Alyson Greer, conductor

agreer@handelandhaydn.org
Alyson Greer was appointed conductor of the Young Women's Chorus in August 2011. Since 2006, Greer has been Director of Choral Music at Hanover High School, where she directs five choirs: the Concert Chorus, Freshmen Women’s Chorale, VOX (select honors women’s ensemble), The Corporation (men’s a cappella ensemble), and Mad-Jazz Choir. Her Hanover High ensembles consistently earn gold ratings and medals at the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association (MICCA) and Heritage Music Festival statewide competitions. VOX was one of only two choral ensembles chosen from 18 others statewide for the 2010 Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA) All-State Convention Concert Hour, has been awarded MICCA gold medals at MICCA four out of the last five years, and was featured in MICCA’s 2011 gold medal showcase Stars @ Symphony at Symphony Hall. Greer is also the Co-Founder and Assistant Director of Quincy Point Music Academy and was Director of Music and Choirs at Quincy Point Congregational Church from 20072011.

Greer holds a Bachelor of Music degree (magna cum laude) in Vocal Performance and a Master of Music Education degree, both from The Boston Conservatory. She was a Full Conductor Fellow at the Sarteano Chamber Choir Conducting Workshop (Tuscany, Italy), where she participated in master classes with Simon Carrington and Bronislawa Falinska and was a featured alto soloist in the Chamber Choir. A mezzo-soprano, Greer is an active performer in the Boston area and has performed as a soloist with the Quincy Summer Singers and the Eastern Nazarene College Choral Union in their annual performances of Handel’s Messiah.

Joseph Stillitano, conductor

jstillitano@handelandhaydn.org
Joseph Stillitano is the High School and Middle School Choral Director for the Westborough Public Schools (since 2001) and also teaches piano, music theory, musical theater, and directs the Westborough High annual musical. He served as the 2003-2005 Massachusetts American Choral Directors Association Senior High School Repertoire and Standards Chair and the Festival Chairperson for the 2003 and 2004 MA ACDA High School Honor Choir Festivals. Joseph was a vocal faculty member from 2003-2005 for the Boston University Summer Theatre Institute and a former conductor of the Ithaca College Men’s Chorus (a cappella choir). He holds dual Bachelor of Music degrees in Vocal Performance and Music Education and a Master of Music Education from Ithaca College, where he studied conducting with Dr. Janet Galvan. Joseph has also sung as a tenor soloist and member of the Masterworks Choral and the Mystic Chorale.

Heather Tryon, conductor

htryon@handelandhaydn.org
Now in her sixth season with Handel and Haydn Society, Heather Tryon has taught chorus, elementary honors chorus, and general music since 2000 for the Needham Public Schools. Heather earned her B.M. (Vocal Music Education, magna cum laude) and M.M. (Music Education) degrees from Ithaca College, where she studied conducting with Janet Galvan and voice with Carol McAmis. Heather also received professional certification from the Choral Music Experience program, designed by Doreen Rao. Before returning to Ithaca College for her master's degree, Heather served as the interim conductor for Youth Pro Musica in 2003-2004. Ms. Tryon's Needham Elementary Honors Chorus sang for the "Building Tone through Sensation" session with Emily Ellsworth at the 2006 Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA) Conference and was a featured choir for a 2007 MMEA Conference Concert Hour. Ms. Tryon has also served as Secretary for the Massachusetts American Choral Directors Association since 2007.

Michael Becker, pianist

Michael Becker accompanies the Singers, Youth Chorus, and Young Women’s Chorus of the Handel and Haydn Society. He also accompanies the Arlington-Belmont Chorale of the Philharmonic Society of Arlington, and performs regularly with Urban Voices, an educational outreach program of the Metropolitan Opera Guild. Additionally, Michael is a staff pianist at the Boston Conservatory, and is on the piano faculty of the All Newton Music School.

Michael is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music, where he earned a Master of Music degree in Collaborative Piano. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Music in Piano Performance from Towson University in Maryland, with additional studies at the Eastman School of Music and the Longy School of Music Piano Pedagogy Institute.

Michelle Shoemaker, theory

mshoemaker@handelandhaydn.org
Dr. Shoemaker has taught Music Theory I and II since 2002, and currently teaches Theory I. She was recently appointed Director of Communications at the All Newton Music School, beginning in fall 2011. She is a former faculty member and Chair of the Woodwinds and Brass Department at the Longy School of Music from 2002-2010. Dr. Shoemaker earned a B.M. in Clarinet Performance from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, a M.M. in Music Theory from Michigan State University, and a D.M.A. in Clarinet Performance from New England Conservatory. Her clarinet teachers include Alan Woy, Frank Ell, and William Wrzesien.

Christopher Martin, theory

cmartin@handelandhaydn.org
Christopher Martin earned both his B.M. Performance and Music Education and M.M. Music Education degrees at Ithaca College. Since 2005, he has been a faculty member at Coakley Middle School, Norwood (middle school choruses, advanced honors chorus), and a private vocal instructor for the Norwood Public Schools. Mr. Martin will serve as the 2011 Chairman of the Massachusetts All-State Chorus; he was the 2010 Assistant Chair for the All-State Chorus. His teachers include Lawrence Doebler and Janet Galvan (conducting), and Patrice Pastore, Beth Ray, and Kelly Samarzea (voice.)

Matthew Guerrieri, pianist and theory

mguerrieri@handelandhaydn.org
Matthew Guerrieri holds degrees in music composition from DePaul University (B.M. composition) and Boston University (D.M.A. composition), and is an alumnus of the Tanglewood Music Center.

He frequently writes about classical music for the Boston Globe, and has also written for Slate, NewMusicBox, and Vanity Fair magazines. Dr. Guerrieri also serves as Director of Music for the Presbyterian Church in Sudbury.