Sonja Sepulveda

Sonja Atkinson Sepúlveda is frequently in demand as a choral adjudicator, clinician, and director of honor choirs.  Dr. Sepúlveda's choirs have toured Europe, Mexico, and Canada. Choirs under her direction have performed concerts for the National Cathedral, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, SCMEA, National ACDA, Southern ACDA, National MENC and Lincoln Center. She conducted, as well sang choral parts for the ABC mini series, North and South.

Sepúlveda sang with the Robert Shaw Festival Chorus for eight years, sang with the Carnegie Hall Chorus in 2000 and 2002 and has been named over ten times to Who's Who Among American Teachers, Who’s Who of American Women and for 2010, Who’s Who in the World. Dr. Sepúlveda holds the title of "Paul Harris Fellow" from the Rotary International and was awarded lifetime membership by the National PTA. She has extensive experience as a church musician, dancer, choreographer, performer, and director of musical theater. She has also sung for and worked with many great conductors such as Moses Hogan, Anton Armstrong, and Dennis Keene.  She received the William H. Nolte Graduate Assistant Teaching Award from the University of South Carolina in 2006 for her work in conducting and teaching.  

Sonja Sepúlveda is former SC Choral Festival Chairman and served as SC All-State Chairman for four years. She also served as her state ACDA Chairman for Jazz and Show Choirs. As director of the Palmetto Choirs, she currently conducts the Palmetto Singers and Palmetto Voices. Dr. Sepúlveda was the choral director for Sumter High School for almost two decades and taught elementary and middle school chorus in South Carolina. She also served for sixteen years as the choral director of the Chancel Choir and Youth Choir of First Presbyterian Church of Sumter, South Carolina and now directs the choirs at St. John United Methodist Church of Sumter.

While finishing graduate work at the University of South Carolina from 2004 to 2007, Dr. Sepúlveda directed the USC Carolina Alive Vocal Jazz, USC Renaissance Singers and assisted the USC Concert Choir and University Chorus. She studied with Dr. Larry Wyatt and Dr. Carol Krueger. For the 2007-2008 year she was visiting Assistant Professor of Music at Western Kentucky University where she conducted the Women’s Chorus. From 2008-2010 she was Assistant Professor of Choral Music and Music Education at Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, Georgia where she conducted the Concert Choir, Choral Society, BPC Jazz Voices and was coordinator of music education.  The Brewton-Parker Concert Choir and Palmetto Voices   will perform a solo concert at Carnegie Hall on June 27, 2010.

Sonja is married to Juan Sepúlveda and they have two sons, Dru and Brys.