Sopranos and Altos
Shannon Anderson,
Soprano
Vancouver, WA
Alison Askeland.
Soprano
Longview, WA
Stacy Brown, Alto
Olympia, WA
Twyla Brunson, Alto
Kent, WA
Shannon studied music at Marylhurst University and at Clark College. She has had numerous opportunities to perform both as a soloist and in choirs. She teaches piano in her home studio, Shannon enjoys working with people of all ages. She lives in Vancouver Washington.
Alison directs the choirs at R. A. Long High School in Longview and heads the music program at St. Stephens Episcopal Church. A native Montanan, Alison holds two Bachelor Degrees from the University of Montana, one in Vocal Performance and another in Music Education. Alison also holds a Masters Degree in Education from Lesley University. At home, Alison stays busy with her husband Eric, an elementary music specialist, raising two boys, Leo and Luke.
Stacy teaches middle school choir. She is a National Board Certified Teacher. She has performed with the Oregon Catholic Press recording ensemble, the Portland Symphonic Choir, Joan Szymko’s Pleiades, the David York Ensemble, The Trinity Consort, and the Opus 7 Vocal Ensemble. Stacy directs choirs at Washington Middle School in Olympia, Washington. She and her husband JaWanne are the parents of talented and beautiful Gracie, born in 2014.
Twyla Brunson is a graduate of the University of Idaho and holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in vocal performance, Twyla taught junior high choral music for 33 years in Walla Walla and Sumner, WA, retiring in 2002. She has studied at the Kodaly Institute, Esztergom, Hungary, Orff Institute, Salzburg, Austria, and St. John’s and Kings’ Colleges at Cambridge University, England with John Rutter. She has sung with the Oregon Bach Festival Choir, Seattle Symphony Chorale, Walla Walla Choral Society, and currently Opus 7. In 1988, she was a member of the Washington State Delegation of Visual and Performing Artists to the Peoples’ Republic of China. Twyla received the Christa McAuliffe Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2000. She is a past president of the Northwestern Division of American Choral Directors and Washington ACDA.
Rhonda Catchpole,
Alto
La Center, WA
Kimberly Claassen,
Soprano, Vancouver
Washington
April Duvic,
Soprano/Alto
Vancouver, WA
Karen Fulmer, Alto
Federal Way, WA
Rhonda Catchpole has been the director of choral music at La Center Middle School and High School in La Center, WA, since 2000. She earned her Bachelor Degree in Music Education at Warner Pacific College (now a University,) and her Master’s Degree in Education at Washington State University in Vancouver. Rhonda has served as the Repertoire and Resources Chair for Junior High and Middle School Choirs for the Washington State ACDA (American Choral Directors Association.) She has been a singer in Choro in Schola, and the Portland Symphonic Choir, which included the opportunity of being in the choir as a backup singer for Andrea Bocelli in one of his Portland, OR performances. Rhonda is also a Cross Country and Track Coach and regularly trains as a competitive runner. At home you will find her running with her husband, playing the piano, and spending time with her two dogs.
Kim Claassen is the choir director at Mountain View HS in Vancouver, WA. She previously taught at Cascade Middle School where her choirs performed at WMEA and NWACDA State and Regional conferences. Kim received both her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Music Education from Central Washington University. She stays active as a clinician and performer, is the NWACDA Middle School/Junior High Reptertoire and Resource Chair, and serves as the LCRMEA Treasurer. Kim resides in Vancouver with her husband Mark, who is the band and orchestra director at Mountain View HS, and their two sons Hans and Silas.
April Brookins Duvic, Professor Emeritus, retired from Clark College after teaching in the music department for 26 years. She was the first two-time recipient of the College's Exceptional Faculty Award. Prior to Clark College, she taught public school choral music for 13 years. She is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the American Choral Directors Association, and the Music Teachers National Association. She teaches private voice in Vancouver, WA, enjoys vocally directing musical theatre productions, is a frequent adjudicator for both choral and solo vocal competitions, and along with Janet Reiter, is co-founder and co-director of Reprise Choir in Vancouver, WA. www.reprisechoirsings.org. Ms. Duvic earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music from Whitman College and her Master of Science in Teaching from Portland State University.
Karen graduated from Kelso High School and sang in groups there under Howard’s direction. Her degrees are from PLU. She taught choral music for thirty-one years in Sumner, as well as serving as music coordinator for the district. Her service on the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission helped develop academic learning requirements in the arts for the state. She helped create classroom-based performance assessments in music. Karen has served as president at three levels for ACDA; state president, NW president, and national president of the 20,000 member organization. Other honors include an award for professional excellence from WWU, the 1996 Christa McAuliffe Award, the 1997 State Teacher of the Year Award and the 2008 Leadership and Service Award from WA-ACDA. Karen is currently the Executive Director of Rainier Youth Choirs of Kent.
Margaret Green, Alto
Vancouver, Washington
Molly Holleran,
Soprano
Kennewick, WA
Solveig Holmquist,
Alto
Salem, OR
Anne Lyman, Soprano
Tacoma, WA
Rebecca Pierce
Soprano
Bend, OR
Soprano Molly Holleran performs frequently as a concert soloist, as well as appearing in opera and musical theatre. Favorite recent solo concert appearances include Melissa Dunphy’s Gonzalez Cantata, Reginald Unterseher’s Hanford Songs, Poulenc’s Gloria, and Orff’s Carmina Burana. Her many opera and musical theatre roles have ranged from Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte to Marian the Librarian in The Music Man. Molly has degrees in voice and theatre from Lawrence University in Wisconsin, and a master’s degree in voice from the University of Arizona. In addition to performing, she maintains an active independent voice studio in Richland, Washington.
Janet Reiter, Alto
Yacolt, WA
Solveig taught for seventeen years as Director of Choral Studies at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon, where she conducted two choirs, taught graduate and undergraduate conducting, and served as Music Director for yearly musical theatre productions. She continues as Founder and Artistic Director for the Salem OR-based civic choir Festival Chorale Oregon, now in its 36th year, and whose primary repertoire is choral/orchestral masterworks. FCO often schedules performing tours abroad, and has participated in five Carnegie Hall concerts with Solveig as guest conductor. Solveig was a member of the Oregon Bach Festival's professional chorus for 26 years under Conductor Helmut Rilling. She was president of the NW Division President of ACDA from 2010-2012. Solveig is an active clinician and adjudicator.
Courtney Rowley
Soprano
Seattle, WA
Anne Lyman is director of choral activities at Tacoma Community College, Tacoma Music Ensemble (formerly Canonici), and music director at Skyline Presbyterian Church in Tacoma. At Tacoma Community College, Dr. Lyman’s students come from all walks of life. “It’s so great to have them in a choir together because they bring so many different kinds of experiences.”
She has impressive credentials, including a DMA in choral conducting from the University of Iowa, a Master’s degree from University of Cincinnati, and a Music History and Literature degree from The College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio. In addition…Anne says,
“I love being a parent,” She has two children. “Being a parent is one of the most important things in my life and it affects my work in an immeasurably positive way.” Dr. Lyman also enjoys singing, cooking, and hiking.
Tracey Schwab
Alto
Gresham, OR
Rebecca Pierce recently accepted a new role, teaching French in the schools of Bend, Oregon. She and her husband, Matt...at bass in Chor Anno...moved to Bend in 2021. She has enjoyed singing since childhood. Starting out in the children’s choir in her church, Rebecca then participated in the choral program in the Central School District in Monmouth/Independence, Oregon, and continued to sing at Western Oregon University during her undergraduate years including in choirs in Poitiers, France during her junior year study abroad. She has also sung with the North Coast Chorale in Astoria. Rebecca holds both a BA in French and an MAT from WOU. She plans to pursue a Masters Degree in French soon.
Janet Reiter taught for 21 years in the Evergreen School District where she directed choirs at Mountain View High School. After her retirement she taught at Skyview High School for 3 years and directed the Clark College Vocal Jazz Ensemble in Vancouver, WA. until 2014, Her vocal jazz ensemble performed at IAJE conferences in Chicago, New Orleans, and San Antonio. Janet was a 2002 recipient of the WMEA Hall of Fame award. She was founding director of the Seton Catholic College Prep High School Concert Choir until 2017. She continues to be an adjudicator at festivals and competitions throughout Washington and Oregon. Janet holds degrees from Central Washington University and Lewis and Clark University. She is co-director of the chamber community choir, “Reprise.”
Leora Schwitters,
Soprano
Issaquah, WA
Carrie Scott, Soprano
Lake Tapps, WA
Courtney Rowley is the Director of Choirs at Ballard High School in Seattle. Originally from Michigan, she earned a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and Choral Music Education from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University. The BHS Concert Choir was invited to perform at Lincoln Center in 2010 and at Carnegie Hall in 2016 and 2023, as part of the Choirs of America Nationals for Top Choirs Festival. They were also invited to perform for the NW American Choral Directors Association Conference in 2014. Rowley was honored by the 5th Avenue 2012 Musical Theatre Awards with nominations for Best Musical Direction and Best Chorus in the state of Washington, and is a past recipient of the Ballard High School Outstanding Educator Award (2010), the Washington State ACDA Outstanding Emerging Choral Director Award (2014), and the Elliott Bay Music Educators Association Outstanding Music Educator of the Year (2017).
Meg Stohlman, Alto
Spokane, Washngton
Tracey recently retired from teaching elementary music in the North Clackamas School District, having previously taught choir at the middle and high school levels and twenty years in church music ministry. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Music, MEd, and Master’s in Choral Conducting from Portland State University. She and her husband of 40+ years live in Gresham, Oregon. Currently she is the choir director at First Baptist Church in Gresham, and a private piano instructor. Non music interests include enjoying her seven grandchildren, swimming, cooking, and a hobby gone wild of making candles and personal care items.
Lori Wiest, Alto
Tucson, AZ
Leora Schwitters is the Artistic Director/Founder of Rainier Youth Choirs in Kent, WA. Leora retired from directing high school and junior high choirs in the Kent schools. Her Cedar Heights Junior High choirs performed in state and regional conferences for WMEA and ACDA. She earned a B.M. from Yankton College Conservatory of Music, SD, and a MAT in Music Education from the University of Washington. A Past-President of WA-ACDA, she remains active as a clinician, adjudicator, and honor choir conductor. Leora is the recipeint of the 2014 Leadership and Service Award from WA-ACDA. She is a member of ACDA, NAfME, NW Kodály Educators, Chorus America, and NATS. She and her husband Larry enjoy trail running and are avid birders.
Carrie Scott (Auburn) is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University with a bachelor’s degree in Music Education and a master’s degree in Creative Arts in the Curriculum from Lesley University. She has taught middle school/junior high choir in the Sumner School District for the past 18 years where she also acts as the district music coordinator. She has previously performed with Choral Arts (under the direction of Richard Sparks) and currently sings with PLU’s Choral Union (under the direction of Richard Nance). Some of her favorite choral experiences have been with the 5th Avenue Theater performing in the chorus for “Titanic the Musical: In Concert” and in “Carmina Burana” with the Pacific Northwest Ballet. Besides her love of performing she is a passionate football fan and attends all Husky and Seahawks home football games. She and her husband Tim are also avid travelers and have visited six continents with only Australia left to complete all seven!
Dr. Meg Stohlmann is the Director of Choral and Vocal studies at Gonzaga University in Spokane Washington where she conducts the Concert Choir, Chamber Singers and Glee Club. Most recently, she was an assistant professor in the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University in North Carolina. Originally from Santa Rosa, California, Meg taught choir and guitar at the middle and high school level in Lexington, KY for six years and conducted the Danville Children's Choir. Her children's choir and high school advanced women's choirs performed at the Kentucky Music Educators State Conference in 2014 and 2015, respectively. She earned her Doctoral of Musical Arts Degree at the University of Washington and Masters degree in Voice Performance and Choral Conducting from the University of Kentucky. A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Meg also served on active duty in the Air Force for 5 years in Arizona, Korea and Germany. She separated from the military in 2004 to pursue a second bachelor's degree in Music Education at Sonoma State University. Meg's lifelong love of choral music began as a charter member of the Santa Rosa Children's Chorus where she sang for over 10 years and credits with her decision to make music education her career.
Lori Wiest joined Chor Anno in 2014. She is Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Arizona in Tucson. She previously served as Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Graduate School and interim chair of the departments of Fine Arts and Foreign Languages and Cultures at WSU,. Lori has been recognized for her leadership and teaching skills with multiple awards. She has served the American Choral Directors Association as the national chair of Youth and Student Activities and as president of Washington ACDA. Lori received degrees from North Dakota State University, Arizona State University, and University of Arizona.