Dr. Frederick B. Mabalot begins his 7th season with the Bellingham Chamber Chorale in 2024/2025. A Filipino American composer and choral conductor from Southern California, he has been a Bellingham resident since 2016. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Washington School of Music in Seattle. His doctoral dissertation entitled A Path to Song: The Incorporation of Aboriginal and Environmental Influences in 20th and 21st Century Australian Choral Music explores the diversity and unique characteristics and elements in Australian choral music. It also examines the devastatingly traumatic impact of Australia’s colonial history on generations of Aboriginal people and societies and how this generational trauma manifested and continues to manifest in varying degrees and forms in Australian choral music. With this comes the issue of cultural appropriation and identifying a path towards respectful cultural referencing, and respectful ways to engage with Indigenous influences in choral composition and performance while honoring Indigenous communities who are the sole and original custodians of their artistic, cultural, and musical heritage. His other doctoral research topics included The History and Performance of the 1328 Rimini Antiphonal Chants and The Application of Yoga Principles to Help Alleviate Musical Performance Anxiety and Stress in Individual and Choral Singers. At UW, he studied with Dr. Geoffrey Boers and Dr. Giselle Wyers. During his two-year residency at UW, Dr. Mabalot taught Glee Choir, Recital Choir, and Chamber Singers.

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Dr. Mabalot completed initial composition studies at Sydney Conservatorium of Music in Australia where he graduated with First Class Honours. At Sydney Conservatorium, he studied composition with Dr. Michael Smetanin, Dr. Matthew Hindson, and Dr. Paul Stanhope. In addition to composition, he studied voice with soprano Anke Höppner and was mentored in choral conducting by Dr. Neil McEwan who also became a foremost advocate of his choral music. In Sydney, he sang with the highly acclaimed Sydney Chamber Choir and the Choir of Christ Church Saint Laurence where he was given opportunities as a tenor soloist in concerts and liturgies, and as assistant conductor for Dr. McEwan. In addition, he sang with the Conservatorium Large and Chamber choirs and served as assistant conductor and choir manager for McEwan in rehearsals, performances, international tours, and other events on and off-campus. He was also featured as a tenor soloist in some of the Conservatorium Choirs' concerts. Furthermore, he was commissioned to compose new music for the Conservatorium Choirs which were performed in Australia and Europe and broadcasted by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Classical radio station. During his time in Sydney, his various compositions were performed in the Recital and Concert halls of the Conservatorium and at the Sydney Opera House. He is immensely grateful for the lifelong friendships and connections he made during his time in Australia. 

 

Dr. Mabalot completed graduate studies in composition at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen with internationally renowned Danish composers Hans Abrahamsen, Niels Rosing-Schow, and Jeppe Just Christensen as his teachers. He continued classical voice studies with Helene Gjerris and Jan Lund and conducting with Maestro Jørgen Fuglebaek. In Copenhagen, he conducted the Royal Danish Academy of Music Voices and Coro Latino Copenhagen, and sang with RDAM's Chamber Choir. While living in Copenhagen, his various compositions were performed in Copenhagen's PULSAR Contemporary Music Festival and were performed by ensembles such as the Paris-based Ensemble Alternance, Esbjerg Ensemble, RDAM Sinfonietta, RDAM Symphony, RDAM Voices, Tourdion Chamber Choir, and singers from the Royal Opera Academy.  He continues to engage in artistic collaborations and concert projects with former colleagues from the Royal Academy and treasures all the amazing people he met during his time in Denmark. 

 

Dr. Mabalot holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance from California State University, Northridge. He studied voice with Dr. David Scott, and piano with Dr. Charles Fierro and Dr. Jeanine Jacobson. He was originally admitted as a piano performance major, but after two years, he switched to full-time voice studies and continued piano studies simultaneously. While at CSUN, he also studied choral conducting with Professor Paul Smith, and orchestral conducting with Professor Gary Pratt. He participated in Opera Workshop classes with OperaWorks founder Ann Baltz--- an experience that would influence his approach to his more dramatic compositions. It was during his time at CSUN that he began to explore composing vocal and choral music. Dr. Mabalot has worked as Director of Music and Liturgy, pianist, and organist for various churches within the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Over the years, he taught piano and voice to private students and has also worked as a musical and voice coach to opera and musical theater singers. In Washington, he serves as the Director of Music and Liturgy at Church of the Assumption, a position he has held since 2016, and the Artistic Director and Conductor for Bellingham Chamber Chorale, a position he has held since 2018.

 

There have been performances of Dr. Mabalot's music in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Philippines, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He has been appointed Composer-in-Residence by the Choral Artists of Carmel in California for their 2022-2023/2024 season which includes performances of his existing works and a commission of a new piece. Dr. Mabalot's choral music is published by Walton Music Publications. He is immensely grateful to be part of Walton and for the opportunity to share his choral music to an even wider audience worldwide. In his work as a composer, conductor, performer, and teacher, Dr. Mabalot believes in the transformative and healing power of music.

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Dr. Mabalot is a member of the American Choral Directors' Association, the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Royal School of Church Music, ASCAP, and Denmark's KODA. For more information, please visit frederickbmabalot.com