Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Paul Bushnell has spent his entire career in health care and has founded and operated several businesses in the health care field. His consulting firm, based in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, provided strategic planning and operational assistance to health care systems, hospitals and other health care provider organizations. He sold that firm to a large hospital company in Nashville and headed up the consulting division including 400 consultants. That firm went public in 1994 owning, managing and consulting to hospitals throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. He moved to Albuquerque 20 years ago, (his wife’s home town), and founded SeniorCare – a firm that provides assisted living services to elderly residents in facilities in Albuquerque. He retired several years ago and spends time singing, volunteering and working on several business ventures.
Throughout his career he has served on many Boards of both for-profit and non-organizations. These have included hospitals, health systems, life-care communities, museums and churches.
Music has been a significant part of his life since childhood, singing and playing the trumpet. He sings with the choir at St John’s Methodist, has sung bass with Coro Lux since its founding and currently serves as Treasurer of the Board.
Mike Hart is a founding shareholder/owner of Martinez, Hart, Thompson & Sanchez, P.C. Mike’s prestigious legal career began in 1988, when he received his law degree from the University of New Mexico School of Law. Since then he has dedicated his career to representing children and adults harmed by criminal, reckless and negligent conduct. Mike has been listed as one of the Best Lawyers in America since 2000, and has twice earned the Best Lawyers’ “Lawyer of the Year” recognition. In 2018, Mike was honored by the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association for his extraordinary 30-year career working on behalf of children and victims of sexual abuse. Other honor and awards include being recognized as a Southwest Super Lawyer, being named Lawyer of the Year for personal injury in 2014 and being honored by the Albuquerque Bar Association as an Outstanding Lawyer.
Mike has been an active member of this community his entire life. He graduated from the Albuquerque Academy and went on to study fine arts at Harvard University. After graduation from Harvard, Mike worked on public policy in Washington, D.C. He’s also served on many different non-profit boards, including serving as the President of the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association and Legal FACS Board of Directors, the UNM Law School Alumni Association, Crossroads for Women, and The Arc of New Mexico.
Keith Hinds has been with Merrill Lynch since 2003, after finishing a career in environmental finance. He is a 1980 graduate of George Washington University, with a BA in Public Affairs, and a native New Mexican, raised in Carlsbad. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch, Keith worked with companies of all sizes in the environmental industry, helping with project structuring, business expansion, and exit strategies. At Merrill Lynch, Keith works with families in all aspects of wealth management, with a special emphasis on financial planning, considerations relating to special needs, and value added client services. He is a Certified Financial Planner professional, and also holds the Chartered Special Needs Consultant designation.
Outside of work, Keith enjoys fly fishing, golf, travel and spending time with his family, which includes three daughters, their spouses and seven grandchildren. His wife, Bernadette, is a native of France and runs a small landscape design, installation and maintenance company in Albuquerque. Keith joined the Coro Lux board in the summer of 2020, and also sits on the board of the NM Brain Injury Alliance, as well as on the board of the Dominican Ecclesial Institute. He has been selected to serve as President of the Coro Lux board for the upcoming term, and looks forward to working with the community of singers and community at large to sustain, support and supplement this organization which he views as a critical component of the unique New Mexico quality of life.
Vinnessa Martinez Ohle has loved music all her life. She will fondly bring up that her first words were the chirping of “lalala.” She joined her school choir at the age of 12 and used music as an outlet for life, becoming increasingly involved in vocal training and chorus throughout her university career, graduating with a Bachelors in Music Education. Vinnessa remains engaged with a variety of people and skill levels through music. She has taught in Los Lunas Public Schools as an Elementary General Music Teacher for the past 6 years and continues to develop her skills as an educator through frequent attendance at professional conferences. In 2019 she was nominated as Teacher Of The Year for her school.
Vinnessa also spends weekends and holidays as the Music Director for her church. “Singing is good for everyone! And everyone can sing!” she claims. Although Vinnessa focuses on K-6 General Music, she has sung with a wide variety of choruses. She joined Coro Lux in 2016 and has been managing the ads process for the printed programs since 2017. She is excited to be rehearsing and continually developing her talents with Coro Lux and looks forward to the productions to come!
John P. Owen, Ph.D. – term starts 7/1/2022.
John is a psychologist. Prior to his entering private practice in 1986, he worked as a counselor in several different work settings. They included: Albuquerque Job Corps, New Mexico State Penitentiary, a federally funded project for the treatment of incest families, Hospice, Albuquerque Child Guidance Center as an intern, and the Court Clinic doing family divorce evaluations and mediation. In private practice, he has worked with children, adolescents, adults and couples. He also has been the psychologist on a federal grant project that dealt with the homeless population and substance abuse.
Along with his clinical practice, John had the opportunity to teach in a variety of settings. He taught with Metropolitan Court programs for DWI and shoplifting offenders. He was a faculty member in the Psychology Department at the University of Albuquerque for two years before it closed. His longest teaching and advisement position was with Webster University as an adjunct faculty member for 35 years.
His major sources of enjoyment are his wife, four children, their significant others, six grandchildren and a variety of activities with friends.
Kristin Thelander was on the music faculty at UNM for seven years in the 1980s, teaching horn, music history, and theory; she also performed with the Santa Fe and New Mexico symphonies. She joined the faculty at the University of Iowa in 1989 as horn professor, then became Director of the School of Music in 2000, and finally served in an administrative position for planning a beautiful new music building. After retiring in 2016, she and her husband Wayne moved back to Albuquerque, where they enjoy singing with Coro Lux, playing golf, spending time with their children and granddaughters, and traveling.
Kristin had a rich and active performing career on both natural horn and modern horn, appearing as a horn soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Europe, Mexico, Brazil, South Korea, and China. She was a featured artist at many regional and international horn workshops and international brass symposia, and she performed with summer orchestra and chamber music festivals in Colorado, New York, and Oregon. She also recorded several CDs of solo and chamber music for both natural horn and modern horn.
Vicky Wood has been teaching music at various Albuquerque Public Schools for the past 10 years. She attended the University of New Mexico for both her Bachelors in Music Education and Masters in Elementary Education. She is certified in Kodály Level III, Orff Level II, and World Music Drumming Level I. She has been serving as Treasurer for the New Mexico Chapter of the American Orff Schulwerk Association since 2017.
Although her career is focused on K-5 general music, Vicky is enthusiastic about choral singing and has been singing with various choirs since she was a child. She has been singing with Coro Lux since 2016 and has been serving as Secretary for the Board since 2017. She also serves the choir in the role of Volunteer Coordinator. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and various outdoor activities.
About Our Members
About Our Members
Michael Adams looks forward to the collaboration and fun and personal growth opportunities of being with Coro Lux. He sang in the University Chorus at UNM in the 80’s and sang the National Anthem solo at the Isotopes twice. He performs lead vocals with a local classic-rock band regularly. Michael hitch-hiked from Philadelphia to Taos in 1979 with his dad, so he is almost a native New Mexican. He is an Engineer working at Intel Corporation for over 30 years.
Mark Adrian earned his BA in Music from the University of Washington and subsequently completed graduate coursework for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree, specializing in choral conducting. Involved in the Greater Seattle choral community since 1981, he founded Northwest Associated Arts, a family of children and adult choruses, and Cantaré Vocal Ensemble. Mark has also served as Artistic Director and Conductor of Colla Voce Seattle and the Seattle Women’s Ensemble. He has led music programs at churches throughout Seattle, and, having just moved to Albuquerque, is currently Director of Music at Our Lady of Fatima church. He looks forward to singing under Brad’s direction and making new friends.
Katy Anderson grew up with a UNM music alum as a mom, so singing made perfect sense. After graduating from Cibola High School, she earned a Vocal Performance degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. She also met her husband at Vanderbilt, a talented trumpet player and guitarist. After additional music and choral studies at the University of Georgia, she began a career in non-profit work and continues to this day. Three wonderful little girls joined the family starting in 2009, and yes, they also love to sing!
George Arthur — When George was an undergraduate at UNM he was an active member of the University Chorus. After 50 years living in Connecticut he has returned full circle to Albuquerque and singing under the direction of the former music director of that same group.
Bill Artman — I began singing in a Men’s Glee Club at St Bonaventure University (in western New York), 50 years ago. SPEBSQSA, Mannergesangverein in Landstuhl 1966, numerous church choirs, the UNM University Chorus, and Bob Boughton’s Madrigal Singers bring the total number of groups I have sung in to 10. I am so pleased to once again sing for Mr. Brad Elllingboe in Coro Lux! I recently received a new aortic valve donated to me from a Mexican Fighting Bull. As a result, I find I feel more aggressive towards Swedes and Norwegians now. Love to sing, ride motorcycles, and all the other activities which help you gain weight.
Jan Bowers — I was born into a musical family! My Mom was a very talented pianist and my Dad was a fine singer and loved listening to his extensive record collection!! I have inherited their love of music! For decades I have treasured the camaraderie and the pure joy which are undeniable while singing in a choir! Over the years I have been fortunate enough to have sung in numerous ensembles under the ever so capable, waving arms and tutelage of Brad Ellingboe. Being a member of Coro Lux is a privilege which I do not take lightly!
Rebecca Brunette is a graduate of the UNM music program. A lifelong lover of music, she is delighted to be singing with Coro Lux once again. As an undergraduate, she has performed many roles including Hanna Glawari in Lehár’s The Merry Widow, the Starbird in Mollicone’s Starbird, and, most recently, Rosalinde in Strauss’s Die Fledermaus. In 2015, she made her soloistic debut with the Red Rock String Ensemble in Vivaldi’s Gloria. She has been a soloist with Coro Lux, singing the soprano solos on the Brahms Ein Deutches Requiem and the Jenkins The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, as well as selections from Handel’s Messiah. She would like to thank Bradley Ellingboe for his mentorship and the opportunities he has provided, and all of the supporters of the arts in New Mexico for providing young artists with a safe place to explore their craft and a springboard into the greater artistic community.
Bryan Butler has sung in church, school, community, and professional choirs since a very young age. He is a staff astronomer at the Very Large Array and has been in New Mexico for more than 20 years. He has sung locally with Quodlibet, Polyphony, and Quintessence, and is happy to be singing with Coro Lux now.
Cameron Byrley is now in his 4th year of living in Albuquerque and is looking to build on his experience as a vocalist and choir member. He grew up in Springfield, Missouri, loving music in all the ways he could find. Following inspiring teachers in high school, he decided that teaching music would be his career. He is currently a music teacher at Mary Ann Binford Elementary School.
Christy Cook is an artist, musician and educator who has been writing songs since she was 6 years old. She’s performed locally as herself and with her bands Cactus Tractor, ABBAquerque, the ABQ Boys Choir, and other collaborations. She’s always been a fan of close harmonizing and began singing with choirs and barbershop groups in high school. When she isn’t singing or songwriting she can be found on stilts, on roller skates, or in her art classroom collaborating with students.
Gabrielle Dietrich has happily returned to the west after eight years’ sojourn in Pennsylvania. She has sung in choirs from a very early age, and studied music at University of the Pacific, University of Colorado at Boulder, and the Kodály Institute in Kecskemét, Hungary. Gabby loves geeky TV shows, cooking gluten-free food that aims to make gluten eaters jealous, hanging out with her two dogs and cat, and exploring New Mexico with her fiancé, Mike.
Martin Doviak started singing and strumming publicly as a Peter Yarrow wannabe in his teenage years, which led directly into wailing Bob Dylan songs in college, while also singing and dancing as a Princeton Triangle Club chorister. In more recent years, he has been seen and heard singing with the University Chorus, Albuquerque Festival Singers, New Mexico Symphonic Chorus, Quintessence, and Coro Lux. When not singing and dressed all in black, he can be found more colorfully and casually attired on local tennis courts, ski slopes, or public parks with his two dogs trying to avoid Animal Control officers.
Karen Ellingboe wishes to abstain from listing anything here in a public way, as she is currently in the witness protection program, having served time in several of the conductor’s previous ensembles.
Ennio Fermo —I’m Ennio, I am Italian and started to sing in 1994 in Trieste, Italy. I traveled with my choir to several countries in Europe and Australia. These were very important experiences in my life. I have three children, who all live in Italy and am now also a grandfather! Above all, I found a great person. Donatella and I married here at ABQ several years ago. She is the light of my life. I’ve worked all my life. In earlier years I was a firefighter. Later I built a transport business. Now I restore furniture. I like to give new life to old furniture. In conclusion, I love to sing and am very glad to sing with Coro Lux!
Bill Foote – Since childhood Bill has sung in church choirs. He was a member of the UNM a capella choir in the 1960’s and sang with the men’s a capella group De Profundis for 17 years until its dissolution in 2022. He has been married to Cheryl since 1969, and they have two children, Jeremy and Jennifer, and a grandson, Andrew. Bill retired from a 40+ year career as a forensic psychologist, during which time he consulted with lawyers and judges and testified as an expert witness in civil and criminal cases in state, federal and Canadian courts. He is the co-author of 3 books and many chapters and articles in his field. He enjoys singing folk music and playing 12-string guitar and mandolin.
Angelynn Gomez is the director of choirs at James Monroe Middle School on the westside of Albuquerque. She earned her Bachelor of Music Education degree from UNM in 2014. She enjoys teaching 11 through 14-year olds during the week and singing with fellow professionals and music enthusiasts in Coro Lux.
A native of Albuquerque, Brian Griffith began singing as a young child. After taking a long detour to experiment with brass instruments and then become a Landscape Architect, he is excited to join Coro Lux and experience the world of choral music. Brian’s personal vocal teacher (and wife) is educator-extraordinaire Camille Kelly, who assures him he is a great singer and will do ‘just fine’ singing tenor.
Casey Haynes is a cybersecurity research staff member at Sandia National Laboratories and grew up in Albuquerque. After graduating from Manzano High School in 2017, he moved to Socorro and earned Computer Science and Cybersecurity degrees from New Mexico Tech. Throughout that time, he also studied operatic singing and played French Horn in Tech’s small orchestra. Casey has been singing since age 5 in various capacities, has a lifelong love of music, and is very excited to be singing with Coro Lux this season.
Tania Hopkins is an elementary music teacher with Albuquerque Public Schools. Tania loves to sing and has enjoyed performing in community choirs and musicals. Her two boys keep her busy and she is grateful to be able to take some “me time” and sing with the beautiful voices of Coro Lux!
Rebecca Jackson – My Papaw aptly named me “High-C” when I was 3 and I’ve been singing ever since. I have a degree in Vocal Performance from Texas Tech University. I currently sing with Texas Tech choir alumni who meet every six months in Texas to perform various works – the Ken Davis Chorale. In the past I enjoyed time as a voice teacher and a lead singer in a rock band. I currently help lead worship at church and love my job as a music teacher for PreK and Kindergarten at Oak Grove Classical Academy. I’ve been married to my husband, Richard (Albuquerque native), for 26 years. We’ve been in Albuquerque for 13 years and love skiing, hiking, and traveling as a family. I so enjoy joining locals in making beautiful music together!
Ashley Jonkman began making music early in childhood, taking piano lessons, playing the clarinet and singing in choirs all the way through school. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Choral Music Education from Azusa Pacific University in the Los Angeles area, and came to New Mexico shortly after. She earned her Master’s in Secondary Education at the former College of Santa Fe, and taught middle school choir and elementary music for 6 years. Now, she has 3 kids (who are also musically inclined!) with her bass and piano-playing husband, works part-time in the children’s ministry at her church, and enjoys spending time outdoors. She has sung with Polyphony, and is thrilled to be a part of Coro Lux this year!
Garrett Keith is the choir director at both Cleveland Middle School and McKinley Middle School in Albuquerque. He’s a recent graduate from UNM with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education. Garrett says, “Singing is one of my true passions in life and getting to sing in this ensemble is a true honor.”
Camille Kelly, a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, received her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of New Mexico in 2013. She is currently the Director of Choral and Piano Activities at Del Norte High School and is looking forward to singing with others again!
Sharlotte Kramer is a research mechanical engineer at Sandia National Laboratories and has been a musician her entire life. She studied classical piano as a child; has been in choirs since middle school; and studied voice with Desiree LaVertu in Pasadena while earning her Ph.D. in Aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology. She has been leading the worship music at High Desert Presbyterian Church in Albuquerque since 2012. She joined Coro Lux in September 2019. When she is not running experiments in a structural test lab at Sandia Labs or singing, she is baking and spending time with her husband, Richard, and daughters, Grace and Evelyn.
Martin Kroebel – My name is Martin Karl Ernst Kroebel and I’m a Bass/Baritone singer. I was raised in Grants, New Mexico, and started singing in 1967 at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church. After receiving some voice lessons and music classes, I sang with various church and community choirs. Later, at Richland Jr. College, I continued my voice lessons and music classes and then transferred to Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls. There I continued my music studies, graduating in 1987, with a B.A.A.S. (Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science) degree and also an Honors Convocation Achievement Award from the Fine Arts Department. I later attended East Texas State University and participated in the ETSU Concert Choir. In 1994, I had the opportunity to sing with the ETSU Concert Choir at Carnegie Hall. My second opportunity to sing at Carnegie Hall came in November of 2016, when Coro Lux presented Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna. And in June of 2018, we sang John Rutter’s Requiem, under the direction of the Composer, at Santa Croce Basilica in Florence, Italy.
Cynthia Lashley – Music has always been a part of my life! Dad’s side of the family was rich with Gospel and Jazz while my love of Classical Music was nurtured and guided by Mum’s side. In past lives I’ve enjoyed playing instruments (piano, guitar, cello, and autoharp), and singing with others. I’m retired now and looking forward to singing again with Coro Lux!
Rita Leard loves choral singing and is delighted to be a part of Coro Lux. She has been singing with the NM Symphonic Chorus since 2011 — not long after moving to Albuquerque to head the Women’s Health Department at ABQ Health Partners (now Optum Medical Group). Prior to that move, she had sung with the Symphony San Jose Chorale for many years — and, before that, with the Phoenix Symphony Chorus. In the summer of 2022, she had a blast attending her first “choir camp” in Sonoma, California, with Berkshire Choral International. Since retiring from her OB/GYN practice in late 2021, she has been relishing the additional time for music, spending time with friends and family, playing in the garden, and perfecting her baking/cooking skills. She is grateful for the many opportunities there are in Albuquerque to hear wonderful music — especially Chatter on Sunday mornings.
Shelly Ley is back in New Mexico after 10 years in New York. She always tries to live in states that are New. Shelly sang with Brad in a choir about 15 years ago, and when he saw her at the Flying Star unexpectedly this summer, he made her promise she would sing with him again – this time in a new chorus. While in New York Shelly sang with the New York City Master Chorale, helped start a new music charter school, and later had her own music education business in the Hudson Valley. Being back in New Mexico not only gives Shelly a chance to reunite with former choir directors, but also lets her work with the best Fine Arts team as an APS music teacher!
Nicole Lopez discovered a joy in singing at an early age, which was fostered by her very patient parents who never discouraged her from singing along (as loudly as possible) with every Disney soundtrack and 90’s pop tune she heard. She is nearing graduation from UNM with a B.A. in Music, and aspires to become a choir teacher for a middle school or high school. When she isn’t singing, Nicole can often be found teaching swimming lessons, cliff jumping, or hiking with her fiancé and their two very spoiled cats.
Sarah Lopez is a northwest Georgia native and has sung in many choirs around the Southeast, including ETHOS (Tuscaloosa, AL), the Memphis Masterworks Chorale (Memphis, TN), Voices of Appalachia (Roanoke, VA), and the Roanoke Symphony Chorus (Roanoke, VA).
Sarah is the choir and ukulele teacher at Jackson Middle School. She moved to Albuquerque in 2020, where she lives with her husband Tommy and son Turner.
Sarah earned a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction, both from the University of Alabama. During her time at UA, she conducted the Chamber Choir, and completed her undergraduate studies while teaching general music in Auckland, New Zealand.
Richard Macklin (Bass) has been singing and accompanying choirs ever since childhood in Kansas, adolescence in PA / NY, and many years now in his adopted homeland, New Mexico. For the past 3 decades, he has served as accompanist and director of the 11 AM choir at Risen Savior Catholic Church in Albuquerque.
David Milford, bass, started singing in the Albuquerque Boy’s Choir at the age of 10. He then sang in the choir, as well as a small madrigal group, at Highland High School. Following graduation, he sang at Oberlin with the College Choir, the Musical Union, and the Obertones (acapella). Upon returning to ABQ he sang for a short time with the UNM Choir, and then the NM Symphony Orchestra Chorus for many years. David studied solo voice with Paul Barrientos for 10 years, and had roles with MTS, OSW, and Teatro Nuevo Mexico (Zarzuela at the NHCC). Looking forward to more ‘making a joyful noise unto the world’!
Alexandra Mininger – After living the first four decades of her life on the East Coast, Alex recently relocated to Albuquerque, and is admiring the sweeping mountain views and rekindling her love of choral music. A former executive advisor, Alex graduated from Wake Forest University with a degree in English and has nearly finished her Masters in Counseling through The College of William & Mary.
When she’s not studying, Alex can be found reading aloud to her children, leading them – begrudgingly, at times – in a daily hymn-sing, doing ‘Yoga with Adriene,’ and dreaming about future hikes and fancy cocktails.
Joe Mitchell started his musical career in Belen, New Mexico playing the trumpet in 6th grade. This led to high school marching band, choir, talent shows, and musicals. While pursuing his Bachelor of Music Education at UNM, he sang with the Men’s Chorus, Dolce Suono, Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, and Opera Studio. He graduated in 2017 and is now the middle school Choir and Exploratory Music teacher at Tres Volcanes Community Collaborative School. Joe believes everyone’s lives should be filled with musical experiences, and is excited to share some of those experiences with Coro Lux!
Peter Njagi has lived in Albuquerque since 2015 to attend graduate school. He is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of New Mexico’s Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies department. He developed a passion for singing early in life and sang in choirs throughout his educational journey in Kenya. He is excited to get back to singing with this fantastic group of singers.
Kirsten Norman – As a native New Mexican, Kirsten has been singing in choirs for almost 30 years. She thanks her high school music teacher for getting her involved in the best of hobbies. Kirsten prefers to sing next to fellow altos Kristen and Kristin to keep the conductor on their toes.
Arnel Oczon – I’m nearly a NM native having been in Albuquerque since the 4rth grade. I started singing in choirs with the university chorus way back in the late 90’s. I’ve been lucky to have sung big works with the NMSO Chorus, madrigals with Quodlibet and quirky things in Quintessence. For non-singing activities, I worked on base at Sandia Labs in aerospace for about 30 years. I’m married to an alto and we’ve just sent our daughter to Ann Arbor to be a wolverine!
Neal Ohle – this converted Tuba player found his voice at UNM. Being around music his whole life, he loves to be apart of any ensemble. He can’t wait to be a part of such a wonderful group this coming year!
Vinnessa Martinez Ohle – Well… I really started my musical career as a babe. My first words were “la la la”! In the real world, I started singing in the middle school choir in Belen. What an awkward time in our lives right??? Well good thing I had singing. I continued to be actively involved in choir and music throughout high school and into college. I attended UNM and sang in the Concert Choir since freshman year under Brad. I currently teach in Los Lunas Public Schools as an Elementary General Music Teacher. I now subject my students to the world of singing. It’s good for them! I am so excited to be singing in a choir again!
Bonnie Pachanian-Finch began her music adventures at age 6 with piano lessons. She later majored in music and holds a Bachelors and a Masters degree in Piano. She is a retired APS Elementary Music Teacher. Currently, she is teaching 15 private piano students, while she continues learning to play the piano herself. While in college, Bonnie discovered the joy of choral singing, and has since continued to enjoy participating in church choirs, choral groups, and opera choruses. Her music training allowed her to pursue another beloved occupation—travel. Bonnie has made music in all 50 states, 7 Canadian provinces, and 40 foreign countries. These days, she still loves to travel with her husband, Bob, and their 101-pound Labrador Retriever, Atticus, as often as possible. She is both honored and excited to be a part of Coro Lux.
Walter Polt – Music has brought health to humans since long before biblical times. I owe any fragments of sanity and health to singing with groups since I was a little boy. I sang in church choirs, schools, colleges, and community groups and choruses including the Yale Russian Chorus, where I did a double-bass solo in between shots of the chorus’s vodka. I feel grateful to conductors and teachers who have helped me improve my singing to the present day. One high point was singing Whitman’s inspired words in Brad’s Star Song with an immense choir from around the country at Lincoln Center.
Jen Prakash comes from a long line of pianists, from a great grandma who played piano live for silent films, a grandpa who could improvise jazz music, and her mom & sisters who all played piano while she was growing up. She too played piano as a child, and had brief stints with the viola and flute as well, until finally her parents allowed her to focus on her true love, choir. She has sung locally with Quintessence and is so excited to be singing with Coro Lux this year. Outside of music, she is the Controller at Pegasus Legal Services for Children, a local nonprofit legal aid, and lives with her husband Neel and their two pups, Misty & Olive.
Sarah Rulfs is a mezzo soprano and a new member of Coro Lux. Prior to moving to New Mexico, she sang with the Young New Yorkers Chorus and the Manhattan Choral Ensemble in New York City. Sarah studied music at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Jody Spalding is a retired audiology professor. She plays flute and has sung in church choirs since childhood. She and Peter have been singing together for church choirs in Iowa City IA, Chapel Hill NC, New Orleans LA, Ann Arbor MI, Lincoln NE and are now very happily singing under Brad’s leadership at the United Church of Santa Fe. She is overjoyed to be part of the amazing group of Coro Lux singers! “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” ― Plato
Peter Spalding is a retired orthodontic and pediatric dentistry professor who has sung in his church choirs since childhood when he was the only boy in the choir. Although most of his musical training was as a cellist, he has found his voice is much easier to tote around and is thrilled to experience Brad as conductor for both his church choir and Coro Lux!
Sue Spaven – Music came into my life with classical piano lessons, playing in the high school band and singing in my church choir. After a career as a computer scientist, I was drawn back to my musical roots, playing keyboards and vibes in jazz and church bands, learning ballet and modern dance, and singing with the Quintessence summer festivals and the Laughing Spirit and Frabjous Day choirs.
Emily Steinbach received her MA in music in 2008 and her Educational Leadership Certification in 2018 from UNM. She taught elementary music in Albuquerque Public Schools for 13 years and is the current APS Fine Arts Music Resource Teacher for the past few years. Emily enjoys spending most of her free time with her son, Sebastian and takes on the role of “soccer mom,” with enthusiasm.
Peter Stoll first sang in a chorus in first grade, for a room full of school principals, and has seldom stopped since. When he got to MIT in 1967, John Oliver was the assistant Glee Club director, which eventually got him into a couple of years with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and a summer job at Tanglewood. Though distracted from music by decades of design engineering and other gainful employment with Intel, he has sung with Quintessence, de Profundis, and Canticum Novum.
Bobby Storbakken is a self-taught singer and guitarist who fell in love with choral performance in high school. He participated in UNM’s Men’s chorus and then Concert Choir while completing his Bachelors of Science in Emergency Medical Services. He has worked in Albuquerque’s 911 system for 6 years. Today he works as a Flight Paramedic, sings for a rock n’ roll band, and is excited to rejoin the world of choral music with Coro Lux!
Susie Tallman graduated UCLA with a BA in voice performance. Susie followed her passion to work with musicians by working at A&M Studios with the producer Jimmy Iovine. She then left A&M with Jimmy Iovine and a few others to become a founding employee of Interscope Records. Susie was fortunate enough to work with world class musicians including NIN, Tom Jones, Dr. Dre, Ron Sexsmith, A Very Special Christmas albums, Tracy Chapman and so many others. One incredible experience after the next provided Susie with the knowledge to venture out on her own to start Rock Me Baby Records. Wanting to live and study abroad before recording, Susie further evolved her voice in France, singing with the Choeur International and the American Chorus in Paris. Upon her return to the states, Susie honed her classical training at the New England Conservatory Workshop in Boston and worked at the extraordinary indie label Q Division Records. She has sung backup for such acts as Ronnie Spector, Darlene Love and Cheap Trick, and has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Rose Bowl, the Los Angeles Forum and Pauley Pavilion as well as in commercials for Taco Bell, The Coca-Cola Reunion commercial and the movie Beaches. She is a former member of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus and The New Mexico Symphony Chorus. Susie is currently raising three children while teaching, singing & recording. Videos from her DVD can be seen on PBS between shows around the country.
Wayne Thelander was a school orchestra director for 40 years before retiring and returning to his native ABQ. As a double bass player, he has been a member of NMSO, Santa Fe Symphony, and Cedar Rapids (IA) Symphony. At St. Olaf he sang for two years in the men’s chorus, and now he is singing again with Coro Lux.
Natalie Tiesi — I am so excited to be a part of Coro Lux. Originally from Georgia, I came to Albuquerque to study Spanish and Latin American Studies at UNM. However, after a few years working, I decided to return to my first love of music. I went back to school at UNM, got a music education degree, and now I spend my days singing, dancing, and teaching wonderful children at Ernest Stapleton Elementary School in Rio Rancho. When I’m not singing (which must mean I’m asleep), I’m hanging out with my husband and our beautiful daughter, Annabelle (and we are probably singing too).
Quynh Truong – After my high school and university years of singing in concert choirs, I journeyed through my career as a nurse and have recently rekindled my love for singing. I’m still a full time nurse, but I greatly enjoy my other full time job – being a part of Coro Lux! It brings me joy to be part of this amazing and fast growing ensemble of great musicians.
Antoinette Utsinger — is a life-long resident of ABQ and has sung with Brad for about 16 years. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to do two of my greatest passions…work with animals (I own pet-care business), and sing! (Sometimes even singing to the animals!)
Jamie Villanueva — I grew up as one of those “California Girls” when the Beach Boys were still performing in my local supermarket parking lot! I studied education and music at a UCLA and soon began singing “I Get Around” as I explored the Southwest making a career as a special educator. A few times the universe said “Woudn’t It Be Nice” to have “Fun Fun Fun” and I also found myself teaching music and theater to children. Loving the “Good Vibrations”, I continued singing here in Albuquerque with Westside Concert Chorale, Albuquerque Civic Chorus, Quintessence Summer Festival Chorus, and now, Coro Lux. “God Only Knows” how grateful I am to my incredible mother, a gifted pianist, accompanist and singer, for instilling in me the love of choral music!
Janet Vrudny – She recently relocated to Albuquerque after retiring from 41 years as the choral directors at Highland Hall Waldorf School and the First Presbyterian Church of Encino in Southern California. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance and a Master’s Degree in Choral Conducting. She is delighted to be here in New Mexico, working with Brad, and singing in Coro Lux! She looks forward to taking in all of the sites and golf courses of this fabulous area!
Elizabeth (“Lizzie”) Wenrich — Lizzie has enjoyed being an Elementary Music Teacher with APS since 2007. One of her favorite kid quotes is, “Mrs. Wenrich, when you use your Opera Voice your earrings twinkle”. When she is not teaching, Lizzie is a mother of two smarty pants daughters and the wife of a silly husband who can still make her giggle.
Vicky Wood is an elementary music teacher with Albuquerque Public Schools. She originally hails from Maryland but has been living in Albuquerque for over ten years and has no plans to leave. She is Secretary and Volunteer Coordinator for Coro Lux as well as Treasurer for New Mexico AOSA, so it’s a good thing she has summers off to regain her sanity! During her free time, she prefers to either travel the world or hang out at home with her cats.
Tony Worsham is a physician by day and a chorister by night, singing with various groups including Quintessence and de Profundis. Like many other members, he is coming full circle, having sung with University Chorus nearly a decade ago, and is excited to perform with Coro Lux.
LaVonne Yazzie – I am an Albuquerque transplant from Arizona and a member of the Navajo Nation. In my youth, I studied violin as my primary instrument while singing soprano in various choruses. While at UNM, I double-majored in English Pre-Law and Spanish, and for fun, I sang with the UNM Madrigal Singers. By day, I work as an Education Specialist for UNM at the Center for Development and Disability. In my free time, I serve at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church as a member of the School Consultative Council, a cantor for the Roman Rite of Mass, and as a soprano in the church choir under the direction of the esteemed Mark Adrian. I am excited to once again be singing with Coro Lux, and I am very blessed to be one voice in such a talented group of singers.
Artistic Director
Artistic Director
Bradley Ellingboe (ellingboe@abqcorolux.org) has led a wide-ranging career in the world of singing, including accomplishments as a choral conductor, soloist, composer, scholar and teacher. As a choral conductor he has led festival choruses in 35 states and 14 foreign countries. He made his operatic conducting debut in December, 2011, leading the world-premiere of Stephen Paulus’s opera Shoes for the Santo Niño in a joint production by the Santa Fe Opera and the University of New Mexico. As a bass-baritone soloist he has sung under such conductors as Robert Shaw, Helmuth Rilling, and Sir David Willcocks. Ellingboe has over 140 pieces of music in print, including the Requiem for chorus and orchestra, which has been performed more than 300 times in this country and Europe, and his newest work, Star Song, which had its New York debut (Lincoln Center) in May of 2014, and its European debut in July of that year. For his scholarly work in making the songs of Edvard Grieg more accessible to the English-speaking public, he was knighted by the King of Norway in 1994. As a teacher, the University of New Mexico Alumni Association named him Faculty of the Year in 2008.
Bradley Ellingboe retired in 2015 after serving on the faculty of the University of New Mexico for 30 years, where he was Director of Choral Activities, Professor of Music and Regents Lecturer. During his three decades at UNM he also served at various times as Chairman of the Department of Music and Coordinator of Vocal Studies. He is a graduate of Saint Olaf College and the Eastman School of Music and has done further study at the Aspen Music Festival, the Bach Aria Festival, the University of Oslo and the Vatican.
Ellingboe has won annual awards for his choral compositions from ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Arrangers and Publishers since 2000. His choral music is widely sung and is published by Oxford, G Schirmer, Augsburg, Walton, GIA, Hal Leonard, Mark Foster, Choristers Guild, Alliance, Concordia, Selah, and particularly the Neil A. Kjos Music Company, for whom he edits two series of choral octavos. His music has been performed and recorded by such groups as the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Philip Brunelle’s VocalEssence, the Saint Olaf Choir, the Harvard Glee Club, Craig Hella Johnson’s Conspirare, and the choirs of the University of Michigan and Luther College, among many others. In January of 2017 he became Editor of the National Music Publishers company.
He has prepared choirs for such luminaries as Dave Brubeck, Moses Hogan, Alice Parker, Morten Lauridsen, René Clausen and Robert Ray. At the request of composer Libby Larsen the UNM Women’s Chorus, Las Cantantes, recorded all Larsen’s music for treble chorus. He was guest conductor of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale in a series of concerts in December, 2011.
Since 2015 Ellingboe has served as Director of Choirs at the United Church of Santa Fe, with whom Coro Lux often partners. He has been married to Karen (Hersey) Ellingboe since 1981. They have three children and five grandchildren.
Mission Statement
Coro Lux Mission Statement
Coro Lux (“Chorus of Light”): a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preparation and performance of great choral music for the enrichment and delight of our audiences and ourselves, and to propagating love of the choral art in the next generation of singers.
About Us
Meet Coro Lux
Coro Lux (“Chorus of Light”) is an auditioned community chorus, based in Albuquerque and founded in the fall of 2015. Under Artistic Director Bradley Ellingboe, the chorus has grown into one of the top choruses in New Mexico. Coro Lux consists of the larger Oratorio Society and the smaller Chamber Chorus. The Oratorio Society, with 60 members, presents major choral works, usually with orchestra and often in conjunction with the New Mexico Philharmonic. The Chamber Chorus is an ensemble of 16 members that presents a variety of smaller works in various locations around Albuquerque. Each ensemble presents about three programs each season.
Coro Lux has participated in music events far from Albuquerque, including a Carnegie Hall concert in 2016 and the Great American Choral Series festival in Florence, Italy, in the summer of 2018. In 2017 Coro Lux became the Ensemble in Residence at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Albuquerque. As such, our rehearsals and many of our performances are held there. We are proud to be associated with the oldest Lutheran congregation in the state of New Mexico, founded in 1891, and long a leader in worship and the arts in our community. In 2019 we began a regular and ongoing partnership with the United Church of Santa Fe, thus making regular appearances in the state capital.
Coro Lux is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and values your support in promoting great choral music and in expanding our scholarship programs. Follow us on Facebook and YouTube.
Home
December 2022
Dear friends,
As the calendar year draws to a close, we find ourselves not even halfway through our concert series. In a few weeks we’ll celebrate our “Seasons of Love” concert, featuring all three of our choruses, along with special guest Santiago Alberto, emcee Brent Stevens and a professional orchestra. Tickets can be purchased by clicking on the icon directly to the right of this message, or by going to https://abqcorolux.org/tickets/
Also in December, our Chamber Chorus will give three performances of Handel’s incomparable Messiah with the New Mexico Philharmonic, all conducted by yours truly. For those tickets, visit nmphil.org
Right around the corner is the biggest and best FebFest yet, when we welcome conductor and composer Dr. André Thomas on February 4th and 5th. That event is open to all interested singers and is a non-auditioned festival chorus. For more information, or to register, click on the FebFest link at the top of the screen or go here: https://abqcorolux.org/febfest-2023/ That weekend event will culminate in a concert open to the public and held in Santa Fe’s lovely Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis, and the free-will offering will benefit Habitat for Humanity. FebFest is co-sponsored by the United Church of Santa Fe.
Later in February our Oratorio Society will once again collaborate with the New Mexico Philharmonic, this time in Beethoven’s magnificent Ninth Symphony, also known as the “Ode to Joy.” That concert will be held in Popejoy Hall on February 11th. For more information and tickets, go to nmphil.org
There’s more coming in April and May, but I’ll close this midwinter greeting for now, with one final thought. We will be adding a few voices in January. If you’re interested in auditioning to be a part of Coro Lux go here: https://abqcorolux.org/auditions/ And we hope to see you at one of our concerts soon, either as a part of the choir or the audience!
Warmly,
Brad
Bradley Ellingboe
Founder and Artistic Director
Coro Lux — an auditioned chorus — has a generous scholarship program meant to help ALL who need financial help to participate, particularly those who are in the midst of, or who have recently finished, their schooling.
For information about joining our chorus or contributing to our 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, please email info@abqcorolux.org.
FebFest 2023 Raises $1,500 for ABQ Chapter of Habitat for Humanity!
FebFest 2023, co-sponsored by Coro Lux and the United Church of Santa Fe, was led this year by Dr. André Thomas. With more than 100 singers coming from across northern New Mexico, our final concert in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis in Santa Fe was attended by more than 500 people. The free-will offering raised $1,500, which went to the ABQ chapter of Habitat for Humanity. A similar amount went to the Santa Fe chapter, donated by the United Church.
Click the link below to watch KOB’s “Heart of New Mexico” feature on the El Faro Youth Chorus.
Special thanks to Ryan Laughlin and Willow Locke for their beautiful work on this piece.
https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/heart-of-new-mexico-trauma-informed-chorus-director-helps-youth-with-music/
Click the link below to watch the world premiere of “Ring Out, Wild Bells” by Taylor Scott Davis, performed during the Coro Lux Seasons of Love concert on December 15, 2022
Ring Out, Wild Bells
CORO LUX STATEMENT ON INCLUSIVITY
Coro Lux is built on the ideal of “doing good as we do well.” We believe that in diversity there is strength. We believe the voices of the world should be heard, regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion, nationality, or sexual orientation. In the past we have used our concerts to call for peace and to benefit charitable causes, and we will redouble our efforts going forward. Through our art we sing for a better world.
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Coro Lux June 2022 Newsletter
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