Timothy Snyder joined the Chorale as Artistic Director in 2001. He has served on the faculties of Connecticut College and the Metropolitan State College of Denver. During 2002-2003 he was Visiting Lecturer in Music at Yale University and conductor of the Yale Glee Club. Mr. Snyder is active as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator of choruses, and has directed church music programs in Connecticut and Colorado. Mr. Snyder was named the Hugh Porter Scholar by the Yale Institute of Sacred Music in 1998. He is Director of Music, Worship and Outreach at Atonement Lutheran Church in Boulder.
Choruses under his direction have toured throughout the United States, giving performances in New York City, Chicago, Cleveland, Milwaukee, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Portland and Seattle, and internationally to Norway, France, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Italy, and the People’s Republic of China.
Mr. Snyder composes frequently on commission from university, public school, church and civic choirs throughout the United States. His works are performed and recorded by some of the nation’s leading choirs, have earned recognition in competitions sponsored by the American Choral Directors Association, Ithaca College, and the Composers Guild, and are published by Hinshaw Music, Shawnee Press, Lawson-Gould, and Santa Barbara Music.
He holds degrees from Yale and Colorado State University and currently is completing the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Colorado where he is a student of Joan Conlon and Lawrence Kaptein.
Ms. Needham completed dual master’s degrees in music education and vocal performance at the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2004. Her professional experience includes six years of secondary choral teaching in North Carolina public school systems, during which time she was honored as Teacher of the Year, Jaycee Young Educator of the Year, and featured in Who’s Who Among American Teachers. In 2003, Ms. Needham advanced as a finalist in voice competitions sponsored by the Denver Lyric Opera Guild and the National Association of Teachers of Singing. During her graduate studies at the University of Colorado, she appeared as Madame Lidoine in Dialogues of the Carmelites, and as Gianetta in L’Elisir d’Amore. She also served as conductor of the University Women’s Choir and as instructor for various music education courses. Ms. Needham is currently Director of Choral Music at Niwot High School, where she serves six choirs with a combined membership of 250 students.
Michael Mastronicola is active as both a solo and
collaborative pianist. Currently, he is pursuing the Doctor of
Musical Arts degree from the University of Colorado-Boulder and
serves as organist at Atonement Lutheran Church in Boulder.
Recent performances include recitals in Alamosa, Arvada,
Westminster, and the Estes Park Music Festival. His
most recent recording is a collaboration with soprano Tresa
Waggoner. During 2005, Michael was selected to be the
coach accompanist and harpsichordist with the Opera Colorado
Outreach Ensemble.
Tony Lee comes to the Boulder Chorale with a career spanning 45 years as organist, church musician and composer. At the College of Church Musicians, Washington National Cathedral, he studied composition and analysis under Leo Sowerby, organ under Preston Rockholt and conducting under Paul Callaway. His compositions for organ and chorus have been heard in churches and cathedrals throughout the United States, including performances at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, and Washington National Cathedral.
Caitlin Sugishita completed her M.M. in Piano Performance at the University of Colorado in Boulder, where she studied with Doris Pridonoff Lehnert. She has won numerous regional competitions including MTNA and the Nancy Clark Piano Competition. In 2000, she was a featured performer at the International Piano Festival in Houston, Texas. Caitlin has performed both solo and collaborative recitals throughout the United States and Europe, and most recently gave a series of recitals in Japan with her husband, violinist Takanori Sugishita.
Erin moved to Colorado in 2000 with a music degree from Gonzaga University. She has performed cello with the Gonzaga Symphony Orchestra, The Whitworth Orchestra, The Spokane Civic Theatre, The Gonzaga Choir, and with many smaller ensembles. Erin currently is the studio cellist for San Luis Sound. She recently finished her Master’s degree at Naropa University in Literary Translation.