Jay Burken is in his eleventh year as an assistant director of show choirs at Washington High School, and has also previously choreographed for the show choirs Momentum and Vivace. Jay is a 2006 graduate of Washington High School, and was involved in many activities while in school, including Momentum, Madrigal Singers, Slice of Jazz and Concert Choir, as well as orchestra, drama, and tennis. Jay attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, studying music education and opera performance under Dr. Pete Eklund and Ariel Bybee. Jay has performed in many venues across the globe, including Carnegie Hall and the Theatre Royal in Waterford, Ireland. Locally, you may have seen him in productions with Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre, Theatre Cedar Rapids, and Giving Tree Theater, and as a classical soloist with the Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale. Memorable roles include Bert in “Mary Poppins”, Pirelli in “Sweeney Todd” and Joey in “Sister Act”. Jay has also directed several plays, including “Noises Off” and “Blithe Spirit” at Giving Tree Theatre, and was the choreographer for Cedar Rapids Opera’s production of “The Threepenny Opera”. For the past ten years, Jay has been a clinician and adjudicator for show choirs and competitions across the Midwest. Jay currently works as a Paraprofessional in the Cedar Rapids Community School District, as well as a sports announcer for various venues and teams in the area. In his free time, he enjoys watching 90s show choir, playing piano, and spending time with his nieces, Hazel and Charlotte.
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