Artistic Director

Justin Raffa comes to the Tri-Cities area from Tucson, AZ, where he received an M.M. in choral conducting at the University of Arizona. As a graduate student, Justin conducted the UA Faculty/Staff choir during his second year and served as the head conductor of the University Singers in his final semester. At the close of his tenure, Justin received Outstanding Graduate Student Leadership Awards from both the Graduate & Professional Student Council and the Center for Student Involvement & Leadership, in addition to being nominated for the 2008 Arizona Governor's Arts Award.

In Arizona, Justin was an active member of AMEA and served on the Arizona ACDA state board as Repertoire & Standards Chair for Community Choirs. Justin served as Minister of Music at Rincon Congregational United Church of Christ and taught elementary school choral music in private schools. During the 2007-08 season, Justin was selected as the first assistant conductor of the Southern Arizona Women’s Chorus and guest conducted the Wieck Chamber Singers and Orchestra as well as the Dutchess County (NY) Elementary Honor Choir.

Justin began his professional career as a teacher in Bisbee, AZ, where he oversaw the high school choral department and theatre arts curriculum, in addition to directing the Bisbee Community Chorus and serving on the board of the Bisbee Arts Commission. Originally from South Jersey, Justin is a graduate of Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, NJ, where he received a B.M. in music education with a vocal concentration and was awarded the Rider University President's Award. As a student, Justin studied conducting and group vocal technique with James Jordan, whom he rejoined forces with during the summer of 2007 as an instructor for Westminster’s Vocal Institute. Justin also served as a founding member of The Actors Company at Westminster, where he had the opportunity to perform onstage and conduct in several musical productions.

Justin has sung as part of the Berkshire Choral Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, Voces Novae et Antiquae, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra Chorus, and continues to perform as a founding member of the Tucson Chamber Artists. As a member of the Westminster Symphonic Choir under Joseph Flummerfelt, Justin sang with some of the world’s leading conductors and orchestras, including Riccardo Muti and Sir Neville Marriner with the New York Philharmonic and Riccardo Chailly with the Royal Concertgebouw.