Lisa Graham, conductor

In her ninth year as the Evelyn Barry Director of Choral Music, Lisa Graham conducts the Wellesley College Choir, and Chamber Singers as well as teaching academic courses in the Music Department. In 2004 she founded the Choral Scholars Program, consisting of scholarship students selected to study conducting and choral literature.

Under her direction, the Wellesley College Choirs have toured internationally to England, Wales, Canada, Spain, and Italy in addition to domestic tours annually. The Wellesley Choirs regularly perform in the Boston area, on professional concert series and were featured at the American Choral Director's Association Eastern Division Conference 2010. The Choir and Chamber Singers are both featured in the 2003 motion picture, "Mona Lisa Smile."

An active participant in the musical life of the greater Boston area, she has been Music Director of the Brookline Chorus since 2004. Additionally, she is a founding member and President-elect of the National Collegiate Choral Conductors Organization, has served as the Women's Choir Repertoire and Standards Chair for the Massachusetts American Choral Director's Association, and is an active guest conductor, clinician, and festival adjudicator.

Prior to her arrival in the Boston area, she was on the conducting faculty at California State University, Northridge and Director of Choral Music at Marymount High School in Los Angeles. She has directed choirs at Sonoma State University, performed in and directed productions at Cinnabar Opera Theater and taught graduate and undergraduate conducting courses at the University of Southern California. She studied at the Kingston University School of Music in London, at Sonoma State University, and at the University of Southern California, where she earned her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts Degrees. While under the direction of Dr. William Dehning, she served as Assistant Conductor to the USC Thornton Chamber Choir in addition to teacher graduate and undergraduate conducting courses.

Joseph Stillitano, conductor

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

Now in her fifth 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 earned both his B.M. and M.M. Piano Performance degrees from Towson University. He took coursework in piano accompanying at the Eastman School of Music and holds a M.M. degree in Collaborative Piano from New England Conservatory. Mr. Becker is the Music Director and piano Instructor for Riverside Theatre Works, and a Piano Instructor and Vocal Coach at the All-Newton Music School. Michael also serves as the accompanist for the Philharmonic Society of Arlington Chorale, Boston Conservatory, and the Metropolitan Opera Guild's Urban Voices.

Michelle Shoemaker, theory

Michelle Shoemaker has taught Musicianship I and II since 2002, and currently teaches Musicianship I. She is on the faculty at the Longy School of Music; from 2002-2010, Dr. Shoemaker was the Chair of the Woodwinds and Brass Department. Michelle earned a B.M. in clarinet performance from the Crane School of Music/SUNY Potsdam, a M.M. in music theory from Michigan State University, and a D.M.A. in clarinet performance from New England Conservatory of Music. Her clarinet teachers include Alan Woy, Frank Ell, and William Wrzesien.

Christopher Martin, theory

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

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.