Singer Bios
(Click here for virtual singer bios)
CHRISTINE ABRAHAM
On the concert platform, Christine Abraham (she/her) has appeared as a featured soloist with the orchestras of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dallas, and St. Louis, as well as Boston Baroque, Chicago's Music of the Baroque, and the Toronto Consort. She has performed roles with the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Santa Fe Opera, Bard Festival, Boston Lyric Opera, and Spoleto Festival USA among others. As an advocate of contemporary works, she has premiered many new works by composers such as Tan Dun, James MacMillan, Tod Machover, Peter Lieberson, Paul Moravec, Stephen Paulus, and David Carlson. Her recordings can be heard on Signum Classics, Naxos American Classics, BIS Music, Arabesque Recordings, and BBC Music. Ms. Abraham maintains a private teaching studio and serves on the collegiate faculty of California State University East Bay and the Pre-College and Continuing Education faculty at San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
AMELIA ARCHER
Amelia Archer (she/her) was born and raised in Berkeley, CA, where she was immersed in music from a young age at the Crowden School, playing the cello and singing in the school choir. She went on to sing in the Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir before going to Williams College in Massachusetts, where she completed her undergraduate degree in Computer Science with a minor in French. In her time at Williams she studied voice under Erin Nafziger and sang in the Williams College Concert Choir and Chamber Choir under the direction of Brad Wells and the Williams College Opera Workshop. While studying abroad in Paris, Amelia enjoyed singing with the Paris Choral Society. Since returning to the Bay Area to work at Google in machine learning research, Amelia has sung with the Peninsula Women’s Chorus and the San Francisco Choral Artists.
SARA ASHER
Sara Asher (she/her) has been involved in music for most of her life. She has been singing with the Peninsula Women's Chorus since she moved to the Bay Area twenty years ago. Prior to that, she sang with the North Shore Choral Society and was the music director for her college and graduate school a cappella singing groups. In addition to singing, she is also an accomplished pianist and has accompanied choral concerts and musicals for various local schools. When not singing, Sara is Head of Product for Faros AI, a data platform startup focusing on engineering operations. Sara has a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University and a Ph.D. from Northwestern University, both in Mathematics.
SMRUTHI BALASUBRAMANIAM
Smruthi Balasubramaniam (she/her) was introduced to music through Carnatic music when she was little. She joined choir in middle school and continued throughout high school, participating in Georgia’s All State program for six years and singing at Carnegie Hall and Sydney Opera House through the Honors Performance Series program. Now at the University of California, Berkeley, Smruthi is pursuing a degree in cognitive science with a minor in data science, and is a member of the UC Berkeley Chamber Chorus under the direction of Dr. Wei Cheng.
DYLAN BENANDER
Dylan Benander is an emerging countertenor who lives and works in the Bay Area. They are finishing their M.M. in Vocal Performance in the Spring of 2024 at San Francisco State University, and they perform chorally with both 21V and as alto section leader at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in San Francisco. They perform opera and art song frequently, and most recently played The Sorceress in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas with SFSU Opera Theatre. In addition to performance, Dylan is a passionate music educator who works with Music for Minors to bring song, dance, and music literacy to elementary school students all across the Bay Area.
JULIE BOEHLER
Julie Boehler (she/her), soprano, is delighted to be a part of 21V. Julie is the Director of Choral Activities at both Canyon and Creekside Middle Schools in Castro Valley and loves working with middle school students! Additionally, she enjoys being a mother to her daughters Lily and Maggie and wife to her husband Jordan. Teaching and being the parent of two little ladies keeps her rather busy and she is so grateful to have found 21V to pursue her love of singing in an ensemble. Previously, she sang with choirs such as Cappella SF and San Francisco Symphony Chorus both under the direction of Ragnar Bohlin as well as other freelance choir work and solo engagements. Julie holds a B.M. in Music Education and a B.M. in Vocal Performance from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University Long Beach.
JODIE BOURDET
Jodie (she/her) is feeling very fortunate to be working with such a talented and accomplished group of musicians. Although she played several musical instruments as a younger person, Jodie didn’t find choral singing until she was in her 40s. She sang first with a church choir, then continued for several years with WomenSing (under the direction of Martin Benvenuto and later Ofer dal Lal) and Sacred and Profane (under the direction of Rebecca Seeman). When she is not singing, Jodie practices corporate and securities law at Cooley, an international law firm. In her voluminous amounts of free time, she managed to raise three children to adulthood without major incident, and now enjoys designing and sewing all things made of fabric, cooking for her spouse and friends, and playing word-based games with an embarrassing level of competitiveness. Jodie received a B.S. in electrical engineering from UCLA and a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
VON BRINGHURST
Von Bringhurst (he/him or they/them), countertenor and sopranist, completed his Master of Music in Vocal Performance degree in 2012 at the Longy School of Music of Bard College in Cambridge, MA. He can often be heard in the Bay Area with Clerestory and other groups. He currently teaches with the Community School of Music and Arts in Mountain View, and is soprano section leader for Christ Church Portola Valley and Woodside. He is a native of Pocatello, Idaho, where he also attended Idaho State University, graduating with honors in 2009. He is active on both coasts as a soloist, ensemble member, rehearsal accompanist, and music director. He is pleased to have been involved with WholeTone Opera, a new company devoted to showcasing the work of female, femme and nonbinary artists, where he was involved in the productions of La Zombiata and The Werewolf, and honored to be able to co-create the role of Vincent. More about Von can be found at vonbringhurst.com.
SARA COUDEN
Sara Couden (she/her) is a graduate of the Lindemann Young Artist Program at the Metropolitan Opera, as well as the Yale Institute of Sacred Music and the San Francisco Conservatory. She has sung around the United States with institutions such as the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Philharmonia Baroque, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Marlboro Music Festival, West Edge Opera, and St. Pete Opera. As well as a soloist, Sara is an accomplished and enthusiastic choral and chamber musician, and is very excited to be singing this beautiful program with 21V.
ASHER DAVISON
Alto Asher Davison was inducted into music by the Santa Monica public schools and private clarinet study with David Sasaki. At Yale, he performed the Copland and Mozart concertos and studied under David Shifrin. He has accompanied voice in numerous opera productions, become a professional chamber coach with CMNC, developed voice as his second instrument, and directed the medieval chamber choir Coro Ciconia. A copyeditor and former education developer and high school science teacher, Asher is currently bass section leader for Steve Main at Piedmont Community Church, sings bass with Magen Solomon's San Francisco Choral Artists, has sung alto with Vox Humana SF under Don Scott Carpenter, and teaches voice in the Forte program at Marin Country Day School. He developed his countertenor voice through men and boys Evensongs at St Paul's Episcopal Oakland and quartet Latin Masses at St Margaret Mary Oakland with Christopher Kula, and alto section leading for Lacuna Arts under Sven Olbash.
LAUREN ESTES
Lauren Estes (she/her), soprano, is excited to be singing with a treble choir again! Lauren has a double major B.A. in music and psychology from the College of William and Mary and holds a Master of Music degree in choral conducting from Syracuse University, where her research focused on the availability of repertoire for treble choirs. Prior to moving to California, Lauren directed the central Virginia-based choirs Bel Canto Vocal Ensemble and Madison Choral Society. She also sang with several Virginia choirs, including the Oratorio Society of Virginia, chamber choir Plena Voce, and Zephyrus Early Music Vocal Ensemble. In addition to 21V, these days, she sings with Masterworks Chorale and Serenade Chamber Choir. She currently works as the Operations Manager for Ragazzi Boys Chorus and serves as the Education and Outreach Program Coordinator for Music at Kohl Mansion.
TRISTANA FERREYRA-RANTALAIHO
Tristana Ferreyra-Rantalaiho (she/her), mezzo-soprano, is thrilled to join 21V. She holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from San Francisco State University, and an undergraduate degree in choral conducting from Universidad Católica Argentina. She loves to premiere vocal works by new composers as a soloist and with choirs. Apart from her early music and classical music repertoire, she has sung Argentinian tango, bossa nova, and Kurt Weill. She has worked as a singer and choral conductor in Argentina and Finland, relocated to the Bay Area with her family, and is a passionate musician, vocalist, and voice teacher. In California, she sang in Convivium. She has her own private studio and teaches voice at different non-profit organizations and music schools in the Bay Area.
MONICA FRAME
Monica Frame (she/her), mezzo-soprano, is delighted to embark on 21V's adventure. A member of Volti, San Francisco's new music vocal ensemble, and a soloist and section leader for Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic Church's Early Music Schola in Berkeley, Monica is drawn to the earliest and newest edges of chamber music. Recent highlights include performing Joby Talbot's Path of Miracles at Grace Cathedral with ODC Dance, and premiering Huang Ruo's Angel Island Oratorio on Angel Island with the Del Sol Quartet. In addition to having sung with numerous Bay Area ensembles, Monica has toured and recorded as a member of Rinat, the National Chamber Choir of Israel. Other recordings include Terry Riley's Sun Rings with the Kronos Quartet, and shriek-singing as a post-apocalyptic swamp witch for Valve, the video game company. Monica is also a licensed psychotherapist and works as a counselor and consultant in local schools.
JULIA GRIZZELL
Soprano Julia Grizzell (she/her) is honored to be a part of the stellar ensemble, 21V. Julia recently performed the role of Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare with the Handel Opera Academy in Tarnowskie Góry, Poland. She also sang the role of High Priestess in Aida with Verismo Opera and Bay Shore Lyric Opera in Northern California. Other notable performances include Soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9,
and Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Sequoia Symphony. While on the east coast, Julia sang at the Tanglewood Festival in the Berkshires under esteemed conductors Charles Dutoit, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Bernard Haitink, and Keith Lockhart. Other choral performances include Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Bach’s St. John Passion with the Back Bay Chorale. Ms. Grizzell teaches voice and piano at the New Mozart School of Music in Palo Alto. To
find out more visit www.juliagrizzell.com.
WINONA HENDRICK
Winona Hendrick (she/her) is a mezzo-soprano, instrumentalist, and teacher. A graduate of SF State's Music Education department, she currently teaches band and choir at Marina Middle School. Winona's most recent operatic performance was as a witch in Teatro Mistral’s production of Verdi's Macbeth. Before that, she performed in the ensembles of Puccini's Suor Angelica and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with Pacifica-based Phénix Opera. In 2018, Winona joined the SF Renaissance Voices for their production of Hildegard von Bingen's medieval opera, Ordo Virtutum. She has continued to perform with the ensemble, as well as lend her expertise on their executive board. In her free time, she enjoys performing with her husband in their ukulele duet, The Letterboxers, which has performed at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass for two years.
AMY HIESTAND
Amy Hiestand (she/her), soprano, is thrilled to be singing this season with 21V, and working with such an amazing and fun group of singers! Amy previously sang with the East Bay-based treble voices chorus, WomenSing, most recently under the direction of Ofer dal Lal and previously with Martín Benvenuto. Amy served as the project manager of WomenSing’s Treble Voices Now Festival over three seasons. Outside of singing, Amy works as an independent consultant to Bay Area municipalities on their affordable housing program design and project management, and in her free time enjoys hiking, cooking, traveling, and reading. Amy continues to get together for frequent reunions and singing with her Yale College a cappella senior women’s group, Whim 'n Rhythm of 1989.
YITING JIN
Yiting Jin, Alto, took her first steps as a musician at the age of four on the piano, and began singing with choirs in middle school. After singing with the Princeton University Chapel Choir and the Greenwich Choral Society, she sang with the Peninsula Women's Chorus, where she was also a Board member. She also currently sings with San Francisco Choral Artists and Masterworks Chorale's Chamber Choir, Serenade. Yiting is excited and grateful to be a part of 21V and to continue on a journey of discovery and creation of 21st century choral music — and the role it can play as an advocate for the underrepresented and forgotten. Yiting has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Princeton University and works in product management at Atlassian, a global software company. Her interests outside of music include tennis, figure skating, mentoring, traveling, and solving puzzles. She lives in Sunnyvale with her husband Kevin and their rescue animals.
PETER KENTON
Peter Kenton, Countertenor/Tenor, enjoys a diverse career in music. A native of Oakland, he sings regularly with the Grace Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys, American Bach Soloists, Clerestory, 21V, Vox Humana, and as Tenor Section Leader at St. Paul’s Episcopal in Oakland. Peter frequently performs at weddings, funerals, and private events. He has been a featured soloist with the Marin Oratorio, and performed with the San Francisco Symphony, Berkeley Symphony, and Oakland Symphony. He maintains a private voice studio from his home, and previously taught voice at the Pacific Boychoir Academy. Peter also owns his own business, Kenton Live Sound, operating as a concert sound technician and DJ, providing sound reinforcement and entertainment for a variety of concerts and events. He is the music department sound technician at Saint Mary’s College of California. Peter’s hobbies include fishing, disc golf, and enjoying the outdoors with his partner Quinci, and dog Kaia.
ELIZABETH KIMBLE
Elizabeth Kimble (she/her) is a composer, soprano, conductor, and teacher. Her music explores the sacred and psychological facets of the human experience, and often combines poetry and theater with more traditionally instrumental forms. She is the Music Director of Tactus SF, and sings with a wide variety of ensembles including the 21V, the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Cappella SF, Gaude, and the California Bach Society. Her music has recently been performed by the Swedish Radio Choir, St Paul's Episcopal Church in Burlingame CA, Cappella SF, and the International Orange Chorale of San Francisco. Elizabeth holds a masters degree in Composition from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and bachelor degrees in Composition and Vocal Performance from Baldwin-Wallace College. She is currently pursuing a M.A. in Counseling Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute.
BECKY LAU
Becky Lau (she/her), soprano from Hong Kong, is thrilled to be singing with a treble choir again! Her journey into choral music began in fourth grade when she sang alto in the school choir. Since then, she has sung with many choirs throughout her life, including University of Chicago's Rockefeller Chapel Choir, the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Convivium, and Volti. Becky is also a soprano section leader and soloist at Christ Church Los Altos. Most recently, Becky has been offering gifts of song to museum visitors as part of Sonic Blossom, a participatory performance of Schubert lieder at the de Young museum. Outside of singing, Becky is a published author in psychology research journals and enjoys learning musical instruments.
JESSALYNN LEVINE
Jessalynn Levine (she/her) is an alto and choral music educator from Houston, TX. She received her bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Houston in 2015 and her masters degree in choral conducting from San Jose State University in 2022. Jessalynn served as a choir director for five years at Spring High School in Spring, TX, where she directed ensembles that consistently received the highest ratings in contests. She has sung professionally in choirs throughout the Houston area, including Chorus Angelorum and the Bach Society of Houston. Jessalynn also served as cantorial soloist, co-creator of liturgy, and high holy days music director at Temple Sinai in Houston for over ten years. Here in the Bay Area, Jessalynn now directs the choral program at Las Positas College in Livermore and serves as a staff singer at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in San Francisco. She also co-directs the New Voices Bay Area TIGQ (Trans, Intersex, and Genderqueer) Chorus and works privately with trans clients on identity-affirming speech and singing through Your Lessons Now.
MICHAEL BRANDON MORALES
Michael Brandon Morales (he/him) is a Bay Area native, conductor, and countertenor. He holds a B.A. in both Drama and Music and completed his Master's in Conducting at Eastern Illinois University. In 2021, Michael was named as the new Artistic Director for Singers Marin in Tiburon. He also conducts worship and educational music throughout the Bay. Michael has worked with young artists in diverse settings, including the Assistant Director for Chanticleer's LAB Skills workshops, intern for Cantare Children's Choirs of Oakland, music director for Town Hall Education in Lafayette, and PK-8 music with the Diocese of Oakland. Performance credits include featured solos in Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and Carmina Burana, both at Weill Hall, and Purcell's Welcome All the Pleasures in Champaign, IL. Outside of music, Michael is an avid Giants fan and fervent Beatles scholar. He and his wife Katie welcomed their first child, Michael James, this past December.
NANCY MUNN
Happily returned to the Bay Area and thrilled to be part of 21V endeavors, soprano Nancy Munn (she/her) taught voice the last three years at Texas A&M University Kingsville and was an active member in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Texoma division. She began her singing career with the D'Oyly Carte and Welsh National Opera companies while living in the UK and has sung with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Chorale, the Sanford Dole Ensemble, the San Francisco Symphony Chorus and in Pocket Opera's production of Carmen, the role of Micaela. She has also performed as a guest soloist with the San Francisco Choral Society and the UC Alumni Chorus. Nancy is a choir section leader at First Unitarian Universalist San Francisco and lives in San Francisco with her husband and son.
KATE OFFER
Kate Offer (she/her), soprano, is the Music & Movement Specialist for the Pacific Primary School, a preschool in San Francisco. She holds a master’s degree in Music Education as well as a fellowship in songleading from Virginia Theological Seminary where she trained with Ysaye Barnwell of Sweet Honey in the Rock and composer Alice Parker. She grew up singing with the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir, and has gone on to sing with a number of local organizations including the SF Symphony, Cappella SF, Oakland Opera Theater, and West Edge Opera. She was a founding member of the International Orange Chorale where she met her husband, Seth Arnopole. As her alter ego, Kate Offer, Very Melodramatic Soprano, Kate performs a comic recital titled "Aria Kidding," at venues throughout the Bay Area. She also runs Songs from the Sandbox, a YouTube channel of sing-along songs for children and families. Check it out at www.YouTube.com/songsfromthesandbox.
AKANE OTA
Akane Ota (she/her), is a mezzo-soprano, teacher, and conductor. She was born and raised in Japan. Akane holds a B.A. in Vocal Performance from Oita Prefectural College of Arts and Culture, and artistic diploma from Shobi Gakuen Tokyo. Currently, she is an active member of the SF Symphony Chorus, Convivium and Volti. Akane is also an alto section leader at the Universalist Unitarian Church in SF. She performed the Japanese Anthem at the Consulate general of Japan and WWII peace treaty's 60th celebration at Presidio, at commemorative ceremonies for the Emperor's birthday, and joint recitals with Ambassador Yanai. In 2016, She organized a charity concert for earthquake relief in her hometown Kumamoto, Japan. She has performed as a soloist and a choral singer, and has fundraised for a local music university in Kumamoto. She has contributed to the Japanese community through these performances. She performed as an alto soloist in a Cantata – Celestial Prophecy (by Benjamin Belew) December 2023 St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church in Sunnyvale. She also serves as the conductor for the Parent Choir of Saniku Gakuin in Santa Clara and a local high school choir in Kumamoto Japan during the summer. Akane has a private piano and voice studio in Burlingame. She enjoys Pilates, Zumba and learning cello with her 2 daughters.
LINDA PRICE
Linda Price (she/her), soprano, sings with Marin Baroque, Marin Symphony Chamber Chorus and Marin Symphony Chorus, and she is a soloist at First Presbyterian San Anselmo. She has sung with San Francisco Bach Choir, Marin Oratorio, and Hampshire College Chorus. She has studied voice with Marla Volovna, Rita Lilly, and Jennifer Paulino. Linda sings Baroque, traditional, folk, gospel, jazz, and world music. She is part of local guitar-and-vocals duo Firefly. Linda plays guitar, piano, and Appalachian dulcimer; she taught music and folk-dance in local schools and at summer youth camps in Germany, France, and Switzerland. She attended music and dance camps in Eastern Europe and the U.S. Linda grew up in North Carolina where she learned traditional folk music and dance in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She earned her B.A. from UNC-Chapel Hill and majored in German and Education.
NANDINI RAJGOPAL
Nandini Rajgopal (she/her) is grateful for the opportunity to sing in a group with such talented musicians. She was first introduced to music with elementary school piano lessons and middle school band, and figured she would abandon the arts in high school. However, after one semester of choir, Nandini fell in love with singing, and never looked back. In high school, Nandini sang in her school’s Chamber Chorus and Jazz Choir, and participated in both SCVA Regional and ACDA All State Honor Choirs. She now attends UC Berkeley, has sung in the university’s Cal Jazz Choir, and is a member of the UC Berkeley Chamber Chorus under the direction of Dr. Wei Cheng. Outside of singing, Nandini loves to dance, spend time in nature, and meditate, and she's currently studying Psychology and Molecular and Cellular Biology with a concentration in Neurobiology, with hopes of pursuing a future in clinical psychology or psychiatry.
BEN RUDIAK-GOULD
Ben Rudiak-Gould (he/him) has been singing since the age of 3, when he was a soprano. He now sings alto, tenor and bass in several Bay Area groups, including San Francisco Choral Artists, Schola Cetorum, and formerly the San Francisco Symphony Chorus. He has degrees in physics and mathematics.
LARYSSA SADOWAY
Laryssa Sadoway (she/her) is delighted to be singing with 21V after spending the last decade primarily in choral leadership. Laryssa is in her tenth year at Castro Valley High School, where she conducts five choirs. She began her training at the University of Massachusetts, and received her Bachelor of Arts in Voice at North Park University. In 2008 she received a Master of Music in Vocal Performance at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Career highlights include leading her choirs to "Double Gold" victory at the 2018 Northern California Golden State Choral Competition, conducting CVHS A Cappella at Carnegie Hall (while eight months pregnant), and collaborating with the BYU Singers in 2019. Previously she sang with Berkeley Opera, Concerts at the Presidio, San Francisco Cabaret Opera, and Saint Mary Magdalen Church in Berkeley. Laryssa resides in San Leandro with her husband, Chris, and son, Isaiah.
ANNE HEPBURN SMITH
Anne Hepburn Smith (she/her) is a Bay Area-based lyric coloratura soprano and teaching artist. She holds an MM in voice from San Francisco Conservatory and a BM in voice from Boston Conservatory. She freelances around the Bay Area with various chamber groups and opera companies. Favorite operatic roles include Susanna (Figaro), Pamina (Magic Flute), and Nella (Gianni Schicchi). She also regularly tours with Ensemble Mik Nawooj, a hip-hop orchestra, around the country. As a teacher, she draws heavily upon Orff-Schulwerk. She is passionate about providing music education for underserved communities and ensuring that her students see themselves and their cultures reflected in their music curriculum.
JUDITH WARD
Judith Ward (she/her), soprano, has had a lifelong passion for choral music and has maintained an active singing life alongside an international management career and raising three children. She spent 15 years living and working in Europe where she was a member of the Paris Choral Society and the world-renowned Bach Choir in London. With The Bach Choir she sang for the Royal Family, at major London concert venues, the BBC Proms and on tours to Australia and Germany. She also participated in several recordings of major film scores and choral works. Since moving to the Bay Area, she has sung with the San Francisco Bach Choir, St. Stephen's Choir, Consort Chorale, Marin Symphony Chorus, North Star Vocal Artists, Marin Baroque, Marin Oratorio, Music from Marin Summer Festival and Contemporary Opera Marin. She also enjoys singing with her outreach quartet, Sing We Enchanted, at Bay Area hospitals and nursing homes.
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REUBEN ZELLMAN
Reuben Zellman (he/they), countertenor, is delighted to join 21V. A soloist and chorister with numerous ensembles over the years, Reuben is fortunate to work with some of the Bay Area’s wonderful homes for music and culture. He teaches in the School of Music at San Francisco State University, serves as the baal korei (Torah chanter) at Congregation Ner Tamid, directs the New Voices Bay Area Trans, Intersex and Genderqueer Chorus at the Community Music Center, and is a staff countertenor with the Choir of Men and Boys at Grace Cathedral. He holds master's degrees in choral conducting and in Hebrew literature, and rabbinical ordination from Hebrew Union College, where he also trained in traditional cantorial theory and performance. He has studied and worked in Santiago de Chile, Jerusalem, and across the U.S., and is thankful to live in San Francisco with his family.
Virtual Singer Bios
LINDSEY HUFF BREITSCHAEDEL
A California native, Lindsey Huff Breitschaedel (she/her) recently returned to Vienna, Austria after 9 years living in the San Francisco Bay Area. During that time she was on staff at Santa Clara University, Cantabile Youth Singers, and Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir. She also performed as a pianist and soprano with Peninsula Women‘s Chorus and Convivium Choir. Lindsey's recent piano collaborations in Vienna include work as a coach with the Performing Center Austria, the Wiener Sängerknaben, and the newly founded Trio 37. As a soprano, she is currently a member of 21V Choir and has also sung with Take 5 Verein and Opera on Tap Vienna.
KAREN COOK
Soprano Karen Cook (she/her) is active as a choral artist with ensembles across the country. This season, she is thrilled to make her debut with 21V, Spoleto Festival USA, and The Union. Karen sings regularly with the Oregon Bach Festival, sounding light, Audivi, LancasterChorale, Detroit Concert Choir, the Baroque on Beaver Festival, Mariners' Church of Detroit, and the Toledo Opera Chorus. She has appeared as a soloist in Mozart’s Requiem, Fauré's Requiem, Bach's Magnificat, Schubert's Mass in G, and Vaughan Williams’s Serenade to Music. One of her career highlights was being selected for the Voces8 US Scholars Programme for the 2019-20 season. Upcoming engagements include La Traviata with Toledo Opera, performances with The Union, Spoleto Festival USA, the Oregon Bach Festival, and the Baroque on Beaver Festival. Karen lives in Ypsilanti, MI with her husband, Matt, and eight other ladies: two dogs, five chickens, and a hedgehog.
CHRISTINE CUMMINS
Known for her “crystal clear timbre”, Christine Cummins is a budding soprano from Atlanta, Georgia. Her love of music was fostered through the many choirs she sang in as she grew up and has always played a huge role in her vocal development. She recently earned her Masters of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Houston. Since graduating, she has sung in the top choral ensembles of Houston such as the Grammy Winning Houston Chamber Choir as well as the Houston Grand Opera chorus. In addition to her choral work, she has performed numerous roles in operas as well as musicals throughout her career. In her free time Christine loves to watch movies, do puzzles, and play in her rock band!
ALICE DEL SIMONE
Alice Del Simone (she/her), received her B.A. in Voice Performance from the University of California, Davis. She is currently pursuing an M.M. in Voice Pedagogy and Performance at the University of Colorado Boulder. Del Simone enjoys performing varied repertoire including upcoming appearances as The Lady with a Hand Mirror in Postcard from Morocco (Argento) with Eklund Opera and Gilda in Three Feathers (Laitman) with Opera Steamboat. Recent appearances include La Princesse, Le Rosignol, and Le Feu in L'Enfant et les Sortilèges (Ravel) with Boulder Opera, La Feé in Cendrillon (Viardot) with Loveland Opera’s Educational Outreach, Poppea in Agrippina (Handel) with Eklund Opera, and Second Fairy in Midsummer Night's Dream (Mendelssohn) with San Francisco Ballet. She has recently performed with Volti, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, Berkeley Symphony, and ODC among others. Del Simone taught music theory and vocal pedagogy for the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir and currently maintains a small private voice studio.
ANNIE KUBITSCHEK
Annie Kubitschek (she/her) received her Bachelors of Music in Music Education from Chapman University and her Master of Arts in teaching from Oregon State University. She is in her sixth year as Wilsonville High School’s Director of Choirs where she has built a thriving choral community. In her time at Wilsonville High School, her choirs have competed nationally at the Lincoln Center in New York and have placed in the top 5 in the OSAA State Championships. Annie is passionate about music literacy and empowering students of all ages to be independent musicians and active members of their choral community. Currently, she serves as the Treasurer for the Oregon American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). Annie sings as a section leader and cantor at Saint Mary’s Cathedral, with the professional vocal ensembles Resonance, Nexus, and Oregon Repertory Singers, and can be heard on professional recordings with the Oregon Catholic Press.
NOELE MARTIN
Noele Martin, mezzo-soprano, is so happy to be participating in 21V! Noele was raised up in music and drama from a young age, playing the flute, performing in stage productions and singing in her school choir. She went on to sing in the Contra Costa Children's Chorus (under the direction of Iris Lamanna), where she got her first taste of travel performing abroad in countries such as Austria, Denmark, and Italy. Noele has participated in a number of choral and soloist performances including a debut at Carnegie Hall premiering new works by composers such as James Mulholland, a performance for the United Nations and as a selected participant in St. Peter's Basilica Mass for Pope John Paul II. Previously, she also sang with musical communities, symphonies and choirs such as DLOC, California Symphony Orchestra, Diablo Symphony Orchestra and most recently as a member of Womensing (under the direction of Martín Benvenuto). When she's not singing or traveling, Noele works in finance for a mechanical engineering company in SF. In whatever free time can be found, she enjoys writing children's poetry and picture books, studying languages, making her grandmother’s secret recipe for Jambalaya and wine tasting.
CANNON MCCLURE
Mezzo-soprano Cannon McClure is a native of Dallas, TX, but is currently pursuing a B.M. in Vocal Performance at the Frost School of Music. There, she sings with the Frost Chorale and Frost Chamber Singers under the direction of Dr. Amanda Quist and has performed scenes from Der Rosenkavalier (Octavian) and Hänsel und Gretel (Sandman), among others. In 2021, she received the Herbert Gold Award to attend the Patti and Allen Herbert Frost School of Music Program at Salzburg. She was recently selected as a Seraphic Fire Scholar to perform Hildegard von Bingen’s Ordo Virtutum (cancelled due to COVID-19). She is currently employed at several churches in the Dallas and Miami areas. In the fall of 2022, she will begin her Master of Music in Historical Performance.
WENDY MOY
Soprano Wendy K. Moy (she/her) is excited to be singing (virtually) with 21V! She studied voice with Sherry Panthaki and has sung with Chorosynthesis Singers, CONCORA, Ensemble Companio, and the Yale/Norfolk Chamber Choir. She is an Assistant Professor of Music Education and the Artistic Director of Crouse Chorale at Syracuse University. Wendy also serves as Co-Founder/Co-Artistic Director of Chorosynthesis Singers which focuses on the performance of new music on themes of social consciousness. Wendy holds a Masters in Music Education from Westminster Choir College and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the University of Washington. She also serves on the American Choral Directors Association Standing Committee on International Activities and reviews music grants for the National Endowment for the Arts and Chorus America. www.wendymoy.com
KATE ROSEMAN
Kate Roseman (she/her/hers), has been a music educator in the San Francisco Bay Area for more than a decade. She is a graduate of the University of Redlands where she earned her Bachelor Degree in Music Education. Ms. Roseman studied at the Zoltán Kodály Pedagogical Institute of Music in Kecskemét, Hungary, where she specialized in pedagogy and methodology, music history, conducting and ear training. She has furthered her study of the Kodály approach by taking classes in pedagogy, musicianship and choral music at Azusa Pacific University. This is Kate's 12 year as a director at the Peninsula Girls Chorus. In addition to teaching Allegra at the PGC, Kate Roseman also teaches elementary music and chorus at The Hamlin School in San Francisco. She is an active member of both the American Choral Directors Association and the Organization of American Kodály Educators.
RACHEL STEINKE
A native of San Jose, CA, Rachel Steinke is a bright lyric mezzo-soprano with a passion for collaborative, contemporary, and adventuresome performance. She currently studies at CSU Long Beach and performs with the BCCM Opera Institute and the Bob Cole Chamber Choir. As a chorister, she has performed with the NEO Voice Festival, Operation Opera, Voices for Social Justice, the Des Moines Choir Festival, and internationally with Coro Harmonia Cantata in Florence, Italy. As a recital soloist, Rachel specializes in new music, as well as the research and programming of underrepresented composers. In the operatic sphere, she specializes in lyric coloratura repertoire. Rachel’s favorite role to perform is Cherubino from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro because she loves expressing her pansexual gender non-conforming identity through performing in drag.