Arvada West HS Chorus Teacher Wins National $5,000 Award

ARVADA, CO – Chorus teacher Chris Maunu was surprised last week at Arvada West High School when principal Geree Santarelli showed up with celebratory balloons and a surprise announcement from the Country Music Association Foundation.

Maunu was chosen March 7 by the CMA Foundation as one of 30 music teachers in the U.S. for the Music Teachers of Excellence award, which comes with a $5,000 prize. Country music singer Dierks Bentley will host the fourth annual CMA Foundation Music Teachers of Excellence awards April 30 in Tennessee.

This is not the first time Maunu has been honored as a top music educator. In December, 2017 Maunu was a top-10 finalist in the Grammy Music Educators Award, which came with a $1,000 prize for him and school.

Maunu has been at Arvada West since 2006. He brought the Arvada West Vocal Showcase Choir national renown in the spring when the choir was invited to perform among collegiate choirs from around the world at the Minneapolis national conference of the American Choral Directors Assn.held in March.

Maunu is also a professional singer and co-founder of Denver's Anima Chamber Ensemble. His bio on the Anima website says he grew up in Frederick, South Dakota. Under Maunu's leadership, the number of students participating in Arvada West's choir program has more than doubled from 120 to 300 students, according to Maunu's bio profile.

Watch as Mr. Maunu is surprised with the CMA foundation award and hear his choir sing here:

Related: Arvada West Chorus Teacher Advances To Grammy Finalist

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