Board of Directors

One of Chorus America's greatest strengths is a diverse governing board of accomplished arts leaders from communities across the U.S. and Canada.

Officers

Chair; Tosdal Professor of Music, St. Olaf College

Dr. Anton Armstrong served on Chorus America’s Board from 2008 – 2017. He is the Tosdal Professor of Music at St. Olaf College, and became the fourth conductor of the St. Olaf Choir in 1990 after...

Marie Bucoy-Calavan headshot
Secretary; Director of Choral Studies, University of Akron

Marie Bucoy-Calavan has conducted a diverse range of ensembles, from primary and secondary level choirs, to community, collegiate, and professional choruses and opera productions. Bucoy-Calavan...

Steven Neiffer headshot
Treasurer; Chief Financial Officer, Los Angeles Master Chorale

Steven is a senior-level finance executive with more than 35 years of experience managing financial and administrative functions for highly respected financial services companies, ranging from...

Members of the Board

Management Consultant

Laura Adlers has been the Executive Director of The Elora Singers and the Elora Festival, both under the artistic direction of Mark Vuorinen. She recently announced that she will step down to...

Professor Emerita of Choral Studies, University of Toronto

Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt is Professor Emerita of Choral Studies at the University of Toronto where she held the Elmer Iseler Chair in Conducting and received the inaugural Teaching Excellence Award...

Partner and CFO, Dorsal Capital Management LLC

Jeff Barnett has been Chief Financial Officer and Partner of Dorsal Capital since the firm’s founding in June 2009. He directs all aspects of the firm’s operations including trading, systems,...

Former Senior Vice President and General Counsel, North American Electric Reliability Corporation

Charles A. Berardesco recently retired as senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, or NERC, which is a not-for-profit...

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Professional Singer

Praised for his “nobility and rich tone,” (The New York Times) and his “enormous, thrilling voice seemingly capable … of raising the dead;” (Wall Street Journal), bass-baritone...

Iris Derke headshot
Co-Founder and General Director, Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY)

Iris Derke is Co-Founder and General Director for DCINY, a major INC 5000 concert production company responsible for large-scale concerts at numerous prestigious concert venues. DCINY has brought...

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Professor of Choral Music Education, Vice Dean, Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts, Temple University

Rollo Dilworth: Dilworth served 10 years on Chorus America’s Board and is being invited back for a new term, after a year’s hiatus. He served as Board chair from 2014 – 2016. More than 150 of...

John Earls headshot
Board Member, May Festival Chorus and Board Chair, Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati

John Earls is the Chief Financial Officer of the Prospect House, Inc. a not-for-profit social services agency in Cincinnati, OH. Mr. Earls is the President of the Board of Trustees of both the...

Photo of Maria Ellis
Educator and Conductor, Girl Conductor LLC; Director, Sheldon's City of Music All-Star Chorus

Maria A. Ellis is a passionate educator and conductor. She is the owner of Girl Conductor LLC, a company that creates diverse music education resources and currently serves as the director of the...

David Hayes headshot
Music Director, NYChoral

David Hayes is a conductor with an unusually broad range of repertory, spanning the symphonic, oratorio/choral and operatic genres.

Mr. Hayes is currently the Music Director of the Mannes...

Robert Istad Headshot
Artistic Director, Pacific Chorale; Director of Choral Studies, CSU Fullerton

Conducting Academy Dean

Robert Istad is Artistic Director of Pacific Chorale and Director of Choral Studies at California State University, Fullerton. Mr. Istad regularly...

Founder and Artistic Director, Conspirare Artistic Director, Vocal Arts Ensemble

Craig Hella Johnson is the founding artistic director and conductor of the Austin-based, internationally-renowned, Grammy-winning choir Conspirare. Johnson is also music director of the Cincinnati...

Anne B. Keiser

Anne Keiser is a board member of Chorus America, and has been a member of the board of The Choral Arts Society of Washington since 1988, twice serving as board chair. She has sung in Choral Arts...

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Artistic Director, Cincinnati Youth Choir

Robyn Reeves Lana is the founder, managing artistic director, and conductor of the award-winning Cincinnati Youth Choir (CCC), Ensemble-in-Residence at the University of Cincinnati College-...

Mark Lawson headshot
President, ECS Publishing Group

Mark W. Lawson is the President of ECS Publishing Group, parent company for E.C. Schirmer, Galaxy Music Corporation, MorningStar Music Publishers and the ARSIS Audio recording label. Mr. Lawson...

President, Baltimore Children & Youth Fund; Founder and Artistic Director, Sister Cities Girlchoir

Alysia Lee is the President of Baltimore Children and Youth Fund Inc. She has a full circle role as an artist, arts educator, teaching artist, and policymaker. This gives her a broad perspective...

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Conductor and Grassroots Organizer and Leader
Director, Tucson Girls Chorus

Molina has been affiliated with the Tucson Girls Chorus since 2006, first serving as artistic director and taking the helm as executive director in 2011. Under Molina’s guidance, the...

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Professor and Director of the Morehouse Glee Club, Morehouse College

David Morrow is a native of Rochester, New York. He earned the Bachelor of Arts degree from Morehouse College in 1980. While at Morehouse, he became a member of Phi Beta Kappa, was awarded the...

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Community Leader and Former President/CEO, American Composers Forum

John Nuechterlein recently retired as President and CEO of the American Composers Forum, a leading national service organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1975 as the Minnesota...

Elizabeth Nunez headshot
Associate Artistic Director, Young People's Chorus of New York City, Founding Artistic Director, SoHarmoniums Women’s Choir

Elizabeth Núñez is the Associate Artistic Director of the award-winning Young People’s Chorus of New York City, founded by YPC Artistic Director Francisco J. Núñez in 1988. She is also a conductor...

Board Member, Cincinnati Children’s Choir

Eric V. Oliver recently retired as Regional Attorney for the National Labor Relations Board’s Cincinnati Office (NLRB). Mr. Oliver began his career with the Agency in 1984 as a Field Attorney in...

Dianne Peterson headshot
Executive Director Emerita, The Washington Chorus

Dianne was honored with the title of Executive Director Emerita of The Washington Chorus (DC) when she retired in June of 2016 after leading the organization for over 30 years. Since September of...

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Vice President and Director of Education & Community Programs, Pacific Chorale

Molly Buzick Pontin is equally at home as a conductor, educator and administrator. Her training includes a Bachelor of Arts in piano performance from the University of Denver, a Master of Music in...

Andrea Ramsey headshot
Composer, Conductor, and Music Educator

Andrea Ramsey enjoys an international presence as a composer, conductor, scholar, and music educator. Her teaching experiences range from work with adolescent and children's voices to high...

Eugene Rogers headshot
Director of Choral Activities, University of Michigan; Artistic Director, The Washington Chorus

Recognized as a leading conductor, pedagogue, and lecturer, Eugene Rogers has appeared throughout the United States as well as in Africa, Canada, China, Singapore, England, Portugal, Hong Kong,...

Director of Choral Activities, Towson University

Diana V. Sáez, DMA, is a leading specialist in the field of Latin American music and an accomplished choral conductor. She is frequently invited as guest conductor, adjudicator and lecturer in...

President, Berkshire Choral International

Steven F. Smith leads transformative change for performing arts organizations. As President of Berkshire Choral International, he is overseeing a strategic revitalization of the organization with...

Artistic Director and Conductor, Seattle Pro Musica

Karen P. Thomas is a nationally known leader in the field of choral music and performance, as a conductor, composer, and arts advocate. An award-winning composer, her music has been praised as “...

Associate Professor of Choral Music and Director of Choral Activities, The Hartt School - University of Hartford Resident Conductor, Handel and Haydn Society Chorus

Over the past 20 years, Dr. Anthony Trecek-King has cultivated an international reputation as a choral conductor, scholar, pedagogue, and media personality. He is passionate about cultivating...

Duain Wolfe headshot
Director and Conductor, Chicago Symphony Chorus; Director and Conductor, Colorado Symphony Chorus

Duain Wolfe has served as the Director and Conductor of the Chicago Symphony Chorus since 1994, preparing the chorus for performances with many of the world’s most renowned orchestral conductors....

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