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Active Roster |
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Quincy Cason, Tenor "I love Baroque music, looking at maps, going to new places, and mixing cocktails for friends." Quincy grew up in Williston, Florida, and recently completed a joint degree in music and philosophy at Harvard University. Outside of Voices 21C, his musical engagements have included the Tanglewood Festival Chorus; the Parish of All Saints, Ashmont; and the Harvard Glee Club. |
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Cheryl B. Engelhardt, Alto
"I love… “Collaborating in such a way that everyone present is accessing their creativity, is supported in the partnership, and experiences the feeling of being fully self-expressed. If these are true, the end product - whether a film score or performance of a choral composition - will have a lasting impact on both the creators and the audience." Cheryl B. Engelhardt is a singer-songwriter and composer. She writes for choirs, theater productions, and film producers. Her newest record, “Luminary” (piano and vocal ambient music for mindfulness and focus), recently landed #1 on the iTunes and Amazon New Age charts. The New Yorker received degrees in both Biology and Music from Cornell University, studied orchestration at Juilliard, then began her tenure as a full-time composer. Committed to supporting other music professionals in transforming their workflow and communication processes, Cheryl is a sought-after workshop leader and public speaker who has presented at South By Southwest, ASCAP Expo, and multiple colleges, universities, and choral events around the country. Read and hear more at www.cbemusic.com. |
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Chris Clark, Bass I love... "Coffee in its many and varied forms, whisky in its many and varied forms, and cooking. So, in a word, nutrition." Chris is the director of Vocal Music in the Southern Berkshire Regional School District, and a Doctoral Student at the Hartt School of Music. He also serves as the Treasurer of Massachusetts ACDA. As a qualitative researcher, Chris is currently researching choral director atheism and choral improvisation. |
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Jesse Colford, Bass
"Musically, I like to use genre as a way of expression. To me the boundaries of classical, jazz, rock, etc. don't matter so much as your ability to connect with the listener, and I strive for that with my voice and saxophone playing." Jesse is from North Andover, MA, and in 2018 finished a Bachelor of Music degree in Saxophone and Composition at Boston University. He has performed in and written for wind ensembles, marching bands, jazz and chamber groups, and has been a part of Voices 21C since 2017. Jesse currently freelances, teaching lessons and doing arts administration work along with performing. I first heard Voices 21C in a performance at BU, and the group's sound and repertoire reminded me of everything I missed from high school chorus. Since then, of course, I've found out how much more the group has to offer, from travel opportunities to immersive improvisation and collective healing. |
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Eugenia Siegel Conte, Alto "At most, [I am] a balance of opposing forces." -PW Eugenia is currently working on a PhD in Ethnomusicology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She loves gardening and cooking, traveling, axe throwing, needlework, film photography, and her cats. Other passions include: Red eyes and rehearsals—citrus and canning—photos and (ph)itness—edits and emails—students and "scare quotes"—stunning, punning, sunning, thinking, pinking, pleaching, and snoozing. |
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Mary DiRoberts, Soprano I love... "music, laughter, love, adventure, fitness, coffee, wine, whiskey (neat), good food, good friends" Mary DiRoberts is the choral/music technology teacher at Suffield High School. She has a B.M. Music Education/M.A. Teaching from Westminster Choir College. Mary has also performed with Diamonds from the Dust Professional Vocal ensemble, Zelda Symphony Tour, and The Music of Danny Elfman with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, and is the soprano section leader at First Church of Christ-UCC in Suffield, CT. |
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Brad Dumont, Tenor
"I am a passionate arts advocate working to create and support unique artistic projects that contribute to cultural improvement and community-based arts education. I believe in the power of choral singing to build empathetic communities — providing a voice for those that may otherwise not be heard." Brad serves as the Director of Choral Activities at Assumption College and as associate conductor of the Salisbury Singers, both in Worcester, MA. Additionally, Brad serves as the vice president of the New Hampshire Master Chorale and on the artistic planning team for the Boston-based choir VOICES 21C where he develops creative staging and narrative repertoire planning for the ensemble. He is an active singer with each of these organizations as well as with the Analog Chorale and et al. Along with performing, Brad is an arts instructor at the Suffolk County Men’s Prison, the operations and special projects manager for Emmanuel Music in Boston, an orchestra contractor for ensembles throughout New England, and a board member for the Greater Boston Choral Consortium. Brad is currently serving as the interim director of choirs at Plymouth State University and previously worked for eight years as the artistic administrator for the New Hampshire Music Festival. Brad received a Master of Music in Choral Conducting at Boston University studying with Dr. Miguel Felipe and Bramwell Tovey. While attending, Brad taught with Dr. André de Quadros at the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center in a course utilizing music as a practice for improving health in students across the city working on their mental wellbeing. Originally from Rochester, NH; Brad earned a B.S. in Music Education K-12 and a B.A. in Music: Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Plymouth State University in 2013 studying conducting with Dr. Dan Perkins and voice with Dr. Kathleen Arecchi. |
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Josaphat Contreras, Tenor
"I joined Voices 21C because I wanted to combine my two loves: music and social justice." Josaphat Contreras is a native of Alief Houston, Texas where he attended Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas and received his Bachelor of Arts in Music with an emphasis in voice studies under the tutelage of Michael Walsh. During his time at Sam Houston state, he performed the title role in Orpheus in the Underworld, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, and Alfredo in Die Fledermaus to name a few. Josaphat has had the opportunity to travel and perform in summer programs all over the country and the world most notably Salzburg, Austria and Bogota, Colombia. After graduation, Josaphat taught private voice lessons to students in grades 7th through 12th until accepting a full time choir director position at Andy Dekaney High School in Spring, Texas where he taught for 3 years. Since moving to Boston from Texas in the fall of 2018, Josaphat has been in a production of Amahl and The Night Visitors as King Kaspar, performed with Odyssey Opera, has been a featured soloist for United Parish in Brookline, Choral Art Society of South Shore, and Cape Cod Chorale. Since the fall of 2019, Josaphat serves as the Teaching Fellow for Junior Mens Ensemble and recently appointed as the Teaching Fellow for the Young Mens Ensemble at Boston Children’s Chorus. You can also catch him Sunday mornings at United Parish in Brookline where he is the Associate Music Director. When Josaphat is not singing or teaching, he enjoys spending time with his 2 dogs Rufus, Delilah and his wife Amanda. |
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Ashley Frezza, Alto "I am watercolor and acrylic painter, Ted talk enthusiast, and take astrological signs and personality tests very seriously. …(Aquarius/Myers-Briggs: ENFJ)" Ashley graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and a minor in Vocal Performance, and received her Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in Hospitality from Johnson & Wales University. Ashley is on the Board of Directors and performs with the new Rhode Island music nonprofit, Encore Opera Company. This company's goal is to not only to perform opera and American music theatre in our communities and classrooms, but also provide Rhode Island based singers with more performance opportunities. She is a sister of the Chi Omega Fraternity. |
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Elise Felker, Soprano
"My biggest inspiration is genuine human connection. In a world where raw human connection is decreasing, connecting with others is what inspires me most. Teaching is what truly sets my heart aflutter." Elise Felker is currently pursuing her bachelor's degree in Music Education at the University of Rhode Island. At URI, Elise has participated in Concert Choir, Lively Experiment, University Chorus, Voces Excelsis, and the Music Mentor Program. Elise spent the Summer of 2018 teaching music at Olympic Primary School in Nairobi, Kenya. In the Summer of 2019, Elise interned at the Casterbridge Music Development Academy and Mshadza Special Care: Children with Disabilities Center in White River, South Africa. Elise also worked at the Providence Children's Museum, where she wrote a book about women of music around the world. Elise loves Voices 21C because it doesn’t just accept those from all backgrounds, sexualities, and walks of life, but rather embraces, respects, and empowers them to realize their own strength and potential. We live in a world where creativity is not being fostered the way it could be, and Voices 21C is breaking those barriers. |
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Olivia de Geofroy, Soprano "I love French mélodie, (especially Fauré but also Hahn, Chausson, and Debussy) Baroque music of all sorts, learning languages, cooking delicious things." Soprano, violinist, and music educator Olivia de Geofroy holds a bachelor of music in education and a master of arts in teaching from Westminster Choir College. She currently teaches K-5 general, choral, and instrumental music in Newton, MA. Aside from teaching, Olivia performs frequently. Her recent projects include a lecture-recital on "La chanson d'Ève" by Gabriel Fauré, a recital titled "Clair de lune: music of Fauré, Hahn, and Debussy", and various symphonic choir performances with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus such as Mahler's Second Symphony and Dvorak's "Stabat Mater". |
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Michael Gondek, Bass
"I am inspired by beauty, in all its forms. Beauty untouched by humans: deserts, light, and ecosystems. The beauty made by humans: architecture, music, poetry. Beauty found in humans: compassion, passion, kindness. Beauty in all its forms. And I love how different forms of beauty come together to make magic." Michael lives in Worcester, MA, where he works as a sales executive for a global software company. He has a Ph.D. in Human Capital Management, and has traveled to six continents, 25 countries and 41 states over the course of his career. In 2016 he began to learn how to fence, and in December 2019 earned the gold medal in the WFC Fencing Tournament. He is an avid, albeit mediocre, golfer, and enjoys playing golf with his two teenage sons. He excels in operating his Roomba and lighting candles - mastering the art of using both a match and a lighter. He is a decent cook who makes pretty good chili, butternut squash soup, and bolognese. |
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Jana Hieber, Alto "I have never been in or seen an ensemble quite like [VOICES 21c] before." Jana grew up in Goffstown, NH and has been singing her whole life. Jana earned her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Music from Tufts University. After graduation, she lived and worked in Madrid, Spain teaching English to a group of adorable first and second grade students. Now living in Boston, she works for the Boston Children's Chorus. She is one of the few members of Voices21C who is not an arts educator, but rather an arts administrator. She feels inspired by the groups' collective passion for the work, trust in one another, and collaborative spirit and says she "has never been in or seen an ensemble quite like this one before". |
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Mallory Leonard, Soprano "I love helping people. And I love spreading joy and love through music." Mallory Leonard currently works as a transitional specialist for a mental health agency. She is busy working towards applying to graduate school programs. Mallory holds two bachelors degrees; one in music and one in psychology. She enjoys playing bassoon in URI’s woodwind quintet, learning languages, singing (of course), drinking iced coffee, and working out. |
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Michael Leonard, Tenor
"I joined Voices 21C to practice a radical future that includes justice in art-making spaces. To experiment with group democracy and interdependent collaboration. I am excited by the opportunity to create truly collective work dependent on the stake of each individual - each with their various identities and experiences - who enters this space." Mike works in the field of public health, providing opioid overdose prevention training across Massachusetts. Aside from Voices 21C, he is a member of the Back Bay Chorale and serves as an assistant director for the Kuumba Singers of Harvard College, Harvard's oldest existing Black organization whose mission is to celebrate Black creativity and spirituality in all of its forms. As a student, Mike also performed with the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum for four years and now serves as a trustee for the choir's alumni foundation. I believe in the power of music to bear witness and also to provoke feeling, to help process emotion, to allow healing and growth. I am led by the example, the musical tradition of Black people like me, of ancestors known and unknown. I strive to align my art and music-making with the principles of justice I wish to see in the world. I aspire to become a strong facilitator - of creativity, of positive change, of resolution, of regeneration. I have hope in a queering of the future, a dismantling an oppressive political economy, and the construction of a new and righteous world. |
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Nicolette Mingels, Alto
It would be my dream to visit every country in the world. Before singing with VOICES, I never used to travel. But in so many ways, this group has encouraged me to leave my comfort zone and I am so grateful for that. One of my favorite experiences from our travels was when we had the humbling opportunity to tour Israel and Palestine in 2017. Nicolette Mingels is the music teacher and choral director at Blackstone Valley Prep High School. She has a B.M. in Music Education from the University of Rhode Island. She is on the VOICES Operations Team, and also currently serves as alto section leader. Nicolette enjoys practicing yoga, is very passionate about sustainability, and loves an Oxford comma. In addition to being a founding member of VOICES21C, Nicolette also sings with Diamonds from the Dust in Worcester, Massachusetts. As an educator she loves creating new courses at her school and building up the music program. Most recently she started a keyboard program as well as a chorus which drew twenty singers in its first year. She and her students also enjoy Artist of the Week, where student- and staff-recommended artists across all musical genres are featured each week. |
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Ofri Tanchelson, Soprano
"I love people, I love music and art, I love cats, I love coffee wine and chocolate. I do my best to listen carefully to the sound of silence and to all of my loved ones." Ofri was born in Israel, and is currently living in NYC. Ofri sang at holidays for the community and in a children’s choir since she was 8 years old. In 2006 she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music at the Vocal department of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and in Sociology and Anthropology at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. In 2013 Ofri graduated with a Master of Arts in Music Therapy with honours at Bar Ilan University. She then worked in Israel with adorable kindergarten children diagnosed with ASD. Since 2013 until 2018 Ofri sang in Carmina Singers Ensemble in Tel Aviv conducted by Taum Karni. In 2018-2019 Ofri studied at NYU Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Center. Ofri believes that singing and music can heal the wounds we all have. Ofri is looking forward to having new adventures in the USA. |
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Krystal Morin, Soprano "I love cooking and trying new foods, musical theatre, and collecting books that I never have any time to read. I'm REALLY into learning about anatomy, body mapping, yoga, alexander technique, and mindfulness, and how all of these contribute to not only beautiful singing and music making, but to an enriched and empowered life." Krystal Morin is a New England based conductor, singer, and educator who believes in music as a tool for personal and community empowerment. Krystal is the founding music director of Second Generation Manchester Choral Society (2GMCS), a NH youth chorus, serves as the assistant music director for Manchester Choral Society, and serves on the board of the NH Chapter of the American Choral Director's Association. Previously, she led five choral ensembles and general music courses at ConVal Regional High School in Peterborough, NH and served as the chorus manager for the NH Music Festival. Krystal is pursuing her Masters in Choral Conducting at The Boston Conservatory at Berklee studying conducting with George Case and voice with Kevin Wilson. She completed her undergraduate degree in Music Education at Plymouth State University as a choral fellow to Dr. Dan Perkins. In addition to her work with VOICES 21C, she also sings with New Hampshire Master Chorale. |
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Chad Putka, Tenor "I'm committed to the idea that anybody can make music, and that music education should be about creating actively inclusive opportunities for lifelong amateur music-making. Although it may look different from person to person and community to community, when people open themselves up to artistic experience, it enriches their lives in countless ways." Chad teaches music to students in pre-K through 5th grade at Moses Brown School in Providence, RI. He is also the lead singer of Daily Special, an internationally ranked barbershop quartet. Chad's newest project is being a co-director and co-founder of an all-gender barbershop chorus called Voices United, whose mission and philosophy are directly influenced by my work with Voices 21C. Aside from making music, Chad loves to cook and listen to podcasts, and has recently enjoyed a little exploration of painting. |
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André de Quadros, artistic director André de Quadros, conductor, ethnomusicologist, music educator, writer, and human rights activist has conducted and undertaken research in over forty countries around the globe. A sought after conductor and clinician, André de Quadros is Music Director and Conductor of the Manado State University Choir (Indonesia) with which he toured France, Sweden, Sri Lanka, and Poland in 2010 winning a first prize at the Warsaw International Competition, and in summer 2012 took the US by storm at the Yale International Choral Festival, New York City's River to River Festival, and engagements in Boston, Cincinnati, and Los Angeles. An ardent human rights and social change activist, André de Quadros believes that consensus music-making can bring people and cultures together. To that end, he has been at the forefront of efforts for music and social change. André de Quadros is at the forefront of conducting pedagogy and has pioneered a process of music-making that stretches the boundaries of traditional choral music-making by developing new cross-cultural experimental repertoire with influences of Arab, Indian, Latin American, and Indonesian music. As author and editor, André de Quadros has edited the prestigious Cambridge Companion to Choral Music for Cambridge University Press; is co-editor and co-author of Tanglewood II: Summoning the Future of Music Education published by GIA Press; and author of Choral Music in Global Perspective to be published by Routledge. André de Quadros is a Professor of Music at Boston University. He has held a number of leadership positions at Boston University, including Director of the School of Music, Chair of the Music Education Department, Chair of the Department of Music in the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and Artistic Director of the Tanglewood Institute. |
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Judy Zuckerman, Alto
"I love being a member of Voices 21C for so many reasons! It's both nourishing and challenging in the best way to be a part of this group of sensitive, creative, dedicated individuals. Judy enjoys teaching elementary music in the Waltham Public Schools where she has been on staff since 2000. She has conducted the Harvard Summer School Orchestra since she founded the group in 1985 and has directed or guest conducted several other ensembles in the greater-Boston area. In addition to singing with Voices 21C, her other musical pursuits include studying Japanese taiko drumming at Odaiko New England, West African djembe drumming and singing with the Boston Cecilia and CircleSinging Boston. For the past six summers, she has attended the Circle Singing and Vocal Improvisation workshop at the Omega Institute where she studies with Bobby McFerrin and the members of his Voicestra Ensemble, which has been a life-changing experience. When she's not singing, Judy is probably teaching, drumming, running (albeit slowly!), volunteering for Boston Children's Hospital's Miles for Miracles Team, walking in the woods, or watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel! |
VOICES 21C Leadership Team-Josephat Contreras
-André de Quadros -Ruth Debrot -Bradford Dumont -Cheryl B. Engelhardt -Olivia de Geofroy -Michael Genese -Nicolette Mingels -Krystal Morin -Judy Zuckerman |
Board of Directors
-André de Quadros
-Ruth Debrot -Beth Morrison -Emily Howe |
"Thank you so much for your inspiring and deeply moving concert. I honor your intention to create a new space and place for choral singing that motivates and empowers the community towards social justice!!! Your work is not only meaningful but grounded in a clear purposes. Having such a clear purpose is not only needed in our current climate, but welcome in our rapidly changing world. I wish you well as you evolve and transform in and through your purpose."
With gratitude,
Tawnya D. Smith, PhD
Lecturer in Music, Music Education
Boston University College of Fine Arts
With gratitude,
Tawnya D. Smith, PhD
Lecturer in Music, Music Education
Boston University College of Fine Arts
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