BIO (118 words)
Dr. Cara Tasher has served as director of choral studies at the University of North Florida since 2006 relishing the opportunity to provide relevant life and professional experiences for her students in Jacksonville and around the world. Cultural understanding is a focal point of Cara's teaching. Proficient in several languages, Tasher’s engagements as conductor, presenter and adjudicator, have carried her across the US and to over 20 countries for concerts, competitions, festivals, and workshops, with regular engagements as guest chorus master for Mexico’s Coro de Teatro de Bellas Artes. Ensembles under her direction have joyfully performed alone and with international colleagues in the Baltic States, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa and Spain.
BIO (320 words)
Cara Tasher has been directing the choral program at the University of North Florida since 2006, bringing years of performance and recording experience with leading musicians to her role. A lifelong musician, she began her choral experience at the age of eight. Prior to her tenure at UNF, she performed and recorded with conductors Abbado, Barenboim, Eschenbach, Levine, Shaw and Solti, and was associated with the Atlanta Symphony Chorus, Chicago Symphony Chorus, Conspirare, Jacksonville Symphony, Trinity Choir-Wall Street, Xavier University, and the Young People’s Chorus of New York City. Proficient in several languages, Tasher's engagements as a conductor, presenter, and adjudicator have carried her throughout the USA and around the globe to more than 20 countries for concerts, competitions, all-state choirs, and workshops. A strong advocate for cultural and global competency, she collaborated frequently as directora huésped of Mexico City's professional Coro del Teatro de Bellas Artes. International invitations include the 2014 World Symposium of Choral Music in Seoul, Korea, and Europa Cantat's 2022 Leading Voices initiative in the Netherlands. She has served on state, national and international choral festival and competition juries. Her studies took place at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), UT-Austin, Paris IV-La Sorbonne, and Northwestern University. Cara is past-president of the Florida Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association, and a member of International Federation of Choral Music and the National Collegiate Choral Organization. At UNF, Dr. Tasher conducts the Chamber Singers, Osprey Treble Chorus, teaches the graduate conducting curriculum, and oversees the choral program and the student leadership team. Online COVID19 collaborations include Sing Around The gloBe, an international endeavor, and Messiah on the Move, a video version of their frequently staged choral concerts. She has received many awards and grants at the university, some of which to support Jacksonville SINGS! initiatives including the September Choral Invitational, Refugee Chorus, and Summer Choral Arts Program (July 8-11, 2026), featuring conducting training for professionals and summer singing for community singers.
Dr. Cara Tasher has served as director of choral studies at the University of North Florida since 2006 relishing the opportunity to provide relevant life and professional experiences for her students in Jacksonville and around the world. Cultural understanding is a focal point of Cara's teaching. Proficient in several languages, Tasher’s engagements as conductor, presenter and adjudicator, have carried her across the US and to over 20 countries for concerts, competitions, festivals, and workshops, with regular engagements as guest chorus master for Mexico’s Coro de Teatro de Bellas Artes. Ensembles under her direction have joyfully performed alone and with international colleagues in the Baltic States, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa and Spain.
BIO (320 words)
Cara Tasher has been directing the choral program at the University of North Florida since 2006, bringing years of performance and recording experience with leading musicians to her role. A lifelong musician, she began her choral experience at the age of eight. Prior to her tenure at UNF, she performed and recorded with conductors Abbado, Barenboim, Eschenbach, Levine, Shaw and Solti, and was associated with the Atlanta Symphony Chorus, Chicago Symphony Chorus, Conspirare, Jacksonville Symphony, Trinity Choir-Wall Street, Xavier University, and the Young People’s Chorus of New York City. Proficient in several languages, Tasher's engagements as a conductor, presenter, and adjudicator have carried her throughout the USA and around the globe to more than 20 countries for concerts, competitions, all-state choirs, and workshops. A strong advocate for cultural and global competency, she collaborated frequently as directora huésped of Mexico City's professional Coro del Teatro de Bellas Artes. International invitations include the 2014 World Symposium of Choral Music in Seoul, Korea, and Europa Cantat's 2022 Leading Voices initiative in the Netherlands. She has served on state, national and international choral festival and competition juries. Her studies took place at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), UT-Austin, Paris IV-La Sorbonne, and Northwestern University. Cara is past-president of the Florida Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association, and a member of International Federation of Choral Music and the National Collegiate Choral Organization. At UNF, Dr. Tasher conducts the Chamber Singers, Osprey Treble Chorus, teaches the graduate conducting curriculum, and oversees the choral program and the student leadership team. Online COVID19 collaborations include Sing Around The gloBe, an international endeavor, and Messiah on the Move, a video version of their frequently staged choral concerts. She has received many awards and grants at the university, some of which to support Jacksonville SINGS! initiatives including the September Choral Invitational, Refugee Chorus, and Summer Choral Arts Program (July 8-11, 2026), featuring conducting training for professionals and summer singing for community singers.