Who's Who - Faculty
Robert Geary, Artistic Director & Conductor of Ensemble and Ancora
Robert Geary, founder of the Piedmont Choirs and Volti, also holds directorial positions with the San Francisco Choral Society and the Golden Gate International Children’s Choral Festival. He served for thirteen years as the Music Director of the First Unitarian Universalist Church in San Francisco. Champions of contemporary music, Geary and his choirs have won numerous international and national awards. Under his direction, Ensemble of the Piedmont Choirs has won various grand prizes, first prizes, gold medals and special awards in Canada, the United States, Germany, Poland, Austria, Italy and Hong Kong. Geary received a special award for Outstanding Conductorial Achievement in Giessen, Germany 1997, and a special award for interpretation at the Miedzyzdroje Choral Festival in Poland 1998. In 1993 he was awarded the International Peace Child Medal for his role as co-founder of the Golden Gate International Children’s Choral Festival. In 2002 he was named Music Educator of the Year by KDFC and in 2003 he received the Lois Blair Rawlings Educational Inspiration Award. Geary’s choirs have been honored more than any other choir for Adventurous Programming by ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers). Geary and his choirs have performed throughout the United States, in Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, Austria, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Italy, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, Siberia, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Maylasia, Singapore, Croatia and Serbia. They have performed at the Oregon Bach Festival, the Newport Music Festival, with Oakland Ballet, San Francisco Symphony, Berkeley Symphony, San Francisco Opera, and Oakland East Bay Symphony. They have accepted invitations to perform for the national conferences of Chorus America, the American Choral Directors Association, the Organization of American Kodaly Educators and the College Music Society. They have been heard on National Public Radio, BBC Radio, on various television stations and film scores. Geary has served on the California Arts Commission’s Peer Review Panel and as an adjudicator and guest conductor in the United States and internationally. Harmonia Mundi, Koch International, Swiss International Radio and Innova have recorded his choirs.Sue Bohlin, Conductor of Girls Beginning & Intermezzo, Principal Accompanist
Sue Bohlin, Director of the Training Department and Conductor of Girls Beginning and Intermezzo also serves as accompanist and assistant director for Ensemble. Sue joined the Piedmont Boys and Girls Choirs faculty in 1984 after working as an oboist and pianist in Mexico City, as well as teaching oboe and English Horn at the National Conservatory of Mexico. From 1990-2000 Ms. Bohlin was music director and performer with the avant-garde theatre group George Coates Performance Works (SF). She has played on stages all over the world, directed, arranged, and recorded music for commercials and film, produced concerts and festivals, and performed with renowned musicians. Currently Sue directs the Anchor Bay Children’s Choir in Mendocino County where she and her husband have a house, and she freelances with local symphonies on piano and celeste. Sue has two pieces for children's choir with the Santa Barbara Music Publishing Co. and a Music Performance degree from the Conservatory of Music at the University of the Pacific.Naomi Braun, Training Department Director, Conductor of Girls Intermediate 1
Naomi Braun has been conductor of Girl’s Intermediate 1 (formerly Girls Beginning 2) since 1995. She holds Bachelor degrees in Music and Psychology from U.C. Davis, where she was the Assistant Conductor of the University Chorus and directed a 14 voice mixed ensemble. She has taught chorus and music to children in kindergarten through eighth grade in San Francisco and the East Bay. Ms. Braun sings professionally with Volti, formerly the SF Chamber Singers, and has also sung with Philharmonia Baroque Chorale, Berkeley Opera, George Coates Performance Works, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Pocket Opera, American Bach Soloists, and the San Francisco Opera Chorus.Clifton Massey, Conductor of Ecco and Boys Advanced
Clifton Massey returns with the Piedmont Choir Program for his second year, leading three choirs in both the Performing and Training departments. A Dallas native, Clifton has directed choirs at a variety of levels while maintaining an active performance career. He has sung to critical acclaim with such groups as Concert Royal of New York,Indianapolis Baroque, American Bach Soloists, Texas Baroque Ensemble,Dallas Bach Society, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, New York Pops, London Symphonietta, Theater of Voices, Volti, Schola Cantorum SF, AVE, and performed over 200 concerts with Chanticleer in a variety of the world's finest concert halls. Clifton holds a music education degree from Texas Christian University and a M.M. from the Early Music Institute of Indiana University. Often sought after for clinician work, Clifton teaches voice locally, and tries really hard to play the piano better!Martin Benvenuto, Concert Choir Conductor
Martín Benvenuto is a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he received his Licenciado en Música degrees in Choral Conducting and Composition. As Chair of the Music Department at St. Patrick’s School in Buenos Aires, he led a graded choral program that earned prizes at competitions and toured nationally and internationally. Mr. Benvenuto earned his Master’s degree from Westminster Choir College, majoring both in Choral Conducting and Voice Performance and Pedagogy. As a member of the Westminster Symphonic Choir, he has sung under the batons of Kurt Masur, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Helmuth Rilling, and Esa-Pekka Salonen with the New York Philarmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra and Los Angeles Philarmonic. He is currently a candidate for the DMA in Choral Conducting at Boston University, where he was an assistant to Dr. Ann Howard Jones for the Women’s Chorale, Repertory Chorus, Chamber Chorus, and Symphonic Chorus. Mr. Benvenuto has studied conducting under Antonio Russo, Néstor Andrenacci, Eric Ericson, Joseph Flummerfelt, Josep Prats, Robert Sund, Ann Howard Jones, and the late Robert Shaw, and has led church music programs and community choruses both in this country and his native Argentina. Active as a clinician, panelist, and guest conductor, Mr. Benvenuto is Artistic Director for WomenSing and the Peninsula Women’s Chorus.Gemma Arguelles, Conductor of Girls Advanced
Gemma Arguelles, conductor of Girls Advanced, is Music Specialist at Convent of the Sacred Heart Elementary School in San Francisco where she also directs two elementary school choruses. She has been a faculty member of the Kodály Summer Institute at Holy Names College in Oakland since 1997 and has also taught in Seattle Pacific University's Kodály Summer Program. Gemma is a board member of Northern California Association of Kodály Educators, and sings with the San Francisco Symphony Chorus. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and Choral Conducting from the University of the Philippines, and Master of Music Education with Kodály emphasis from Holy Names University.Nancy Linford, Conductor of Girls Intermediate 2
Nancy Linford, conductor of Girls' Intermediate 2, also teaches K-5 vocalmusic at Wildwood and Havens Schools in Piedmont, where Piedmont Choirs members are often her star students. She holds a B.A. in vocal performance from U.C. Santa Cruz and an M.A. in music education with Kodály emphasis from Holy Names College. Since 1994, she has served as an active member on the board of the Northern California Association of Kodály Educators.
Lynn Tousey, Conductor of Boys Training & Alameda Branch
Lynn Tousey, conductor of Boys Training, is an elementary music teacher with the Alameda Public Schools and a former music educator at Harmony Road Music School. She was an acting coach at San Francisco Children’s Opera and a former member of the San Francisco Chamber Singers. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Choral Music Education from University of Michigan School of Music. A classically trained soprano, Lynn has appeared as solo vocalist with The Lamplighters and George Coates Performance Works as well as in various cabaret-style venues. Eclectic in her vocal tastes and styles, Lynn is presently exploring her lower alto range as a jazz vocalist, scatting away over at the Jazzschool in Berkeley. Whether teaching or performing, "Big Mama" insists upon musical excellence and plenty of red lipstick. Jane Rinard, Concert Choir Assistant Conductor
Jane Rinard, Assistant Conductor for Concert Choir, has sung with numerous choral groups throughout the Bay Area, and studied voice at San Francisco State University and at UC Berkeley. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley, and a Master’s in Music Education with a Kodaly Emphasis from Holy Names University. Ms. Rinard has been teaching elementary school students to sing throughout the Bay Area for the past six years; she currently teaches vocal and general music at The San Francisco Day School and at Beach Elementary in Piedmont. She also serves as a member of the board of the Northern California Association of Kodály Educators.
Ann Binning, Accompanist
Cecile Linford, Accompanist
Cecile Linford, accompanist for Girls Intermediate 1, studied piano at the University of Utah and at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. She holds a B.S. in Sociology and Music Education from the University of Utah. In New Mexico, Ms. Linford was accompanist for public school instrumental and vocal teachers, and for twelve years she served as accompanist for University of New Mexico vocal classes.
Ciara McCallister, Accompanist
Ciara McAllister, accompanist for Girls Intermediate 2, holds a B.A. in Piano Performance, is the Music Director for Summer Drama Camp, the Founder of Midtown Music School, and teaches piano both privately and at the Community Music Center in San Francisco. She has worked as a high school music and choir teacher, and has toured nationally as the Director of the All Soul’s Unitarian Youth Choir. Ciara is honored to be working with the Piedmont Choirs.
Stephanie Pile, Accompanist
Stephanie Pile, accompanist for Girls Beginning, is very happy to be joining the Piedmont Choirs community this year. Involved in music her entire life, she has served as the music director of a church in Boston, sung with a variety of choral ensembles and performed in musical theater. She currently teaches piano students and sings with the Sacred and Profane Chamber Chorus based in Oakland.
David Lichtenstein, Accompanist
David Lichtenstein, accompanist for Alameda Branch, holds a B.A. in Music from UC Santa Barbara. While pursuing a career as a database analyst, he has been involved in choral music-making since high school, singing for many seasons with the San Francisco Symphony Chorus and the Oakland Symphony Chorus, where he was a frequent substitute pianist. He is currently staff accompanist and an assistant vocal coach for the 150-voice Berkeley Community Chorus. David has enjoyed performing as a pit orchestra performer and rehearsal pianist for several Eastbay musical theater companies, including Diablo Light Opera and Alameda Civic Light Opera. He also performs frequently as an orchestral percussionist and, as an accomplished alto saxophone player, enjoys playing in Big-Band jazz ensembles.
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