Jim Yarbrough, Choral Director

The chorus department at Naperville North has a reputation and stability for success that can only develop under the guidance of a long-time, devoted director. Jim Yarbrough has spent the last 30 years – 20 of them at North – bringing his love of song and musical theater to an eager student population.

The choral ensembles at North have an international reputation, which Yarbrough showcases by traveling as often as possible. In recent years, NNHS vocal ensembles have toured Britain and performed at some of the best venues in New York City and Boston.

Yarbrough has also developed a thriving and popular musical theater program at North. Each year, students stage a popular show in front of sold-out audiences. In recent years, the program has included The Mikado, South Pacific, and West Side Story.

Yarbrough has an amazing performance background, singing with the Chicago Symphony Chorus for 20 years, the New Classic Singers at COD for 10, and as a member of the Fine Arts Chorale from DeKalb for three years. His personal accomplishments include performances on five Grammy-award winning recordings, and appearances with the CSC at Orchestra Hall, Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall in London, and other famous European venues. But some of his proudest moments, Yarbrough said, were singing at weddings of former students.

Q&A with Jim Yarbrough

What has been your proudest moment at North?

Tomorrow.

What five pieces of music will always be on your iPod?

Anything by the Beatles, Trio Medieaval, Bernstein, Puccini and my daughter's duet when they were 8 and 4.

What musician -- living or dead -- would you most like to meet?

I've been verrrrry lucky - I've been able to sing with/for Sir Georg Solti, Ms. Margaret Hillis, Ben Heppner (the opera singer), Pierre Boulez, Luciano Pavarotti, Leo Nucci, Kiri TeKanawa, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Kathleen Battle - a literal who's who in the Classical field - I missed out on Leonard Bernstein.

What is your best less-than-10-words piece of advice for a student musician?

Practice with focus, have passion and set your goals high - sorry, that's ten!