Speakers & Performers

Antonio Cuyler

Plenary Speaker

Dr. Antonio C. Cuyler’s (Kyler) (He) journey into access, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI) began at Stambaugh Middle School when a teacher invited him to join a program called, Cultural Cousins. The program tasked students with bridging cultural...

Melanie DeMore

Plenary Speaker

Melanie DeMore is a three time Grammy nominated singer/composer, choral conductor, music director, and vocal activist who believes in the power of voices raised together. In her presentations, DeMore beautifully brings her participants together through her...

Karla Estela Rivera

Plenary Speaker

Karla Estela Rivera is a writer, performer, activist, and arts advocate that has leveraged her gift of storytelling to uplift and create opportunities for, with, and in divested communities. As a product of Chicago Public Schools, Karla credits investments...

Ruth Hartt

Plenary Speaker

Since 2017, Ruth Hartt has worked alongside the president of the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation. Co-...

Maren L. Amdal

Maren Amdal is a seasoned leader whose career with nonprofits began with museums, professional associations, and with choral arts organizations, including Calliope Women’s Chorus where she served as both Artistic and Executive Director for six years. From 2008-2016, Amdal worked with CFA...

Ahmed Anzaldúa

Ahmed Fernando Anzaldúa (co-editor, Justice Choir Songbook) is a Mexican-Egyptian conductor and pianist who enjoys championing the works of new composers and exploring his unique combined musical heritage. He is founder and artistic director of Border CrosSing, a professional chamber choral...

Ann Meier Baker

Ann Meier Baker was appointed the director of music & opera at the National Endowment for the Arts in January 2015. She oversees the NEA’s grantmaking in music and opera and manages the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships. Previously, Baker served as president and CEO of Chorus America, where she...

Dwight Bigler

Dr. Dwight Bigler is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Virginia Tech and Music Director of the Blacksburg Master Chorale. He has also held positions with the Dale Warland Singers, Colorado State–Fort Collins, and Trinity University–San Antonio. Under his direction...

Faiza Bukhari

Faiza Bukhari leads the Arts Build Resilient Communities and Racial Justice program areas at the Walter & Elise Haas Fund where she supports efforts to uplift artists, arts organizations, and BIPOC changemakers through trust-based practices, developing new initiatives, and elevating work...

Emily Williams Burch

Dr. Burch is a choral educator and entrepreneur, and since 2007 has worked with choral music in a variety of nonprofit and corporate settings. These experiences enabled Burch to find the connection between music and business, competencies she promotes through her Music Education courses at the...

Keri Butkevich

Recognized as a creative driver of transformative change in arts education, Keri has served music education organizations in the Executive Director role since 2008, joining the team at the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir in October 2020. She holds a Master’s degree in Voice from San Jose...

Penelope Cruz

Penelope Cruz has taught vocal and general music at all grade levels, conducted community children’s and honor choirs, and sung professionally in Illinois, Wisconsin, and New York. Since 2003, she has been the choral...

Rollo Dilworth

Rollo Dilworth is vice dean and professor of choral music education in the Department of Music Education and Therapy at Temple University’s Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts in Philadelphia, PA. He has served on the faculty since 2009. In addition to teaching undergraduate and...

Dominick DiOrio

Dominick DiOrio is a conductor and composer who has won widespread acclaim for his contributions to American music. He has been recognized with The American Prizes in both Choral Composition (2014) and Choral Performance (2019, with NOTUS). Since 2012, he has been a member of the faculty at the...

Brandon Elliott

Dr. Brandon Elliott enjoys an expansive career as a conductor-educator, arts leader, and consultant. He is the founding Artistic & Executive Director of Choral Arts Initiative, a professional chorus nationally recognized as a champion of new music, having premiered 95 works and 18...

Maria A. Ellis

Maria A. Ellis is a passionate educator and conductor. She is the owner of Girl Conductor LLC, a company that creates diverse music education resources and currently serves as the Director of The Sheldon’s All-Star Chorus. Maria is an active clinician, adjudicator and presenter throughout the...

Erin Feng

Erin Feng joined the Thomas Circle Singers in 2016 as the Administrative Director, and her leadership and contributions to the organization were instrumental in her appointment as the group's first-ever Executive Director. In 2021, she took on a similar role with the Capital City Symphony, a...

Alex Gartner

Alex Gartner has been leading the Pensacola Children’s Chorus as Artistic & Executive Director since 2016. During this time, he has overseen an expansion of programs which now reach 25,000 youth in Northwest Florida and Southwest Alabama. Additionally, he has increased philanthropic giving...

Deanna Gestrin

Deanna Gestrin is a vocalist, choral conductor, clinician, composer, studio singer, and music educator from Vancouver, Canada. Her family comes from the St’at’imc First Nation in the interior of British Columbia. Inspired by her many wonderful musical mentors, Deanna decided on a career in music...

Arreon Harley-Emerson

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Arreon A. Harley-Emerson graduated from Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland, with bachelor’s degrees in Music Theory & Composition and Vocal Performance (opera). There he studied piano with Dr. Lisa Weiss, voice with Mrs. Betty Ridgeway, and conducting...

Mercedes Harrison

Mercedes Harrison was first introduced to Cantare in 2014, when her granddaughter, Cora, began singing with the Lincoln Music Stars. Cora moved up to the Nova Youth Choir, and she and Mercedes were the first grandmother-granddaughter pair to perform in a Cantare concert together. Driven by her...

Julie Haydon

Julie Haydon began her service with Cantare in 2003, developing Cantare’s after-school choirs and classroom music education programs in underserved neighborhoods of Oakland, California. Under Julie’s leadership, Cantare received the Chorus American Education and Community Engagement Award in...

Kirsten Hedegaard

Kirsten Hedegaard has enjoyed a varied career as singer and conductor. She has performed with many early music specialists, most notably Nicholas McGegan, Paul Hillier, Ivars Taurins, Mary Springfels, Kenneth Slowik, and John Butt. Hedegaard has also appeared as soloist and ensemble member with...

Robyn Hilger

Robyn Hilger joined ACDA as Executive Director in September of 2021. She is a seasoned non-profit executive with a wealth of experience in administration, fundraising, and strategic innovation. Robyn is a classically trained clarinetist. She graduated summa cum laude in 1999 from Oklahoma City...