Searching for the Perfect Present, on Nov. 21
(Orange, CA)—The community is invited to attend Santiago Canyon College’s Celebration of Diversity, Searching for the Perfect Present, on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 7:00 p.m. This special event is co-produced by Dr. Binh Vu, Santiago Canyon College (SCC) assistant professor of music, and Sheryl Donchey, SCC theatre arts instructor.
The Celebration of Diversity will feature the SCC Collegiate Choir, SCC Community Choirs with Lee Lee Truong, the SCC Community Orchestra, dancers from SCC Dance department, and the El Modena High School Choir. Actors from the SCC theatre arts program and Roberta Kay’s Children’s Acting Workshop will perform a holiday-themed skit. Soprano Bich Lien will perform the “Tinh Ca,” one of the most famous Vietnamese songs composed by Pham Duy. Dr. Sungae Lee, adjunct music instructor at Santa Ana College, will provide a solo piano performance.
Lee, an accomplished pianist, enjoys a versatile performing career as recitalist, soloist, chamber musician and competitor and has won numerous competitions, including World International Competition and World Piano Pedagogy Conference Competition. She has been invited to present lectures on piano pedagogical topics at the Korean Institute of Piano Pedagogy and Korean National Annual Piano Pedagogy Conference for the past consecutive years. As an adjunct faculty at the Cerritos College, Santa Ana College, Coastline Community College, Bethesda Christian University and Shepherd University, Lee teaches various music courses including multiple levels of class piano, applied piano, keyboard literature, piano and string ensemble, western music history, music fundamentals and music appreciation. She currently resides in Irvine where she maintains a private studio.
Searching for the Perfect Present gets underway at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21 in the SCC Gymnasium, 8045 E. Chapman Avenue, Orange, CA 92869. General admission tickets are $15. Tickets for staff, students, seniors, and children under 12 are $10. Tickets may be purchased at the SCC Bookstore and cashier’s office or online at or online at www.sccollege.edu/holidayshowcase. Parking is free. For more information, call (714) 628-4822.
About Dr. Binh Vu
As a conductor and music director, Vu serves multiple ethnic communities in the U.S., Vietnam, and throughout Europe. In addition to teaching at SCC where he serves as the chair of the Performing Arts Department, Vu serves as part-time music director at Laguna Niguel Presbyterian Church and as the artistic director of the Ngan Khoi Chorus, a community chorus serving the Vietnamese communities in Southern California from 2004 to 2013. In December 2013, he was named an Everyday Hero by The Orange County Register. Vu has guest conducted several orchestras in Europe, including the Saint Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra (Russia), the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of Maikop (Russia), Ploiesti State Philharmonic Orchestra (Romania), and others. Vu earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral and Orchestral Conducting from The Claremont Graduate University, a Master of Music in Choral Conducting and a Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance from California State University, Northridge.
About Sheryl Donchey
Well known throughout the Southland as an educator, director, choreographer, and actress, Sheryl Donchey is equally at home with classics, modern work, or musicals. With over 75 directorial credits to her resume, and another 60 as a performer, Donchey is a veteran of stage, screen, and television. She has trained and performed in the U.S. and abroad for most of her adult life, working with many name artists. A former student of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, The Actor’s Studio (West), Uta Hagan, the American Conservatory Theatre, and an M.A. [Acting] graduate of CSULB, she has been consumed with the world of performance since her first dance lesson at age three. She has directed, choreographed, and acted with many California Civic Light Opera Associations, Shakespeare Festivals, Equity Waiver theatres, and summer stock companies In addition, her work has taken her to New York, London, Paris, Berlin, and Osaka, Japan. A professor of Theatre Arts at Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College for many years, she is the recipient of numerous awards for her work both in directing and acting.
About Santiago Canyon College
Santiago Canyon College (SCC) serves about 14,000 students each semester. The college prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions and careers, and provides courses for personal and professional development, as well as customized training for business and industry. The college is recognized for its adult education program which keeps the working adult—and senior—in mind by offering flexible schedules, and community locations. Serving the residents of Anaheim Hills, Orange, Tustin, and Villa Park, SCC is one of two comprehensive colleges under the auspices of the Rancho Santiago Community College District. Visit http://www.sccollege.edu to learn more.
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