Alaska Chamber Singers - Singers

A member of the Alaska Chamber Singers since 2000, Ronale Anson embarked on her Alaska choral career singing in the annual presentation of the Messiah, the first of which was conducted by her future husband Henry Hedberg. She later joined the Anchorage Concert Chorus. Ronale also serves on the board of directors for the Alaska Chamber Singers. She retired from the State of Alaska in 1997 and is enjoying her encore career as the Patron Services Coordinator with the Anchorage Concert Association. Ronale resides in Anchorage and enjoys the companionship of her husband, Henry, and kitties, Mary Meaux and Katie Katz.

Lorelei Costa has been raising her voice all her life, starting with various children's choirs like the Treble Chorus of New England. She has been privileged to sing with such groups as the Carolina Choir at UNC Chapel Hill, the North Carolina Master Chorale, and the Cape Fear Chorale. Lorelei is also a passionate but lazy pianist who doesn't practice arpeggios at all. She is honored to be serving on the Chamber Singers board this season.

Julie Flynn is a founding member of the Alaska Chamber Singers, performing in all but one of 20 years. She started singing in church choir at age 7, began voice lessons at twelve, and also learned piano and French horn. During college she took up guitar and folk singing. In Anchorage, she studied with Ora Lee Kapp, Gloria Marinacci Allen and Lois Cepparo. She has performed with the Ohio State Symphonic Choir, the Anchorage Community Chorus, the New Madrigal Singers, Trattoria Singers and the Anchorage Opera. Julie is a licensed occupational therapist who specializes in psychosocial rehabilitation.

Carolyn Gordon says, "Singing is in my soul." She has lent her three-octave range to performance groups all of her life from madrigals in junior high, to her high school Bel Canto Ensemble, a 42 voice chorale during college, and later in a professional choral ensemble. Born and raised in California, Carolyn moved to Alaska in 1990 and plans to stay a while longer. She works for the University of Alaska Bookstore.

Currently a Junior at Service High School, Alice Han enjoys singing and playing instruments such as piano and guitar. She is a member of the school's Concert Choir, under the direction of Merry Chadwick. She was chosen to participate in the 2008 All-Northwest Middle School Choir and the Alaska All-State Choir. When not busy with school, she enjoys resting and spending time with her friends and family.

Jennifer Hooten is new to the Anchorage area. She moved here with her Air Force husband in August of 2009. Jennifer has performed all over the world and in a variety of choirs over the past 20 years, including singing with the Grammy-Award winning Phoenix Chorale in 2006-07. She also made her professional stage debut in H.M.S. Pinafore with Arizona Broadway Theater. Jennifer is a 2002 graduate of Northern Arizona University, where she received a Bachelors degree in Music Education. She is currently employed by the Anchorage School District teaching General Music at Spring Hill Elementary School. Jennifer is also a Scentsy Independent Consultant, which keeps her busy outside of the classroom, but she loves it. Moving to Alaska has been quite the adventure but time in the outdoors camping, hiking, biking and snowboarding has been fantastic.

A member since 1999, Corina Johnston enjoys the challenges of singing in a group full of such talented (and interesting) people. By day, she sings with the exuberent children of Fire Lake Preschool and is rewarded by smiles even when her notes aren't quite right. Corina is proud to say she was born and raised in Chugiak where her grandparents homesteaded and her husband grew up down the road. She currently resides in Eagle River and enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband Ty, and daughter, Cadence.

Mary McKean has played the piano throughout her life and as a degree in music education. During college she became a singer and was drafted into the alto section. She often sings with the Anchorage Concert Chorus, joining both her mother and father, and she has sung with the Festival of Music. She is currently Project Manager for a new student information system in the Anchorage School District (AKA "The Zangle Lady").

Anne Sheehy is a transplant from Potomac, Montana. She has always loved singing and choral music, and pursued music education with a vocal emphasis in college. After graduating from the University of Montana in 2004, Anne moved to India for two years, to teach choral and general music at an international school in the Himalayan foothills. Tired of the heat and monkeys, she decided to move closer to home and find a place with snow. When Anne is not teaching choir, band or coaching at Begich Middle School, she loves to enjoy Alaska's great outdoors.

Moira K. Smith, who joins the Chamber Singers in 2010, was born in Anchorage and began choral singing at age 5 with the Anchorage Girls Choir. She grew up in Juneau and enjoyed a song-filled public education. In her adult life, she has sung with the Choeur Colonne in Paris, the Baltimore Choral Arts Society, the Choral Arts Society of Washington, the Sirens in Budapest, VII+ in Juneau, and on a rap album in Berkeley. She is an attorney and when not singing, enjoys baking bread, drinking wine, and spending time with her daughter, stepsons, and husband, Jake.

Mari Cavens was fortunate to have been introduced to a variety of choral works as a participant in the choirs and traveling madrigal group at the Catlin Gabel School in Portland, Oregon. She studied music at Scripps College where she sang in the concert and chamber choirs and graduated with a degree in music composition. She also sang with Portland Camerata and her church choir. Mari works for Providence Hospital as an operating room nurse with the cardiac team and has traveled extensively on medical missions. She and her husband, Rick have three children, Sonya, Andrei, and Yelenna and a kennel of 8 sled dogs. They have made Alaska their home since 1990.