Who We Are
Music and travel are a powerful combination. That is why Perform International has curated a team with a passion and expertise in both. We desire to bring the transformative power of international travel and performance to your program and your ensemble.
We see every trip and festival as an opportunity to celebrate the unique character of each musician while building a sense of unity and belonging through the universal language of music.
We look forward to working alongside you to create a memorable, meaningful, and cost effective tour for your choir, band, or orchestra.
Artistic Team
Dr. Gene Peterson
Artistic Director of Choirs
Dr. Gene Peterson
Dr. Gene Peterson serves as the Artistic Director & Vice President of Artistic Development for Perform International and Perform America, casting the mission and vision for performance events and tours in the United States and throughout the world.
Dr. Peterson is an internationally recognized choral conductor and clinician, whose prior appointments include Director of Choral & Vocal Studies and Professor of Music at the Collinsworth School of Performing Arts at California Baptist University in Riverside, California, Director of Choral Studies at Bethel University (Minnesota) and Associate Director of Choral Activities at the University of Tennessee. Dr. Peterson has also served as music director and conductor for college, secondary school, church, and community choirs in California and Washington. Ensembles under his leadership have performed in venues throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, including the Sistine Chapel, the Sydney Opera House, Chicago Symphony Hall, and Carnegie Hall.
Due to his reputation in the international choral community, Dr. Peterson is in high demand as a lecturer, choral clinician and adjudicator for local, regional, and international choral festivals, symposiums and workshops, has conducted numerous honor choirs and all-state choirs, and served as a guest conductor for choral concerts and festivals around the world.
Dr. Peterson has served in various functions for ACDA, the California Choral Directors Association, the California Music Educators Association, and the Minnesota Choral Directors Association.
Jerry F. Junkin
Artistic Director of Bands
Jerry F. Junkin
Serving since 1988 on the faculty of The University of Texas at Austin where he holds the Vincent R. and Jane D. DiNino Chair for the Director of Bands, Jerry Junkin is recognized as one of the world’s most highly regarded wind conductors. He serves as Music Director and Conductor of the Hong Kong Wind Philharmonia and as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Dallas Wind Symphony. In 2005 Jerry was presented the Grainger Medallion by the International Percy Grainger Society in recognition of his championing of Grainger’s works. Jerry Junkin is an enthusiastic advocate of public school music education, having conducted All-State bands and festivals in forty-eight states and on five continents. Jerry Junkin is a Yamaha Corporation Master Educator.
Jeffrey Grogan
Artistic Director of Orchestras
Jeffrey Grogan
Jeffrey Grogan is an internationally acclaimed conductor and teacher currently serving as Director of Orchestral Activities and Professor of Music at the Wanda L. Bass School of Music and as Artistic Director of the Oklahoma Youth Orchestras. He has served as adjudicator, conductor, and clinician for many prestigious national and international events. In 2018 he was invited by the LA Philharmonic to conduct with Gustavo Dudamel and Michael Morgan at Disney Hall. Mr. Grogan’s orchestras have performed in some of the greatest concert halls in the world, including Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Musikverein & Konzerthaus in Vienna, Sydney Opera House, and Smetana Hall in Prague. Jeffrey Grogan is a Yamaha Corporation Master Educator.
Sean Berg
Artistic Advisor
Sean Berg
Sean Berg has spent 24 years serving as a Performance Specialist Tour Guide, and Production Manager, having started his journey in New York City producing festivals at historic Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. In 2012, he founded his own company to provide customized performance tour experiences to a variety of domestic and international destinations. Sean received his Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Clarke University and his Master of Music in Choral Conducting from East Carolina University. He is also the Founder and Artistic Director of the Mill Creek Chorale, a 100-voice adult community choir in the Seattle area. Ensembles under his direction have performed at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Orchestra Hall in Chicago, The National Cathedral, St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, and Notre–Dame de Paris.
Dr. Emily Williams Burch
Artistic Advisor
Dr. Emily Williams Burch
Dr. Emily Williams Burch is founder and artistic director of RISE Chorales, a community choir based in Savannah, GA for youth of all ages with a mission to “revolutionize & inspire singing excellence” through vocal music education, socials, and service projects. For nearly ten years, she served on the podium as Director of Education & Music for the Savannah Children’s Choir. Dr. Burch has also served as Department Chair and taught General Music/Piano at The Garrison School of Visual and Performing Arts. Choirs under Emily Burch’s direction have performed regionally, nationally, and internationally. Dr. Burch is thrilled to help directors, singers, and communities fulfill their dreams and enhance life experiences through travel.
Craig G. Cannon
Artistic Advisor
Craig G. Cannon
Craig G. Cannon was most recently the Director of Choral Organizations at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. While at Duquesne he directed the Voices of Spirit and the Pappert Women’s Chorale. Mr. Cannon has been appointed as the Artistic Director of the Pittsburgh Boy Choir and is also the Artistic Director and Founder of Belle Voci of Pittsburgh. In 2013, Craig retired as the Director of Choral Activities at Fox Chapel Area High School. Under Cannon’s direction, the FCAHS choral ensembles were selected to sing at numerous PMEA & ACDA conventions and toured extensively. Mr. Cannon is a life member of ACDA and completed a two-year term as President of ACDA’s Eastern Division. In 2017 Craig Cannon was the recipient of the “Elaine Brown Lifetime Achievement Award,” the highest award for choral music excellence bestowed by ACDA Pennsylvania.
Kenny Kabak
Artistic Advisor
Kenny Kabak
Kenny Kabak is a native of St. Louis, Missouri, USA. He graduated with his Masters in Music with an emphasis in Choral Conducting from Missouri State University, where he also completed a Bachelor of Music Education degree. Kenny serves as the Children’s Choir Director at Christ Episcopal Church in Springfield, MO. He is a founding director of the Springfield Street Choir, a non-profit 501(c)(3) choir that serves members of the Springfield community that are currently/formerly homeless or experiencing extreme deprivation. Kenny served as the Conductor of the Drakensberg Boys Choir School in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa where the choir ranked as one of the top three children’s choirs in the world with their World Choir Games performance (2018). He has toured extensively with the Drakensberg Boys Choir, as well as with the Missouri State Chorale including trips around the United States, Scotland, England, South Africa, and Japan.
Leadership Team
Roland Zuehlke
President & Co-Founder
Roland Zuehlke
Roland Zuehlke has worked in the music performance and travel business for over 30 years. He has travelled to and lived on six continents (still working on that Antarctica Music Festival idea) and speaks multiple languages. Roland travels extensively to hear PI’s amazing clients perform all over the world and to explore new destinations and concert venues. When not on the road for PI, he loves to climb mountains in the US, Europe and South America.
Zoe Franciscus
Managing Director & Co-Founder
Zoe Franciscus
Born and raised in Ireland, Zoe Franciscus has worked in the travel industry for over 25 years. She’s lived and taught English in Japan and has been fortunate to travel throughout South East Asia and extensively in Europe. Franciscus managed her first music tour, a large youth orchestra, concertizing in Europe in 1999, and has had the privilege of traveling with hundreds of choirs, bands and orchestras, all over the world ever since. Visiting the Baltic Countries was one of her top music experiences to date and working on unique festival ideas is her specialty! As an avid marathon runner, she loves to start her days on the road clocking miles before the sun rises.
Dr. Gene Peterson
VP Artistic Development
Dr. Gene Peterson
Dr. Gene Peterson serves as the Artistic Director & Vice President of Artistic Development for Perform International and Perform America, casting the mission and vision for performance events and tours in the United States and throughout the world.
Dr. Peterson is an internationally recognized choral conductor and clinician, whose prior appointments include Director of Choral & Vocal Studies and Professor of Music at the Collinsworth School of Performing Arts at California Baptist University in Riverside, California, Director of Choral Studies at Bethel University (Minnesota) and Associate Director of Choral Activities at the University of Tennessee. Dr. Peterson has also served as music director and conductor for college, secondary school, church, and community choirs in California and Washington. Ensembles under his leadership have performed in venues throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, including the Sistine Chapel, the Sydney Opera House, Chicago Symphony Hall, and Carnegie Hall.
Due to his reputation in the international choral community, Dr. Peterson is in high demand as a lecturer, choral clinician and adjudicator for local, regional, and international choral festivals, symposiums and workshops, has conducted numerous honor choirs and all-state choirs, and served as a guest conductor for choral concerts and festivals around the world.
Dr. Peterson has served in various functions for ACDA, the California Choral Directors Association, the California Music Educators Association, and the Minnesota Choral Directors Association.
Partners & Affiliations
