The path of leadership is a deeply personal journey. No two people take the same route, but many share a common denominator: the presence of guiding influences.����

“I’ve been guided really by that which moves me… what moves me is being in communion with humanity through the arts,” McDonald said. For her, that connection to humanity does not end at the edge of the stage. It extends into a deep commitment to social justice, a desire to leave the world a better place for her children, and a quiet trust that the universe will present the next right step when the time comes.����

“Certain roles that I’ve played have led me toward certain things in my life,” McDonald explained. The actress, who has portrayed more than a few rough-around-the-edges characters, likened the preparation process for these roles to a dissertation-level research project.����

Long before the curtain rises, she studies each character intently, gathering minute details to form a rich picture of who that character is and what influences might have informed their experience.����

“I look for the ways I can connect to that character,” McDonald said. By finding common ground, she said she makes space for them in her heart and extends them grace. In doing so, McDonald said she has learned that she, too, is deserving of that same grace.����

Many of the women McDonald has portrayed�� had “a lot of mountains to climb,” she said, and getting close to the opportunities, challenges, in some cases, trauma the character may have experienced, is what helps her bring them so movingly and authentically to life on stage each night. “On stage, you become their protector or defender,” she said.��

Internalizing the struggles of her characters is key to the moving performances that bring her characters to life. She takes care to ensure she isn’t overwhelmed by the emotion she brings to her roles. “Those characters affect you, but you have to be careful to leave them at the theatre.”����

Despite her disciplined practice of separating herself from the role when she leaves the theatre each night, one character lingered … Billie Holiday, whom McDonald portrayed in the musical “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill.” Holiday was the victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking as a young teen and had nobody in her life who could help her escape that horrible situation.����

While portraying this deeply emotional role, McDonald found herself contemplating what opening night gift she might give the show’s small crew to thank them for their collaboration and support. On her walk back to the theatre, the answer became clear when she came upon Covenant House, a nonprofit organization serving youth and families experiencing homelessness, by providing food, shelter, medical care, and other needs to help them step back into the world with dignity. McDonald decided to stop in to make a donation in the crew’s honor and, while there, witnessed the team helping a new arrival.����

“I watched this intake happen and it moved me so much,” McDonald recalled, describing how a previously jovial security guard sprang into action to help a teen arriving with his belongings in a trash bag. She pondered how Billie’s life might have been different if a resource like Covenant House had been available to her as an abused teen.����

“I was led to that place by Billie … and now I’m on the Board,” said McDonald, who serves on the Covenant House International Board of Directors. For McDonald, this was another example of the guiding influences that have serendipitously led her to the next step, sometimes when she didn’t even know she needed it.����

It was not only the characters she portrayed who helped shape McDonald’s path, but also the mentors who guided her along the way. Actress Zoe Caldwell is someone who transformed the way McDonald viewed her work early in her career.����

Caldwell made a point of knowing the name of every person involved in a production, reinforcing the idea that everyone, from director to usher, brings value to the creative process. Collaboration, McDonald learned, is essential for success. Only with each person’s unique contribution can a performance actually happen.����

“My mentor taught me humility and true collaboration,” McDonald said. “I learned that’s not only good for you as an artist, but good for you just as a human being.”����

During her student years at The Juilliard School, McDonald felt called to musical theatre despite pressure from professors to pursue opera. That is when she first met Laurie Carter, who was then serving as a senior Student Affairs administrator at Juilliard.����

Carter took the young performer under her wing and encouraged her to follow her instincts. When the struggle became so overwhelming it led McDonald to a suicide attempt, Carter got the struggling student the help and support she needed. Reaching that dark point in her life, McDonald said, irrevocably changed it for the better.����

“It’s not lost on me that it was the start of my life,” McDonald observed about her attempt to end her life. “Laurie was one of the first people to teach me about empowering myself and fighting for myself.” Now, McDonald delights in the idea of modeling empowerment and self-advocacy not just for her own children, but for performers following in her footsteps.����

“You can stay respectful, you can stay collaborative, but you have to give yourself grace and you have to stand up for yourself as well,” McDonald said. She emphasized that finding – and using – your own voice and following your gut are essential leadership skills.����

Ultimately, how does Audra McDonald define The Art of Leadership? Interacting with others in the true spirit of collaboration, connecting with your authentic self, and trusting your own instincts. The Art of Leadership, McDonald said, is there in all of us.

Jones, a mezzo-soprano, came to �������ý��Ƶ from Houston to study voice��(initially drawn by then-professor John Holiday) and immerse herself in the Opera Theatre program. She excelled from the start, twice winning a National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competition while tackling significant roles in multiple �������ý��Ƶ operas.

“�������ý��Ƶ is special in that it’s an undergrad-only institution,” Jones said of how �������ý��Ƶ prepared her to meet these moments. “Typically, at many music conservatories, there are master’s programs, which means you are going to have to compete as an undergrad against the master’s students to be in an opera production. Since the main stage roles are usually given to the master’s students, you might not have as much stage time as an undergrad student. But because �������ý��Ƶ is an undergrad-only university, I got so much stage time, and I was able to learn different roles during my time there. I feel like that gave me a leg up over my colleagues in grad school because I already had that experience of being on stage and learning full roles.”

The momentum that began on the stages and in the classrooms of �������ý��Ƶ carried over to grad school, where, among other achievements, Jones was selected for the inaugural cohort of The Denyce Graves Foundations’ Shared Voices program and was invited to join the non-profit artist intensive, Opera for Peace Academy.

Then came her selection to The Met’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, which continues to open doors.

“This is the program to be in if you are a young artist,” Jones said.

The program pours resources into the young performers who have been selected, and, because it’s The Metropolitan Opera, access to many of today’s leading opera performers is readily available.

“All the stars in opera come through The Met, and if they’re available, all we have to do is request to work with them,” Jones said. “The resources here are virtually endless.”

It’s an opportunity that circumvents many of the challenges young artists face, including the expenses associated with coaching, voice lessons, acting lessons, breathing lessons, publicity photos, website development, video recording, renting of recording space, hiring a pianist, and more.

“There is so much that comes with being a young artist,” Jones said. “A lot of artists have to work other jobs outside of singing to subsidize their career. That can wear you out. You don’t have enough left to focus on the gift you are trying to cultivate. In this program, we really don’t have to do anything but focus on becoming a world-class artist. That’s what they tell us: ‘If you are here, that means we see the potential for you becoming a world-class artist.’ This is our job.”

The 24-year-old Jones was approached about auditioning for the Lindemann program while competing in The Met’s Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition. (Another �������ý��Ƶ graduate, Emily Richter ’20, was among the 2024 Laffont Competition winners.)

“I didn’t think I was ready initially,” Jones said. “I thought I would audition when I’m a little older, when I have more things under my belt. As artists, we’re very critical of ourselves, always thinking we can do more.”

She had two auditions before getting the invite to join the program.

“I feel extremely blessed and very humbled to be in this place,” Jones said. “Very grateful. Every time I walk through the halls, I see the pictures and paintings of the legendary opera singers I’ve always looked up to. I don’t take any of it for granted.”

She is working with music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, one of the foremost conductors in the world. Having him and others at The Met pushing her to grow as an artist has taken her confidence to new levels.

“My toxic trait is that I compare myself to the great opera singers who are in their 40s and 50s,” Jones said. “I have to remind myself, ‘OK, Hannah, you are 24 years old, calm down.’ They tell us all the time, ‘You are here for a reason. Trust and believe in that.’”

Jones recently made her Met debut in Die Frau ohne Schatten, playing one of the unborn voices in the Richard Strauss opera. It’s a role that has her singing from the domes near the ceiling and in the orchestra pit.

“It is still so unreal for me,” Jones said, speaking a few hours before her next performance. “One of my favorite moments is singing in the orchestra pit with one of the best orchestras in the world. I started off in classical music playing the cello, so I geek out double fold. The way Strauss orchestrated the final scene is absolutely masterful, and feeling the vibrations of the basses is an inexplicable experience. Not to mention we’re being conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the conductor in classical music right now.”

That debut followed her performance in October in Seattle Opera’s Jubilee, where she played Jennie Jackson, one of the original Fisk Jubilee Singers—groundbreaking African American singers who performed across the U.S. and in Europe in the early 1870s to raise funds to save their college, Fisk University. It was the production’s world premiere.

“As an African American opera singer, I would not be here without them,” she said of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. “It was very humbling to share their story.”

Adding one more accomplishment to her 2024, Jones called her Dec. 21 performance with Norm Lewis “a great success.”

Next up is a March recital at The Juilliard School. Then she’ll set her sights on The Met production of Antony and Cleopatra��in May; she has been selected as a cover for that production.

“At The Met, it is not unusual at all for the covers to go on,” Jones said. “Life happens and sometimes singers can’t perform. While I don’t necessarily hope anyone is unable to perform, I am excited about the chance to perform on the main stage. John Adams, the composer of Antony and Cleopatra, is also going to be conducting this production, which is super special. In modern times, it is not common for the composer of a widely successful opera to also conduct the production.”

Through it all, Jones said she is embracing each moment, often reflecting on a journey that got its start in �������ý��Ƶ’s Conservatory of Music.

“I’m grateful for my time at �������ý��Ƶ,” she said.

“This has been my dream for so many years,” Richter said as she traveled Monday from New York back to Pittsburgh, where she is a second-year resident artist with the Pittsburgh Opera. “To say I’m humbled, honored, and grateful to be here would be an understatement. I had the most exciting week of my life, and singing with that orchestra was nothing short of joyous.”

Richter studied music performance (voice) and performed in the Opera Theatre program at �������ý��Ƶ before going on to earn her master’s degree from McGill University’s Schulich School of Music.

“I’m so grateful for my time at �������ý��Ƶ that didn’t just teach me how to sing but taught me how to feel and think deeply about the world,” Richter said.��

Beginning in May, Richter will join Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Center Ensemble.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled,” she said.

Richter was named a winner in the Met competition along with tenor Daniel Espinal, soprano Lydia Grindatto, baritone Navasard Hakobyan, and mezzo-soprano Meridian Prall. In addition to a $20,000 cash prize, the win comes with great prestige and opportunities to network.

The competition is operated at the district and region levels across the United States, Canada, and Mexico before finalists are named for the Grand Finals Concert. Richter came through the Great Lakes Region. The competition, now in its 70th year, was formerly known as the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

While at �������ý��Ƶ, Richter performed in numerous ensembles and operas, including taking on the role of Countess in The Marriage of Figaro during her senior year in 2020. Her performance would helpearn �������ý��Ƶ a national honor in the 2021 American Prize Awards.

Copeland Woodruff,��director of opera studies and associate professor of music at �������ý��Ƶ, said Richter was a “rock star” in the making during her time in the Conservatory.

“She always brings a curiosity, a humanity, and an infectious, warm spirit into any space she enters,” Woodruff said. “I could not be happier for her, for her successes so far, and the myriad ahead of her. I am lucky to have learned alongside her.” Richter’s time at the Pittsburgh Opera has included performances as the title character of Iphigénie en Tauride and Ginevra in Ariodante. She has sung Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and the Governess in The Turn of the Screw at McGill, covered Micaëla in Carmen at the Santa Fe Opera, and made her debut with the Seattle Symphony as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah.

It’s the second Grammy win for Roomful of Teeth. They won a Grammy in 2014 in the same ensemble performance category for their self-titled debut album, and they were nominated in two other categories. They were nominated again in 2016 following the release of their second album, Render.

Gomez joined the faculty in the �������ý��Ƶ Conservatory of Music in 2019. She continues to perform at music halls around the world. She leaves this week for Paris, where she will teach remotely while Roomful of Teeth embarks on a series of performances with Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra.

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In the lead-up to the Grammys, Gomez said she was excited about the accolades coming to Roomful of Teeth for the Rough Magic album.

“I’m so glad to have this album out in the world finally, after eight years between our second and third albums,” she said. “We’re really proud of it. It’s an honor for our group to have been nominated for Grammys for all three of our albums, but this one is such a special mix of music that we’ve gotten to tour and dig into over years of live performances, commissioning projects, and artist residencies.”

Gomez is doing her best to bring her students along for the ride. The performing she does with Roomful of Teeth—striving to improve and grow as a vocal performer—informs her teaching every step of the way. That, she said, is at the heart of being a mentor.

“I really feel a sense of symbiosis with my teaching and singing work—both types of work are about communication and self-expression, and connecting with people,” Gomez said. “The kinds of connections I get to make with Roomful’s collaborators directly inform and inspire the way I think about singing, and the way I think about teaching. That makes my teaching always more creative and alive upon my return.”

Watching Gomez build those connections between her performances and her teaching has been a joy to witness over the past five years, said Brian Pertl, dean of the Conservatory.

“Estelí Gomez is one of the most versatile and virtuosic singers in the world,” Pertl said. “Classical, jazz, musical theater, throat singing, and heavy metal. She literally can do it all.�� When she is not performing at the most famous concert halls around the world, she is here at �������ý��Ƶ teaching.��And her teaching is as virtuosic as her singing.”

Gomez’ students share the Grammy excitement. Prior to Sunday’s Grammy ceremony, they talked about what she brings to her students.

“She has spent so much of her time caring for her students and showing us love and compassion, and I think this nomination is a good way for her to receive that love and appreciation back,” said senior Damian Islas, a music performance (voice) major from Houston. “Aside from her nurturing persona, she has put in so much hard work into mastering the art of singing and knowing her voice and body inside and out, which is the hardest job for a singer. Some singers spend their entire lives trying to figure that out, but with one single beautiful soprano note, Prof Gomez shows us all that she has cracked the code.”

Ava Wadia, a sophomore from San Diego, said she’s thrilled to see Gomez and the Roomful ensemble recognized at the highest levels of the music industry.

“It’s inspiring as a student to see the payoff of all the techniques that she imparts to us in our lessons,” Wadia said. “It’s also a point of pride I think for me, like I get to shout, ‘That’s my voice teacher!’ at people.”

It’s familiar territory for Gomez and other members of the popular ensemble. Roomful of Teeth won a Grammy in 2014 in the same ensemble performance category for their self-titled debut album, and they were nominated in two other categories. They were nominated again in 2016 following the release of their second album, Render.

“I’m so glad to have this album out in the world finally, after eight years between our second and third albums,” said Gomez, who moved to Appleton in 2019 to join the �������ý��Ƶ faculty. “We’re really proud of it. It’s an honor for our group to have been nominated for Grammys for all three of our albums, but this one is such a special mix of music that we’ve gotten to tour and dig into over years of live performances, commissioning projects, and artist residencies.”

Gomez is excited to be part of the 2024 Grammy festivities at Crypto.com Arena, a day-long commitment sandwiched between the ensemble’s Saturday night performance in nearby Santa Barbara and a series of performances that kick off less than a week later in Paris with Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra.

“I’ll be on a redeye at midnight following the Grammys, flying back to Wisconsin to teach class the next morning,” Gomez said.

She then will fly to Paris a few days later, where she will teach remotely—in between rehearsals and performances—before her schedule brings her back to Appleton.

“I wanted to be sure to teach in person between the Grammys and the trip to France,” Gomez said. “It will be wonderful to see my students, get in a few meetings, and water my plants.”

Gomez is doing her best to bring her students along for the ride. The performing she does with Roomful of Teeth—striving to improve and grow as a vocal performer—informs her teaching. That, she said, is at the heart of being a mentor.

“I really feel a sense of symbiosis with my teaching and singing work—both types of work are about communication and self-expression, and connecting with people,” Gomez said. “The kinds of connections I get to make with Roomful’s collaborators directly inform and inspire the way I think about singing, and the way I think about teaching. That makes my teaching always more creative and alive upon my return.”

Watching Gomez build those connections between her performances and her teaching has been a joy to witness over the past five years, said Brian Pertl, dean of the Conservatory. The Grammy experience is a bonus.

“Estelí Gomez is one of the most versatile and virtuosic singers in the world,” Pertl said. “Classical, jazz, musical theater, throat singing, and heavy metal. She literally can do it all.�� When she is not performing at the most famous concert halls around the world, she is here at �������ý��Ƶ teaching.��And her teaching is as virtuosic as her singing.”

Gomez’ students share the Grammy excitement.

“She has spent so much of her time caring for her students and showing us love and compassion, and I think this nomination is a good way for her to receive that love and appreciation back,” said senior Damian Islas, a music performance (voice) major from Houston. “Aside from her nurturing persona, she has put so much hard work into mastering the art of singing and knowing her voice and body inside and out, which is the hardest job for a singer. Some singers spend their entire lives trying to figure that out, but with one single beautiful soprano note, Prof Gomez shows us all that she has cracked the code.”

Wadia, a sophomore from San Diego, said she’s thrilled to see Gomez and the Roomful ensemble recognized at the highest levels of the music industry.

“It’s inspiring as a student to see the payoff of all the techniques that she imparts to us in our lessons,” Wadia said. “It’s also a point of pride I think for me, like I get to shout, ‘That’s my voice teacher!’ at people.”

We caught up with Jones to talk about her path following graduation and her experiences as part of Shared Voices.

Q: What have you been working on since graduating from �������ý��Ƶ?

Jones: I recently performed in Manhattan School of Music’s production of L’Enfant et Les Sortilèges as Maman and La Libellule. This summer, I will have the pleasure of joining the Opera Theater of St. Louis as a Gerdine Young Artist, so I am currently preparing loads of music. During my time at OTSL, I will be covering the role of Monisha in Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha (reimagined by Damien Sneed), performing in the choruses of Tosca and Susanna, and portraying scenes from Eugene Onegin and Peter Grimes in the Center Stage Concert.

Q: What has the Shared Voices experience been like?

Jones: One of my favorite parts about being in Shared Voices has been learning about the Black women in the classical world who came before me. One of the requirements for Shared Voices cohort members is to perform a 15-minute lecture recital showcasing the works of Black composers. I chose to do a piece by Margaret Bonds. I had heard about her, but I had never sung her pieces. Well, I can say that my research process sparked a new love for her work. Her story and music resonate with me unlike the music of any other composer I currently sing.

We have so much fun in Shared Voices. Sometimes, programs can be a bit “stuffy.” That is not the case here. There is a level of camaraderie amongst the cohort members that is refreshing. When we first met each other at the launch at Howard University, we clicked. I firmly believe this beautiful atmosphere has everything to do with the sincere and supportive spirit in which the administration of Shared Voices operates.

Q: What has it been like to work with Denyce Graves?

Jones: I worked with Denyce Graves in a masterclass at �������ý��Ƶ in March 2022. Never would I have thought that six months later, I would join her program, and five months after that be featured on national television with her. I’m still in awe of how everything has turned out. I have looked up to this woman since I was 11 years old. I vividly remember standing up in Professor John Holiday’s office during my freshman year at �������ý��Ƶ and saying, “Prof, what if Denyce Graves came to �������ý��Ƶ?! Y’all would have to pack me out because I’d lose it.” All I can say is that I had nothing to do with this series of events. All of this is the evidence of God’s hand in my life.

Q: Why do you find the work of Shared Voices to be so fulfilling?

Jones: The connection Denyce Graves is building between HBCUs and music conservatories is vital for the purposes of spreading knowledge and resources. When conservatories are brought up in conversation, they tend to be spoken of as more superior than the music programs at HBCUs—if HBCUs are mentioned at all. Shared Voices derails that problematic mindset by shining a light on the wonderful programs and artists that come out of HBCUs. This bridge between HBCUs and conservatories creates the opportunity to gain immeasurable and priceless knowledge of classical music—more specifically the indelible imprint of Black artists in classical music—through each institution whether it be the extensive libraries at Howard University or ethnomusicologists at Juilliard. All in all, Denyce Graves is breaking the ground with this program, and I believe she has created something that will last for generations to come.

“This balance provides so much mutual respect and empathy—performing��really fuels my teaching, and my teaching fuels my performing.”
– Estelí Gomez, �������ý��Ƶ Conservatory of Music voice professor

The Grammys ceremony is a day-long event. While some of the higher profile categories will be featured on the prime time telecast on CBS, much of the ceremony takes place earlier in the day, including the Best Choral Performance category. Viewers can tune in to a livestream on Sunday on and on the Recording Academy’s .

There will be comfort in gathering with other musicians at the ceremony; last year’s event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s event, originally scheduled for January in Los Angeles, was postponed because of the spread of the omicron variant.

“For musicians whose lives were absolutely grounded and put on pause in a very strange way, it’s a huge relief to be with one another again,” Gomez said.

The Singing Guitar was recorded in late 2019, just before the pandemic hit. In addition to Gomez and Conspirare, it features three accomplished guitar quartets—Austin Guitar Quartet, Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, and Texas Guitar Quartet. Conspirare commissioned composer Nico Muhly to write one of the pieces that features Gomez as a soloist, How Little You Are.

“It’s a beautiful piece, and to have three guitar quartets together is wonderful,” Gomez said. “Not unlike a string quartet, they are usually their own entity. But in this case, instead of being self-directed, it was 12 guitarists and 26 vocalists, with step-out soloists, and conductor Craig Hella Johnson.”

In his composition, Muhly drew from the 19th century letters of two pioneer women, bringing to the fore descriptions of nature and hardships of prairie life.

Sunday’s trip to the Grammys is just a slice of Gomez’s busy schedule these days, with a variety of recent performances featuring different languages and musical genres.

At the end of Winter Term, she and Roomful of Teeth toured the Netherlands and Belgium, performing in six cities in 10 days. During spring break, Gomez joined Bach Collegium San Diego to present a world premiere version of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, translated entirely into Spanish, in San Diego and then Tijuana, Mexico.

A review in The San Diego Union-Tribune raved about Gomez’s performance: “Soprano Estelí Gomez’s lustrous vibrato enhanced the coloratura bravura of Cantad alegres, Oh hijas de Zión (Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion). In contrast to this dazzling timbre, with her final high note in Vendrá Él a cuidar su rebaño” (He shall feed His flock), Gomez floated a soft, clear “paz” to beautiful effect.”

In late January, Roomful of Teeth performed Partita for 8 Voices with the New York City Ballet, choreographed by Justin Peck, who also did the choreography for last year’s West Side Story film. In between rehearsals, Gomez was teaching students at �������ý��Ƶ via Zoom from a room inside the historic Lincoln Center.

“It’s so fun to be able to bring my students into these environments, almost literally,” Gomez said. “I talk to them about what I learned as a performer today, about really engaging with lifelong learning—all these things they work so hard at. I’m not just telling them, do this; I’m trying to do it myself, too. Even professionals still have to put in a lot of work and effort. This balance provides so much mutual respect and empathy—performing really fuels my teaching, and my teaching fuels my performing.”

“Being invited to sing at a regional or national conference is sort of like making it to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament or winning a Grammy. It’s that big of a deal.”
– Phillip Swan, director of Cantala

To qualify, choirs need to go through an auditioning process that includes submitting recordings from each of the three previous years. The three-year rule ensures the choir is consistently excellent even as its membership changes from year to year. A panel of judges then makes the selections from submissions that include college, high school, and youth choirs. The competition is robust.

“Being invited to sing at a regional or national conference is sort of like making it to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament or winning a Grammy,” Swan said.��“It’s that big of a deal. It’s highly competitive; they are seeking choirs that will demonstrate the highest standards of excellence in their performance.”

Swan will lead the 37-student Cantala, a women’s choir, while Stephen Sieck will lead the 28-student Concert Choir. They are co-directors of Choral Studies at �������ý��Ƶ.

“I look at this concert as an opportunity to share out what makes �������ý��Ƶ special,” Sieck said.��“We’re a small liberal arts college choir of scholars who approach texts with thoughtful discernment; and, we’re a Conservatory ensemble that performs difficult music with fluency and artistry, highlighting �������ý��Ƶ students’ exceptional vocal technique.”

The regional and national ACDA conferences are interspersed every other year. If you’re chosen to perform, you must then wait two years before you can apply again. Since 2006, Cantala has been selected to perform at the regional conference four times and the national conference twice. Concert Choir has been chosen for the regional conference three times and the national conference once.

“It’s an important and impactful experience for our students,” Swan said. “It reinforces the consistent work they are doing in the Conservatory and allows them to share their music-making with a highly discerning audience.” ��

This trip to Chicago also marks the first time the choirs have taken to the road for a performance since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. There will be a bevy of health and safety protocols put in place by the conference organizers, including proof of vaccination for all performers and conference attendees.

“Our performances will be masked,” Swan said. “That’s not such a big oddity for us because at �������ý��Ƶ everything has been masked for the last year. All of our performances have been masked, so we’re used to it now.”

But just getting to take to the road and perform in person provides a certain sense of normalcy that has the choirs excited, Swan said.

“I think there’s a genuine enthusiasm about actually connecting with people in person again,” he said.

Keeping the music alive has been a priority in the Conservatory for the two years of the pandemic, Sieck said. This trip is one more step forward.

“We are excited to be able to take this major stage, and we are deeply grateful for the safety protocols at the Harris Theatre and at �������ý��Ƶ for prioritizing public health while allowing music-making to continue,” he said.

Brittany Alperin, assistant professor of psychology. She will be the inaugural holder of the Singleton Professorship in Cognitive Neuroscience. She comes from the University of Richmond, where she’s been a visiting assistant professor since 2019. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and neuroscience from Hampshire College and a Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience from Oregon Health and Science University.

Sigma Colón, assistant professor of environmental and ethnic studies. She has been teaching at �������ý��Ƶ since 2017, first in postdoctoral NEH fellowships in geography and history, then as a visiting assistant professor of environmental and ethnic studies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in history from the University of Arizona and a Ph.D. in American Studies from Yale University.

Kelly Culhane, assistant professor of chemistry. She has been working as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota since 2019. She joins the Chemistry department after earning a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from St. Olaf College and a Ph.D. in molecular biophysics and biochemistry from Yale University.

Scott Dixon, assistant professor of philosophy. He has been on the faculty at Ashoka University in Haryana, India since 2015. He studied philosophy and German at the University of Montana and earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of California, Davis.

Amanda Draheim, assistant professor of psychology. She joins the Psychology department at �������ý��Ƶ after recently completing her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Georgia State University. She previously earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Trinity University.

Alex Heaton, assistant professor of mathematics. Beginning in 2019, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences and the Math+ Berlin Mathematics Research Center, both in Germany. He then joined the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences in Toronto as a postdoctoral fellow. He earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Margaret Koker, assistant professor of physics. She has been teaching in the Physics department at �������ý��Ƶ as a visiting assistant professor since 2018. She previously worked as a postdoctoral research fellow, a research assistant, and an engineering lecturer at Cornell University and as a Beamline scientist at the University of Chicago. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston University, a master’s from the University of Illinois, and her doctor rerum naturalium from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, Germany.

Linnea Ng, assistant professor of psychology. She will be the inaugural holder of the Hurvis Professorship in Collaboration and Organizational Psychology at �������ý��Ƶ. She is completing a Ph.D. in industrial organizational psychology at Rice University. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Davidson College.

Kristin Roach, assistant professor of music (vocal coaching). Her recent accomplishments include work as a vocal coach at the Chautauqua Opera Theatre, conductor with the Pacific Opera Project, musical director and conductor with Spotlight on Opera, and conductor with Vocal Academy of Orvieto. She earned a bachelor’s degree in applied piano and a master of music in piano performance/literature and accompanying/chamber music, both from Eastman School of Music.

Elizabeth Schlabach, associate professor of history. She comes to �������ý��Ƶ following eight years as a member of the faculty at Earlham College. She previously worked as a visiting professor for five years at The College of William & Mary. She earned a bachelor’s degree in history and theology from Valparaiso University, a master’s in American Studies from Lehigh University, and a Ph.D. in American Studies from St. Louis University.��

Endowed professorships

The hiring of Alperin as �������ý��Ƶ’s first Singleton Professor in Cognitive Neuroscience and Ng as the first Hurvis Professor in Collaboration and Organizational Psychology marks a significant milestone in the Psychology department.

The two endowed positions came out of the hugely successful��Be the Light!��campaign that over the course of seven years raised $232.6 million and added five endowed professorships.

The Singleton professorship elevates �������ý��Ƶ’s work in the area of cognitive neuroscience and the Hurvis professorship allows for the exploration of the psychology of collaboration, a growing field that has relevance across the curriculum as students prepare for life after �������ý��Ƶ.��

Kodat called the filling of the two endowed positions “especially gratifying,” a tangible result of the��.

“These positions—in organizational psychology and cognitive neuroscience—will help advance the curricular innovation that was one of the centerpieces of the campaign,” she said.

The 10 new faculty begin their first academic year when Fall Term opens Sept. 13.

“I look forward to a long and happy collaboration,” Kodat said.