​Rich Cook, Founding Artistic Director (2016-2021) – Rich is an ASCAP/BMI composer of major works, individual songs and hymns with several major publishing companies. His background includes serving as Composer in Residence, musical director, conductor, TV Show host, and producer of concerts and musical productions in arenas and theaters in the US, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. As well as working with Disney in creating “Night of Joy” at Disneyland, he has also served on the Gospel Music Association Board of Directors in producing the Dove Awards. He has conducted and staged concerts with Liza Minnelli, Michael Feinstein, Bernadette Peters, Pat Boone, Debbie Boone, Art Linkletter, Thurl Ravenscroft, Dino Kartsonikis, Andrae Crouch, Little Richard, Vestal Goodman, and Tammy Faye Bakker. An alumnus of Evangel University, Springfield, MO, Rich has also studied choral conducting with Simon Carrington of Yale University, Cyril McClellen, Paul Cope, Brian O’Connell of Boston Conservatory. Before founding A Cabbello, Rich founded and was Artistic Director of Men Alive, the Orange County Gay Men’s Chorus. In collaboration with Katherine Cash, he composed a 9 movement mass, “Missa Resurrexit”, published by “Edition Ferrimontana” of Ober-Mörlen, Germany, which has been performed at the San Juan Capistrano Basilica in Southern California and in various concert halls and churches in Europe.