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MEET THE STAFF!
(And see what we've been doing this summer!)
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t seems like summer has flown by, but on August 21, VOICES Boston begins gearing up for a very busy fall season, and we couldn't be more excited -- schedule coming soon! We are eager to welcome back returning members and meet our newest choristers (and there is still room in all our choirs, if you know of talented and enthusiastic young singers). In the meantime, we thought you might like to know a little more about us! Did you know that Katie is a classically trained operatic soprano, and that Dan was a four-year NCAA Division II athlete in lacrosse? Read on...
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Steven Lipsitt, Artistic Director
Brookline born and bred, Steve is one of the most active conductors in New England. First prize winner in the inaugural "Dimitri Mitropoulos International Conducting Competition" in Athens, Greece, he has led orchestras in countries around the world. Before taking over the reins of VOICES in December 2015, Steve directed choruses at Boston University and Tanglewood, Chorus pro Musica, Emmanuel Music, Boston Cecilia, the Phoenix Bach Choir, and the Serendipity Singers. For 17 seasons, he was music director of the Boston Classical Orchestra, and he is now founding music director of the new Bach, Beethoven, & Brahms Society orchestra. Steve began his conducting activity in 1977 as director of the Yale Russian Chorus, leading them in over 50 concerts annually, including tours of the Soviet Union in 1977 and 1979. He has prepared symphonic choruses for Robert Shaw, Seiji Ozawa, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Leonard Slatkin; and has conducted for Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Ballet, the Boston Pops, New England Conservatory, and Boston Conservatory Opera Theatre. He also has an active career in opera and musical theater and has collaborated with popular artists Bill Crofut, Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, Bobby McFerrin, and Deborah Henson-Conant. A graduate of Brookline High School, Steve sang and played in multiple ensembles there and in youth orchestras and choruses at BU and NEC. He lives in Brookline with his wife Mara Krechevsky, an educational researcher at Harvard's Project Zero, and their children Daria (BHS 2015) and Caleb (BHS 2019).
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Kathryn DiMaria, Executive Director
Katie started with VOICES Boston as the group's Program Manager, and was promoted to Executive Director in 2015. Since then, she has led VOICES Boston to successful collaborations with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Baroque, Boston University Opera Institute, and Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras. She also stage directed VOICES production of "HMS Pinafore." A classically trained operatic soprano, Katie has a Bachelor's of Music in vocal performance and a Master's in Arts Leadership Administration, with comprehensive training in non-profit management, financial management, accounting, marketing, entrepreneurship, and arts administration. Katie lives in Brookline but grew up in New York, where she played goalie on travel soccer teams - even playing out one game after a heroic save cost her a broken foot! She still loves sports, especially adventurous endeavors such as skydiving and rock climbing, and she is excited to be a newly accepted mentor in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.
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Nina Pelligra, Program Manager
A trained vocalist in classical, opera, jazz, and musical theater styles, Nina is VOICES email communications maven and resident hen/troubleshooter. Most recently, she acted as Production Stage Manager for VOICES' production of "H.M.S. Pinafore" and engineered a live recording of our 2016 "Sounds of Spring" concert. She has a Bachelor of Music in Music Industry from Syracuse University, where she was involved with a wide ranged of musical ensembles and was awarded the Anna Freeland Berry Memorial Prize for the highest degree of dedication, attainment, and promise in voice. She also managed 65-70 work-study students. In addition to choral singing, Nina is big into a cappella, serving as music director of the semi-professional contemporary women's group Cape Harmony. She has her own independent side project at
www.Ninarrangements.com, recording and mixing a cappella covers.
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Daniel P. Ryan, Associate Conductor
In addition to his work with VOICES, Dan is active as a conductor, music director, and professional baritone with choruses, orchestras, and theater groups throughout Greater Boston. With a Master of Music degree in conducting from The Boston Conservatory, he also serves on the faculty of Interlochen Arts Camp and is a practicing composer - his original musical "The Millennium Problem" won best music and lyrics award during the 2013 North Carolina Theatre Conference (NCTC) competition. Dan has a beta fish named Comet, and in what little spare time he has, he likes biking, gardening, and Pokemon Go. And he can hold his own in lacrosse, too - during his college career, he was a four-year NCAA Division II athlete!
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Kerry Glennon, Dance Instructor
Kerry is a proud Massachusetts native with degrees in Dance Education and English. She joined VOICES Boston in 2013 and choreographed VOICES' first ever all-dance performance. Since then, she has had the honor of working with all the VOICES ensembles. She has choreographed the American premier of "The Luminous Moon", "The Little Prince", and most recently, VOICES' "HMS Pinafore," which she also co-directed. In addition to VOICES, Kerry has taught in more than a dozen Boston Public Schools as an outreach dance educator through The Community Music Center of Boston. This year, she is starting a program at the Josiah Quincy Elementary School titled "Literacy through the Arts," where she will combine her love of dance and academics. During the summer, Kerry lives in the Berkshires where she teaches dance for the Boston Symphony Orchestra's "Days in the Arts" program.
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Cynthia Bell, Administrator
Cynthia
has been an active member of the VOICES Boston/PALS family for over 14
years, as the wife of Eric Kamen, Junior PALS ensemble longtime accompanist, and then as the parent of recent graduate Dessie Bell-Kamen. Since joi
ning the VOICES Boston staff in 2015, she has been invaluable source ofsupport and history. Though she is the only VOICES staff member without a musical background, Cynthia has a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art, and she creates a variety of commissioned artwork, including designs for VOICES Boston posters, postcards, and programs. She also LOVES cooking and baking as well as sewing - she designed and created costumes for "The Little Prince," "Moby Dick," and "Luminous Moon."
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