Music Director of Camerata Internazionale, an international chamber orchestra that was founded in Vienna. It is currently based in New York and has been renamed Camerata New York. Mr. Owen made his debut with the Columbia University Glee Club in 2001 and continues as their director. Bernard LaDue, Founding Director - 1984 to 2001 Mr. LaDue received his Bachelor of Music degree from Syracuse University and his Master in Education degree from Western Connecticut University. He studied choral conducting under David Randolph and Joseph Flummerfelt at the Saratoga-Potsdam Choral Institute and at Westminster Choir College. While at Saratoga, he sang under Eugene Ormandy, Robert Shaw, and Aaron Copland. He was Choral Director at Fox Lane High School in Bedford, New York, where the Madrigal Singers are well-known in the community. With an interest to build choral performance and opportunity in the local New York area, he started the Putnam Chorale with only twelve choral members which later grew to sixty-six under his leadership. Mr. LaDue retired in 2001 and is now active with the Reston Chorale in Virginia.