CONDUCTING MASTERCLASS ANNOUNCEMENT

Anna Rehberg is a senior at Rutgers University pursuing a B.M. in Music Education at Mason Gross School of the Arts. During her time at Rutgers, she has been an active member of the Rutgers University Kirkpatrick Choir, the Rutgers University Voorhees Choir, and is currently a student conductor of the Rutgers University Choir. A devoted leader on campus, Anna is in her second term as Co-President of the Kirkpatrick Choir, and has served on both the RU-ACDA (President, ‘22-’23) and RU-NAfME executive councils. In addition to her choral endeavors, Anna has served as a vocal music director, pit director, and music supervisor for multiple productions of the Rutgers University Livingston Theatre Company. She also maintains a privatestudio of voice, piano, and viola students and is currently a student-teacher at Bridgewater-Raritan High School in Bridgewater Township, NJ.

Devin Embrich is a junior Music Education major from West Palm Beach, Florida, currently attending Westminster Choir College. Devin is a member of the Westminster Choir, Symphonic Choir, and Concert Handbell Choir. He is also serving his second year as the president of Westminster’s ACDA collegiate chapter. A frequent soloist at Westminster, Devin most recently has been featured on two albums: The 30th Anniversary of the Westminster Evening of Readings and Carols, and the 100th anniversary recording of the Westminster Choir, A Serenity of Soul, under the direction of Dr. James Jordan.
Most recently, Devin participated as a Full Conductor of the Westminster Choir in the Choral Institute at Oxford, UK. Devin is proudly the current Conducting Fellow for Princeton Girlchoir’s select Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Lynnel Joy Jenkins.

Emma Lutz, a senior majoring in Choral Music Education at Roberts Wesleyan University in Rochester, NY, is passionate about fostering choral excellence. A dedicated member of the touring ensemble, The Roberts Chorale, since 2021, Emma, under the guidance of Dr. Adam Potter, Director of Choral Activities, also assumed roles as the alto section leader for the Chorale (2022–2023) and assistant conductor for the university’s treble and tenor/bass choirs (Spring, 2023). In the Fall of 2023, she seized the opportunity to conduct the Chorale in a performance of Ēriks Ešenvalds’ “Trinity Te Deum” alongside a brass sextet.

Rachel Somers (she/her) is an undergraduate student at Ithaca College studying Vocal Music Education. She was a guest conductor at William Floyd High School’s 2021 Winter Concert, 2022 “Music Signing Day”, and 2022 graduation ceremony. Since then, she has participated in the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s (CCM) 2023 Choral Conducting Workshop. Despite having no formal compositional training, Rachel has composed several choral works. She currently sings in the Ithaca College Treble Chorale and Dorothy Cotton Jubilee Singers and plays percussion for the Ithaca College Concert Band and Campus Band. Rachel strives to become a choral conductor and composer, consistently practicing and researching to develop and nurture her musical abilities.

Ruth Michel is a Senior at Roberts Wesleyan University, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Choral Music Education. Her dedication to musical excellence is exhibited in her positions as Staff Singer for the Bethany Church Choir and Assistant Section Leader for The Roberts Chorale. Ruth achieved runner-up status in Roberts Wesleyan’s Concerto-Aria Competition in 2022 and 2023, and earned the Presser Scholar award for the 2023-2024 academic year. Ruth is committed to becoming an exceptional music educator and served as a student conductor for both the treble and TB choirs at Roberts Wesleyan. She’s guest conducted at her high school, Dock Mennonite Academy, and studies choral conducting under Dr. Adam Potter. Ruth has participated in vocal and conducting masterclasses, notably conducting in the 2023 NY ACDA Collegiate Conference Conducting Masterclass with clinician Dr. Khyle Whooten.

Shuyao “Charlotte” Wang, a multi-talented musician and senior at Amherst College, excels as a conductor, composer, soprano, pianist, violist, and percussionist. Her academic pursuits include a triple major in Music, Math, and English. Born in Xiamen, China, Charlotte later moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, for her high school education. At Amherst, she is under the tutelage of Dr. Arianne Abela for choral conducting, Mark Lane Swanson for orchestral conducting, and Professor Eric Sawyer for composition. She holds the position of assistant conductor for both the Amherst College Choral Society and the Amherst Symphony Orchestra.

Zoe Beaton is a senior Music Education major studying at Westminster Choir College. Zoe’s interest in music education stems from growing up in the chorally rich state of Florida, in which her musicianship and artistry was encouraged and strengthened. Independent of her academic studies, Zoe was a previous Conducting Fellow with the Princeton Girlchoir for the featured auditioned ensembles Concert Choir and Cantores. Additionally, she sings professionally in Saint Dominic’s Schola Cantorum and the Lux Choir in residence at Princeton University. Most recently, Zoe was a selected participant in University of
Michigan’s Choral Conducting Symposium.

Alissa Ruth Suver has an active career as a teacher, conductor, and singer. As a high school teacher, she taught most recently at Timber Creek High School (Fort Worth, TX), and she is currently the Music Director at Central Christian Church (Waco, TX). Alissa sings with professional choral ensembles around the country, including the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Skylark, Ensemble Altera, Conspirare, Ensemble Iona, ensemble viii, Orpheus Chamber Singers, The Crossing, and True Concord. She has performed on six choral albums and has appeared as a soloist with Bourbon Baroque and American Baroque Opera Co. in both opera and oratorio performances .

D.J. Pickell is a first year graduate student in Choral Conducting at Syracuse University, studying with Dr. John Warren and Dr. Peppie Calvar. D.J. did his undergraduate studies in Music Education at Duquesne University, with Dr. Caron Daley. D.J. has choral singing experience with groups such as the Pittsburgh Mendelssohn Choir, the Syracuse University Singers, and the Duquesne University Voices of Spirit, as well as instrumental experience as a trombone and euphonium player with Duquesne University’s Wind Symphony, Symphony Band, and Trombone Choir. Additionally, D.J. previously served as the Choir Director at the First United Presbyterian Church of Tarentum in Pittsburgh, PA. D.J. is grateful for the opportunity to participate in this masterclass and is excitedly looking forward to the conference!

Jeffrey Chan is a Hong Kong-born conductor currently based in the United States. He is pursuing a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting at The Pennsylvania State University, studying under the guidance of Dr. Christopher Kiver and Dr. Kathryn Hylton. Before commencing his studies in the United States, Jeffrey completed two Bachelor’s degrees at The Education University of Hong Kong, majoring in Piano, Music Education, and Arts Administration, graduating with First Class Honors. During his time at the university, he served as the conductor of the EdUHK Chorus, Orchestra, and Early Music Ensemble. His contributions have been recognized through numerous scholarships and honors, including the FLASS Entrance Scholarship, Student Pro-Artist Award, Dean’s Honour List, and the Choral Partnership School and Community Project Award.

Mahima Kumara (she/her) is a first-year MM candidate in Choral Conducting at the Yale School of Music. She graduated from Yale College in 2020 with a BA in Statistics and Data Science and an Education Studies certificate, after which she taught with the Yale Music in Schools Initiative on the Yale Glee Club Service Through Music Fellowship. Mahima grew up in State College, Pennsylvania and returns to New Haven from Boston, where she worked in health policy research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and conducted with Boston Children’s Chorus and Tactus Ensemble Cambridge. She is also a pianist and Carnatic vocalist, and in all her work, aims to center educational equity and inclusive community music-making. In her free time, Mahima enjoys reading and trail running.

Megan Tatro, is in the second year of her Master’s degree in Choral Conducting at the University of North Florida with Dr. Cara Tasher. She serves as the conductor of Coro Profundo and assistant conductor of the Osprey Treble Chorus and Chamber Singers. Megan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Choral Music Education from Roberts Wesleyan University where she studied with Dr. Adam Potter and served as an assistant conductor for The Roberts Chorale, Coro di Voci, and the Redhawk Voices. In 2022, Megan was selected as a participant for the ACDA Eastern Region Undergraduate Conducting Masterclass in Boston, MA. Since 2018, she has traveled to France, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to perform as part of The Roberts Chorale, and recently attended the World Symposium on Choral Music in Istanbul, Türkiye.

Naomi Bennett, a choral conductor, composer, and singer, currently serves as the teaching/conducting assistant for the Radcliffe Choral Society at Harvard. Formerly, she directed choral music in the Coos Bay School District and led the Corvallis Community Choir in Oregon. Her composition So Sings Yosemite won the Kraft Choral Composition Challenge and premiered with the Oregon State University Chamber Choir in 2021. Her piece, If You Need Me, I’ll Be at the Beach debuted with the Boston Conservatory Graduate Choir in 2022. Naomi has performed as a soloist in works such as Messiah (Handel), La Rondine (Puccini), and To Be Certain of the Dawn (Paulus). She is also an avid trombone player. Naomi is currently an M.M. ‘24 Choral Conducting candidate at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

Trevor Tran is a current graduate student pursuing a DMA in Choral Conducting at the University of Maryland. In addition to his studies, Trevor serves as Artistic Director of the Northern Virginia Chorale and Director of Music Ministry at Grace United Methodist Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Previously, Trevor was Head of Performing Arts and Director of Vocal Arts at Fort Myers High School in Southwest Florida, and he was recognized as a 2023 Yamaha “40 under 40” Educator through his work there. Besides being an educator, Trevor is an active composer and presenter. Organizations like Resounding Achord, CORO, Choral Arts Initiative, and San José State University have sung his compositions; and he has presented at state, regional, and national music educator conferences. Trevor holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Composition from San José State University and concurrent Master’s degrees in Choral Conducting and Music Composition from Temple University.

Conductor, composer, and mezzo-soprano Sarah Shapiro is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Choral Conducting at the Yale School of Music with Jeffrey Douma and David Hill. Sarah was brought up in an Episcopal church choir through the Royal School of Church Music program for thirteen years. She later attended St. Olaf College, from which she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education. Sarah has also worked with conductors Simon Carrington, Kenneth Kiesler, Masaaki Suzuki, Donald Nally, Anton Armstrong, Therees Hibbard, Marcus Creed, Kent Tritle, Craig Hella Johnson, Allen Hightower, Timothy Mahr, and Geoffrey Boers. Sarah has participated as a singer and conductor at music programs such as Aspen Music Festival, Sarteano Chamber Choral Conducting Workshop, the Conductors Retreat at Medomak, Cascade Choral Conducting Masterclass, and Amherst Early Music Festival.