The Singers of Chor Anno |
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Jim Crislip
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Jim Crislip, Longview recently retired from teaching in the talented and gifted program for Kelso School District, and is a former high school music director. His professional musical career began at the World’s Fair, Expo ’74 in Spokane, where he was a union musician. He played principal trumpet with several symphony orchestras over a span of 34 years, lastly with the Southwest Washington Symphony. His musical work included three years of playing and singing with the Marin Pro Musica, while completing a doctorate with an emphasis in hymnology at the GTU, UC Berkeley. He has been singing in the Columbian Choral Ensemble for over 20 years, and also sings monthly with a men’s Compline Choir. |
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Les Green
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Les Green is both a voice teacher and an active performer. He teaches voice at Willamette University and has a private studio in Vancouver. Les has a BA in Vocal Performance from Ball State University where he studied with Mary Hogopian. He participated in intensive workshops presented by Portland Opera featuring Joan Domeman of the Metropolitan Opera, among other teachers, and then traveled to New York where he studied privately with Ms. Domeman and other prominent teachers. As a tenor soloist, Les has performed a wide variety of repertoire from Bach to Mahler as well as solo work with Dave Brubeck at the piano in Brubeck’s “Gates of Justice.” Les loves choral music and has sung with the Chicago Symphony Chorus, Choral Crossties, the Portland Baroque Orchestra Chorus, Oregon Repertory Singers, and is an integral part of the professional chorus Cappella Romana. |
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Gary Gross
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Gary Gross, La Center, first sang in a choir directed by Howard Meharg in 1973. He has a diverse choral experience, including the University of Washington Chorale under Abraham Kaplan, Konnerud Korforening (Norway), Living Light, the Columbian Choral Ensemble, and many various solo and small vocal group activities. One of the few non-music professionals in the group, Gary is a Chemical Engineer. |
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Joe Strandjord
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Joe Strandjord is pastor at First Lutheran Church in St Helens, Oregon. He graduated with a major in Music Education Secondary Choral from Pacific Lutheran University in 1984. While at PLU, Joe sang in the Choir of the West for four years, and during those years had a new director every year: Maurice Skones, Ed Harmic, Maurice Skones (again), and Richard Sparks. Joe sang one year with Male Ensemble Northwest, and currently sings with the Columbian Choral Ensemble and also sings monthly with a men’s Compline Choir. Joe has served as pastor at ELCA parishes in Harlem, Hogeland, and Turner Montana, Clatskanie Oregon, Bigfork Montana, and now St Helens. Joe, his wife Karina, and daughters Olivija and Sofia live in Columbia City, Oregon. |
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Justin Raffa
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Justin Raffa is originally from South Jersey. He's a graduate of Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, receiving a B.M. in music education and vocal. He studied with the renowned James Jordan, rejoining Jordan in 2007 as an instructor in Westminster's Vocal Institute. After teaching in Bisbee, AZ, he received a Master of Music degree from the University of Arizona in Tucson. Justin singing experience also includes the Berkshire Choral Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, Voces Novae et Antiquae, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra Chorus and he continues to perform as a founding member of the Tucson Chamber Artists. In addition to Chor Anno, Justin is delighted to be a new member of Male Ensemble Northwest alongside his friend and voice instructor, Reginald Unterseher. He has lived in the Tri-Cities since 2008. He conducts the Mid-Columbia Mastersingers, manages the Mid-Columbia Symphony, and directs music at All Saints Episcopal Church in Richland. |
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Jonathan Vaughn
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Jonathan Vaughn, Vancouver, has been singing publicly since age 9. Born and raised in Spokane, WA, Jonathan and his wife, Elizabeth, are new to the Portland/Vancouver area. He has performed with the Southwest Washington Symphony as a guest soloist, and has performed with local pianist, Thomas Rheingans, in the Live at the Fries concert series on multiple occasions. With a Bachelor of Music in Education from Western Washington University, Jonathan is at the beginning of his music education career. He was co-choral director at Heritage High School (Vancouver) with Joel Karn, and is currently the choral director at Pacific Middle School (Vancouver). He enjoys singing many different genres of music including gospel, jazz, and classical. |
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