How Cilker School Performing Arts Weathered the COVID Storm and Are Moving Forward

Lou De La Rosa is the Director of Choral and Vocal Studies, Chair of the Department of Music & Dance, and next year will be Chair of the newly configured Performing Arts Department in the Cilker School of Art & Design at West Valley College. He has taught music in the San José area for over thirty-seven years, thirteen of which were at Abraham Lincoln High School, a performing arts magnet. Mr. De La Rosa’s choirs have performed throughout the United States and Europe and have won first place in choral competitions across the United States. 
 
Lou De La Rosa was named Teacher of the Year at his schools in 1991 and 2002, and in 2010 the West Valley College Academic Senate honored him with two Faculty Excellence Awards. Mr. De La Rosa has served on the board of directors of multiple professional organizations and in 2021 received the Medal of Honor from the California All-State Music Education Conference for dedication to music education in the State of California. He presently serves as President for the Western Region of the American Choral Directors Association, having recently hosted an in-person 4-day music conference in Long Beach with over 500 performers and 600 attendees. 
 
Mr. De La Rosa has conducted numerous festival and honor choirs throughout California and Nevada. In addition, he has guest conducted several local choirs including the San José State University Choraliers in a 2013 concert with The Rolling Stones. In April 2015, he prepared the Symphony Silicon Valley Chorale for the West Coast premiere of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, with 250 musicians performing the musical soundtrack to live projection of the movies in two cycles over four days. 
 
Mr. De La Rosa is the happily married father of three daughters, all of whom were raised as musicians and lifelong fans of the World Champion San Francisco Giants.