MEET OUR 2026 ADJUDICATORS

Julie Corallo is a dedicated choral music educator, conductor, and arts leader with over 25 years of experience inspiring singers and shaping vocal ensembles throughout Southern California. As Artistic Director of the South Bay Children’s Choir, Julie has built a program known for its exceptional vocal training, inclusive pedagogy, and rich, developmentally appropriate repertoire. She crafts curriculum grounded in vocal technique, musicianship, and student-centered learning—equipping young singers with the tools to grow into confident, expressive musicians. A passionate advocate for choral music education, Julie has led SBCC ensembles at prestigious events including the International Children’s Choir Festival in England, Pacific Rim Choral Festival, and Sing a Mile High. She also created the “Friends in Harmony” Elementary Music Festival to promote joyful, non-competitive choral collaboration among local schools and programs.

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Julie serves on the music education faculty at California State University, Long Beach, where she teaches courses in choral lab, general music methods, and music integration. Her teaching incorporates a range of methodologies, including Kodály, Orff, and modern band practices, always emphasizing equity, inclusion, and creative expression. Beyond the classroom, she is active in ACDA, NAfME, OAKE, and CMEA, and frequently presents on modern band techniques, songwriting, and accessible teaching strategies. Julie holds multiple degrees in education and music and is National Board Certified in Music. Her legacy as a choral educator centers on nurturing artistry, fostering belonging, and building musical literacy through inspired, compassionate teaching.

Derrick Skye is an acclaimed Los Angeles-based composer and musician known for his transcultural approach to music, integrating various musical practices from cultures around the world into his work with Western classical communities. The Los Angeles Times has described his music as “something to savor” and “enormous fun to listen to,” while The Times (London) has praised Skye’s music as “deliciously head-spinning.”

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Skye has written orchestral music commissioned and/or performed by prestigious ensembles such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra (Canada), Basel Sinfonietta, Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Chineke! Orchestra; a collaborative electro-acoustic artificial intelligence opera commissioned by The Lincoln Center (featured at TED 2023); choral works for Los Angeles Master Chorale, Conspirare, and EXIGENCE; and many chamber works. 

 

In addition to his work as a composer, Skye is dedicated to promoting transcultural understanding through music. His mission is to create music that transcends cultural boundaries and bridges  communities. Skye is Artistic Director of Bridge to Everywhere and a member of the Advisory Board of the American Composers Forum. Through his work, Skye demonstrates his belief in the power of music to inspire, connect, and foster dialogue across culture

James Waterman (he/him/his) is a Los Angeles-based percussionist, composer, songwriter, and educator devoted to global percussion traditions. His studies span classical percussion, jazz vibraphone, Indian tabla, Middle Eastern frame drums, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, and Ghanaian gyil, which he studied with Bernard Woma. He has performed with artists and ensembles including four larks, Alessandra Belloni, SK Kakraba Band, and Bridge to Everywhere, and at venues such as Walt Disney Concert Hall, Carnegie Hall, SFJAZZ, The Getty Villa, REDCAT, and The Joshua Tree Music Festival.

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James’s original music includes the score for Sharine Atif’s award-winning film Jebel Banat (Cannes, Tribeca), a commission for Kennesaw State University, and works premiered by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and Santa Clarita Youth Orchestra. His debut solo album Smiling was released in 2020.

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As an educator, James is on the music faculty at Glendale Community College and Mount Saint Mary’s University, where he teaches courses in world music, music education, percussion, and directs a cross-cultural chamber ensemble. He is also Program Manager for CalArts' Community Arts Partnership (CAP), overseeing arts programs in LA public schools and mentoring over 50 teaching artists per year. James has lectured and taught at UCLA, USC, LMU, and Chapman University, and led music residencies in Jamaica through the SUNY Potsdam Jamaica Field Service Project.

James holds a Master of Fine Arts in World Percussion from CalArts and a Bachelor of Music from The Hartt School, and is a California-credentialed music educator. He endorses Remo and Innovative Percussion.