DURANGO CHORAL SOCIETY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Artistic Director
- President of the BOD
Job Titles:
- Artistic Director
- Artistic Director / Conductor )
- Artistic Director, Durango Children 's Chorale Durango Youth Chorus
Amelia Barrett has been conducting choirs, playing, and teaching piano for over 18 years in the Four Corners area. She received her B.A. in Music Education from Fort Lewis College where she studied piano with Ying Ying Liu and Norman Krieger. She currently maintains a private piano studio in her home and is the Artistic Director of the Durango Children's Chorale, Durango Youth Chorus, Durango Barbershop Chorus, and the Durango Chamber Music Academy. Amy is a frequent clinician for choral and orchestra festivals in Colorado and New Mexico and both her school orchestras and community choirs have performed at the NMMEA and CMEA music festivals as well as at Carnegie Hall. She is currently the music teacher at Sunnyside Elementary School in Durango, Colorado.
Christi has been the DCS rehearsal and performance pianist for 40 years. Not only is she an accomplished pianist but she also embodies our rich organizational history. She has been honored to also perform with the Denver Chamber Orchestra, the San Juan Symphony, the Albuquerque Chamber Orchestra, Dave Brubeck, Lively Arts, the Abbey Theater and the all of the Fort Lewis College Choirs. Christi is also an accomplished organist and plays regularly at many local churches. Her touch and talent are central to every DCS choir performance.
Job Titles:
- Artistic Director
- Executive Director
Just as most non profit executive directors, Dawn happily wears many hats and serves as grant writer, fundraiser, and administrator of the aspects of venues, performance and touring, assistant to the Artistic Director, singers' advocate, and janitor. Dr. Spaeder is a retired professor of Communication, holding degrees in Rhetoric, Human Communication, Women's studies, and Media Production and Analysis. More importantly, she has been a singer and advocate for the choral arts since kindergarten. She has sung and toured with several accomplished choirs and currently proudly sings with the Durango Women's Ensemble and the DCS mixed voice choir. She is forever heartened by the dedication of our beloved DCS patrons. She is most honored to work for and constantly humbled by the incredible, talented group of artist and advocates that make up the DCS Village.
Job Titles:
- Piano: Durango Youth Chorus
Jill Waterman is an experienced and professional musician and educator, having taught choral and general music in Wisconsin public schools for 33 years. She has also been teaching private piano and voice lessons for 42 years, which she enjoys immensely. Jill has been a lifelong church musician, both in Wisconsin and in Durango, and has served as conductor and praise band leader for various choirs and praise bands.When she's not making music, Jill finds time for dancing, pickleball and tennis, hiking, playing cards, getting together with friends, and traveling.
Having become a Durangotan six years ago, Jill immediately jumped into the exciting choral music scene here. She currently sings in Durango Choral Society, Women's Ensemble, and the Chamber Singers, had been the accompanist/assistant choral director for Durango Youth Chorale. She feels very blessed to be part of the Durango Choral Society family.
Job Titles:
- Artistic Director / Conductor: Durango Choral Society / Durango Women 's Choir
Job Titles:
- Artistic Director
- Artistic Director / Conductor )
- Artistic Director, Durango Choral Society Durango Women 's Choir
- Associate Conductor
The Durango Choral Society is pleased to introduce our new Associate Conductor, Rhonda Muckerman. Rhonda is an accomplished musician, teacher, and conductor. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Michigan State University and a Master of Music degree from the College-Conservatory of Music/University of Cincinnati in Conducting. For over thirty-five years, Rhonda has taught instrumental and choral music to musicians of all ages, programming diverse repertoire designed to uplift the human spirit. She has served as the Artistic Director for the Telluride Choral Society for 11 years, and is currently the Artistic Director for the Southwest Civic Winds. Her book "Of Song and Water" will be published by Morgan James Publishing in April, 2022.
We are proud to welcome Rhonda to the DCS family. You will see her on stage as both a singer and conductor, and behind the scenes as well.
Robin Randolph is a 1980 graduate of Fort Lewis College, having earned a BA in English, with enough Music credits to constitute a Music Minor (although it wasn't labeled as such). She loves having the opportunity to administrate the Durango Children's Chorale and Durango Youth Chorus, because she loves kids and loves music! She is an invaluable assistant to Amelia Barrett, the youth choirs, and the entire DCS Board. Whether organizing scores, leading fundraisers, helping at rehearsals, or organizing camp, Robin is always busy aiding our youngsters. Robin's influence and dedication are evident in our young singers' performances and composure at home and on tour. Robin feels grateful to be able to rub shoulders with so many in the Durango musical community as she works in this wonderful organization. She has lived at Vallecito Lake for 38 years with her husband John, and they raised three children there. Robin and John enjoy their 7 grandchildren. Besides music, Robin also loves a quiet rural life, nature, animals, and trying to mix the wild vegetation of the mountains with a few cultivated garden spots.