Direction

Monte Mason was born into a musical family where it seemed everyone could play the piano and/or sing. He graduated with a music degree from Macalester College; piano studies were with Donald Betts, choral conducting with Dale Warland. While a student at the college, he initiated and produced several avant garde programs called Noncerts. Monte followed his keyboard and choral interests by becoming a church musician, and founding The Gregorian Singers at St. Mark's Cathedral, Minneapolis. Now in its 52nd season, TGS has presented chant, early and new music, folk music, and taken recent excursions into the Scandinavian choral repertoire, including but not limited to cow-calling.

Monte has worked at St. Martin's by the Lake, Minnetonka Beach, for 33 years. He was also active as a music editor in the Episcopal Church on the national scene. As a composer, Monte generally writes for the choirs he is associated with. A recipient of a McKnight Composer Fellowship in 1993, one of his more recent projects, arrangements of Norwegian folk tunes, won the 2024 Composer Arranging Competition sponsored by The Minnesota Grieg Society in cooperation with Norway House, Minneapolis.

When not involved in musical activities, and giving himself the status of quasi-retirement, Monte spends time at the family camp in north-central Minnesota, gardens, and watches his cacti grow.

Paolo Debuque is a Filipino- and Chinese-American conductor noted for his innovative programming and commitment to community-centered art. This year he is the conductor of St. Olaf College’s Viking Chorus and Chapel Choir, and has begun pursuing his DMA at the University of Minnesota with Matthew Mehaffey.

Passionate about the advancement of Asian-American voices, Paolo is the Founding Artistic Director of A Thousand Tongues, an arts organization dedicated to uplifting Asian-American experiences through music and stories. Paolo is also an ensemble singer with Border CrosSing, and section leader, board member, and guest conductor with the Minnesota Chorale.

Paolo studied music at Swarthmore College and earned his MM in Conducting (Choral) at the University of Michigan.