Digital Press Kit
Board of Directors
Dr. Bruce Gleason, Board President
Teresa K. Elsbernd, Secretary
Brenda Barr, Treasurer
Daniel Adolphson
Carolyn Collins
Sharon Engel
Geneva Eschweiler
Susan Laine
Nancy Reitz Rotenberry
Kaija Shaffer
Jacqueline Steele
Dr. Philip Steen
Cynthia Tambornino
Ex officio members
Matthew Culloton, Founding Artistic Director
Bryan Blessing, Singer Representative
Dr. Thomas W. Shaffer, Advisor to the Board
Bruce Gleason, Chairman of the Board, is in his eighth year as a professor of graduate music education at the University of St. Thomas, where his main work involves advising public and private school music teachers through their M.A. theses. He also teaches courses in the history and philosophy of music education. Bruce came to St. Thomas after teaching elementary and secondary classroom music, choir and band in Minnesota and Illinois, a three-year stint with the U.S. Army Band of the Berlin Brigade, and completing a Ph.D. in music education at the University of Iowa. In addition to his academic work, he serves as the senior choir director at Diamond Lake Lutheran Church in Minneapolis and sings with the a cappella quartet, The Fairlanes. Bruce has served on the board of The Singers—Minnesota Choral Artists since October 2005. He is currently refurbishing a 1920's bungalow in St. Paul, and is building the mother of all garages.
Originally from Ottumwa, Iowa, Teresa Elsbernd received her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Vocal Performance from the University of Iowa and has since resided in Minneapolis, where she has been actively involved in the musical community. Teresa sang with the Minnesota Opera Chorus for two seasons, and for eight years she was on the board and sang with the Dale Warland Singers. There, she was involved in several recordings, commercials and national tours. In addition, she has appeared as a frequent soloist at area churches, various musical organizations and special events, and her voice has been heard on a TV and radio commercial for Land o' Lakes. She is currently the Music Leader at the West Campus of Mt. Olivet Church, as well as president and owner of Home Reflections, Inc., specializing in custom home construction and remodeling. Teresa lives in the western suburbs of Minneapolis with her vocalist/teacher husband Jerry and their three and a half year old daughter Maggie.
Brenda Barr graduated from Bethel University in St. Paul with a B.A. in Speech/Communications. She completed her Masters Degree in Counseling from the University of Wisconsin—River Falls. For over a decade, she worked as a Licensed Psychologist at Northwestern College in Roseville. Brenda counseled students on a variety of issues ranging from eating disorders and depression to relational struggles. For the past twenty years, she has been a speaker to various groups on relevant issues facing adolescents and parents. Music has always been an integral part of her life since childhood. Performing in numerous singing groups began at a young age, continued throughout college and on into her adult life. She has passed on her love of music to her three children. Collin Jr., her oldest son, is an accomplished guitarist and an aspiring songwriter. Connor, her middle child, is a clarinet student at McPhail Center for Music and is in the Edina High School band program. Austin, her youngest son, is a Middle School percussionist. Currently, she is working as a model and an actress, appearing on national TV both in commercials as well as on live television. Her husband, Collin, is President of the Minnesota Region of Ryan Companies, a national development and construction firm. Collin and Brenda reside in Edina with their three sons.
A Washington state native, Daniel Adolphson graduated from Crown College with a Bachelor of Music Education degree and will complete the mini-MBA in Non-Profit Organizations at the University of St. Thomas in December 2007. He is the United Arts Workplace Campaign Director for COMPAS (Community Programs in the Arts) and is President of Tour Minnesota Association. Daniel spent 10 years teaching vocal and instrumental music in Minnesota and Nebraska (preschool to collegiate). From 1996-2002 he served as Editor and Public Relations Chair for the Nebraska Choral Directors Association, where he was recognized for having one of the most improved state newsletters in ACDA. From 2003-2006 he served as the Co-Chair, Public Relations for Celebrate The Process, the North Central ACDA convention. Daniel is very active as a singer and conductor, having sung in Exultate (Dr. Thomas Rossin); Dr. Z. Randall Stroope in the Masterworks Chorus of the Nebraska Choral Arts Society; the Clarion Chamber Chorale; and served as Associate Artistic Director for both The Voices of Omaha and Grace University Community Chorus. Daniel was also the founder and Artistic Director of timbre, a 12 voice men's ensemble in Saint Paul, and currently is the Music Director at Asbury UMC in Minneapolis. Daniel also brings to the board a wide background in sales, marketing and tourism. In his spare time, he enjoys biking, hiking, traveling, and collecting toy buses.
Carolyn Collins (bio forthcoming)
Sharon Engel is in her fifteenth year as principal of Eisenhower Elementary School with the Anoka-Hennepin district. She also serves as a curriculum facilitator for the elementary music staff of the district. Prior to her administrative responsibilities, Sharon taught both elementary and secondary classroom music and choir in Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, and Scotland. She completed her undergraduate work in music education at St. Cloud State University and her graduate work at the University of Minnesota in music and in administration. Sharon has been a performer with and director of several youth and adult choirs. She has written musicals as well as articles, and has found music making and the learning to work with a wide variety of people to create harmony quite relevant to the leadership process in education. She lives in the Bryn Mawr area of Minneapolis and enjoys biking the many trails around the lakes.
Geneva Eschweiler is a graduate of St. Olaf College, and holds a Masters Degree in Voice Performance from Moorhead State University. Her teaching career, prior to moving to the Twin Cities in 1993, included four years in the elementary/junior high music departments in the Fergus Falls Public Schools, and thirty-one years as Director of Choral Activities and voice instructor at Fergus Falls Community College. In 1990, the Minnesota American Choral Directors Association named Eschweiler the recipient of their highest honor - the F. Melius Christiansen Memorial Award - for her contributions to choral art in the state of Minnesota. In 2003, she was named one of three outstanding Minnesota Community College educators to be honored by the Minnesota State Legislature. A member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, she has coached many finalists in MN-NATS Auditions, as well as high school winners in the Thursday Musical Scholarship Contests. At the Winner's Recital in March, 2003, Thursday Musical recognized Eschweiler as Teacher of Distinction 2003 for her excellence in preparation of and inspiration to young singers. Eschweiler served as Executive Secretary of the MN-ACDA Board of Directors for several years. She was on the Board of Thursday Musical from 1994 - 2001, first as membership chairman for four years, followed by Student Section Committee involvement for three years. She is currently a member of the MN-ACDA F. Melius Christiansen Endowment Committee. Retired, she continues to teach approximately forty students in her Music Loft Voice Studio. Eschweiler was elected to the board of The Singers in October of 2005.
Susan Laine was born, raised and schooled in St. Paul Minnesota. Susan started singing at an early age with the St. Paul Opera Workshop under Max Metzger. Her voice teacher was Mady Metzger-Ziegler until college. She participated in the Schubert Club high school events and the music program at Our Lady of Peace High School. She graduated from Macalester College with a B.A. in music and education. While at Macalester, she sang in Dale Warland's Concert Choir for three years, took choral conducting classes from Dr. Warland, and attended the music institute at the Meadow Brook Summer Festival. After three years of teaching general music and directing the choruses/musicals in a small town school in Iowa, she decided to change careers and become an attorney. She graduated from William Mitchell College of Law (1979 Cum Laude); worked as an attorney in the Office of General Counsel at 3M and in the Office of Legal Affairs at Imation Corp. for the majority of her law career. After leaving Imation in 1998, she set up a law office in downtown Minneapolis and after three years, moved her practice to its current location in St. Paul. Susan has served on several boards over the years including Stepping Stone Theatre; Citizen League; and currently The Gregorian Singers. Susan joined The Singers Board of Directors in November, 2006.
Choral music has been an important part of Nancy Rotenberry's life for over 58 years. She has sung in the Bach Society, the Macalester Festival Chorale and other choirs under conductors David LaBerge, Kathy Romey, Robert Shaw and Dale Warland. Nancy received a B.A. from Macalester College in German, Journalism and Music and holds a Masters Degree from the University of Minnesota in English as a Second Language. She worked as Manager of Choirs at Macalester College for Dale Warland and later taught ESL at Macalester College, the University of Minnesota and the International Institute. Her poetry has appeared in several publications and two anthologies have been set to music by Cary John Franklin. A long-time volunteer, Nancy has served on a number of community boards. Nancy worked on 27 benefit galas for the Dale Warland Singers and was a proud member of its last Board of Directors. Nancy is serving on the first community board of The Singers—Minnesota Choral Artists.
Kaija Shaffer (bio forthcoming)
Jacqueline Steele, past Board Chair, received a degree in Theatre Arts, with a minor emphasis in music, from Stephens College, Columbia, Missouri. Jackie has been a working actor/singer for almost 40 years. She lived and worked in several major markets before returning to the Twin Cities to play the ingénue lead in Sandy Wilson's "The Boyfriend." Using Minneapolis as a home base, Jackie has performed in musical theater, night club revues, industrial shows, commercials, radio, television and film across the country and beyond. She has sung with several church choirs and professional choruses, including the Grammy nominated Dale Warland Singers, as an extra, and with the Warland Symphonic Chorus. Currently, she sings with the Edgewater Eight and the High Performance Quartet produced by Goodshow Productions. Jackie has juggled two career paths for most of her working life. She held several positions in Higher Education Administration over a 23-year span. She was an Associate Director of Admission at Stephens College, Director of Graduate Admission at The College of St. Catherine and an Associate Director at the University of Minnesota Law School. Jackie recently served two consecutive terms on the Board of Stephens College. Besides volunteering with many arts organizations, Jackie volunteers annually at a summer children's camp in Northern Minnesota, is active with Family Council at Presbyterian Homes of Arden Hills as well as serving on a legislative committee advocating for long-term care residents and their caregivers. As an advanced, certified grief facilitator since 1996, Jackie has been recognized for her work in the areas of grief, loss and transition. Jackie recently stepped down as Chair of the Board of Directors for The Singers—Minnesota Choral Artists. She was one of the six founding Board members that launched the 44-voice ensemble into its inaugural 2004-2005 season. Jackie lives in an 1886 Victorian home restored by her historic restoration and preservationist husband, Brian, who is in the bass section of The Singers.
Philip Steen started and completed his college years in the state of Michigan. He received both his B.A., in Public School Music, and his Masters, from Western Michigan University followed by a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Phil has been a choral singer and a choral director for over 40 years. Phil studied voice with Elwyn Carter (WMU) and Harold Haugh (U of Mich.). He assisted David Strickler with the Albion College Choir and sang under Thomas Hillbish at the University of Michigan. He has been a tenor soloist at three Michigan universities and a church soloist in Ann Arbor and Minneapolis. Phil sang with the first Dale Warland Ensemble with the Minnesota Opera, in 1970, and later with the Warland Symphonic Chorus. He currently sings with the Hennepin Chamber Choir. A choral highlight was performing the Verdi Requiem with Robert Shaw. As a choral director in academia, Phil was Director of Vocal Music in the Albion, MI, school system, Choral Director at Eastern Michigan University and the University of Minnesota and Director of the Hamline University A Cappella Choir. Phil has served as Organist-Choirmaster at St. Paul's on the Hill, Music Director at Fridley United Methodist Church and Assistant Conductor of the Masterworks Chorus. Phil joined The Singers Board of Directors in October of 2005.
Cynthia Tambornino has been a choral singer and soloist from an early age. She attended the College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, MN and earned a B.A. in Vocal Performance and English from the University of Minnesota. Cynthia sang with the Plymouth Festival Chorus for six years and with the Bach Society of Minnesota for 15 years. Community Board positions include MacPhail Center for the Arts, 1989-1998; Board Chair - Minnesota Dance Theatre; Junior League of Minneapolis; League of Catholic Women; GCTYS;YPSCA; emphasis of charity events and fundraising. Mother of eight, grandmother of sixteen, Cynthia has co-authored a book on the challenges and joys of grand parenting. Cynthia joined the Board of The Singers—Minnesota Choral Artists in October of 2005.
Matthew Culloton,ex-officio, is Founding Artistic Director and Conductor. His full biography is here.
Bryan Blessing, ex-officio, is the vocal music teacher at Oak Grove Middle School in Bloomington. A native of Staples, MN, Bryan has sung with many choirs throughout Minnesota. Bryan received his Bachelor Degree in Music Education from Saint John's University, where he studied under Axel Theimer. Additionally, Bryan is an amateur composer and guitarist who has instructed classical guitar at Crown College.
Dr. Thomas W. Shaffer, ex officio, is a retired music educator, school administrator, and university instructor. He has been the conductor of the Onan Male Chorus, The Lutheran Deaconess School of Nursing Choir, and was the Minister of Music at Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. In addition to solo work in North America and Europe, he was a singer with and founding member of The Dale Warland Singers; a singer with and the stage manager for The Norman Luboff Choir; a chorister with The Minnesota Bach Society Chamber Chorale, The Plymouth Music Series, The Sateren Choir; and a soloist, dancer, and chorister with The Minnesota Opera. He was a founding board member of The Singers—Minnesota Choral Artists and currently serves as an advisor to the board. Prior board memberships include The Minnesota Music Educator's Association, The North Star Opera Company, The Minnesota Opera Company, and The Minneapolis Principals' Forum.
The Singers—Minnesota Choral Artists | 528 Hennepin Ave., Suite 216 | Minneapolis, MN 55403 | 651-917-1948 |