Michael Short is the director and founder of the Orange Community Master Chorale, established in 1994. He has just retired as Director of Choral Activities at Orange High School after over 44 years in music education. He has received degrees from Chapman College (BM) in Orange, California in 1979 and his Masters degree from the California State University at Fullerton in 1988. Mr. Short is currently the President of the Western Region, American Choral Directors Association. Mr. Short is heavily involved in the arts in the Orange Community. In 1995, he created, and still conducts, the City of Orange Tree Lighting and Candlelight Procession in downtown Orange every December and in the summer of 1996 he created and still conducts the Third of July patriotic program for the City of Orange. He is also President of the "Greater Orange Community Arts Theater", (GOCAT) a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a performance venue for the Community of Orange. Mr. Short's artistic endeavors have been varied and exciting. Not only has he received the Bravo Award from the Los Angeles Music Center and was named Teacher of the Year for Orange Unified School District. He was Chapman University's Alumnus of the Year for 2004 and named City of Orange's Citizen of the Year for 2005. Mr. Short also received the Chapman University Alumni in the Arts Award in 2015. He has toured with his choirs to venues all over Europe, Greece and Canada. He also conducted Morten Lauridsen's "Lux Aeterna" in May of 2009. In May of 2017 the chorale and orchestra returned to Carnegie Hall to perform "Carmina Burana" organized and conducted by Mr. Short. Michael and his wife Vicki have been married since 1982 and live in Old Town Orange. Their two children, Katherine, married to Jarod Hicks and Matthew Short, married to Jessica, went to Yorba Jr. High and Orange High School where he was their choir teacher. He is also a proud grandpa to Milo, Luna, and Beau.