Our Home: MYArts
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Administrative Staff
Michael Ross, Artistic Director
Artistic Director and Conductor of Cantabile and Ragazzi
Michael Ross has worked for the Madison Youth Choirs since 2003, first as Artistic Director, and since 2013 as Artistic/Executive Director. He was previously the Music Department Chair and Vocal Music Teacher at Madison West High School. Michael was the Tallis (training choir) instructor for the former Madison Boychoir for ten years. He has both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Education from UW-Madison, where he studied with Robert Fountain, Beverly Taylor, Julia Koza, and Anthony Barresi. Michael has also taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Summer Music Clinic, conducted the University Chorus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and led the former Basso Continuo choir of the Madison Boychoir.
Michael has been active in state music organizations, having been the choral chair for the Wisconsin Music Educators Association, accompanist for the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association’s Next Direction conference, and both section leader and accompanist for various WSMA and WCDA State Honors Choirs. Michael is a member of the Voice Care Network, and has been named several times to “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers”. He is also an active clinician throughout the United States; in 2014 he conducted the WCDA (Wisconsin) All-State Children’s choir and in 2016 he conducted the Colorado Middle All-State Treble Choir.
Lynn Hembel, Executive Director
Executive Director
Taking her cue from the Handbook of How to Succeed in Business with a Liberal Arts Degree (English and Art History from UW-Madison), Lynn paid attention in class and learned how to type. This led to myriad opportunities, mostly beginning with the word “temporary”. Knowing that temporary is never permanent, she persevered and landed a career directing human resources for a global investment management firm in San Francisco. This she loved very much, almost as much as art history.
When MYC succeeded in teaching her whistling boys how to sing, she became a devoted volunteer and their biggest fan, eventually joining the full-time staff in 2010. As Executive Director and co-leader of MYC with Mike Ross, she considers it a privilege to contribute to the vibrant youth arts landscape in Madison. As part of the leadership team that created and built MYArts (MYC’s permanent home) she will forever be grateful to the supporters who caught the vision for this essential community asset and made it happen. Outside the office, when she’s not on her bike, she’s playing with Bean Sabine the MagnifiCAT, her adorable Tabby.
Nicole Sparacino, Development Director
Development Director
Nicole Sparacino, Development Director, joined the MYC team in 2013 and is thrilled to support the mission of such a thoughtful and creative performing arts organization. Nicole is a graduate of UW-Madison and the Cooperstown Graduate Program in upstate New York. She has worked with Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras, Wisconsin Historical Museum, Milwaukee Public Museum, and The Theatre Museum in New York City. Outside of MYC, Nicole stays busy chasing after her sweet rascal son, hunting down great new restaurants with her husband, and cooking to the sounds of obscure Broadway cast recordings.
Ian Disjardin, Operations Manager
Operations Manager
Born and raised in the understated metropolis of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Ian learned how to avoid whittling down his interests so that he could stay busy all the time. In between reading books, writing stories, theater acting, TA-ing for a History Teacher and being in too many music classes, Ian’s band teacher made him apply to UW-Madison’s percussion studio and still owes that band teacher because Ian was lucky enough to be accepted.
After moving to Madison for school and realizing he would prefer not to leave, Ian has done a wide variety of things for fun and for employment. Getting very lucky once more, he was hired part time with MYC setting up chairs and relished the opportunity so he could one day contribute to more than just the furniture arrangement. When not seen around the MYC studios you will likely find him reading, trying to learn something new, or giving attention to one of his six pets.
Artistic Staff
Michael Ross, Artistic Director & Conductor
Artistic Director and Conductor of Cantabile and Ragazzi
(608) 238-7464
Michael Ross has worked for the Madison Youth Choirs since 2003, first as Artistic Director, and since 2013 as Artistic/Executive Director. He was previously the Music Department Chair and Vocal Music Teacher at Madison West High School. Michael was the Tallis (training choir) instructor for the former Madison Boychoir for ten years. He has both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Education from UW-Madison, where he studied with Robert Fountain, Beverly Taylor, Julia Koza, and Anthony Barresi. Michael has also taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Summer Music Clinic, conducted the University Chorus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and led the former Basso Continuo choir of the Madison Boychoir.
Michael has been active in state music organizations, having been the choral chair for the Wisconsin Music Educators Association, accompanist for the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association’s Next Direction conference, and both section leader and accompanist for various WSMA and WCDA State Honors Choirs. Michael is a member of the Voice Care Network, and has been named several times to “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers”. He is also an active clinician throughout the United States; in 2014 he conducted the WCDA (Wisconsin) All-State Children’s choir and in 2016 he conducted the Colorado Middle All-State Treble Choir.
Carrie Enstad, Conductor
Con Gioia Conductor
Carrie Enstad has directed choirs of all ages in Minneapolis and Madison for over 20 years. In Minnesota she taught in Minnetonka Schools and The Blake School, and served on the conducting staffs of The Music Association of Minnetonka and Angelica Cantanti Youth Choirs. In addition, she directed choirs at various churches and The University of St. Thomas. Carrie is passionate about working with children’s choirs, and is thrilled to be part of the MYC family, an organization she values deeply, as a professional and as a parent. Carrie graduated with honors from Gustavus Adolphus College, and earned an MA in Music Education from The University of St. Thomas. In 2002 she was honored by The American Choral Directors Association of MN with their Outstanding Young Conductor Award. In addition to her work with MYC, Carrie currently teaches music at Edgewood Campus School and directs the Jubilee Singers at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.
Eliav Goldman, Artistic Associate
Eliav Goldman, Artistic Associate
Eliav Goldman joined the MYC family as a boychoir member in 2013 and instantly found a home. When he graduated a year later, he was determined to keep MYC in his life, one way or another. Throughout his time studying Music Education at UW-Madison, Eliav remained connected to the MYC community as a choral intern, assisting a variety of choirs and eagerly accepting any and all opportunities to learn and grow with MYC students and staff. Eliav is eternally grateful for those opportunities, particularly all the guidance and wisdom that he has soaked up from the truly world-class MYC conductors and staff, whom he is so honored to call his colleagues.
Outside of MYC, Eliav works as the Choir, General Music, and Theater teacher at Toki Middle School in Madison. He is fiercely interested in the frameworks of Hip Hop Pedagogy and Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP). Other topics of interest include baking and cooking, soccer and tennis, and floral fashion, but there are few things that Eliav loves more than a good story and a good question.
You may ask (as many others have), “Eliav, what is it you actually do at MYC?” to which he might respond, “I’m just there. Which is all I’ve ever wanted to be.”
Calli Ingebritsen, Introductory choir instructor
Colla Voce Instructor
Calli Ingebritsen is a member of the intro choir staff of MYC. Calli graduated summa cum laude from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater in 2008 with a Bachelor of Music degree in choral and general music education. Since 2009, she has taught choir and general music at Mount Horeb Area Middle School. Calli met and worked with Margaret and Randy at the CMP workshops, and is thrilled to be a part of the MYC team with such amazing educators. She currently lives in Mount Horeb with her husband, Jeff, and their children. She is an active musician in area community ensembles and theaters. She enjoys reading anything she can get her hands on and crocheting.
Margaret Jenks, Conductor; Project Leader - Community and Education Programs
Colla Voce, Tallis, Purcell, Cantilena, and Holst conductor; Project Leader – Community and Education Progams
Originally from Holland, Michigan, Margaret is a summa cum laude graduate of the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, with degrees in Music Education and Vocal Performance. Her teaching and performing career has taken her from Freiburg, Germany to Eagan, Minnesota and to Waukesha, Wisconsin, where she taught at Butler Middle School and later at North High School. While at Butler, Margaret created the Bridge Ensemble, an innovative choir which gained attention for its unique approach of pairing gifted and talented students with cognitively disabled students. The Bridge Ensemble appeared by invitation at the January 2001 Wisconsin Choral Directors State Convention, in a moving and memorable performance.
Margaret has performed extensively as soprano soloist in such works as the Bach Magnificat, Haydn’s Creation, and Handel’s Messiah. Presently, she designs and teaches the Introductory Choir programs of the Madison Youth Choirs, Tallis (for boys) and Colla Voce (for girls). Margaret’s idea of a choir for boys before, during, and after voice change led to the founding of Holst, and has resulted in invitations to work with other boychoirs. In 2010, Margaret led the first ACDA Central Division Young Men’s Honor Choir in Cincinnatti, along with colleague Randy Swiggum. She and Randy also were invited to conduct the APAC Choral Festival in Seoul, Korea in 2009, and work with music teachers from across southeast Asia in a two-day conference focused on comprehensive musicianship.
Margaret serves as the WCDA Boychoir Repertoire & Standards Chairperson and especially enjoys the challenge of finding unexplored choral works for elementary and middle school boys. As a member of the Wisconsin CMP (Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance) Team, she helps teach a summer institute for teachers in Wisconsin and Iowa, focusing on a deeper rehearsal experience for young musicians. Since 2004, she has lived in Madison with her husband Andy, and their own lively boys, Nathaniel and Simon, who are planning to sing in the boychoirs until they are old enough to direct them. She loves to read, cook without recipes, and create scavenger hunt clues for boys.
Lisa Kjentvet, Conductor
Choraliers and Capriccio Conductor
Lisa Kjentvet has worked with the Madison Youth Choirs and the former Madison Children’s Choir since 2000. Her history with the organization began as the conductor of Capriccio for the Madison Children’s Choir where she subsequently served as Artistic Director for two years. She served as Co-Artistic Director of the Madison Youth Choirs during its inaugural season and most recently as Education and Outreach Coordinator. A member of the VoiceCare Network, Lisa currently conducts Choraliers and Capriccio. During her tenure. her choirs have appeared at regional and international festivals and the North Central American Choral Directors Association Convention. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in General and Choral Music Education, she has previously taught in the Kettle Moraine School District, Madison Metropolitan School District and the Catholic Diocese of Madison while maintaining an active schedule as a clinician, performer and private piano and voice instructor. In 2017, Lisa joined the administrative staff of the Madison Symphony Orchestra where she serves as Education Assistant.
Marie McManama, Conductor
Con Gioia Conductor
Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, soprano Marie McManama has performed with the Union Avenue Opera, Cincinnati Opera, St. Louis Symphony, St. Louis Muny, Opera Theatre St. Louis, Grant Park Music Festival, SongFest, and the Grand Teton Music Festival. She is a founding member of the Madison Choral Project and has sung locally as a soloist with Madison Opera, Opera for the Young, Isthmus Vocal Ensemble, Four Seasons Theatre, Middleton Players Theater, and the Peninsula Music Festival in Door County. While completing her Masters at CCM in Cincinnati she also earned her second Bachelors in music education and recently won a scholarship from the Wisconsin Music Educators Association for excellence in teaching. She teaches choir and general music at O’Keeffe Middle School in addition to her private voice studio and is thrilled to be part of the MYC team!
Margaret Stansfield, Introductory choir instructor
Colla Voce and Tallis Instructor
Margaret (Maggie) Stansfield has been a Tallis and Colla Voce instructor for MYC since 2012. She is a graduate of Luther College with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and German Studies. She has been teaching voice privately and in the schools since 2006. Maggie believes in each child’s ability to have an authentic and meaningful artistic response and is a proponent of the Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance teaching model. She currently teaches choir, private voice, music theory and history to 5-12th grade students at Madison Country Day School. She lives in Madison with her husband, two sons, and Freddie Mercury the cat.
Randal Swiggum, Conductor
Britten and Holst Conductor
Besides conducting Britten and Holst, Randal Swiggum is the Arts Teacher Leader for the Madison Metropolitan School District, where he works with all K-12 music, art, theatre, and dance teachers as a coach and support. Randy was Artistic Director of the award-winning Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra (Chicago) for over twenty years. He has also served as education conductor for a number of professional orchestras including The Florida Orchestra, Elgin Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, and Boise Philharmonic. With the Madison Symphony he has conducted concerts for young people, including Symphony Soup, the Fall Youth Concerts, and the Carnegie Hall Link-Up concerts. Each February, he had conducted the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in a concert for young audiences, which over the years has featured masterworks such as the Faure Requiem, Vaughan Williams Dona Nobis Pacem, Poulenc Gloria, Bernstein Chichester Psalms, and Mendelssohn’s Elijah.
Randy was Artistic Director of the Madison Children’s Choir from 1996-2000 and led the first international tour for Ragazzi and Cantabile to Brazil in 1998. He has also taught at Whitefish Bay High School, Verona High School, UW-Milwaukee, and Lawrence University. A frequent guest conductor of orchestral and choral festivals, he conducted the first ever Pennsylvania All-State Junior High Choir, as well as the MENC All-Northwest Honor Choir in Portland, New York City Interschool Choral Festival, Mansfield (PA) University Choral Festival, American Mennonite Schools Orchestra Festival, Northern Arizona Honors Orchestra, and both the Wisconsin Middle Level Honors Choir and Orchestra. Recently he has conducted orchestra or choral festivals in Aberdeen, Scotland; Seoul, Korea, and Singapore as well as the All-State Orchestras in Georgia and Illinois. He has conducted the Scottish National Youth Symphony, and the APAC Choral Festival in Seoul, Korea, co-conducted with colleague Margaret Jenks. He and Margaret also were invited to co-conduct ACDA Young Men’s Honor Choirs in Cincinnati (2010) and Madison (2012).
A passionate advocate for a richer learning experience in the rehearsal, Randy serves on the Wisconsin CMP (Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance) Project. He has addressed the Pennsylvania MENC and ACDA, Minnesota ACDA, Iowa ACDA, Illinois ACDA and IMEA, Maryland MENC, the ACDA North Central Division and Eastern Division, the Texas Orchestra Directors Association, and MENC National Conventions in Phoenix and Kansas City. He often works with music teachers in workshops and in-services across the U.S. With colleague Margaret Jenks, he recently taught a CMP workshop in Hong Kong for teachers across southeast Asia. They both also continue to serve as faculty for the Carnegie Hall Music Educators Workshop in New York City.
Randy has led concert tours throughout Europe, Canada, and South America. He has music directed over thirty stage works including the 1991 premiere of the Theatre X opera, Liberace. He created the music for celebrated director Eric Simonsen’s new production of Moby Dick for the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, named by TIME magazine as one of the 10 Best Theatrical Productions of 2002, and was Music Director for the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre’s beloved annual “A Christmas Carol” for thirteen years. He is author of Strategies for Teaching High School Chorus (MENC 1998), and co-author of Shaping Sound Musicians (GIA 2003). He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in musicology at UW-Madison.
David Olson, Introductory choir instructor
Introductory choir instructor
David Olson is thrilled to be an intro choir teacher at MYC. In 2013 he graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a Bachelor’s degree in Choral and General Music Education. Since then he has taught grades K-12 in rural and urban areas across the state of Wisconsin. David is the choir teacher at Spring Harbor Middle School as well as the K-1 general music teacher at Van Hise Elementary School, and works as the assistant director of residential life and student engagement at Summer Music Clinic through UW Madison. He is also a member of the Chant Claire Chamber Choir based out of Milwaukee, and enjoys performing in weddings, pop up orchestras, and impromptu barbershop quartets.
Board of Directors
Madison Youth Choirs is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors that meets monthly. These volunteers are parents of choir members, alumni, and/or representatives of the community at large. The Board of Directors is responsible for developing and implementing a strategic plan, developing policies for the organization, and assisting with fundraising activities.
Board Members
2022-2023 Board Members:
- Teague Mawer, president
- Jennifer Lattis, vice-president
- David Schmiedicke, treasurer
- Michelle Kruse, secretary
- Laurie Fellenz, past president
- Matthew Clayton
- Dan Lyons
- Arvina Martin
- Wendy Weiler