Tabernacle Choir’s global participant program goes from pilot to permanent

International musicians singing with The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ general conference is moving from a pilot program to a permanent part of the organization.

“We’ve received approval from the First Presidency for it to be a regular, ongoing part of the choir,” Tabernacle Choir President Michael O. Leavitt said in an interview with the Church News.

Currently there are 48 international singers, including the 10 who participated in each of the April 2023 and October 2023 general conferences. Twelve musicians from 10 countries, including the first ones from Europe, sang with the choir during the April 2024 general conference.

It is anticipated that they will visit Salt Lake City in groups of 12 for each general conference and each will serve up to five years or until they have visited general conference twice, President Leavitt said.

Each global participant is initially recommended through area leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Then each goes through the multistep audition process with a recording, musical theory tests and live singing session with choir officials — a similar process for those who live within 100 miles of Salt Lake City. Also, they must be able to travel to the United States and demonstrate English proficiency.

For those who are selected, they join the choir virtually for rehearsals leading up to general conference and also spend about two weeks in Salt Lake City for more training, including Choir School, rehearsals with the choir and attending “Music & the Spoken Word.”

“When they get here, they have two very intense weeks,” President Leavitt said.

The global participants have also toured Temple Square and other sites, had a demonstration of the Tabernacle organ, learned the history of the choir and met with those in the Church’s music department. This time, the singers have ministering brothers and sisters from the choir to help them, too.

The two global participants from Mexico and the two from the Philippines performed with the choir and orchestra during the “Hope” tour stops in those countries last year and earlier this year. And that pattern will continue, President Leavitt said.

Bringing in Church members from around the world to sing with the choir was one of the pilot programs announced in November 2022. It supports the change to the choir’s mission, which has added “throughout the world” to read: “The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square performs music that inspires people throughout the world to draw closer to the divine and feel God’s love for His children.”

President Leavitt said, “The choir is a wonderful music instrument, but it’s also an important symbol of unity, harmony and the Church’s worldwide mission.”

Those interested in becoming global participants should visit thetabernaclechoir.org/global-participant-program for information.

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April 2024 global participants

For the April 2024 general conference, there were 12 singers from 10 countries. The singers are:

• Jieun Kim of South Korea
• Elisha Tubo-Oreriba Joseph of Ghana
• Carlos Rabanales of Guatemala
• Clément Jouault of France
• Esther Petion of France
• Heber Ferraz-Leite of Austria
• Anja Rossau of Denmark
• Maria Hagman of Sweden
• Ninni Bautista of Sweden
• Mitchell Greengrass of England
• Olivia Araya of Chile
• Joel Villagra of Argentina

Their backgrounds vary — singing opera, singing professionally, having various degrees in music, specializing in an instrument, such as piano, or conducting, singing more as a hobby while having a profession in a completely different field. Many are lifelong Church members, but others are converts to the Church, including Rossau, who joined the Church less than three years ago. Hagman and Bautista are sisters. It’s Joseph’s second time coming to conference, as he was part of the first group who came in April 2023. Some are grandparents, others are single or are just beginning their families. All have become friends during the time they’ve been together.

Here’s what they’ve said about being part of the global participant program:

Jieun Kim of South Korea, alto 1

“It makes me more humble to feel the music … [and see what they do] to prepare for it and [what] effort they put into it so that we can feel the Spirit. … I feel they are so devoted to everything.”

Elisha Tubo-Oreriba Joseph of Ghana, tenor 1

“When you sing [a hymn], you feel the Spirit, even though that person is singing in a different language. And so the choir’s mission is spreading the gospel through music. I feel super blessed to be part of that mission.”

Carlos Rabanales of Guatemala, baritone

While meeting with a Church leader from Guatemala, Carlos Rabanales told him: “They’re treating us like rock stars. Sometimes I get a little uncomfortable with that. Because we’re supposed to be regular members of the choir.” Rabanales said the leader’s response was: “The global participants have enriched the choir so much. That is why they are like that.”

Clément Jouault of France, bass 2

“We can have the most difficult experience in life, and our Heavenly Father will always come back and [let us know], ‘Hello, I’m here, and I love you.’ … Even though you go through the most difficult things in your life, … Heavenly Father sometimes sends little messages and little experiences that [He is there].”

Esther Petion of France, soprano 1

“You just exercise your faith. … That is what is wonderful in this experience. And with faith, we can do a lot of things. We can know our potential better. And you can share the love of God with others and testify of how He is powerful and He can change our lives.”

Heber Ferraz-Leite of Austria, baritone

“It has been musically the most rewarding experience I’ve had in my life. But that was expected. It has spiritually been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life, and that was not expected. … [I’ve been] spiritually nourished through the association with everybody here and with the music that we’re doing. … The motivation is not how we can get more streams on Spotify. … The motivation is how can we touch the hearts of the children of God so that they will come nearer to Him? And that has been impressive to me to watch.”

Anja Rossau of Denmark, alto 1

“It’s been the greatest spiritual experience, and it’s definitely strengthened my testimony. I definitely feel my Heavenly Father has given me this as an answer to a prayer. … Music speaks to the soul.”

Maria Hagman of Sweden, soprano 2

“I’ve learned that I’m actually a child of God. Because you’ve heard that in Primary and everything, … and I just felt that my Heavenly Father really knows that I needed this right now. … I really feel that I am known and that He knows me. And He knows what I’m going through.”

Ninni Bautista of Sweden, alto 2

Initially, she thought it would be like some of the performances she’s done. “But it’s been totally different, and the spiritual experience is so huge. … I’ve been singing in choirs all my life, and I conduct choirs and stuff like that. It’s like a total different thing to sing with the Tabernacle Choir. It’s not like anything I’ve done, actually. They have their own sound, their own thing.”

Mitchell Greengrass of England, baritone

“There’s such a humble, beautiful and diligent ethos in the choir. It’s just really great to be a part of that. … [All of their work] creates this incredible sound and this incredible performance because everyone is so diligent. … We all need to give our very, very best.”

Olivia Araya of Chile, alto 1

“I’m very grateful for the tools they are giving us, because we can bring it to our countries. There are certain things that they do just in the Tabernacle Choir, but other things that can apply to our choirs as well. … I’ve been thinking that I can’t be the same person I was afterwards. We can’t be the same, because we are learning so many things here.”

Joel Villagra of Argentina, bass

As a teenager, he was a fan of the Tabernacle Choir, and Craig Jessop was the conductor. “To me, Craig Jessop is a legend.” When Joel arrived, it was Jessop who helped with his luggage.

“I feel the love of our Savior [though those I’ve met]. … Every time and every moment, I feel my Savior’s love, because of simple acts of love, and that’s very important for me. [They are] so dedicated and so humble. It’s been a special lesson for me.”

Correction: An earlier version of this article misspelled the name of Jieun Kim of South Korea as Jieum.

Editor’s note: This article was updated on May 2, 2024, with instructions on how to get more information about the global participant program.