Jay Dougherty
DMA, Conductor (to be awarded spring of 2016), Professor of Choirs, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Bill Heigen breathes life into his compositions. The Five Stages of Loss is not simply a work of notes put to text; it is an emotional journey through grief, imploring, and acceptance. It is a masterpiece of choral literature that requires the personal emotional commitment of a Broadway performer. It is truly a moving work, both for the singer and audience alike. Few pieces of choral literature will pull at the listener’s heart-strings like this one.