Nova Singers, in collaboration with the Galesburg Public Library Foundation is offering a free workshop, Singing and Dancing the South African Way with Michael Barrett.  The workshop is open to the public and will be held on Friday, October 9, from 5-6:30 pm at the Galesburg Public Library Community Room. Internationally known conductor, educator, composer and choral clinician Dr. Michael Barrett from the University of Pretoria, South Africa will share his experiences gathering traditional songs of South Africa and teaching and arranging them.

Dr. Barrett has served as conductor of the University of Pretoria (TUKS) Camerata and full-time faculty member in choral conducting at the University of Pretoria from 2013–2025, and has been a Research Associate at the University of Pretoria since April 2025. Dr. Barrett’s choirs have received numerous national and international awards, and he is in demand worldwide as a guest conductor, lecturer, adjudicator, and clinician.

Internationally, he has conducted and presented in the USA, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, and made both his Carnegie Hall and Sydney Opera House debuts in 2026. Under his leadership, the TUKS Camerata won the Grand Prix of Nations in Riga (2014, 2017), performed at the World Symposium on Choral Music, recorded six albums, and appeared at the ACDA National Conference (March 2025).

As a composer and arranger, Dr. Barrett has over 45 published works, currently serves as Conductor in Residence at Kingswood College (Melbourne), and is the founder and artistic director of Australia Sings.