Directors

Joshua Habermann, Music Director

Joshua Habermann made his debut as music director of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale in 2009. Projects with the Desert Chorale include choral-orchestral works such as J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor, Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610, Handel’s Dixit Dominus, as well as a cappella masterworks such as Rachmaninov’s All Night Vigil, and Copland’s In the Beginning with mezzo-soprano Susan Graham.

Habermann has led honor choirs and choral festivals in North and Latin America, Europe and Asia. As a singer (tenor) he has performed with the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus (Eugene, Oregon), where he can be heard on the Grammy-Award-winning recording of Krzystof Penderecki’s Credo. Other projects include three recordings with Conspirare: Through the Green Fuse, Requiem, a Grammy nominee for best choral recording in 2006, and Threshold of Night, a Grammy nominee for best choral recording and best classical album in 2009.

From 1996-2008 Habermann was assistant conductor of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, where he prepared the chorus for performances with conductors Michael Tilson Thomas and Charles Dutoit. Recordings as a singer with the SFSC include Christmas by the Bay (Decca Records), Mahler Symphony No. 2 (London Records), and Stravinsky’s Perséphone, (RCA) a Grammy winner for Best Classical Album in 2003.

From 1996-2008 Mr. Habermann was professor of music at San Francisco State University, where under his direction the SFSU Chamber Singers received international engagements in Havana, Cuba, and undertook concert tours in Germany and the Czech Republic, and China. In 2006 he led a collaboration between the SFSU Chamber Singers and the Orchestre des Jeunes de Provence in music of Poulenc and the Requiem of Maurice Duruflé in concerts throughout France. National invitations include the Waging Peace Festival in Eugene, Oregon, multiple appearances at the California Music Educators Convention, and an appearance at the American Choral Directors’ Association convention in 2008.

From 2008-2011 Habermann was director of choral studies at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, where he led the graduate program in conducting, and directed the Frost Chorale. Notable projects in Miami included an appearance at the Florida Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association convention, and several collaborations with the New World Symphony in music of Ives, Schubert and Beethoven. During this same period Habermann led the Masterchorale of South Florida in performances of Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Haydn’s Creation, and Mozart’s Requiem. Joshua Habermann begins his tenure as Chorus Director of the Dallas Symphony Chorus in the 2011-12 season. The 200-voice Dallas Symphony Chorus is the official vocal ensemble of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

A native of California, Habermann is a graduate of Georgetown University and the University of Texas at Austin, where he completed doctoral studies in conducting with Craig Hella Johnson. Habermann lives in Dallas with his wife Joanna, a children’s choir director.

Andreas Tischhauser, Managing Director

Managing Director Andreas Tischhauser first joined the Desert Chorale in 1997 as a singer under founding director Lawrence Bandfield. Having moved to the Southwest that same year to serve on the faculty at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, he enjoyed an active performing career in New Mexico and Colorado until his temporary departure in 2008.

During his time in the Four Corners area he held a position as Professor of Music at Fort Lewis College teaching Flute, Voice, Non-Western Music, and Music Technology. In addition to his work at the College Andreas held principal flute positions in the San Juan and Santa Fe symphonies. In 2005 Andreas was selected as a finalist in The Myrna Brown International Competition for professional flutists.

As a singer he worked with the Santa Fe Opera, Central City Opera outreach, Santa Fe Pro Musica, and the Santa Fe Desert Chorale. In 1998 Tischhauser had the honor of performing as a vocalist with Dave Brubeck and the Brubeck Quartet. His most recent roles include Ralph Rackstraw in Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore, Tamino in Mozart’s Magic Flute, the Chevalier in Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmélites and Nemorino in Donizetti’s L’Elisir D’Amore.

Departing from the world of classical music, in 2003 Tischhauser began working with Durango Performing Arts Company, an organization devoted to training young people in dance, theater, and music-theater. In following five years he placed many of his students in some of the most prestigious performing arts organizations throughout the United States. In 2005 Andreas worked as a stage performer with the Diamond Circle Melodrama, a Rand McNally “Top Ten Destinations in America” award winner. Andreas so enjoyed the experience with the theater he accepted the role as managing producer in 2007 in an effort to help preserve this fifty year-old historic western icon.

Dr. Tischhauser received his education from Wichita State University, the University of Colorado, the Cincinnati Conservatory, and Florida State University. During his time as a student at FSU he served as the tenor soloist in Haydn’s Creation under the direction of Robert Shaw. Additionally, Andreas received his first administrative post managing the orchestras at FSU and serving on the Student Government Artistic Advisory Committee to the University. In 2008, after spending more than a decade in Colorado and surrounding areas, he returned to Florida State University as Admissions Coordinator and Recruiter for the College of Music.

In 2010 Andreas was easily lured back to the Southwest to assist in the restructuring of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale and was promoted to the position of Managing Director four months later. This past year Andreas has been seen as Paul in Santa Fe Rep’s production of Sondheim’s Company, and with Santa Fe New Music in their production of David Lang’s Pulitzer Prize winning Little Match Girl Passion.