Artists |
Artists |
Laura Nevitt is a conductor, composer, and educator based in Boston. She earned degrees in Composition and Music Education from the University of South Carolina, and a M.M. in Choral Conducting at Boston Conservatory, studying with George Case. Laura is Artistic Director of Lilith Vocal Ensemble, Associate Conductor at Voices Boston Children’s Choir, Director of Children’s Chorus at NEC Prep, Teaching Artist with Handel & Haydn Society & Boston Lyric Opera, Music Director at First Parish UU in Needham, and Co-Founder & Former Co-Artistic Director of Nightingale Vocal Ensemble. Her compositions have been featured by the Handel & Haydn Society Youth Choruses, Choral Arts Initiative, Source Song Festival, Sparks & Wiry Cries Song Slam (NYC), BRACE New Music Choir, Boston Conservatory Choir, Nightingale, Opera on Tap Boston, UofSC Concert Choir, The Evelyn Duo, and Choir of Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church in Cambridge. IG: @laurameredithnevitt www.lauranevitt.com
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Known for her skillful musicianship and engaging character work, New York and Boston-based soprano Sophie Berman has captivated audiences all over the east coast. Throughout her musical career, Berman has studied and performed pieces from a variety of musical eras, allowing her to explore the versatility of her voice within the classical realm. As a recitalist, Berman has performed many works by women and genderqueer composers, including Undine Smith Moore, Abbie Betinis, and Dylan Trần. Berman also enjoys performing in staged works of opera and oratorio, and she has sung the roles of Midas (Phoebus und Pan), Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro), and Laetitia (The Old Maid and the Thief, cover). She has performed with several of Boston’s renowned music organizations, including Calliope’s Call and the Cantata Singers. Berman recently graduated from the Longy School of Music with a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance, and she looks forward to sharing her artistry with new audiences and collaborating with a variety of musicians across New England.
"As a part of Lilith, I look forward to sharing and learning about a variety of social justice initiatives through the art of treble music. I'm excited to collaborate with new performers and composers on this much needed repertoire!" |
Shea (Sé) Brown, they/she, is a gender nonconforming, clear-voiced soprano with a diverse musical skill set. From Hildegard and Saariaho to DiFranco and Carlile, Shea is passionate about blending their love of history and social justice through performances that combine classical and contemporary commercial styles of music. Shea has a rich history as an ensemble singer, enjoying everything from intimate madrigal and jazz ensembles to 50-voice choirs. Most recently, she has performed in the staged ensemble oratorio of James Kallembach’s Antigone; a concert of Luzzasco Luzzaschi’s trios with Newton Baroque; Bach arrangements by Ward Swingle with Eudaimonia and Portland Bach Ensemble on their Back to Bach programs; and alongside GRAMMY-winning artist Sam Smith on SNL. She is currently a section leader at Second Church in Newton, a music program that specializes in historical repertoire. Shea holds a MM in Historical Performance from Longy School of Music and a BM in Voice Performance from the University of Colorado Boulder.
"I am very excited to perform with Lilith Vocal Ensemble this season, because its core mission aligns perfectly with my values as a musician. As a gender nonconforming soprano, I desire to perform music that unites queer composers and treble singers to challenge the general narrative and prescribed gender and social norms." |
Grace Coberly (they/them) is a composer, singer, and educator with a passion for human connection. Above all, they seek to create musical experiences that are accessible to audiences of any background. Grace has received several choral and vocal commissions, and their work has been performed across the United States and Europe. Recent honors include being named a finalist for the American Prize in Composition (vocal chamber music division, 2023), a finalist in in the ASCAP’s Morton Gould Young Composer Awards Competition (2022), a performance winner of the EXTENSITY Commission (2022), and a runner-up in the Women's Sacred Music Project Commission Competition (2020). Grace earned their bachelor’s in music and linguistics from Haverford College, and they’re currently working towards a master’s in music education through George Mason University. They teach elementary music in Duxbury and sing with the Boston Cecilia. You can hear their work at gracecoberly.com.
"Lilith welcomes my voice as a singer, composer and nonbinary musician. I am so looking forward to taking risks and innovating in a community of like-minded artists!" |
Praised for her “nuance and sensitivity” (Boston Music Intelligencer), soprano Kendra Comstock, is a Boston-based performer and teacher. Kendra performs a wide variety of Classical and Contemporary repertoire, but is especially passionate about singing early music. Kendra’s recent engagements include performances with the Cambridge Chamber Ensemble, the Boston Camerata, the Wood Harbor Chamber Ensemble, Piccola Opera, the Concordia Consort, Ensemble 44, the Society for Historically Informed Performance (SoHIP), and the BEMF Fringe Series. Kendra also co-founded the Pandora Consort, an early music ensemble focused on creating innovative performances of early music. Recent original programs include: Vox Feminae with SoHIP Boston, the first ever Worlds Collide Series, bringing together Boston-based emerging musicians across all genres to create original compositions and fundraise for Massachusetts charities of their choice; and The Witching Hour with SoHIP and Pegasus Early Music. Kendra holds a bachelor's degree in Voice from Oklahoma City University, where she was a founding member of the OCU Early Music Ensemble, and a Master of Music in Historical Performance at the Longy School of Music of Bard College. In addition to performing, Kendra maintains a private voice studio and teaches voice, piano, and guitar at the North End Music and Performing Arts Center (NEMPAC).
"I'm very excited to be part of the Lilith Vocal Ensemble! Lilith uses music as an agent of change and it's very inspiring to be part of that revolution in the Classical music world." |
Melanie Donnelly (she/her) is a mezzo-soprano and teaching artist based in Boston. She currently sings with various choral groups throughout Greater Boston, including Nightingale Vocal Ensemble and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and is a regular alto section leader at The Dover Church. Melanie is also an educational performer with Talewise, a drama teaching artist in Boston Public Schools, and a director of children's theatre at Angier After School Program in Newton. She loves the communal artistry of both chorus and theatre, and believes that these arts are tools for social commentary and change.
"I am so excited to join Lilith this season and really explore some high caliber treble repertoire! So much treble vocal music is overlooked because of the deeply gendered traditions in the choral world, and I can't wait to use my low alto notes to be a new type of bass section." |
Chloe Gardner is a Boston based singer and performer. As a recent graduate from the Boston Conservatory with a degree in Vocal Performance, Gardner strives to find contemporary pieces, for both solo voice and choir.
"Lilith is a really exciting step into the future of classical music and I am honored to be a part of it. So many themes in music written for treble choir are based in gender stereotypes, which Lilith strives to break free from. The opportunity to explore and perform pieces from underrepresented composers is one that I am very grateful for." |
Soprano Rose Hegele (she/her) explores the extremes of human vocal and artistic expression in 20th and 21st century music. Active in several genres including contemporary opera, chamber music, musical theater and choral singing, Rose sings to create a healing space to allow audiences and artistic collaborators to embrace their complexity and humanity. Recent highlights include Ms. Hegele’s solo debut at the Center for New Music in July 2022, her performances of “Linda Lampton” and “Gloria” in workshops for Tod Machover’s opera VALIS in February 2022, and a solo recital on Illuminate Women’s Music’s 2021 virtual concert series. Dedicated to service and education through artistry, Rose teaches musicianship at the Suzuki School of Newton and voice and piano at Go Go Allegro. She has presented workshops and masterclasses at Roger Williams University, Frost School of Music, Wildflower Composers Festival, Clark University, Berklee College of Music, Boston Singers' Resource, and Ziksa Digital Art Forum. A collaborative tour de force, Ms. Hegele is committed to working with others in diverse musical environments. She is a founding member of Peridot Duo and Into the Light Ensemble, and sings with Nightingale Vocal Ensemble, Vox Futura, Sound Icon, et al., and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. She holds a Master’s Degree in Contemporary Classical Music Performance from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and a Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance and Musical Arts from the Eastman School of Music.
"Lilith facilitates a much-needed space for women and gender non-conforming musicians to embrace our artistic agency, rebel against societal and music industry norms, and celebrate our unique voices. I am thrilled to connect with a community of incredible artists who are passionate about social justice and exploring treble vocal music!" |
Jess Huetteman (they/she), is a soprano and voice teacher based in Providence, RI. Active as a soloist and chorister, Jess has collaborated with various professional choirs, including Ensemble Altera, Collegium Ancora, The Union Ensemble, and The VOCES8 US Scholars. Recently, Jess appeared as the soprano soloist in Benjamin Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb with Collegium Ancora and as a recitalist in Grace Episocpal Church's Thursdays at Noon Concert Series. Jess also serves as a Choral Scholar for the Grace Episcopal Church Choir and Choristers.
In addition to performing, Jess maintains active voice studios at the RI Philharmonic Music School and at Norwood High School. Jess has also appeared as a teaching artist and section leader for various summer choral festivals, including The South Shore Children’s Chorus Summer Choral Intensive and Quintessence Summer Choral Festival. They are currently in their second year on the Board of the RI Chapter of NATS, serving as Secretary. Jess is a Level I Certified YogaVoice® Teacher. They hold a Master of Music in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College and a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Psychology from UMass Amherst. "Lilith is an intentional and value-driven choral space that centers feminine and gender non-conforming voices and experiences, something that is much needed in the world. I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded artists and sing some incredible treble choir repertoire!" |
Kelvyn Koning (he/they) specializes in composing for choir and theatre and performing as a countertenor and pianist. They hold a Bachelor of Arts in Composition from Calvin University in Grand Rapids, MI and a Master of Music in Composition from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Kelvyn has been commissioned to write pieces for Boston Latin School, Chandler MS, Zeeland HS, Batesville HS, Arlington HS, the Da Camera Singers, Northwest Hills United Methodist Church, First Parish Needham, Quorum, and the Oriana Consort. His latest works include two full-length musicals, The Glassblower’s Daughter at the Regent Theater and The Prince and the Painter with Moonbox Productions.
Kelvyn is a founding member of Nightingale Vocal Ensemble and West Michigan Choral Lab, for whom they sing and compose music. Kelvyn has also sung with the Calvin Alumni Choir, Quorum, and the Oriana Consort. He performed as a soloist at the Beaver Island Baroque Festival in his home state of Michigan and has premiered several new vocal and piano works by friends in Boston. Kelvyn is an active solo pianist and accompanist around Boston, working at the Boston Conservatory, Cantilena Treble Chorus, JP Jubilee Chorus, Artbarn Community Theatre, and Watertown Children’s Theatre, as well as freelancing. They are also the Music Minister at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Natick, acting as the pianist, organist, and choir director for adult and youth choirs. Kelvyn’s vision is to foster empathy, healing, and social justice for individuals and communities through music. His philosophy is that different types of music can work together harmoniously to create new and beautiful things, just as different types of people can. Kelvyn is excited to join Lilith for their premiere season! "I'm excited to sing with Lilith because of their focus on promoting female-identifying and GNC composers, performers, and collaborators. As a genderqueer countertenor, I'm excited to be a part of a tight-knit, skillful, and justice-oriented organization such as this." |
Michal Nissimoff is a multifaceted individual, excelling as a performer, conductor, and composer. Originally from Tel Aviv, she made her way to Boston to chase her passion for music, earning a B.M in Composition and Conducting from Berklee College of Music. With a diverse range of experiences in performance, music direction, and arts administration, she possesses a particular passion for exploring new works. Whether she's on stage, or collaborating as part of the production team, she finds great fulfillment in contributing to the artistic experience.
"I believe that contemporary art plays a pivotal role in addressing global issues and fostering connections among people. While I acknowledge that art alone cannot single-handedly "change the world," I believe it possesses the unique ability to raise awareness and inspire action. It is a great privilege for me to be part of a group actively engaged in this transformative work of utilizing art for positive change." |
A soprano comfortable in both classical music and musical theatre, Cailin Smith dares to lean into the uncomfortable, use music as a mode of advocacy, and educate young audiences. Cailin holds a Master of Music degree at the Longy School of Music. Recent highlights include First Spirit in The Magic Flute: Retold; James Kallembach’s Antigone; Titine in Libby Larsen’s The Silver Fox. Cailin is a founding member of Dreoilín Darach Duo, a high-voice ensemble dedicated to performing Irish music and highlighting women and gender nonconforming composers and historical figures. Cailin is a passionate educator dedicated to helping young singers embrace their voices.
"I’m thrilled to be joining Lilith! There is an ever-growing, ever-present need for artistic spaces for women and gender non-conforming artists and stories. Music is a powerful tool for advocacy, community-building, and changemaking, and I am excited to join Lilith and contribute to a social justice movement powered by art." |
Soprano Regina Stroncek is a versatile artist interested in communicating with diverse audiences through language and music. She is an avid recitalist with a deep-seated passion for art song, and has participated in the Barcelona Festival of Song and Source Song Festival. An advocate for new music, she has sung world and regional premieres of art song and chamber music by living composers in the United States and Brazil. Regina spent 2 years researching and performing Brazilian vocal chamber repertoire in Brasília through the support of Fulbright grants. She is an alumna of the inaugural class of the Seraphic Fire Professional Choral Institute at Aspen Music Festival and has performed with ensembles such as Lorelei Ensemble, the Boston Camerata, Nightingale Vocal Ensemble, and Border CrosSing.
"Lilith is expanding the canon of works for treble voices by commissioning and performing repertoire for treble voices. I am so excited to sing new works written by and for women and gender non-conforming artists." |
Soprano Healey Suto is thrilled to join the Lilith Vocal Ensemble this season. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Healey moved to Boston in 2021, and since then has enjoyed singing solo and with several ensembles, including the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. She holds a BA in Music from Mount Holyoke College, where her love of singing fresh and unexpected music in treble ensembles was born. Healey is interested in pushing the boundaries of what the voice can do, and looks forward to exploring more new music with Lilith.
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Angie Tyler (she/they) is a Boston-based soprano who specializes in early music. With a bright, shimmering tone, Angie is passionate about telling compelling stories and challenging the status quo both in music and in life.
A sought after soloist, Angie performs regularly with early music ensembles in the Boston area. Recent performances include Midnight Sun with The Aurora Ensemble and The Ladies of Ferrara with Newton Baroque. Angie has also sung with The Boston Camerata and Seven Times Salt, and regularly performs with Lilith Vocal Ensemble and Tutti Music Collective. Angie is co-founder and music director of The Pandora Consort, an early music ensemble dedicated to innovative performances and underrepresented music. With The Pandora Consort they have developed and performed programs such as Vox Feminae: Songs of Powerful Women, The Witching Hour, and host annually The Worlds Collide Showcase. The Pandora Consort has performed on the SoHIP summer concert series, the BEMF Fringe Concert series, and with Pegasus Rising. In June The Pandora Consort will premiere their newest program Hildegard Reanimated: Vision in Vision. Angie holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Cairn University and in 2021 earned a Master of Music in Historical Performance at Longy School of Music of Bard College studying with Pamela Dellal. In addition to music, Angie is passionate about disability rights and queer liberation. |
With a bright, mood-evocative voice, mezzo soprano Dagny von Mering (she/her) is a multifaceted vocalist who purposefully uses her artistry to initiate and encourage growth-promoting dialogue around gender equality, personal identity, sexuality, and community.
von Mering exudes enthusiasm for the intimate genre of art song. She has a vested interest in razing its gendered performance status quo, frequently performing repertoire written for tenor, baritone, and bass voices. And, inspired by her own studies of the French language, history, poetry, and prose, she especially loves late 19th century and early 20th century French mélodie. In addition to art song, von Mering’s other performance interests lie in early and contemporary music. She has performed with the Boston Camerata, appeared in the Handel Opera Academy’s inaugural production of Giulio Cesare in Egitto (2022), was a member of the recording choir for the University of Florida’s world premiere of Paul Richard’s opera The Golem of Prague (2021), and collaborated with composer Daniel Townsend and soprano Gaby Gonzalez to create and record a micro-opera based on Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven (2020). von Mering earned a Bachelor of Music in combination with French and Francophone studies from the University of Florida and a Master of Music in Vocal Studies from the Longy School of Music of Bard College. Due to her love of singing without shoes, she calls herself the Barefoot Mezzo (@barefootmezzo). “Lilith’s mission to challenge and break gender stereotypes in classical music very much aligns with my own. I am honored to be part of an ensemble that is elevating the voices of women and gender-nonconforming composers & musicians.” |
Ivy Wei (she/her) is a mezzo-soprano based in the Boston area. She has been singing in solo and choral settings for almost 20 years and performs songs in a wide variety of genres, including jazz, folk, musical theater, classical, opera, and of course choral music.
“I'm excited to connect with the members of Lilith for the upcoming season. As an Asian-American woman, I’m always looking for opportunities to perform pieces that uplift voices and stories that have been historically overlooked. I look forward to sharing in this new era of the choral canon!” |
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Cait Winston (she/her) is a current fourth-year Vocal Performance major at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Cait enjoys collaborating with Boston composers and playwrights to debut their solo, choral, and musical theater works. She has also worked as a staff writer for music publications, and was recently a research intern for the Boulanger Initiative. Cait is very excited to be a part of Lilith!
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Maria Whitcomb (She/Her): A native of Hurley, NY, in New York State’s Catskill Mountain Region, soprano Maria Whitcomb is currently enjoying a blossoming career in Boston’s rich musical community. Locally, she performs with Nightingale Vocal Ensemble, Metrowest Friends of Chamber Music, and the choir of The Congregational Church of Needham, MA. She also enjoys a close collaboration with local composer Bruno Faria, who penned the title role in his chamber opera Voices Followed: The Illumination of Joan of Arc, especially for her. Following that collaboration, he went on to compose a Christina Rossetti song cycle, “Sing-Song” in memory of her late father, Benjamin Whitcomb III. This work will receive its world premiere in a December 2023 recital at the Boston Athenaeum.
Last season, Maria debuted two leading roles in operas by Gian Carlo Menotti with two rising American opera programs. She performed the title role in Music On Site, Inc.'s Kansas touring production of Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Laetitia in The Old Maid and the Thief with Queens Summer Vocal Institute in New York City. Maria began her operatic training in the Catskills with Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice, and holds degrees from Syracuse University's Setnor School of Music, where she studied with Janet Brown, and the Longy School of Music of Bard College, where she studied with Jayne West. She currently studies with Mark Lee in Arlington, MA. “I love singing ensemble music because of the sense of community and peace that it brings, and these feelings are magnified in the camaraderie of treble music. All any artist wants is a safe space to bring their whole selves to their work, and I am grateful for Lilith’s commitment to provide this. I am so excited to raise my voice in more ways than one alongside this extraordinary group of artists.” |
As a mezzo soprano and multi instrumentalist, Bek Zehr (they/them) is an animated storyteller of music and theatre originating from Carthage, NY. Bek is a queer and nonbinary person who seeks to unearth the beauties of diversity and create a radical space of welcome through their music. Bek received their BA in Music at Goshen College, with study of French horn, creating writing, and acting. Bek also studied at Longy School of Music of Bard College in the Vocal Studies Master of Music program. Bek is a versatile vocalist and instrumentalist in art song, theater, jazz, choral, folk, and pop music. They are an active section leader and performer at Arlington Street Church in downtown Boston, and have performed with MassOpera in Boston as well as the Boston Camerata. Bek strongly values sustainability whether caring for oneself, the earth around us, or being passionately involved in one's community.
"I am energized by Lilith's necessary mission to focus on music for and by gender non-conforming people and women. I'm honored to be a part of an organization that lives in the heart of social justice and art, working with some of the most passionate musicians who have spent their careers rebelling against the harmful and nuanced systems within our field." |