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About the Singers Robert Avrett received his Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Angelo State University in Texas, and then attended the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where he received his Master of Music Degree in Vocal Performance. Additional training included apprenticeships with Chautauqua Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and twice being chosen as a Tanglewood Fellow. He was Adjunct Instructor of Voice and Music History at the College of Mount St. Joseph and also Adjunct Instructor of Voice and Director of Opera at the University of Dayton. Mr. Avrett has sung more than 30 principal roles in opera, and performs regularly as a soloist in oratorio and choral concerts around Denver. This is Hannah Baker’s first season with St. Martin’s Chamber Choir. Hannah received her Bachelor of Arts in Music from California State University, Fullerton. While in California she sang with the John Alexander Singers chamber choir and the Pacific Choral. Hannah also sang in several Hollywood Bowl Orchestra vocal ensembles. Hannah and her husband moved to Pittsburgh, PA where Hannah sang with the Pittsburgh Camerata for five seasons. Hannah also directed the St. George Orthodox Cathedral Choir for three years while in Pittsburgh. Ms. Baker now lives in Boulder, CO with her husband and their two sons. In addition to singing with St. Martin’s Chamber Choir, Hannah also sings at St. Luke’s Orthodox Church where she especially enjoys singing Byzantine Chant. Matt is originally from Logan, Utah, where he grew up in a musical family playing the piano and the cello. He sang with the Brigham Young University Men's Chorus under Mack Wilberg, then pursued a doctorate in Spanish Literature at the University of Virginia. After two years as a professor at Wabash College in Indiana, Matt made his way to Colorado. He has sung with the Virginia Consort in Charlottesville, Virginia, All Saints Episcopal Church in Indianapolis, Augustana Lutheran Church in Denver, and currently sings at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. Matt teaches Spanish at Kent Denver School, and lives in the Baker neighborhood with his partner, Frank. Micaëla Larsen Brown grew up singing…in India and then Denver and Brighton, Colorado. She graduated from Univ. of Sioux Falls with degrees in Music and Speech & Theater, and then lived in Normandy, France for two years. She subsequently sang several concerts in France. She has sung with the Colorado Chorale, and served as staff singer at Central Presbyterian Church for 15 years and is now a staff singer at St. John's Cathedral. Micaela was an elementary music teacher for 25 years. She has retired from full-time teaching to pursue several mini-careers: teaching voice lessons, designing & sewing drag apparel, substitute teaching, and marketing her invention (a hat that can be worn with a bike helmet!) Micaëla also volunteers as a music therapist, singing for nursing home and hospice patients. Brock received his
Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Cynthia Henning received her BM in Vocal Performance from the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver, where she was a member of the Lamont Chorale and Chamber Singers, was cast in principal roles in operas and musicals, and regularly returns to sing with The Evans Choir, a chamber choir of select students and alumni, combined with professional calibre singers from the community. She has sung in the choruses of the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado, the Skinner Summer Choralfest, the Colorado Music Festival, and the Central City Opera, and has been a staff singer and soloist in several church choirs in the Denver area, including St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, Holy Ghost Catholic Church, University Park United Methodist Church, and, currently, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. Cindy is employed as a legal administrative assistant at Levine Sullivan Koch & Schulz. This is Ashley Hoffman’s second season with St. Martin’s Chamber Choir. Before moving to Denver last year, she performed in the Los Angeles area with professional groups such as De Angelis Vocal Ensemble, LASchola and Jouyssance Early Music Ensemble. She has sung internationally with the St. James’ Los Angeles choir at Westminster Abbey and other cathedrals around England. During her time as staff soprano at All Saints’ Beverly Hills Choir (2005 to 2010), Ashley was featured on several recordings, including the 2006 Gothic Records release “Be Still, My Soul” and an upcoming CD featuring the works of Finzi and Howells. Somewhat more prosaic, but equally exciting, examples of her professional work can be found on the soundtrack to the video game "Rift: Planes of Telara." Here in Colorado she has also sung with Ars Nova Singers in Boulder, and is currently a staff singer at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. When she is not singing, Ashley can be found earning her keep as a freelance designer and animator. A graduate of Michigan State University and Miami (Ohio) University, MB is the Acting Director of Choral Activities at Metropolitan State College of Denver, where she directs choral ensembles, teaches conducting, and music directs theatre productions. As a board member of the Colorado chapter of American Choral Directors Association, MB is the editor of a semi-annual newsletter for choral conductors across the state, and regularly presents sessions for music educators at the CoACDA Summer Workshop. MB has been a member of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale and the Ars Nova Singers, and has sung with St. Andrew's Episcopal Church Choir and St. Martin's Chamber Choir since 1997. Tim Krueger, Artistic Director and Conductor Susan earned her Bachelor of Music degree at Central Washington University, and subsequently studied vocal technique at the University of Colorado. She has sung with the Opera Colorado chorus, the Seattle Opera Chorus, the Renaissance Festival's Madrigal Quartet, and the early music ensemble Diverse Passions. Sue is an audio editor for Talking Book Publishers, Inc., a non-profit studio that records books for the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress. Chris Maunu holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Nebraska and a Bachelor of Music Education from Northern State University. Chris has sung with Central City Opera, Loveland Opera Theatre, Opera Omaha, Augustana Vocal Ensemble (AVE), Colorado Conductor's Chorus, UNC Summer Choralfest, and England's Swingle Singers. He has performed 17 principal stage roles, is a former NATS winner, and has sung numerous oratorio roles and major works. Mr. Maunu also directs choirs at Arvada West High School. His choirs are well-known throughout the state, and three have been selected to perform at CMEA (Colorado Music Educator's Association) conferences. Julia obtained her B.A. in Spanish from Brigham Young University, where she sang in the Women's Choir and was a founding member of the vocal jazz program. Julia has sung with the church choirs of St. Andrew's Episcopal and Holy Ghost Roman Catholic churches, as well as the Colorado Chorale and Kantorei. When not practicing or performing, Julia works as a Spanish and Japanese teacher, and as the mother of two. In her ‘spare’ time, Julia recently earned a Master’s degree, specializing in Integrating Technology in the Classroom. Devin, a native of Minneapolis, has been singing all his life, most notably with the Plymouth Music Series under Phillip Brunelle, the Hawaii Vocal Arts Ensemble, Musikanten under Kerry Krebill, and the Ars Nova Singers. He joined SMCC in 2001, after earning an MA in Political Science at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. He currently lives in Boulder, works as an academic advisor, and bicycles everywhere he can. Laura graduated from the University of Denver with a BM in vocal music performance. She currently teaches Music Together and Musicare, which are both early childhood music programs. Laura is also a part-time nanny and office assistant, and in her spare time she sings with the small a capella ensemble Harmonia. Laura has been singing with St. Martin's since 2003. Raymond holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Benedictine College and a Masters Degree in Vocal Performance from Arizona State University. This is Raymond's fifth season with St. Martin's. He is also Director of Music at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Denver. Prior to moving to Colorado, Raymond lived in Kansas City where he sang with the internationally acclaimed Kansas City Chorale under the direction of Charles Bruffy. Raymond performed as a soloist with several groups including the Kansas City Symphony and the Liberty Symphony. Raymond also served as a Director for Music and Liturgy for Our Lady of the Presentation Church and director and co-founder of the Lee’s Summit Chorale who were invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in June 2007. Raymond lives in Denver with his wife Holly and six children Molly, Abigail, Lucas, Margaret, Ruth and David. Nathan is currently the Director of Choirs at Bear Creek High School in Lakewood, where he directs five different sections of choir. He received his Bachelor's degree in Music Education from Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and his Master's degree in Choral Conducting from Colorado State University. He is an active member of Music Educators National Conference, Colorado Music Educators Association, and American Choral Directors Association. When Nathan is not teaching or singing, he enjoys spending time with the loves of his life: his wife, Natalie, and three daughters, Faythe, Ava and Lilian. One of his favorite hobbies besides singing is watching sports (especially football and mixed martial arts). Ms. Soich received a Master of Music degree in vocal performance from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She has twice been a regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions and was the third prize winner in the Meistersinger Competition in Graz, Austria. She is active throughout the front range of Colorado on both the opera and concert stages including performances with Opera Colorado, Central City Opera, the Boulder Philharmonic and the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado. Ms. Soich is also a sought after vocal coach with an active private studio and a busy teaching schedule in the Music & Entertainment Industry Studies program at the University of Colorado, Denver. In the last 30 years, Washington, D.C., native Bob Reynolds has sung with numerous professional church and concert choirs, including the Washington Bach Consort, the Palestrina Choir, the Early English Ensemble, the American Vocal Ensemble, the Woodley Ensemble, and Chantry. Since moving to Denver in June 2011, Bob has been a member of St. John's Cathedral choir, has performed the Duruflé and Mozart Requiems, and sings with Seicento, a new choir specializing in 17th-century choral music. Formerly a copy editor, he now teaches ESL (English as a second language). Terry Schlenker studied music composition at the University of North Dakota and at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, from which he holds a Master of Art’s Degree in Composition. Terry’s choral compositions are widely performed, recorded, and published. His music has been featured on the National Public Radio programs of Sacred Classics and Classical Discoveries, as well as the Colorado Public Radio programs of Colorado Matters and Colorado Spotlight. His work has been performed at the National Conventions of Chorus America and ACDA (The American Choral Director’s Association), the International festival of GALA Choruses and the National Choral Festival. Terry works as a human embryologist and has been a member of St. Martin’s Chamber choir since 1997. Learn more about Terry at www.TerrySchlenker.com. Brian Stone received his BM in Voice Performance from the University of Puget Sound in 2008 and has just received his MM in Choral Conducting from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Brian was the 2009-10 Mark Sheldon Conducting Intern with St. Martin's. At the University of Colorado, Brian served as the Assistant Conductor of both the Collegiate Chorale and the University Choi, and has been the Assistant Conductor of the Boulder Chorale and Choir Director at Westminster United Methodist Church since 2008. Brian has also enjoyed roles in Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado (Pooh-Bah) and Kurt Weil's Threepenny Opera (Mack the Knife). Tom received his BM in Church Music from Rhodes College, and his Master of Divinity degree from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He also holds an MA in music education and choral conducting from the Lamont School of Music and a degree in School Counseling from the University of Colorado at Denver. Tom has been minister of music in numerous churches, and directed Douglas County middle school and high school choirs for many years. Allison Westfahl Wagner received a BA in Music from Yale University and a MS in Physiology from California University. While at Yale, she sang with the Yale Camerata, the Yale Recital Chorus, and toured nationally with the a cappella group Something Extra. Since moving to Colorado in 2001, she has sung with the Ars Nova Singers, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, the Colorado Summer Music Festival, and the UNC Summer Music Festival. Off the musical stage, Allison is the founder and lead exercise physiologist with The Athletic Edge in Boulder. She lives in downtown Denver with her husband, Brian. A St. Martin's member since 1996, Donna Wickham holds a BM in vocal performance and an MM in conducting from the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver. She is the head of the Vocal Jazz program at the Lamont School of Music, and teaches music history courses for Colorado Hannah Wunsch received a BA in Vocal Performance from Gustavus Adolphus College in 2009, and is currently pursuing her MM in Choral Conducting with Vocal Performance Emphasis at the University of Colorado in Boulder. At the University of Colorado, Hannah served as the Assistant Conductor of both Women’s Chorus (2010-2011) and Collegiate Chorale (2011-2012), and has been Director of Worship and Music at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Boulder, CO, since 2010. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and, while at CU, has received the Warner Imig Scholarship, the Lyn Whitten Scholarship, and the Collins Graduate Choral Scholarship. |
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