Fourteen musicians from 12 countries are joining The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square for the October 2024 general conference Oct. 5-6, as part of the choir’s global participant program. They are from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, France, Germany, Paraguay, Peru, South Korea, Spain and Sweden.
The program moved from a pilot program to a permanent program earlier this year.
Ten singers 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.
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 choir 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.
It is anticipated that they will visit Salt Lake City in groups of 12 for each general conference, and each participant will serve up to five years or until they have visited general conference twice, according to choir leaders.
This conference, two singers, Yanina Murga of Ecuador and Olivia Araya of Peru, are back for a second conference.
Those selected 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.”
Those interested in becoming global participants should visit thetabernaclechoir.org/global-participant-program for information.
Here they are listed by Church area:
Europe Central Area
- Elise Gauthier, 28, of Brive la Gaillarde, France, and currently studying in Vienna, Austria
- Laura Echarri Hermoso, 45, of Pamplona, Spain
- Florence Meissner-Adamer, 34, of Tübingen, Germany
- Nicolas Watbled, 50, of Béarn, France
- Christian Wolfert, 43, of Frankfurt, Germany
Europe North Area
- Daniel Österlund, 50, of Stockholm, Sweden
South America Northwest
- Marcelo Maldonado, 39, of Cochabamba, Bolivia
- Yanina Murga, 46, of Guayaquil, Ecuador
- Axa Dennise Zárate, 26, of Tacna, Peru
South America South
- Camila Cardús, 28, of Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Olivia Araya, 41, of Chillan, Chile
- Nelson López Sosa, 35, of Luque, Paraguay
Asia North Area
- Jason Choi, 40, of Seoul, South Korea
Africa Central Area
- Anges Mambassa, 42, of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Correction: Camila Cardus, 28, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was originally listed in the South America Northwest Area. Argentina is in the Church’s South America South Area.
