Our Singers

Elinor Bach David Battjes Tony Blair
Elinor began singing around age 6. She since has sung in various college, community, and church choirs. She also is a singer/songwriter of contemporary Christian music. She loves using her voice to glorify God! This is her 2nd year with the Chamber Choir. This is David's 2nd year in Chamber Choir. He was involved with his high school band and choir and has had several years with church choirs. He currently enjoys singing with several other choirs including: 3 years with West Michigan Gay Men's Chorus, 3 years with St. Andrews Episcopal Church Choir, and 2 years with Wyoming Civic Chorus. Tony has sung in church choirs for many years along with The Calvin Oratorio Choir for 10 years.
Mari-Beth Bouma Ellen Carpenter Raymond Cascella
Mari-Beth rejoined Chamber Choir after a 6 year absence. She currently teaches at a Lutheran school in Grand Rapids, MI. She has sung with the Chicago Symphony Chorus as well as many other church and community choirs throughout the country. This is Ellen's first year with Chamber Choir. She previously sang with the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus and also many years with the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chamber Choir. Raymond has sung with St. Michael's Episcopal Church choir, All Saints Episcopal Church Choir, Little Riverside Opera Company and St. Andrew Episcopal Church Choir.
Nate Chapla Drew Davis Gayle DeBruyn
Nate has sung in the Chamber Choir since January 2010. He is the proud father of none and enjoys climbing trees, playing pool and skipping. Nate attended the University of Michigan and has sung regularly since elementary school. This is Drew's second year with Chamber Choir. He has also sung with East Grand Rapids Madrigals and at Oberlin College. He is currently with the American Red Cross of West Michigan and Americorps. Gayle has been with Chamber Choir for 3 years. She also sang with the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus under the direction of Anton Armstrong, MSU Womens' Glee Club,Trinity United Methodist Choirs, and East Kentwood High School Choir under the direction of Mark Webb.
Jana DeShane Maria A. DeVita-Krug Sarah Faasse
Jana has been with Chamber Choir since 1999.She was born and raised in Grand Rapids. She married in 1979 after meeting her husband in choir at GRJC. As her family grew, her education went at a slower pace,attaining a Bachelor of Science degree. Other groups Jana has sung with are: Baptist Choral Society, Evangelical Choral Society, Ibices of Freedom, various groups at Calvary Church, Mayflower Congregational Chamber Choir, Kentwood Senior Singers, Savoyard Players, James Harris Choral, and programs in the area. Born in New Jersey, she moved to Michigan with her husband Charles, and two children Clara and Adam in 2006. She was immediately hijacked by the Chamber Choir and has served as librarian for the last 3 years. Maria has her BFA in vocal performance from NYU and has performed with Bronx and Bel Canto Opera Companies. She has been a featured soloist with the New York Gay Men's Chorus and is currently a student of Diane Biser. Soprano Sarah Faasse performed as a soloist with the Chamber Choir of Grand Rapids in the Conservatory of St. Petersburg, Russia, and in Helsinki, Finland. She studied in Michigan with Richard Fracker and Diane Triplett Biser, and then joined the Denver Opera under the late Nicholas Laurienti, singing in Verdi's La Boheme and as Suor Dolcina in Puccini's Suor Angelica. Ms Faasse was invited to study with Maitland Peters, head of the vocal department at Manhattan School of Music. From New York she moved to Arizona where she was a soloist in Tempe for Rene Clausen's A New Creation, Saint-Saens' Christmas Oratorio, Mozart's Confitebor, Brahms' Requiem, and Faure's Requiem. After returning to West Michigan, Ms Faasse was the soprano soloist in the West Michigan debut of Wilberg's Requiem and has been the soprano soloist in Handel's Messiah, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, and Schubert's Mass in G. Currently a student of Diane Triplett Biser and Kathryn Stieler, Ms Faasse is a member of the Chamber Choir of Grand Rapids and the Sanctuary Choir of Westminster Presbyterian Church.
Jennifer Galloway Mel Garvin Gene Gess
Jennifer has sung with Chamber Choir for over 15 years. She works as a middle school counselor. Jennifer enjoys performing in community theater. She is married with one daughter, one dog, and one cat. Mel has sung with Chamber Choir for 2 years. He has had a dental practice for 41 years graduating from the University of Detroit. He has played the coronet for 55 years and also sang at Trinity United Methodist Church for 40 years. Gene is married to Carol, a retired music educator. They have two married children and three grandchildren. He holds an undergraduate degree in music education from WMU and a graduate degree in finance and accounting. He is a past member of Grand Rapids Cantata Choir, Kalamazoo Singers and Kalamazoo Oratorio Society. This is Gene's second year with Chamber Choir.
Karen Harag Jennifer Hess Mark Johnson
Karen has enjoyed singing in choirs since kindergarten. With no more choir class to take after earning a B. A. from Aquinas College and an MLIS from Drexel Universtiy; Karen joined the Schola Choir for the Diocese of Grand Rapids as well as the Chamber Choir. Jennifer has sung in organized choral ensembles all her life, from church choirs in Pennsylvania, where she lived as a child, to the Columbia Pro Cantare in Columbia, Maryland. When Jen isn't singing, she can be found using the other side of her brain and her Ph.D. as a faculty member in the biology department at Aquinas College here in Grand Rapids. Mark graduated from Ferris State College School of Diesel and Heavy Equipment. He is a 20+ year member of Chamber Choir. His blended family has 7 children.
Robert Kleinhans Tim Koch Evonne Kok
Robert holds a Bachelor of Music in Education from Central Michigan University. He has been with the Chamber Choir for 3 years, 5 years with the Bach Chorale of Grand Rapids, and 15 years with the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus. Tim graduated in May 2011 from the College of William and Mary with a Business Marketing and Film Studies double major. He sang in the William and Mary Choir for 2 years and the Batetourt Chamber Singers for 2 1/2 years as well as solo performances in works by Bach, Handel and Pachelbel. Evonne is married with 4 grown children and 7 grandchildren. She is a retired teacher and currently a freelance writer. She graduated from Calvin College with a B.A. and Western Michigan with an M.A.. She has sung with Calvin College Capella, Grand Rapids Symphony Choir, and has been a member of Chamber Choir for 20+ years.
Christine Koorndyk Benjamin Koval Kate Law
Christine began singing in church choir at age 3. She has participated in musicals and multiple ensembles (including bell choir). Chris sang with St. Cecilia Youth Chorale under the direction of Mark Webb and Anton Armstrong from 1980 - 1985. In high school, Chris was a member of the SWMVF Honors Choir as well as the SSA State Honors Choir. After graduating from WMU, where she was a member of the Collegiate Singers and the Grand Chorus, Chris joined the Chamber Choir in 1994. She has studied voice under both Diane Biser and Dale Schriemer. Benjamin is from Lansing. He is currently a junior at Aquinas College studying Choral Education and Liturgical Music. He has sung with his high school choir, honors choir, and is a member of Aquinas Chorus and Aquinas Chamber Choir in which he was a featured soloist. This is Benjamin's 2nd season with Chamber Choir. This is Kate's first year in the Chamber Choir. She lives with mother and two brothers in Grand Rapids. She grew up in Wisconsin where she was involved in the City Girl Choir until high school. She remained in her high school choir all 4 years and was also involved in a choir at MSU where she received her B.S. in Environmental Economics and Policy.
Mike Lojek Dave Male Cheryl Martin
Mike received his B.S. from Boston College and his M.D. from Vanderbilt University. He did his Residency at Vanderbilt and his Fellowship at the University of Vermont. His singing career includes: University Chorale of Boston College, Nashville Symphony Chorus, Universtiy of Vermont Choral Union, Grand Rapids Opera Chorus, Chamber Choir of Grand Rapids (more than 20 years) and Blue Lake Alumni Choir. David is a retired Grand Rapids Public School teacher. He is beginning his 12th year as a member of Chamber Choir. He also sings with the Sanctuary Choir of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Grand Rapids. Cheryl and husand Bill have been married for 20 years and are blessed with 4 children: Claire, Reid, Cameron, and Grant. She attended Calvin College and Central Michigan University singing in choirs and small ensembles. Since college, Cheryl has sung in every church and community choir she can and this is her 2nd year with Chamber Choir.
Jennifer McGraw Cindy Nixon Kittie Pipers-Schumaker
Jennifer is married with 2 adult children. She currently is owner/administrator/teacher at Pyramid Montessori in Grand Rapids. Jennifer enjoys singing with the worship team and traditional choir at Immanuel Lutheran Church. She also has sung with Calvin Oratorio Society and has been a member of Chamber Choir since 2006. She is a voice student of Kathleen Westdorp. Cindy Nixon is the Director of Choirs at East Grand Rapids Middle School, where she has taught for 19 years. She directed the Chancel Choir at St. Paul's United Methodist Church for 17 years and most recently served as Interim Chancel Choir Director at First United Methodist Church. Cindy is married to Bob Nixon, a professional musician/composer arranger, and they have 3 daughters and 6 grandchildren. She is in her 4th year of singing with Chamber Choir and serves as section leader for the soprano section. Kittie, in her 3rd season with Chamber Choir, has been singing for just over 25 years. This includes: The Broadway Theatre Guild Chorus, The Basilica of St. Adalbert Choirs as well as, cantoring for funerals, weddings, and other services. She attended the music program at Aquinas College and has studied voice under Kathleen Westdorp for more than 2 decades. Kittie resides on the Northwest side with her husband, Rob, and their 4 children.
Mary Schoonover Jackie Sides Dee Smith
This is Mary's 1st year with Chamber Choir. She works for Mercy Health in Muskegon and attended Davenport University in Grand Rapids. She has always loved to sing, even when she was very young. However, with much encouragement, it wasn't until later in life that Mary began to sing in choirs and sing solos. She is presently involved with two choirs at her church. Jackie is a member of Chamber Choir, Trinity United Methodist Choir and Bach Chorale. She has a B.A. in Music Educaton from Luther College. Jackie has directed children's choirs and taught Kindermusik. She is a media specialist at C.A. Frost Environmental Science Academy and has one daughter, Katie. Dee has a B.S. in Social Work and has been singing since childhood: at family reunions relatives jammed for hours, everyone sang and/or played an instrument. She has participated in many choral ensemble groups, some musical theater and theater. Dee is also a pianist and this is her 4th year with Chamber Choir.
Roberta Tasker Larry Vande Vrede Linda VanZee
Roberta is married to Ron and has 7 children, 7 grandchildren and 2 great grand children between the two of them. She has a Bachelor's degree in Music with a piano major and has taught many students over the years. She has sung in several church choirs and has been with Chamber Choir for 12 years. Larry is a life long resident of West Michigan and a graduate of MSU. He joined his church choir after college and has been part of Chamber Choir for 20+ years. This is Linda's first year with Chamber Choir. She is married with 2 children in college. She has sung with professional choirs since the beginning of high school at East Kentwood including the Wyoming Civic Chorus.
Jose Vogel Ric Wiltse Nancy Wittkopp
Jose has been with Chamber Choir for 17 years. She started singing at 5 in children's operas and later in church choirs. In her teens, she sang in a folk group. Jose considers herself lucky to have sung with Chamber Choir and The Mormon Tabernacle Choir in Salt Lake City and traveled to Russia to sing at The Rimsky Korzakov Hall, also with Chamber Choir. Ric has sung in the Chamber Choir since 1984. Ric also sings in the Trinity United Methodist Chancel Choir and the James Harris Chorale. Since 1999, Ric has been the Executive Director of the Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning. Nancy is a licensed social worker. She sings with West Michigan Lutheran Chorale, St. Mark Lutheran Church choir, and Blue Lake Alumni Choir. She is also a pianist. This is Nancy's 3rd year with Chamber Choir.
Michael Woerner Chelsie Wyse
Chelsie has been involved in numerous choral organizations throughout her high school years, which turned into a regular activity in college as well. She believes music is a language that can be understood everywhere; it connects every one of us with each other.