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.
James Bates
James Bates received the Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting at UNCG under Welborn Young in 2010, with an emphasis on early music. Earlier he earned a Master of Music in Choral Conducting under Richard Cox. He did undergraduate and graduate work in organ at Susquehanna and Yale Universities. He has served on the choral faculty of Salem College, taught church music history at Greensboro College, and been music director of a number of churches in Greensboro and Winston-Salem. Currently, he is music director at First Baptist church of Lexington, NC and also director of the choral ensemble for Greensboro Early Music.
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, NC-based 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. Dianne also sings with the Kensington Consort, an eight-voice ensemble specializing in early music, and is a soloist and section leader at Jamestown United Methodist Church. She previously sang with the Camerata Singers and the Greensboro Oratorio Society. Dianne is a CPA and CFO for ACW Management Corporation, which owns A Cleaner World and Shore’s dry cleaners.
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 (Sponsored by Gary & Ellen Taft)
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.
Christopher Chandler
Christopher Chandler is originally from Columbia, SC, and studied Music Education at the University of South Carolina. While in Columbia, he performed with the USC Concert Choir, the Lutheran Bach Choir, various Graduate Ensembles, the Sandlapper Singers, and served as the section leader for Trinity Episcopal Church for almost 4 years. Christopher has appeared as a Tenor soloist in several ensembles, and has performed in Austria, Germany, and England. He is currently a Web Developer in Greensboro and is very active in the Triad theatre scene as an actor, occasional music director, and a board member of the Open Space Cafe Theatre.
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 Greensboro Youth Chorus 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 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 time with their daughters Amanda and Megan.
Maya Clausen
Maya Clausen, soprano, is a graduate of the University of South Florida. Having a degree in music education, she spent six years teaching high school and middle school orchestra, and high school chorus. She is an accomplished soloist, having performed regularly with The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, as well as The Florida Orchestra and Opera Tampa. Since moving to Greensboro in 2006, Maya has enjoyed singing with Bel Canto Company. Maya is blessed to be an “at-home mom” to her three children, and thankful to her husband Bill, for his love and support.
Anne Coltrane (sponsored by Doris Henderson)
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 Piedmont Opera Chorus. She has sung with Winston Salem Symphony Chorale, NCSA Cantata Singers, and the Lake Junaluska Singers and serves on the UNCG Musical Arts Guild.
Liz Doebler (sponsored by Carol & Fred Andresen
Liz Doebler, a Rochester, NY native, is a doctoral student at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, studying choral conducting with Dr. Welborn Young. She currently serves as assistant conductor for Bel Canto Company, as well as for UNCG Chamber Singers. Liz completed her M.M. in Vocal Performance at UNCG, and both her M.M. in Music Education and B.M. in Music Education and Performance at Ithaca College. She has served as director for the Greensboro Symphony Guild Women’s Chorus, and was recently a conducting fellow at the Choral Conducting Institute at University of Georgia in Athens. Liz also teaches voice at the Music Academy of NC, and works as administrative assistant for music and worship ministry at First Presbyterian Church, Greensboro.
Jaime English
Jaime English, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, received her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and her Bachelor of Music from Eastman School of Music. She has performed in several operas, including Lakmé and Cosi fan tutte, and with a variety of choral ensembles, including UNCG Chamber Singers, Eastman Chorale, and Pittsburgh’s Junior Mendelssohn Choir, as well as playing cello with the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony. She is the currently the middle and upper school music teacher at Westchester Country Day School in High Point, and teaches voice and cello privately at her home in Greensboro, where she lives with her husband Josh.
Megan Finger
A native of Raleigh, Megan Finger earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she also studied voice and performed with Carolina Choir. She has been a soloist for Capital City Girl’s Choir, and has performed with choral ensembles in Carnegie Hall. She has also appeared in several musical theatre productions, including West Side Story, Oklahoma!, The Wiz and The Sound of Music. Megan is an assistant editor for Northstar Travel Media in Winston-Salem. This is Megan’s first year singing with Bel Canto Company, and she is delighted to have the opportunity to sing alongside such a talented group of musicians.
Carolyn Hall
Carolyn Hall, mezzo-soprano, has performed with the Charlotte Symphony, Charlotte Reparatory Orchestra, Oratorio Singers and Oratorio Chamber Singers of Charlotte, Piedmont Chamber Singers, Columbia and Augusta Choral Societies. She appeared as Mrs. Ott in the 2004 UNCG production of Susannah by Carlisle Floyd. A North Carolina Regional Artist, she was a Fellow at the 2001 Conductors Institute of South Carolina and served as Conductor of Gaston String Orchestra in Gastonia, NC. Ms. Hall is the Conductor/Artistic Director of the High Point Children’s and Youth Chorales and teaches voice at Wesleyan Teaching Studios. She received her B.M. from Wesleyan College, M.M.E. from the University of South Carolina and M.M. in Choral Conducting from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Ms. Hall lives in High Point with husband Steve and sons, Erik, David, and Steven.
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. Ben has recently become a small business owner; his local company, Salem Windows & Doors, has just opened an new showroom and serves the Triad area with a focus on remodeling and restoration, new construction, green building and selling direct to the homeowner. Ben and his wife, Joy, love spending time with their two toddlers: Lincoln and Emma Gibson.
Eric Johnson (Sponsored by Hicks McDonald Noeker LLP)
Eric Johnson, a native of Madison, NC 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. During the summer, he is pursuing his Masters in Choral Music Education at Florida State University. Eric is a proud alumni of the Greensboro Youth Chorus and has also performed in the Greensboro Opera Company chorus, the ASU Opera Theater, and St. Francis Episcopal Church choir. He is currently serving as Chancel Choir Director for First Presbyterian Church in Eden, NC.
Anne Lewis
Dr. Anne Lewis teaches music at Averett University in Danville, Virginia, and musical theatre at Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan. She studied at California Baptist College, Baylor University, the Music Academy of the West, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Anne has performed in choral ensembles across the United States, in Europe, and for several performances at Carnegie Hall. She is a nationally certified member of the Piedmont Virginia chapter of the Music Teachers National Association, and she conducts musicals for regional organizations.
Richard D. Lowder II (Sponsored by Jane & Ernest Whichard
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 in the Dept. of Neurosurgery at WFU Baptist Medical Center 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 is in his nineteenth year with Bel Canto Company.
James A. McClureJames A. McClure, originally from Charlotte, NC, received his Bachelor of Music Degree from Appalachian State University and his Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from UNCG. Currently, James is a section leader/soloist with Centenary United Methodist church under the direction of David Pegg. His past performing credits include Betto and Gianni Schicchi from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Balthazar from Amahl and The Night Visitors, Nilakantha from Lakmé, and Grandpa Moss from The Tenderland. James has also been invited as a guest artist with Brevard Chamber Orchestra and the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra. Most recently he performed Elijah with Wesley Memorial Methodist Church and Marchese in La Traviata with the Piedmont Opera Company.
David McDonald
Born in Virginia and a Greensboro, North Carolina resident since the 1970s, second bass David McDonald has performed internationally with both professional and academic choirs and choruses, including the Indian Springs Glee Club, the Carolina Choir, the UNCG University Chorale, the Alexandria Choral Society and Musikanten of Washington, D.C. McDonald has performed in such esteemed venues as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. and New York’s Lincoln Center, and is delighted to return to Bel Canto after a twenty-plus-year interval spent raising his family in Greensboro, North Carolina. Professionally, McDonald practices law with the Greensboro firm Hicks McDonald Noecker LLP, primarily in civil litigation, business and employment.
Karen E. H. Messina
Karen E. H. Messina holds vocal performance degrees from Elon University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She appeared in Illinois as the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro, Lady Billows in Albert Herring, and the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors. Karen was a finalist in the 2011 Heafner-Williams Voice Competition in Lincolnton, NC and she now attends UNCG for a graduate degree in music theory. In addition to student productions, Karen has appeared on stage and in concert with the Opera Company of North Carolina, Greensboro Opera Company, and Capitol Opera Raleigh. This is Karen’s first season with Bel Canto Company.
Doug Peninger (Sponsored by Art & Jean Kriner
Doug Peninger, a native of Charlotte, earned a BA in Sacred Music from Gardner-Webb University. While there, he was the assistant conductor of the Concert Choir. He is co-owner of Studio104: The Fine Art of Photography in High Point and is a Master Photographer as well as Photographic Craftsman. He currently serves as the president of the Southeastern Professional Photographers Association (SEPPA). Doug is also a soloist at Centenary United Methodist in Winston-Salem.
Jo Ann Poston
A retired music educator, Jo Ann D. Poston is currently in her 31st year as Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church, Lexington. She is also Conductor Emeritus of the Lexington Choral Society, which she founded and conducted until her retirement. She holds the Doctor of Musical Arts (conducting) and Master of Music (theory) degrees from UNCG, and a Bachelor of Music Education (piano/voice) from James Madison University, and looks forward to continuing music opportunities.
Wendell Putney (Sponsored by Barbara Jean Cromheecke)
Wendell C. Putney, a New Jersey native, is retired from a career in information technology. He has appeared with Greensboro Opera and Piedmont Opera Company as a chorus member in over 25 productions, and has performed as a chorister and soloist with Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, Choral Society of Greensboro, Greensboro Oratorio Singers, and Mebane Community Choir. Mr. Putney is a section leader and soloist with Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Greensboro, and studies with Dr. Donald Hartmann. This is Wendell’s eleventh season with Bel Canto Company.
Stephen Saxon (Sponsored by Douglass & Patti Gilbert)
Originally from Winston-Salem, Stephen Saxon has recently moved to Greensboro to pursue musical and educational interests. He holds an undergraduate degree in Religion & Philosophy from Mars Hill College and is currently a second-year MBA candidate at the Bryan School of Business at UNC Greensboro. Stephen is a Bass Soloist at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and also sings with the Southern Appalachian Chamber Singers under the direction of Dr. Joel Reed. He is a proud alumnus of the Greensboro Youth Chorus and is honored to perform in his third season with Bel Canto Company.
Neal Sharpe
Neal Sharpe, native of Graham, NC has performed many roles in the realm of opera as well as oratorio, including Horace Tabor in Ballad of Baby Doe and the title role in Mendelssohn’s Elijah. Other roles include L’oncle Tio Sarvaor in DuFalle’s La Vida Breve, Top in Copland’s The Tender Land, Dick Deadeye in Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore, and Giovanni Beletti in Larsen’s Barnum’s Bird as well as others. Neal has been a featured soloist with renowned groups such as The NC Master Chorale, Greensboro Oratorio Society, and The Bel Canto Company. Mr. Sharpe is also the Organist/Pianist and Contemporary Worship Leader at Guilford College United Methodist in Greensboro, NC.
Nicolle Alexandre Sherwood (Sponsored by Joseph Bryan, Jr.)
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. Since moving to NC in 2004, she has performed with Long Leaf Opera, Capital Opera, and the Magnolia Baroque Festival. She and her husband are the proud parents of two beautiful girls, and Nicolle is happy to be able to stay home with them while they are young.
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 United Health Group in Greensboro and lives in Summerfield with his wife, Nancy, and two dogs, Riley and Loki.
Joel Snyder
Joel Snyder received his B.Mus. in sacred music from Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC. He regularly premiered pieces composed by Dan Forrest while singing with the BJU Chorale and Chamber Singers. Joel went on to complete a M.M. in Voice Performance and a graduate assistantship in the choral department at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, MI. While there, he performed the title role in EMU’s production of Gianni Schicchi. Joel has also performed the bass arias from Handel’s Messiah for performances in Michigan. He is currently the choral music teacher at Vandalia Christian School in Greensboro, NC, where he has applied the training he received in the Kodály method from Westminster Choir College and Capital University. He is a member of the ACDA and OAKE.
Bill Stephens
Bill Stephens is a resident and native of Danville, Virginia. Bill has been a member of the Choral Society of Greensboro for the last 20 years. He is the immediate past President of the organization and serves on its Board of Directors. He also serves on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee for the Musical Arts Guild of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Bill is employed by American National Bank and Trust Company in Danville as the Director of Technology Development.
Jayme Page Updike
Jayme graduated from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2005 with a Bachelors of Music Education with a concentration in Voice. While in school, she participated in the Miles Davis Jazz Studies program, as well as Women’s Choir and the University Chorale. She has performed in numerous musical theatre productions in the area, most recently portraying the role of “Glinda (The Good Witch)” in CTG’s The Wizard of Oz. Jayme currently resides in Greensboro, and is the Chorus Director at Southeastern Randolph Middle School in Ramseur, NC.
Hillary Ann Webb (Sponsored by Drew & Claudia Cannady)
Hailing from Schererville, Indiana, Ms. Webb began studying voice at age 13. She earned her B.M. from Ball State University where she studied with Ms. Mary Hagopian and sang Gretel in Hansel and Gretel and performed scenes as Michaela (Carmen), Tatyana (Eugene Ongegin) and the title role in Princess Ida. Ms. Webb earned her masters degree from UNCG where she sang Despina (The Three Little Pigs) and First Lady (The Magic Flute). Ms. Webb is soprano section leader at Centenary United Methodist Church in Winston Salem and has performed with Greensboro Opera, Capital Opera Company, The Choral and Oratorio Societies of Greensboro, and made guest appearances with The Triad Pride Men’s Chorus. A two time NATS Great Lakes Auditions finalist and Mu Phi Epsilon scholarship winner, Hilary still competes throughout the country, and performs in the US and Europe.
Gerald Whittington (Sponsored by Eddie & Joan Bass)
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 has 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 Senior Vice President for Business, Finance and Technology at Elon University and sings at Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church in Chapel Hill.
Laura Worst
Laura Worst holds both a BA and MA in Elementary Education and is currently on faculty at Northern Elementary. Although teaching has been her full-time career, she has continued to be active in various musical groups. Prior to moving to Greensboro from Michigan in 2003, she performed with the Calvin College Alumni Choir and the Western Michigan Opera Company. She was a professional chorister and soloist at the Historic Mariners’ Church of Detroit for eight years. She also appeared with the Cantata Academy, Temple Beth El Festival Chorus, and the Venetian Festival Singers. Here in the Triad, Laura has sung with Bel Canto at the Hinshaw Music Festival and with the Winston-Salem Symphony Chorale. She also sings with the Choral Society of Greensboro, where she served on their Board of Directors for six years.