Afatexas.org

 
FACULTY ARTISTS
Jason Carson, Middle School Choir
Choir Director, Foster High School; Launched choir program at Pin Oak Middle School (2003);
Bachelor of Music degree, Baylor University and Master of Music in Choral Conducting,
Louisiana State University; Member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Choral
Directors Association, American Choral Directors Association, Music Educators National
Conference, Organization of American Kodaly Educators, and the Pi Kappa Lambda Music
Society
Amy Moore, Middle School Choir
Head Choral Director, Labay Middle School (14 years); Active adjudicator and clinician
throughout Texas; Bachelor of Music in Music Education, Baylor University (received
Outstanding Music Educator, Outstanding Choral Musician, Outstanding Senior Woman in the
School of Music and Who’s Who Among American College Students)
Joel Price, Middle School Choir Guest Conductor
Director of Choirs, Westwood Junior High, Richardson ISD; RISD Secondary Teacher of the Year
2004-2005;   Former Middle School/Junior High Vice President, Texas Choral Directors
Association; Finalist, H-E-B Excellence in Education award program, 2008; Bachelor of Music in
Music Education and Vocal Performance, Southern Methodist University;

Jed Ragsdale, High School Choir
Choir Director, Cy-Fair High School (15 years in CFISD); Bachelor or Music, Southwestern
University, Master’s in Education Administration, Lamar University; Frequent conductor and
clinician for All-Region Choirs; Has performed with Houston Symphony Chorus, Brazosport
Symphony Orchestra and Texas Master Chorale

Kimberly Tobola, High School Choir
Director of Choral Activities, Lanier Middle School (11 years); Conductor, Houston Girls Chorus;
Founding member, VOX; Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, Baylor University and Master
of Music in Vocal Performance, Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Giselle Wyers, High School Choir Guest Conductor
Donald E. Peterson Associate Professor of Choral Music at the University of Washington; Has
toured internationally with the University Chorus at University of Washington; Guest Conductor
for numerous high school groups across the U.S., including the Alaska All-State Women’s Honor
Choir and the Nebraska Wesleyan Honor Choir in the 2013-14 season; Choral compositions
published by Santa Barbara Music Press as “Giselle Wyers Choral Series”; Founder, San Lorenzo
Valley Community Chorus and Orchestra (California); D.M.A. in conducting, University of
Arizona, Master's degree, Westminster Choir College, Bachelor's degree, UC Santa Cruz
Cynthia Clayton
Associate Professor of Voice, Moores School of Music, University of Houston; Avid performer of
recitals, chamber music, and operas; Has held leading operatic roles with New York City Opera,
Houston Grand Opera, Dallas Opera, San Diego Opera, Utah Opera, Cleveland Opera, Opéra en
Plein Air (Belgium), and many others

Kelli Estes
Artistic Director & Co-Founder, Lone Star Lyric Festival; Original cast member Opera Company
of Brooklyn, Opera in the Heights, Allentown Concert Opera, Center City Opera Theater
(Philadelphia); B.A. California State University, Fresno; M.M., University of Houston
Melissa Givens
Area Coordinator, Vocal Studies and Assistant Professor in Music, Houston Baptist University;
Has performed as soloist with Vienna Volksoper Orchestra, the Budapest Concert Orchestra,
Austin Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony Orchestra, National Philharmonic and the
Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra; Core artist with Ars Lyrica Houston and the Bach Society
of Houston; Member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the American Guild of
Musical Artists, the Houston Tuesday Musical Club, and the honor societies Omicron Delta Kappa
and Pi Lambda Kappa; BA in Music, Davidson College, MM in Vocal Performance, Shepherd
School of Music, DMA in Music Performance, University of Houston

Brady Knapp
Associate Professor, Director of Choral Activities, University of St. Thomas; Frequent recitalist
and clinician; Has performed with numerous ensemble in the Southeast; Doctor of Musical Arts,
Master of Music in Vocal Performance, and Bachelor of Music in Performance.
Jason Lester
Instructor of Music and Choir Director, Wharton County Junior College; Active performer of
concert works, recitals and opera; Has performed with Glimmerglass Opera, Berkshire Opera,
Opera in the Heights, Woodlands Symphony Orchestra, Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra, Florida
State Opera, Opera Theater of Lucca, Italy, Tallahassee Bach Parley and has been heard on NPR’s
World of Opera; Doctor of Music, Florida State University, Master of Music, University of
Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Bachelor of Music Education, Baylor University

Carole Nelson, Voice Department Head
Artistic Director, Houston Boychoir (on staff 23 years); Has toured internationally with Houston
Boychoir; Former Choir Director and Voice Teacher, High School for the Performing and Visual
Arts; Active clinician and adjudicator across the nation; Graduate, University of Houston, Moores
School of Music

Brian Shircliffe
Artist, Ars Lyrica; Has performed with Dayton Opera, Lake George Opera, Utah Festival Opera,
Opera in the Heights, Houston Grand Opera, and Opera Vista; Voice Teacher, San Jacinto College
and Lee College; Masters in Music, Moores School of Music.
Liz Wade
Freelance Artist; Has performed worldwide in concert and opera performances (Carmen,
Santuzza, and Der Komponist0; Has studied with Katherine Ciesinski and Debria Brown; Has
worked with Frederika Von Stade, Carlile Floyd, and Robert Wilson
Holly Wilson Butler, High School Choir
Bachelor of Music, University of Houston and Performer’s Certificate, Conservatory of Music at
University of Missouri, Kansas City; Certificate of Performance, Russian School of Piano,
Freiburg, Germany; Has studied with Ruth Tomfohrde, Dr. Robert Weirich, Abby Simon, Dr.
Vitaly Margulis, and Sergei Babayan; Medalist in the San Antonio Music Club Competition, the
Ruth Burr Competition, the Missouri MTNA Competition and the UMKC Concerto Competition
Jasmine Hatem, Middle School Choir
Active soloist and chamber musician; has performed with Greenbriar Consortium, Houston Civic
Symphony, AURA, and Dominic Walsh Dance Company; Faculty, University of St. Thomas and
Bridges Academy at St. Luke’s Methodist Church; Master of Music in Piano performance, Moores
School of Music and Master of Music in chamber music and accompanying, Shepherd School of
Music.

Shawn Heller, High School Choir
Active freelance pianist; has performed in recitals in Asia, Steinway Hall, in universities
nationwide and in ensembles in Mexico, with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and May Festival
Orchestra. He has studied with Horacio Guttierez, Ruth Tomfhorde, Abbey Simon and Dr.
William Black; Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance, University of Houston and
Master of Music program at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
Catherine Schaefer, Middle School Choir
Accompanist, Music Theory and Aural Skills at University of Houston; Bachelor of Music and
Bachelor of Arts, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh and Master of Music, University of Houston

Source: http://www.afatexas.org/downloads/About/2014Faculty.Vocal.pdf