Performers
KATE BLANCHARD, originally from Cheyenne, Wyoming, graduated with a BA in Music and Religion from Gustavus Adolphus College. She performed in the Gustavus Choir, and has been involved in music groups all of her life. She recently returned from a Peace Corps stint in Morocco, and she's happy to be singing again. BACK TO THE TOP
DIANE BRUNSDON-JONES has sung for 16 years in the Denver area. Her choral experience spans her lifetime with church, college, community and professional choirs. She is a physical therapist who treats chronic pain conditions. She enjoys solo and small ensemble performance, but nothing thrills her more than when her grandchildren ask her to sing. BACK TO THE TOP
SUSAN CASPER is a teaching musician from Connecticut, where she served as a vocal department chairperson at the Hartford conservatory and on the music faculty at Central Connecticut State University. She also performed with CONCORA, a professional chorale, and through this association worked with Robert Shaw, Aaron Copland, Virgil Thomson, Eugene Ormandy, Michael Korn and Chanticleer. Susan is the Director of Music at Christ the King Church in Evergreen and claims to be a formidable name dropper. BACK TO THE TOP
GARY COX has sung madrigals to Motown, opera to avant garde choral repertoire, musicals to motets—and he also acts. Fairly new to Colorado, he has been doing children’s theatre and murder mysteries when he’s not singing. He also sings in Russian and coaches Russian diction. BACK TO THE TOP
SHANE DELAVAN has enjoyed several opportunities to perform vocal music in the Denver area since arriving in 1988 from the Grand Junction area. Most of his performances have been on the stage with the Opera Colorado Chorus, Main Street Players and the Ensemble Experience. In his spare time, Shane works as an investment manager for Wells Fargo Private Asset Management.. BACK TO THE TOP
TIMOTHY P. GREGOR has been performing professionally and semi-professionally throughout the Colorado area for the past seven years. He is a graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University and his musical travels have sent him all over the United States as well as Asia and Europe. BACK TO THE TOP
BOBBI HANSEN has performed with numerous choral groups around the country, including a trio called Sophisticated Ladies, which performs with Sentimental Swing Band in Denver. She received her BS in journalism from the University of Maryland, and she is also a certified public speaker and master gardener. Bobbi owns Bobbi LaPlaca Consultants, Inc., in Maryland, and she and her husband, Bill, have six adopted canine “children.” Bobbi’s love for animals is also evident in her work with a retired racing-greyhounds organization. BACK TO THE TOP
JOHN HANSEN has sung in a variety of academic, community and church choral groups. He has a degree in geography from UCD and currently works as a GISProgrammer/Analyst. John is a multi-gallon blood donor who likes to ski and in-line skate. He worked for three summers and two winters in Yellowstone National park where he met his wife, Toni. They live with their golden retriever, Gracie, in Englewood. BACK TO THE TOP
TOM MAXWELL A native of Denver, Tom teaches English at Red Rocks Community College. BACK TO THE TOP
BOB McGRATH has been singing since grade school, both in church and in community choirs. He has appeared as Rump in the stage musical Grease, where he mooned his future mother-in-law before he met his wife. He has appeared as the Dragon in John Rutter’s The Reluctant Dragon at the Arvada Center, and once performed a singing telegram to Paul Anka at the conclusion of one of his concerts in Chicago. His favorite singing is with his wife, Anne McNally, and his preschooler, Andrew. BACK TO THE TOP
PATRICIA MONTGOMERY has been a music fanatic from an early age, and continued with the love of all types of music, from jazz to classical, showtunes to rock. Following two years as a music major at North Texas State University, she performed professionally for eight years, then cut back to amateur status to raise a daughter and follow a second love, financial consulting. BACK TO THE TOP
ANNE McNALLY has sung since the age of five. She has performed with many church choirs, Arvada Center Chorale, FanFare! Madrigal Group and Music Chorale. She and her husband, Bob McGrath, met in a music group in Chicago. She attended Eastern Illinois University, minoring in Music Therapy. PATRICIA MONTGOMERY has been a music fanatic from an early age, and continued with the love of all types of music, from jazz to classical, showtunes to rock. Following two years as a music major at North Texas State University, she performed professionally for eight years, then cut back to amateur status to raise a daughter and follow a second love, financial consulting. BACK TO THE TOP
JAMES MUSSELMAN sang with the Abbey Singers of Denver for several years and has performed as a chorus member and bass baritone soloist at a number of Denver-area churches. He is also an author and composer whose current projects include church masses and anthems and a musical theatre score. His St. Augustine Mass premiered at St. Augustine’s Orthodox Church in May 1999 and is scheduled to be performed at Holy Ghost Roman Catholic Church in February 2000. BACK TO THE TOP
JENNIFER OPPLIGER is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder with a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance. She sang in Rome with the Rome Festival Orchestra performing Die Fliedermaus. While in school, she performed as a soloist in choral groups, operas and opera scenes. She also had the pleasure of working with world-renowned music director Martin Iseep in a production of The Magic Flute as the Second Spirit. She enjoys performing choral and solo works and researching many different styles of music. BACK TO THE TOP
RICHARD PERKINS is a bass singer and a 1968 Prairie View A&M University graduate with a B.A. in Vocal Music. He has performed with the New York City Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Denver Opera and Opera Colorado. Locally, he was a member of The Abbey Singers. He was involved with the 1999 production of Mozart's Requiem with Augustana Arts and the January 2000 Augustana Arts production of "Amahl & the Night Visitors" where he performed the role of King Balthazar. In April and May, 2000, Richard is scheduled to perform as "Jim" in the Opera Colorado production of Porgy & Bess. . BACK TO THE TOP
PAULA PERRON grew up singing, dancing and acting in the Baylor Children’s Theatre and Baylor Summer Stock. As a college student, she played the part of Polly in The Boyfriend and understudy to the lead (Fiona) in Brigadoon, which was performed at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. She has sung in many a capella, mixed and women’s choruses and holds a BA in English, a BS in Nursing and an MA in Applied Behavioral Science. She and her husband, Jerry, are educational consultants with the SOI Denver Learning Center. BACK TO THE TOP
CHRISTOPHER POUND has sung in various choral ensembles since his senior year in high school. Chris sand with the Colorado All-State Choir and in a capella groups at the University of Colorado. He represented the USA in an international choral competition in Tolosa, Spain, singing with the CU University Choir. Chris is employed by Pentax Corporation as a digital products support specialist. He is proud to sing for SINGERS Master Chorale. BACK TO THE TOP
MONICA RESTIVO has sung in religious and secular ensembles since she was ten and studied piano pedagogy and voice in college. She has performed in various talent shows, bands and musicals, and she has sung with a local jazz choir, an a cappella quartet and the Rocky Mountain Chorale. Monica is currently researching the power of music, movement and healing. She is also a member of the choir at the Church of the Holy Ghost in Denver. BACK TO THE TOP
CHUCK RUNGE Singing has been an important part of Chuck’s life since he met his wife, Sue, also a member of SINGERS, while singing in the Arvada Center Chorale. He sang with Arvada for ten years, performing with such notables as Jo Anne Falleta and the Denver Chamber Orchestra, the National Repertory Orchestra, Moment’s Notice and the Queen City Jazz Band. Chuck also sang with Fanfare!, a madrigal group, performing at the Renaissance Festival and Boulder Shakespeare Festival. He is thrilled to be singing again with such a fine ensemble. BACK TO THE TOP
SUE RUNGE grew up singing in church, and choral music has played an important part in her life. She met her husband, Chuck, while singing in the Arvada Center Chorale. She has performed with several small ensembles including the madrigal group Fan Fair. Sue is part-owner of Icon Designs and teaches interior design at Arapahoe Community College. BACK TO THE TOP
ALLISON WEDELL SCHUMACHER is new to Denver and happy to be with SINGERS. She is originally from Cheyenne, Wyoming and went to school in Northfield, Minnesota, where she sang with the St. Olaf Choir (perhaps you’ve seen them at Christmas on PBS). She has her MFA in Theatre from the University of Louisville in Kentucky and is thrilled to be living in the mountains again with her husband, baritone Dan Schumacher (whom she met in a children’s choir in fourth grade). BACK TO THE TOP
DAN SCHUMACHER, originally from Cheyenne, Wyoming, is new to the Denver area. He studied opera at Indiana University and majored in Jazz Studies at Northwest College. His most recent singing experience has been his involvement in the popular Midwestern a cappella band Monkey Puzzle. He also has extensive experience as a recording artist. He is happy to have the chance to sing with his wife, Allison. BACK TO THE TOP
RENATE SHAFTER has loved singing since she was two years old. She has performed and toured with various school, church and community choirs; led worship music with her husband for churches, Christian groups and weddings; and played a couple of leading roles in school musicals. Renate graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a BA in English and a teacher’s certificate. After teaching English at a high school for two years, she is now working part time as a substitute teacher and full time as the mother of her children, Levi and Makenna. BACK TO THE TOP
CHERISE SIMPSON, born and raised in ssouth Florida, received two degrees in music from the University of Florida. She has recently relocated to Lakewood with her husband, Randy, and is currently teaching music fundamentals, piano and composition at the Community College of Aurora. In her free time she enjoys gardening, reading and swing dancing. BACK TO THE TOP
ALAN TREIBITZ graduated from Pomona College with a BA in Music Composition. He sang with the Miami Unicivic Chorale for two years and has been vocal coach for Denver’s Acapella Gold for the past five years. Between listening to and making music, Al is president of Z-Axis Corporation, which provides strategic consulting and visual presentations for complex litigation. His hobbies include golf, skiing, travel and cooking. BACK TO THE TOP
HOWARD TREIBITZ is a composer with a doctorate in composition and theory. His music has been performed in Denver and elsewhere, occasionally by SINGERS. He was the bass singer with the quintet Acapella Gold for nine years and has been with SINGERS since 1996. BACK TO THE TOP
RANDY VERBLE: Besides directing music programs for several churches around the Midwest, Randy taught music for 12 years at North Central University in Minneapolis, MN and Northwestern and DePaul Universities in the Chicago area. He performed with the Northwest Indiana Choral Society and the Northwestern University Early Music Collegium before joining the Singers Master Chorale. Randy is currently a Ph.D. candidate in music history with Northwestern University. BACK TO THE TOP
JOYA WONDERLIGHT lives two passions in life—music and children. Deeply committed to bringing people the world over together through music, Joya is the founder of “Songs Across the Seas International Music Exchange,” which has brought children together in Denver from Japan, Czech Republic and Scotland to sing with students from Colorado. Next summer, Joya will direct the “Youth Music Ambassadors Program,” bringing 23 children of the world to sing with children in Colorado. As Project Coordinator of the “Annual Joy of Music Marathon,” Joya arranged for performances in Far East Russia, Japan and Scotland internationally during the 48-hour event held in Denver to raise funds and awareness of the needs of children worldwide, especially the message of HOPE that music can bring! She is the conductor of the Summit Choir comprised of Chinese women from Metro Denver. Her “real” job is as a vocal and piano instructor. BACK TO THE TOP