Whatcom Chorale sings inspiring and heartfelt messages for our times and our future. Join us for an afternoon of outstanding contemporary composers voicing  hope for worldwide harmony and shared resolve. Selections encompass traditions from our Native American heritage, African American spirituals, and twenty-first-century compositions. The Chorale is delighted to feature soloists Ibidunni Ojikutu, soprano; Kay Reilly, percussion; Rebekah Hood-Sava, cello; and Shuichi Irie, saxophone.

Guest Artists

Ibidunni Ojikutu, Soprano

“My description cannot fit your tongue, because I have a certain way of being in this world, and I shall not be moved” - Maya Angelou

A sought after performer in the Pacific Northwest, Soprano Ibidunni Ojikutu is known for her versatility and excellence in both traditional and contemporary repertoire. Credits with Seattle Opera include 2nd Lady (The Magic Flute), Serena (Porgy and Bess), Neighbor 1/Ensemble (X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X).  World premiere credits at Seattle Opera include Mabel Lewis (Jubilee) and 2nd Wife/Market Woman (A Thousand Splendid Suns). Recent credits include Elle in Vox, Rising Waters Collective’s updated and immersive production of La voix humaine, Antron’s Mother (The Central Park Five), and featured soloist with The Bellingham Symphony Orchestra (Beethoven’s 9th Symphony), as well as with Portland Opera (Sparkling Through The Years: A Diamond Celebration)

An enthusiastic recitalist, Ms. Ojikutu’s recital projects with collaborative pianist, Rebecca Mañalac include “Songs From The American Experience”.  This multi-faceted program celebrates the music of American composers, featuring Samuel Barber, George Gershwin, Moses Hogan, Nkeiru Okoye, Rogers and Hammerstein, and more.

Other recent projects include co-founding chamber opera company, Rising Waters Collective. Rising Waters Collective is focused on highlighting voices, stories, artists, and composers of the Pacific Northwest. 

Rebekah Hood-Sava, Cello

Rebekah Hood-Sava is a classically trained cellist, violinist, educator, composer, and filmmaker whose work spans performance, music education, recording, and multimedia storytelling. A musician since childhood, she earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Hartt School and a Graduate Performance Certificate from the Longy School, studying with Terry King and Laura Bossert.

Rebekah has performed nationally and worked with distinguished musicians and ensembles, including the Miami String Quartet, Pacifica Quartet, and Emerson Quartet. A trained Suzuki educator, she has taught students of all ages through music schools and community programs across the country. She taught with the North Sound Youth Symphony for two years and currently teaches orchestra at Sehome High School and Shuksan Middle School. In 2010, she co-founded Veridian Symphony and String Quartet, a professional symphony and chamber music organization dedicated to creating opportunities for musical education, performance, and community.

Rebekah has also developed a diverse creative practice in film, original music, and multimedia. She has collaborated with her husband, filmmaker Radu Sava, on documentary projects as a writer, producer, music supervisor, and editor, including Not If, But When: Wildfire Solutions. Her own musical work explores the emotional and imaginative worlds within us, beginning with her debut album Emerge and continuing with Journey, released in 2023. Her Multimedia Cello Journey combines live, looped, and layered cello performance with Radu Sava’s nature films. She is currently working on her third album while continuing to develop new multimedia performances and film projects.

Her albums, Emerge and Journey, are available on all music streaming platforms. More info at http://rebekahhoodsava.com/.

Emily Perry, Piano

Emily is a pianist, teacher, and composer based in Bellingham, Washington. She recently completed her Master’s in Collaborative Piano Performance under the instruction of Jeffrey Gilliam at Western Washington University, where she also earned her Bachelor’s in Piano Performance studying with Milica Jelača Jovanović.

Originally from Seattle, Emily began piano instruction at the age of four and was immersed in a wide range of musical arts through participation in jazz ensembles, orchestral youth symphonies, choirs, and church music programs. In high school, she studied classical piano under the tutelage of Dr. Jensina Oliver, participated in competitions, and played upright bass in both classical and jazz ensembles.

Emily has performed in numerous piano master classes with artists including Gloria Cheng, Daniel Hsu, William Chapman Nyaho, and Mikhail Voskresensky. She has twice appeared in the Sunday @ 3 Jansen Art Center Youth Concert Series and has been featured in several recitals and chamber performances at the WWU Performing Arts Center. For four consecutive years, she has served as the collaborative pianist for winning soloists in the WWU Concerto Competition, and in 2025 was selected as a concerto competition winner, performing the Beethoven Triple Concerto with the Western Symphony Orchestra.

She enjoys an active performing life, playing solo repertoire for personal fulfillment and collaborating regularly in her professional work. Whether in the studio or on stage, Emily is driven by a genuine excitement for music and a commitment to sharing its joy with others.

Kay Reilly, Percussion

Kay Reilly, percussionist, has played with Whatcom Chorale on many occasions in the past. She is the band director at Squalicum High School since 2006 and is a National Board-Certified Teacher. Before moving to Bellingham, Kay taught in Issaquah, WA and at the Hong Kong International School.

Kay earned her Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance and Music Education from Northwestern University in Illinois, where she studied with Michael Burritt and James Ross, and won the school's annual concerto competition her senior year.  She earned her Master of Music in Percussion Performance from the Ohio State University, where she studied with Susan Powell and Joe Krygier, and won first place in the Women in Music Columbus competition.

When not teaching or playing music, Kay loves playing yard-baseball and driveway-badminton with her son, walking on trails, working in her garden, cooking, and baking, and playing many a game of Skip-Bo or Phase 10. She is also a lifelong Star Trek fan, though she is year of the Earth Sheep and prefers to keep her feet on the ground.

Shuichi Irie, Saxophone

Shuichi Irie is a saxophonist, arranger, and composer originally from Kobe, Japan. Shuichi is currently pursuing a degree in Saxophone Performance with a Jazz Minor at Western Washington University, studying under Fred Winkler. He performs with the Wind Symphony, Big Band, Jazz Combo, and Viking Quartet. Shuichi’s international performance background spans Japan, China, Ireland, the UK, Germany, and the United States, including work with the Kobe Wind Ensemble, Musica Saxophone Ensemble, and Amuse Saxophone Quartet.  Shuichi studied music at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland under the direction of Gay McIntyre and Whatcom Community College with Michael-Paul Gurulé. He served two years with the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (Peace Corps equivalent) teaching music in Guilin, China. Shuichi was a winner of the 2025 WWU Concerto Competition and Virginia Glover Competition.