TAA Performers and Performances

ARKAI is an award-winning, electro-acoustic duo that has captivated audiences around the world with their creativity and cutting-edge string music. Classically trained violinist Jonathan Miron and cellist Phillip Sheegog, both graduates of The Julliard School, transform the beautiful tones of the violin and cello into epic soundscapes that resemble a rock band backed by a full orchestra. ARKAI’s signature sound has led them to hundreds of shows around the world.

Their engagements include Grammy's On The Hill, Carnegie Hall, Culture Summit Abu Dhabi, the United States Air Force Academy, and TED. Other highlights include opening for Grammy and Oscar-winning musician Jon Batiste, collaborations with celebrity photographer David LaChapelle for Milan Design Week, and joint recording projects with viral piano sensation Tony Ann. They recently opened and performed with Tony Ann at the legendary Troubadour club in Los Angeles for back-to-back sold-out shows. As songwriters and performers, their creative versatility has led to collaborations with Grammy-award winning music producers, Hollywood trailer houses, Cirque du Soleil acrobats, Olympic gymnasts, contemporary dance companies, chart-topping musicians, and full-scale symphony orchestras. In an article appearing on Grammy.com after a performance in Washington, D.C., ARKAI was described in these glowing terms:

“The genre-defying electroacoustic duo ARKAI took the stage…Like any exceptional musical performance, it hit like a gale force of humanity. It also showcased how human creativity has always embraced new technology with stirring and inspiring results.”

As proud Asian Americans, ARKAI has helped raise awareness and support for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander causes in partnership with the Museum of Chinese in America, Asian American Arts Alliance, the World Trade Center, and United States Department of State. During a time of increased division and hostility within the world, their artistry represents a beacon of possibility for the Asian American community and an example of the power of the arts to bridge cultural and societal divides. ARKAI’s artist-activism and commitment to advancing the future of music has led to top awards from Astral Artists, radio station WQXR in New York, Juilliard, and the McGraw Family Foundation. In collaboration with Grammy-award winning producer Jonas Karlsson, ARKAI’s highly-anticipated debut album Crossroads was recently released across all platforms.

The Middle Tennessee Choral Society (MTCS) was established in 1969 to provide outstanding performance opportunities for choral singers in the Middle Tennessee region. Past MTCS conductors include T. Earl Hinton, Sandra Willetts, and Raphael Bundage, who conducted the choir for nearly forty years. Angela Tipps became the conductor in 2022. The choral society performs two concerts per year featuring major works with orchestra. Recent works under Tipps’s baton include Vivaldi's Gloria, Bach's Magnificat, and Faure's Requiem. The 2025 spring concert will feature portions of The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace by Karl Jenkins, Interstellar by Hans Zimmer, and Duel of the Fates from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace by John Williams.

The Middle Tennessee Choral Society holds auditions in the fall and spring, and is currently at capacity with nearly ninety singers. Although the society is not a Middle Tennessee State University alumni group, many of the choir’s recent graduates continue their choral experience by becoming part of the choral society as they leave the university. The choir includes many members who make their living as musicians, as well as people who love to sing as an avocation, and includes music educators, church musicians, and many others.

About the Conductor

Angela Tipps is finishing her twenty-seventh year as a master instructor in the Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) School of Music, where she conducts the SOAL Chorale (Soprano-Alto) and TEBA Chorale (Tenor-Bass). She coordinates the music appreciation courses, and serves as musical director with the department of speech and theatre. A native of Murfreesboro and a graduate of MTSU and the Scarritt graduate school in Nashville, Tipps’s choirs have performed for the southern division conference of the American Choral Directors Association, the Tennessee Music Education Association, and with the Nashville Symphony at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. She has led several sessions on choral music for the Tennessee Arts Academy and is happy to see the Academy presented at her alma mater.