Cory Alexander
Cory Alexander recently completed DMA coursework in choral conducting at UNCG. He holds an MM in choral conducting from the University of Florida and a BA in vocal music education from Central College in Pella, Iowa. Mr. Alexander was Director of Choral Activities at Central Florida Community College from 2001 to 2005. He has been active in choral music throughout his life, singing under notable conductors including Robert Shaw. Solo appearances include Schubert’s Mass in G recorded for Welsh television, the Marion Civic Chorale, and the Central Florida Symphony.
Stephanie Bartis
Stephanie Bartis received her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from UNC-Chapel Hill and Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Ithaca College. She is the owner and director of Bartis’ Creative Studio and was awarded Kindermusik International’s Maestro designation for Masterful Teaching and is among the top Kindermusik programs worldwide. She is a member of Kindermusik International’s Curriculum Author Team, the Kindermusik Educator’s Partnership and the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Stephanie is also a K-5 Elementary music specialist in the Guilford County Schools.
Robert A. Bearden
Greensboro native Bob Bearden earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Duke University, where he was a member of the Chapel Choir. He has also sung with the New York Choral Society and the Durham, NCbased Vocal Arts Ensemble. Bob is a Senior Vice President of Finance with LabCorp in Burlington.
Dianne Hahn Black
Dianne Hahn Black holds a Bachelor’s degree in voice from UNC-Chapel Hill, a Master’s degree in music therapy from Florida State University and a certificate in accounting from Guilford College. She previously sang with the Camerata singers, and the Greensboro Oratorio Society. Dianne is a CPA and CFO for Management Resource Systems, Inc.
Jolynda Bowers (Sponsored by Suzanne Goddard)
Sanford native Jolynda Bowers received her Bachelor of Music from UNCG and Master of Music from the University of Illinois. She is soloist/section leader at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and has appeared as a soloist with the Greensboro Symphony Chamber Orchestra, Piedmont Chamber Orchestra, Eastern Music Festival Eastern Symphony Orchestra, Greensboro Youth Chorus, Mebane Community Chorus, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Community Chorus, Brevard Music Center Orchestra and the Durham Civic Choral Society. Jolynda is a Business Planning and Forecasting Manager for Syngenta Crop Protection.
Tandy Brown
Tandy Brown, a Wilmington native and graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, has been a member of Bel Canto Company since 1988. He is an experienced carpenter with his own business (Buffalo Creek Custom Woodworking and Remodeling) and an avid kayaker. Mr. Brown also performs with the Kensington Consort, a newly formed ensemble specializing in early music.
Hannah Rose Carter
Hannah Rose Carter received her Bachelor’s degree in vocal performance and music education at SUNY Potsdam, and earned her Master’s in vocal performance from UNC-Greensboro. Ms. Carter has appeared as a soloist with the Greensboro Choral Society, Dei Laudes Choir, and at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. This is her third season with Bel Canto Company. Ms. Carter sings with the Kensington Consort, and is the music director at The Learning Palette Preschool in Jamestown. Her husband, Brian, is an accomplished cellist and doctoral candidate at UNCG.
Anita Rzonca Charles (Sponsored by Doris Henderson)
Originally from Chicago, Anita obtained her B.M. from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and her M.M. in Voice from the University of Illinois. Anita has performed with the Oberlin College Choir, Oberlin Opera Theater, Illinois Opera Theater, Washington Opera, the Washington Concert Opera, the Washington Savoyards, Wolf Trap Opera Company and the Alexandria Symphony. She has been a semifinalist in the MacAllister Opera Awards Competition and placed first in the NATS State and Mid-Atlantic Regional Competitions in 1992. She has been a soloist with the Greensboro Symphony and has performed roles with many Theatre companies throughout the Piedmont Triad.
Sarah Keith Chowning (Sponsored by Hayes & Clem Clement
Sarah Chowning received a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from DePauw University School of Music in Greencastle, Indiana. An active and versatile performer, she has appeared as soloist with the Greensboro Symphony and serves as section leader and soloist at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. She performs locally and across the country in a wide variety of musical genres from Celtic to opera. Sarah teaches voice at Holy Trinity Music School and is a licensed Kindermusik educator. She also serves on the executive board of Music for a Great Space. Other interests include community and the arts, creativity, and leadership. She and her husband Jeff delight in helping to shape the music and language development of their 2-year-old daughter, Amanda.
Anne Coltrane
Anne Coltrane received a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from UNC-Chapel Hill, and a Bachelor and Master of Music from UNCG. Currently she sings with the chancel choir at Centenary United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem, the Choral Society of Greensboro, and Greensboro Opera and Piedmont Opera Choruses. She has sung with W-S Symphony Chorale, NCSA Cantata Singers, and the Lake Junaluska Singers and serves as president of the UNCG Musical Arts Guild.
Patrick Darab
Patrick J. Darab, tenor, hails from Hickory, NC. During his music career, he has received first place at the North Carolina NATS competition as well as placed in the Regional NATS competition. Patrick has performed with such notable conductors as Kurt Masur with the New York Philharmonic, George Guest, John Rutter, James Levine, and James Litton during his two years in the prestigious American Boychoir. He studies voice with Dr. Robert Bracey. He is currently a member of the Chamber Singers at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro School of Music, where he is a senior Bachelor of Music Voice Performance major.
Jesse Darden
Jesse Darden received his Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from UNCG where he studied with Dr. Robert Wells. While at UNCG, he sang with the University Chorale and the Chamber Singers. Mr. Darden recently placed 1st at the district and regional NATS student auditions, placed 1st in the 2006 Euterpe Vocal Competition, and was a recipient of the Cooper Music Scholarship. He has performed in the Schlern International Music festival in Völs am Schlern, Italy. This is Jesse’s first season with BCC.
Matthew DiCamillo
A native of Niagara Falls, NY, Matthew DiCamillo has a Bachelor of Arts in applied music from SUNY Fredonia and a Master’s of Music degree in vocal performance from UNC-Greensboro. He has performed as soloist with Capital Opera Raleigh, Greensboro Opera Company/EMF, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Western New York Chamber Orchestra, and sings with the Kensington Consort. Matthew is on the voice faculty at Elon University, Szymanski Studios in Chapel Hill and the Music Academy of North Carolina. He is currently enrolled in the Feldenkrais Practitioner training program at the Institute for Somatic Education in San Francisco, CA.
Liz Doebler
Liz Doebler, a Rochester, NY native, completed her M.M. in Vocal Performance at UNCG, M.M. in Music Education and B.M. in Music Education and Performance at Ithaca College. She recently performed the role of Despina in Cosi fan tutte with Capital Opera Company as well as Mary in The Ballad of Baby Doe, and Baby Bear in Goldilocks and the Three Bears at UNCG. In 2007, she was an alternate finalist in the UNCG concerto competition, and sang in recital at the Schlern International Music Festival in Italy. She is a voice teacher at Music Academy of NC, and UNC School of the Arts Community Music School, and is the choral director for the Greensboro Symphony Guild Women’s Chorus.
Loggan Haggard
Logan Haggard is a native of Seymour, TN. He received his Bachelor of Music Performance degree from UNCG in 2007 and is now in his second year seeking his Master of Music in Choral Conducting. Logan is an active conductor, composer, and lyric tenor in North Carolina and Tennessee. At UNCG, Logan has been active with the Opera Theatre, Men’s Glee Club, Women’s Choir, and Chamber Singers. Logan currently studies with Dr. Carole Ott, Dr. Welborn Young, and Dr. Robert Bracey.
Ben Heinsohn
Originally from Kingston, NJ, Ben Heinsohn sang with The American Boychoir under the direction of James Litton from 1987-1991. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from Hampden-Sydney College, and a Master of Science in Education from Elmira College. Currently Ben serves as Director of Operations for Salem Millwork and is the head coach of Wake Forest University’s club lacrosse team.
Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson, a native of Madison, NC is excited to be joining Bel Canto Company this season. He is currently Choral Director at J.E. Holmes Middle School in Eden, NC. Eric is a graduate of Appalachian State where he earned degrees in Music Education and Vocal Performance with a concentration in Sacred Music. Growing up Eric sang with the Greensboro Youth Chorus and has also performed in the Greensboro Opera Company chorus and the ASU Opera Theater. He is currently serving as the Baritone Soloist and Section Leader at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Greensboro, NC.
Allison Kokkeler (Sponsored by Carol & Fred Andresen)
Allison Kokkeler, a Wisconsin native, received a Bachelor’s in Education and Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and a Master’s degree in Vocal Pedagogy from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. She has most recently appeared as Frasquita in Carmen, Emily in The Ballad of Baby Doe, and The Announcer in Gallantry. She has been a soloist in choral ensembles, and most notable the soprano soloist for Britten’s Ceremony of Carols. Currently, she teachers choir and general music at Turrentine Middle School in Burlington and works as a choir director and accompanist at The Church of the Covenant in Greensboro.
Melissa Larkin
Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Melissa received Bachelor’s degrees from Prairie Bible College and the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada and a M.M in Vocal Performance from UNCG. Melissa has appeared with the UNCG Opera Theatre in The Ballad of Baby Doe, Libby Larsen’s Barnum’s Bird, and most recently as Salud in La Vida Breve for UNCG’s Spring 2008 season. She has also appeared in productions of The Mikado, The Medium, Le nozze di Figaro, La Bohème, and Die Zauberflöte. Melissa works as the associate music director at Front Street United Methodist and teaches private voice lessons.
Richard D. Lowder II
Rich Lowder is a North Carolina native and holds degrees from Duke University, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He is a physician assistant at the Dayspring Medical Center in Mocksville, NC, and serves as Minister of Music at Maplewood Baptist Church in Yadkinville, NC. Rich has performed with the Duke Chapel Choir, the North Carolina Baptist Singers, and the Magnolia Baroque Festival in Winston-Salem where he lives with his canine buddy, Famous. Rich also enjoys running and bicycling in area fundraisers.
James A. McClureJames A. McClure, originally from Charlotte, NC, has performed throughout North Carolina. He received his Bachelor of Music Degree from Appalachian State University and his Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from UNC-Greensboro. Currently, James is a section leader/soloist with Centenary United Methodist church under the direction of David Pegg. His past performing credits include: Betto from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Balthazar from Amahl and The Night Visitors, Nilakantha from Lakmé, Gianni Schicci from Gianni Schicci, and Grandpa Moss from The Tenderland. James has also been invited as a guest artist with Brevard Chamber Orchestra and the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra. He most recently performed Elijah with Wesley Memorial Methodist Church and Marchese in La Traviata with the Piedmont Opera Company.
Bethany McKee-Alexander
Bethany McKee-Alexander is currently pursuing an Educational Doctorate (EdD) in Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She holds a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting and a Bachelor of Music Education degree with Vocal Emphasis, both from the University of Florida in Gainesville. Ms. McKee-Alexander has worked as a music teacher and choir director at several public schools in Florida and North Carolina and currently holds an administrative intern position at Morehead Elementary School in Greensboro.
Wendell Putney
Wendell Putney, a native of New Jersey, is a charter member of the Choral Society of Greensboro, has been a member of the Eastern Music Festival Chorus, and has appeared in the chorus of 25 productions of the Greensboro Opera and Piedmont Opera companies. He has performed with the Greensboro Symphony in numerous performances as a chorus member and as a soloist. Wendell will be retiring this year from a career in Information Technology; this is his eighth year with Bel Canto.
Charles (Chip) Renn
Chip Renn, originally from Defiance, Ohio, holds degrees in mathematics from both the Ohio State University and UNCG. While a student, Chip sang with the Men’s Glee Club and Chorale at OSU and the Chamber Singers at UNCG. He has also been seen on stage as Pippin in Pippin, Huck Finn in Big River, Matt in The Fantasticks, and Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He currently works as a computer network administrator in Greensboro.
Neal S. Sharpe
Neal Sharpe, native of Graham, NC, is a graduate of UNC-Greensboro in vocal performance. He has appeared in many productions at UNCG including his last roles as Top in Tenderland and Dick Deadeye in HMS Pinafore. He has sung with the Men’s Glee Club, University Chorale, and currently with the Chamber Singers under the direction of Welborn Young. This is Neal’s third season with The Bel Canto Company.
Nicolle Alexandre Sherwood
Originally from Nashville, TN, Nicolle holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Belmont University and a Master’s degree in Opera Performance from Arizona State University. Her favorite roles include Nora in Riders to the Sea; Lady Larken in Once Upon a Mattress; Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof; Papagena in Die Zauberflöte; Laurette in Le Docteur Miracle; and Mabel in Pirates of Penzance. Since moving to NC in 2004, she has performed with Long Leaf Opera, Capital Opera, and the Magnolia Baroque Festival, in addition to many oratorio soloist performances. Nicolle is the Executive Director of Music for a Great Space. She and her husband are the proud parents of a wonderful 2-year-old daughter.
Bill Snedden
A native of Atlanta, GA, Bill Snedden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from UNCG, where he studied voice, piano, harpsichord, organ, and composition. He has appeared with the North Carolina Bach Festival, the Magnolia Baroque Festival, and is a frequent guest soloist/section leader and organist at several area churches as well as being a founding member of the Kensington Consort. Recently, Bill returned to UNCG where he earned a Master’s in Business Administration. He is currently a Sr. Business Analyst with UnitedHealth Group in Greensboro and lives in Summerfield with his wife Nancy and two dogs, Riley and Loki.
Hope Fairchild Thacker
Hope Fairchild Thacker, mezzo-soprano, is a Mississippi native. She holds a BMEd in Vocal/Choral Music and an MM in Vocal Performance and Choral Conducting from The University of Southern Mississippi and is pursuing a DMA in Vocal Performance at UNCG. Mrs. Thacker’s vocal awards include national semi-finalist in the 2004 NATSAA Competition and guest artist for the 2004 Southern Region NATS Convention. Recent roles include Angela in Colaner’s He Cried Uncle (World Premiere), Augusta in The Ballad of Baby Doe, Zita in Gianni Schicci, Mercedes in Carmen, and the Witch in Into the Woods. Oratorio performances include Alma by Schiffman (NC premiere), Vivaldi’s Gloria, and the Duruflé Requiem. Mrs. Thacker resides in Greensboro, NC with her husband, Dr. Brian Thacker, and their son Hartley.
Hillary Ann Webb
Hilary Ann Webb hails from Schererville, Indiana. She received a Bachelor of Music in voice performance at Ball State University and her Master of Music in Voice performance from UNCG. She has sung with Greensboro Opera Company, the Choral Society of Greensboro, The Oratorio Society of Greensboro, UNCG Opera Theater, and Capitol Opera. Hilary is actively singing and competing all over the United States and made her European debut this past June in Florence and Traviso, Italy.
Gerald Whittington
Gerald Whittington has been a member of the ensemble since 1992. He has appeared as soloist with the Bel Canto Company as well as the Atlanta Choral Guild, Ash Lawn Opera, Charlottesville Oratorio, Raleigh Oratorio and the Choral Society of Durham and performed with conductors John Rutter, Robert Shaw, Rodney Wynkoop, Simon Carrington, Robert Porco and Lara Hoggard. As a recitalist, he has premiered solo works by Frank E. Wiley and Roger Hannay. He is Vice President for Business, Finance and Technology at Elon University and sings at Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church in Chapel Hill.