Arts Leadership Award Program

Representing Alameda County Supervisorial District One —

Bee Chow of Fremont, is the founder of Cantabella Children’s Chorus in Livermore. In 1992, Bee started the organization with a small music literacy class for 11 children. She was inspired by composer Zoltan Kodaly’s philosophy that the singing voice should be every child’s first and lifelong musical instrument. The name Cantabella Children’s Chorus was derived from the Italian ‘canta bella’, which translates to ‘sing beautifully’, and this was Bee’s founding vision for the chorus. From these beginnings, Bee grew and nurtured Cantabella Children’s Chorus into an international award-winning organization with a total membership of over 250 singers ranging from kindergarteners to high school students. The mission of the Chorus is to develop healthy vocal techniques and choral artistry within children and youth through excellence in music education, fine choral production and collaborative cultural arts experiences to enrich and reflect the diverse community. Cantabella strives to enrich the cultural lives of the choristers, as well as those of the residents in the Tri-Valley area and Alameda County. Cantabella believes that the enjoyment of musical performances transcends social and economic differences. While Bee’s official retirement as artistic director took place in 2015, she continues to encourage, nurture, and support the organization.