Barbara Berner, Barbara Berner conducts the advanced touring ensemble, Concert Choir, and oversees all aspects of the children’s choirs program as Artistic Director. Under Mrs. Berner’s direction Concert Choir has performed at Carnegie Hall, the national American Choral Directors Association convention in Los Angeles, and at the White House. Mrs. Berner has prepared Concert Choir for numerous performances with the St. Louis Symphony under conductors David Robertson, Ludwig Wicki, Peter Oundjian, Hans Vonk, Eri Klas, David Amado, David Zinman, Ward Stare, Scott Parkman, Robert Kapilow, and John McDaniel. Mrs. Berner has conducted the young singers in performances with the Bach Society of Saint Louis, the St. Louis Holiday Brass Ensemble, and the St. Louis Chamber Chorus, plus featured broadcasts on KFUO Classic 99, and on international tours to Australia, England and Wales, Austria and the Czech Republic, Scotland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. In June 2010, the young artists of The St. Louis Children’s Choirs’ Concert Choir appeared at Carnegie Hall and performed as one of two featured choirs in the Ensemble Debut Series of the National Children’s Festival Chorus. The ensemble performs regularly with the St. Louis Symphony and performed Shore’s The Lord of the Rings Symphony and Orff’s Carmina Burana in the 2010-2011 season. Barbara Berner joined the artistic staff of The St. Louis Children’s Choirs in 1996 and was appointed Artistic Director in 1999. She serves as a clinician for Kodály workshops and has conducted state honor choirs in Kentucky and New Mexico. As an accompanist, music teacher, and choral conductor, Mrs. Berner has had the opportunity to work with young singers from kindergarten through high school in the inner-city schools of Detroit and Boston; on military bases in Osterholz-Scharmbeck, Germany and West Point, New York; and in the culturally diverse schools of the Washington D.C. area. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Principia College and a Master of Music degree from Ithaca College. Barbara Berner was awarded an Artist/Teacher and Master Teacher Diploma from the Institute for Choral Teacher Education, where she studied conducting with Dr. Doreen Rao, and holds an Advanced Certificate from the Kodály Pedagogical Institute in Kecskémet, Hungary. Accompanists Billie Derham Mrs. Derham joined the Children’s Choirs in 2000 and performed with Concert Choir at Carnegie Hall in April 2001 and June 2010. A member of the music faculty at University of Missouri, St. Louis, she has been a staff accompanist for the UMSL Music Department, St. Louis Conservatory of Music, and Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Mrs. Derham has played for the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, the Bach Society, and many soloists including Christine Brewer, Robert McFerrin, Mark Madsen, and Jay Willoughby. She has performed on the Premiere Performance concert series, Christ Church Cathedral concert series, The Sheldon Concert series, and many other venues in the St. Louis area and the Midwest as an accompanist and soloist. She has also been the organist for Our Savior Lutheran Church in St. Charles, MO since 1995. Mrs. Derham graduated magna cum laude from Lindenwood University and with highest honors from Southern Illinois University with degrees in piano performance. Her teachers include Ruth Slenczynska, Jane Allen, Evelyn Mitchell, Patricia Giron, and Groff Bittner. Michael Frazier Mr. Frazier is a graduate of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville where he received his Master of Arts degree in Piano Performance and Accompanying under the direction of Dr. Linda Perry. In addition to The St. Louis Children’s Choirs, he serves as accompanist for Main Street United Methodist Church in Alton, Illinois and Ladue Middle School. Mr. Frazier also serves as musical director and accompanist for several theaters in the St. Louis metro area and is a private piano instructor. Michael Herron Michael Herron is on the faculty at Gateway Middle School where he teaches vocal and general music. He taught the previous ten years at Pruitt Military Academy. Mr. Herron has served as an ensemble assistant, music reading instructor, and accompanist with The St. Louis Children’s Choirs. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education at Illinois Wesleyan University, his Master’s degree in Music Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and has completed additional study at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Michael Herron was honored in “Who’s Who Among American Teachers” in 2005 and 2006. Mr. Herron is an alumnus of The St. Louis Children’s Choirs. Julia Matthews Julia Matthews joined the Children’s Choirs artistic staff in 2011. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from the University of Missouri-Columbia, a Master of Music degree in Education from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and an Educational Specialist degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Her professional experience includes teaching music to preschool through college levels at various public and private schools, serving as accompanist for school choirs, numerous school and college musicals, and church and community choirs. Mrs. Matthews is the organist and accompanist at Mount Zion United Methodist Church in Creve Coeur and is a private piano instructor. Ruth Price Pianist Ruth Price is an active chamber musician, lecture-recitalist, and teacher. She has performed frequently on the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Prelude Concerts and the Chamber Music St. Louis series. Currently she teaches piano at Webster University and lectures for the Webster Community Music School’s Preparatory Program. Mrs. Price holds a doctorate from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and a Master’s degree from Indiana University. Mrs. Price and her husband John McGrosso, a violinist with the Arianna String Quartet, live in St. Louis with their daughter Lucy, a current student of the Children’s Choir! Ruth Price has been a member of the artistic staff of the Children’s Choirs since 2002. Kathy Schneller Kathy Schneller joined the Children’s Choirs’ staff in 1998. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in Liturgical Music, Pipe Organ, at Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and a Master of Arts in Teaching degree in Religion at Webster University. Her passion for piano began at age five and she resumed studying piano in 1993 with Donna Vince at Webster University. Mrs. Schneller has accompanied elementary choirs in the Mehlville School District, and children’s choirs at St. Paul United Church of Christ and Concord Trinity United Methodist Church. Currently she accompanies Oakville High School instrumental students at Solo-Ensemble Festivals. Diana Umali Diana Umali completed her Master’s degree in Piano Performance with an emphasis in Accompanying and Chamber Music from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (SIUE) in May 2006. She graduated summa cum laude from Saint Louis University, attaining Bachelor’s degrees in Music Performance and Finance. Currently she is a music professor at Southwestern Illinois College and an adjunct instructor at Saint Louis University. She has served as a staff accompanist with the St. Louis Children’s Choirs since January 2002. As a collaborative pianist, she has accompanied recitals with the St. Louis Flute Society and at Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville, and most recently played as part of the St. Louis Symphony’s Community Partnership Program. Her teachers include Linda Perry, Jennifer Lim-Judd and Pamela Dees. |
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Ensemble Directors
Ensemble director Adrienne Broyles holds a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance with a minor in languages and a Master of Arts degree in Music Education from Indiana University-Bloomington where she had the privilege to work with Dr. Mary Goetze. Since becoming a member of the artistic staff of The St. Louis Children’s Choirs in 2001, Mrs. Broyles has received conducting tutelage from Doreen Rao, Barbara Berner, Cheryl Dupont, Lee Kesselman, and Bob Chilcott. She has completed Level II in Kodály, Level II in Orff-Schulwerk, and Level III from the Institute for Choral Teacher Education. Mrs. Broyles is the vocal/general music teacher at Mason Ridge Elementary School in the Parkway School District, where she was awarded Teacher of the Year in 2010. She has presented choral workshops for the St. Louis Orff Chapter and the Midwest Kodály Conference, has been a conductor for the All-District Choir within the Parkway School District, a guest conductor at Christ Church Cathedral in St. Louis, a guest conductor/clinician for the East Central District Elementary Honor Choir, and has worked with the staff and students in the Cape Girardeau School Districts.
Mrs. Burnworth holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree with honors from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and a law degree from Saint Louis University. After working as an attorney, Mrs. Burnworth found she missed teaching and returned to the field of music education. She teaches vocal music and guitar at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic School in Belleville, Illinois. Mrs. Burnworth has been a music reading teacher for Choristers and Concert Choir for ten years and served on the Choir’s Board of Directors from 2000 to 2008.
Whitney Cairns joined the Choirs’ artistic staff in the fall of 2011 as co-director of the Chorale ensemble. She is an adjunct faculty member of the University of Missouri-St. Louis teaching Ear-Training and Aural Skills, and she also teaches private piano and voice lessons. She has a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester where she served as conductor for the Repertory Singers and the Women’s Chorus and a Bachelor of Science in K-12 Music Education from Pennsylvania State University. She has studied conducting under Lynn Drafall, Susan Conkling, Lone Larsen, Joseph Flummerfelt, and William Weinert. Mrs. Cairns has directed and accompanied middle and high school choirs and church choirs in Pennsylvania, New York, and Missouri.
Karen Kaibel joined the Choirs’ artistic staff in the fall of 2011 as co-director of the Chorale ensemble. She has Master’s degrees in Vocal Performance and Music Education from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. She performs regularly as a member of the Bach Society of Saint Louis, including performing last December with the Children’s Choirs’ Chorale ensemble at the Bach Society’s Christmas Candlelight Concert. Mrs. Kaibel is a Vocal Music Teacher at Parkway Southwest Middle School, and also teaches private lessons in voice and piano. Last summer, Mrs. Kaibel was a teacher at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Summer Camp.
Megan Meier joined the Children’s Choirs’ artistic staff in 2009 to direct the beginning Choir ensemble, Music Makers, and now directs Children’s Choir 1A. Mrs. Meier teaches music at Kehrs Mill Elementary in the Rockwood School District, where she was awarded Teacher of the Year in 2011. In 2010, she served as guest conductor for the Webster Groves School District’s Choir Festival. Prior to teaching in Rockwood, Mrs. Meier served as a music director at churches in St. Charles and Chesterfield for four years. Mrs. Meier earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Vocal Music from Truman State University. While pursuing her Master’s degree, she served as a graduate teaching assistant for the vocal and choral programs. She completed her coursework for K-12 Music Teacher Certification through Lindenwood University, and has her Level 1 certification in Orff-Schulwerk and Level I training in Kodaly.
Elizabeth (Hogan) McFarland is happy to co-conduct the Choristers, after previously working with Chorale 2UC, and Children’s Choir. She loves teaching music to students at Northeast Middle School in the Parkway School District and has an active schedule as a vocal instructor, church musician, and piano teacher. Mrs. McFarland holds a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. In 2011, she completed Level I Certification with the Institute for Choral Teacher Education. Mrs. McFarland serves the Missouri Choral Director’s Association as the Repertoire and Standards Chairperson for Middle School/Junior High choral music.
Nathaniel Voelker joined The St. Louis Children’s Choirs’ artistic staff in 2009 to conduct the SATB ensemble, Chamber Singers. He holds a Master’s degree of Music in Conducting from Emory University and currently serves Living Word in Wildwood as Executive Director of Music and Worship Arts, as well as maintaining an active private studio teaching voice, piano, and conducting. Prior to his undergraduate studies at the Eastman School of Music and Roberts Wesleyan College, he attended the Interlochen Arts Academy with additional studies at Iowa State University, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and the Oberlin Conservatory. His travels as a performer and clinician have taken him around the world and have included many diverse experiences from singing opera in Italy to conducting choirs in Kenya.
Ensemble director Brandon Williams joined the Children’s Choirs in 2006. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Music Education from Western Illinois University and a Master of Music Education degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and has pursued post graduate studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He is a Vocal Music Director in the Ladue School District, the assistant conductor of the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus, and an adjunct voice faculty member at Maryville University. Mr. Williams also maintains a private voice studio, and appears frequently as a guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator and vocalist. Under his direction, the Ladue Horton Watkins High School Women’s Ensemble was selected to perform at the 2010 Missouri Music Educators Association convention. Mr. Williams received the 2009 Missouri Choral Directors Association Prelude Award and an Outstanding Teacher Award from the University of Missouri-Columbia Honors College. He is a grant panelist for the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis. |
Adrienne Broyles
Belinda Burnworth
Whitney Cairns
Karen Kaibel
Megan Meier
Elizabeth McFarland
Nathaniel Voelker
Brandon Williams