Sopranos

Amanda Boger is a lifelong Alaskan and performer with a Bachelor of Arts in Music from UAA. In addition to the Alaska Chamber Singers, she performs regularly with the Anchorage Opera, Alaska Sound Celebration, and her nationally acclaimed barbershop quartet “Rewind”. Amanda is a founding member of the Anchorage Opera Overture Council and currently sits on the board. Two years ago, she opened “Siren Beauty” where she offers services as a licensed Aesthetician. In her off time, she and her partner, Spencer Madden, support the community through Rotary and the nonprofit Burning Man Project. You can often find them outdoors with Spencer’s son, Ethan, enjoying hiking, biking, skiing, snow machining, and backpacking.

Sharon  Cooke has a degree in Music Education with a choral emphasis from Northern Arizona University. She teaches both middle school choir and elementary music for the Anchorage School District. Sharon has been in the Chamber Singers off and on a few times now. The first time she left because she had enough free time to travel the world; the second time she had her first baby and suddenly had not time at all. Sharon is thrilled to be back in the group and hopes to stick around for a while this time. When she is not doing musical things, Sharon likes to spend time in the outdoors.

Kathy Jin Hagen (*soprano section leader) is delighted to have sung with Alaska Chamber Singers for over 30 years. She served as an accompanist for many years and has been featured often as a vocal soloist. She has also appeared as a soloist and ensemble singer with Anchorage Vocal Ensemble (AVE), Anchorage Festival of Music, Anchorage Opera, Anchorage Concert Chorus, Portland Symphonic Choir, and Portland State University Singers.  She discovered her love of singing growing up in Daegu, South Korea, and continued singing in school choirs when her family moved to Portland, Oregon. After graduating from Aloha High School, she studied piano and voice at George Fox University where she met her husband, David Hagen. She then received additional training at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music.  Kathy has been teaching piano to students aged 5 to 75 for over 30 years, and is still loving it! Outside of music, she loves having both sons, Noah and Evan, in town. She enjoys running and hiking with friends and spending time at her cabins.

Kimberly Hayes moved to Alaska from Arkansas in September of 2016. She currently teaches at Bear Valley Elementary School in the Anchorage School District. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music with a vocal emphasis from John Brown University and a Master of Arts in Teaching, Secondary Education from Harding University both which are located in Arkansas. During her spare time she works for Alaska Missions and Retreats doing mission work around the state of Alaska. Kimberly grew up in a very musical family and music has always been one of the joys in life. She loves to hike, fish, hunt, and enjoy the beauty of Alaska.

Kimberly Martin has been singing as part of Alaska Chamber Singers since 2000. She enjoys the fulfillment her garden and flower beds provide during the beautiful Alaskan summers. Along with her bachelor’s in education from Eastern Mennonite University, she completed a minor in Music. Kimberley performed with the university’s Chamber Singers for four years under the directorship of Kenneth Nafziger. Currently Kimberly is teaching 2nd grade at the Alaska Native Cultural Charter School in Anchorage.  

Rebecca Nelson is a music educator who grew up in Anchorage singing and playing music with her family, school, and church. She earned her Bachelor's degree in music education from Baylor University and a Master's degree in education from the University of Alaska Anchorage, with an emphasis in secondary choral curriculum. She has been teaching in the Anchorage School District since 2000, and currently is the choir director at South Anchorage High School. Rebecca has served as president of the Alaska Choral Directors’ Association and is on the board of the Alaska Music Educators’ Association. She is a regular mentor for new teachers and student-teachers. Rebecca serves on the Music Curriculum Committee for the school district and has twice assisted in writing and aligning the secondary choral curriculum.  Rebecca is a frequent music in-service presenter and is the Fine Arts Department Chair at her school. She has taught music pre-K-12, and music education at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Rebecca has been singing with the Alaska Chamber Singers since 2002, and also enjoys producing musicals, reading, cooking, traveling, and enjoying the great outdoors.

Meredith Rude was born and raised in Anchorage and graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a bachelor's degree in music education.  She teaches choir and band at Begich Middle School, gives private music instruction, and serves as an accomplished trumpeter and pianist, and has a knack for learning how to play new instruments.  When she's not singing, strumming or blowing her horn, she enjoys hiking, gardening, and playing with power tools.  She currently shares her home with three sweet rescue kitties and one rambunctious rescue pup.   

Megan Sandone grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and received her early musical education from Janet Stotts while singing with the Alaska Children's Choir for thirteen years.  She received a degree in ormvocal perfance from the University of Puget Sound in 2001, and a law degree from the University of Oregon in 2008.  Megan has sung with the Anchorage Concert Chorus since 1996 and the Alaska Chamber Singers since 2013, and sang with the Anchorage Opera Chorus for several years between college and law school.  Megan is a shareholder with the law firm of Jermain, Dunnagan & Owens, and lives in Anchorage with her husband and two children.

Stephanie Williams​ sings with the Anchorage Concert Chorus, Alaska Chamber Singers and has recently started her own performance group "Next In Line Productions."  Some of her more challenging solo opportunities have been as the soprano soloist in Poulenc's Gloria with the Anchorage Youth Symphony, as the Queen of the Night with UAA Opera Ensemble and as Geraldine in Barber's A Hand of Bridge with the Anchorage Opera.  Born and raised in Anchorage, she has studied voice at Chapman University in Southern California and locally, at UAA and with Kate Egan.  Though she enjoys operatic roll greatly, her favorite music is that from the Renaissance and Baroque Periods by composers such as Josquin, Palestrina and Bach.  She and her husband James have two funny little girls, Isabella and Brighton.  

Mary Britton arrived in Anchorage in January 2014, welcomed by a display of Northern Lights, quite a sight for someone who had always lived in the Midwest and had never seen them before.  A piano teacher, music therapist, singer and conductor in her past life, Mary is thrilled to have an opportunity to again participate in musical excellence in this, her first season with ACS.  When not making music, Mary can be found volunteering at a mobile food bank and her church, reading, and exploring Alaska with her newly retired husband.  

Liesl Davenport-Wheeler is a music educator with training in voice, piano and French Horn. She joined Alaska Chamber Singers in 1999. She studied music at the University of Oregon and received her master’s degree in music education from the University of Southern Mississippi. She taught high school choir for over 20 years, five of which also included middle and high school band. She is currently in her 6th year teaching music at Trailside Elementary. She is also music director at Turnagain United Methodist Church. She sings with the Alaska Sound Celebration Chorus and is a part of a barbershop quartet called Sweet Chillys. One of her most memorable musical experiences is marching her freshman year of college with the University of Oregon marching band. When she is not making music, she is walking her dogs, knitting, gardening, cooking, reading, putting together puzzles, going to the cabin or exploring Alaska with her husband in the camper.

Annie Herzog (* alto section leader) has been singing with the Alaska Chamber Singers since she moved to Alaska in 2020. She earned her Bachelor's in Vocal Performance from Pacific Lutheran University where she sang with the Choir of the West for four years. She went on to sing with PLU's Choral Union and CWU's Chamber Choir. Annie has also enjoyed singing several opera roles with PLU Opera including Rosina in Rossini's il barbiere di siviglia and Hermia in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream. She has also been featured as a soloist with the Anchorage Festival of Music. Annie teaches choir and piano at Bartlett High School. When she is not teaching she enjoys hiking, cross country skiing, and playing with her kitty, Stella. 

Katherine Huffman, sop II, began singing with ACS around 1991.  She has also enjoyed performing with the Anchorage Concert Chorus, Anchorage Opera, AVE and the Anchorage Folk Festival.  Since studying voice in college Katherine is grateful to notice that some of her best friends and artistic experiences have been made being part of the Anchorage musical community.  With special gratitude to her high school guitar teacher, Henry Hedberg, who recommended she try out for the choir.

Mary Klebs started singing with the Chamber Singers in 1995, shortly after moving to Alaska.  She took a 10-year hiatus while her children were small, but rejoined Chamber singers in the 2015-16 season.  Mary grew up singing – at home, at church, in school – and enjoyed many high school and college performances, tours and competitions.  Singing with the Chamber Singers has been the most rewarding musical experience for her.  Mary’s heart is her family – daughters Alli and Lexi, and her church family.  Mary works in the commercial HVAC industry and is currently attending school for massage therapy. Mary enjoys spending time with her daughters, traveling, gardening, hitting the gym, and taking scenic walks.

Emilee Smith started her choir journey right here in Anchorage at West High School. At West, Emilee was very involved with choir and performing in musicals. She went on to receive her Bachelors of Music in Music Education from Colorado State University and is now very excited to be the choir director at Service High School! When she’s not singing or teaching, Emilee enjoys reading or hanging out with her family and her four dogs. 

Madison VanAusdal attended Brigham Young University in Utah and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education in 2019. She enjoyed performing as a member of the BYU Singers from 2015-2018, and traveled to Southeast Asia on tour. After marrying her Alaskan husband, Madison moved up to Eagle River in 2020. She currently teaches private piano and voice lessons from home, while raising her two young children and her dog Lucy.

Megan Webb is a lifelong Alaskan with roots on the Kenai Peninsula. She briefly left Alaska to study Music Education at the University of Nevada in Reno, where she studied clarinet, saxophone, voice and piano. After receiving her degree in 2002, Megan began her teaching career in the Mat-Su Valley before settling in Anchorage. Megan has been at Wendler Middle School since 2013, where she teaches 7th and 8th grade band, jazz band, and a music exploratory class for Life-Skills students. Megan also directs the choir, leads singing, and accompanies on piano and guitar at the Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, where she serves as the Music Director. Some of Megan’s most cherished memories as an educator are traveling to remote areas of Alaska to work with young musicians, and being asked to officiate the wedding of two of her former high school students who met and fell in love in her choir class. When she’s not busy with her musical endeavors, Megan can be found gardening, at pub trivia, traveling to music festivals, and spending time with her energetic and entertaining 8 year old son, Elliot. Megan is thrilled to be back singing in person with ACS this season!

Jeremy Austin (* tenor section leader) grew up in Southeast Alaska in a largish family of classical and folk musicians, studied music pedagogy in British Columbia, and taught privately until 2018 in the Interior of Alaska. French horn, piano, voice, and arranging are particular passions. His second career as a senior network engineer at Alaska Communications still leaves him time to enjoy singing, supported by his wife and two musical teenagers.

Jack Britton, tenor, moved to Anchorage in 2013, started singing with Alaska Chamber Singers in 2016,  and has considered it one of the most musically rich experiences of his life.  The variety of music and the fine product from ACS is a source of great enjoyment.  His other great passion in music is his cello.  His musical resume includes the Columbus, MS Madrigal Singers as well the Columbus Symphony, many performing small ensembles over the years, several years with the Louisville Thoroughbred Chorus, an internationally known Barbershop chorus, and, most recently, 8 years as principal cellist of the Indiana University Southeast orchestra.  Now retired, Jack's professional life included flying for the USAF and UPS.  He leads a happy life here in Anchorage, accompanied by his wife, Mary, who you can see in the ACS alto section.

Andrew Gray sang professionally with the Estonian National Male Choir in Tallinn, Estonia, in the early 2000s. While living in Europe, he also performed with the Estonian National Opera Chorus, the Haapsalu Early Music Festival, and the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland. He was the tenor soloist for St. Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church in Manhattan in the late 2000s and also performed with the West Village Chorale, the Westchester Choral Society, and the New York Choral Society. He has sung with the Washington Master Chorale in Washington, DC. He is originally from Texas where he sang with the New Texas Festival Chamber Singers, the Victoria Bach Festival, and Conspirare, all under the direction of Craig Hella Johnson. He has been singing with the Anchorage Opera Chorus since 2017. He is a physician assistant at Alaska Urgent Care and with the Alaska Army National Guard. 

Luke Honeck, tenor, has performed with Alaska Chamber Singers, Anchorage Festival of Music, Alaska Chorus Concert, and Anchorage Opera among others. Luke also enjoys playing viola, having performed with the Anchorage Opera pit orchestra, the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra, the Anchorage Civic Orchestra, and the Kenai Peninsula Orchestra. A graduate of West Anchorage High School, Luke holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music. Praised for his interpretation of art song, Honeck is celebrated for his nuanced musicianship and his ability to communicate with audiences. In April 2021, Luke was featured as soloist in Alaska Chamber Singers performance of Brahms’ Zigeunerlieder and appeared as Spoletta in Anchorage Opera’s production of Tosca by Puccini. He has also performed the role of Dr. Knox in Julian Grant’s The Nefarious, Immoral but Highly Profitable Enterprise of Mr. Burke & Mr. Hare (2021), Rinuccio in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi (2019), Count Ory in Rossini’s Le Comte Ory (2018), and Tenor in Glass’ Hydrogen Jukebox (2017). On the oratorio stage, Luke has been featured as Uriel in Haydn’s The Creation with the Manitowoc Symphony Orchestra (2018) and soloist in Handel’s Messiah at his alma mater (2017). In 2017, he won the Encouragement Award through the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

David Ianson Ph.D. has been singing for a long time. He has performed in five university chorales, numerous madrigal, and opera ensembles. He has been a professional Christmas Caroler, madrigal performer, Portland Opera performer, tenor with the Russian American Colony Singers, numerous community choruses and begins his 14th year with Alaska Chamber Singers. He is Classically and Opera trained, is a “Mycorrhizast” and the State Agronomist for the USDA.

Mark Iverson is a charter member of the Alaska Chamber Singers. His 56 years of choral singing began in his mother's church choir and includes the USAF Academy Cadet Chorale, which he joined so he could stand at ease for a few hours each week. He performed with the Alaska Chamber Singers at American Choral Directors Association conventions in Seattle, Washington and in Vancouver, British Columbia and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He has also performed with the Anchorage Opera, the Basically Bach Festivals, Anchorage Summer Music Festivals and the 25th Statehood Anniversary Russian Choir.  He retired as an IT project manager after having been employed within the Alaska oil industry for 39 years. 

Jim Powell is one of the few remaining Chamber Singers who sang our first concert. His singing began in high school, continued at the U. S. Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point) and through law school in Ann Arbor. His Alaska singing debut was in Fairbanks with the Messiah tenor solos in 1964. He then continued with those solos for the next 20 years in Anchorage. He practiced civil trial law for 40 years in Anchorage, and now runs a B&B in Turnagain. He is frequently seen on his bike or flying his Cessna at Merrill Field.

Bardon Simons grew up in Seattle where he received his early musical training-playing violin in school orchestras. Seeking new outlets for musical expression while at Whitman College, he joined the college madrigal and concert choirs and performed as a chorus member in college opera productions. Since moving to Anchorage in 1985, he has sung with the Anchorage Concert Chorus, Anchorage Festival of Music, Anchorage Opera, and National Symphony Orchestra during its 1992 Alaska tour. Bardon enjoys gardening and reading history and biographies when taking a break from his job as business manager for a commercial real estate development firm. 

Mark Skrade was born in Anchorage, grew up in Ireland, and moved home to Alaska in 2010. An interest in singing began while he was attending Saint Mary's University of Minnesota and is now an avocation in Anchorage. In addition to the Alaska Chamber Singers, Mark has performed with the Anchorage Opera Chorus in four productions, with Cyrano’s Theatre Company in one musical, and sang in his first Community Messiah right after the 2018 earthquake. He is grateful for these experiences and for the opportunity to learn in Kate Egan's studio. Mark is a cantor at Holy Family Cathedral and is proud to work for Matson at the Port of Alaska. 

Mark S. Bledsoe has been a fixture in the Alaska Chamber Singers’ bass section since 1996.  He received his Bachelor of Music degree from Willamette University College of Music, where he majored in organ performance.  Mark performed with many of the musical ensembles there.  He has become a familiar face in the Alaska choral music scene, having sung over the years with not only Alaska Chamber Singers, but also with the New Madrigal Singers, Basically Bach Chorus, the Anchorage Opera Chorus and the Anchorage Concert Chorus.  We recently asked Mark what he thought about Bach and the Baroque.  He thought for a minute and looked up from his bowl of soup.  He stated that he enjoys Bach’s music, and didn’t think it was broke.  It just has too many notes, so he usually leaves some out, he said.  Then he returned to his soup.

Phil Cheasebro was born and raised in Aztec, NM and moved to Alaska in 2009.  Phil has been a member of many ensembles (classical, contemporary, rock/country, a cappella, and barbershop) throughout New Mexico, Colorado, Alaska and New York.   Phil sang for 5 seasons with the Anchorage Opera and has performed with the New York Lyric Opera and received his Bachelor of Music in vocal performance under Dr. Mari Hahn from University of Alaska Anchorage. Phil is very involved in barbershop, participating in many local, regional and international events. He currently directs the Anchorage Midnight Sons Chorus and was musical director the Manhattan based Big Apple Chorus, and associate musical director of Voices of Gotham. 

Ken Diemer grew  up in rural upstate New York and began musical training at an early age.  He received his education first at a local community college, and then  at the New England Conservatory  of Music in Boston majoring in vocal performance. Ken has had the good  fortune to perform with The Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Boston Pops  Orchestra, The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra at The Casals Festival, and  in various New England music festivals. He  later obtained both his degree in biological anthropology with honors  and his law degree while in New England. He joined Alaska Chamber  Singers in August 2020 and has been a member of the Anchorage Concert  Chorus since 2017. Ken has lived in Anchorage  for over 25 years where he has practiced law, has five children (ages  16-30), and is an avid outdoor person who really enjoys fishing,  hunting, gardening, and continuing to learn new things.

Tim Fosket has been singing all his life and can't seem to stop; he has performed in 46 states and five Canadian Provinces. In Anchorage he has been a member of the Alaska Heritage A Cappella Choir, Batteries Not Included, Anchorage Concert Chorus, the Russian American Colony Singers, Anchorage Opera, Next in Line Productions and now, after a long break, is returning to Alaska Chamber Singers. He moved to Alaska from Seattle where he sang with the Seattle Men's Chorus and Esoterics; prior to that he sang with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus in Boston. It all started in high school when a music teacher told him to let go of the cello and join the choir. Secretly he still misses that cello.

James (JT) Fryer moved to Anchorage in July 2022 from New Jersey. He studied music education at the University of Delaware, and recently received a Masters Degree in School Administration from Rowan University. He has been an intern at the St. James Cathedral Choir Camp in Seattle, a choral scholar for the Delaware Choral Academy in Aix-en-Provence, France, and a conducting intern for the Greater South Jersey Chorus. He taught high school music in Neptune, New Jersey for eight years, where he directed several award-winning ensembles. JT is currently the choral director at West High. He lives in Anchorage with his fiance, Nicole. 

Andrew Gonzalez is an Alaska transplant from the midwest who has been involved with music nearly his entire life playing the piano, french horn, and singing. He began voice lessons in high school and sang in the Iowa All-State Chorus and Dubuque Julien Chamber Choir. He went to Luther College in Decorah, Iowa where he sang in the Nordic Choir under Dr. Allen Hightower touring the British Isles. Since college he picked up the ukulele, mandolin, spoons, and a little melodica. He is loving Alaska and is thrilled to be a member of the Alaska Chamber Singers. Andrew is a researcher at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Evan Hagen currently freelances as a hornist with the Anchorage Symphony, Opera, and Concert Chorus, while also working as a Conducting Fellow with the Alaska Youth Orchestras. Before returning to Alaska from college, Evan studied horn under Dr. Jeffrey Snedeker at Central Washington University. While at Central, he pursued interests such as music history, conducting, and religious studies, as well as briefly performing with the University Chorale under Vijay Singh. Evan also enjoys reading, meditating, and rock climbing.

Lyndon Harder has been immersed in choral music since his elementary school years. He sang in his high school varsity chorale, college choir in England, his university's glee club, and in numerous church choirs. Lyndon has resided in Alaska for more than 20 years and has sung with Alaska Chamber Singers for most of the ACS seasons since 2013. Previously he sang with the Augusta Choral Society in Georgia. Lyndon retired from the US Army, having served in various Military Intelligence fields. Lyndon also retired from his second career, that as an analyst for the US Government. In addition to singing, Lyndon is an avid river kayaker and enjoys nature photography and computer building. Lyndon and his wife live perched on the slope of a mountain near Eagle River and are both volunteer staff members at the Eagle River Nature Center.

Jon Rippe (* bass section leader) grew up in Northern Virginia and started singing at a very young age.  He discovered chamber music in high school and had the pleasure of touring Europe with The Sound of America Honor Band & Chorus after graduating in 2004.  From his late teens into his early twenties, he sang with over a dozen different choirs and musical ensembles ranging from jazz quartets to 100+ voice chorales.  After enlisting in the Air Force, Jon took a six year hiatus from singing until joining Alaska Chamber Singers in 2018.  During COVID, he combined his technological aptitude and his musical experience to create virtual content for both himself and ACS.

Dr. Bruce Wood is the Director of Fine Arts for the Anchorage School District. Before arriving in Alaska, Dr. Wood was Associate Professor of Music Education at Texas Tech University. Dr. Wood received his master's and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his bachelor's degree from Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. At Texas Tech, Dr. Wood received over $80,000 in grants for teaching and research projects, including the Texas Tech String Project, which he directed. Dr. Wood has been published by the American String Teachers' Journal, Strings Magazine, GIA publications, and has written a book entitled, The Yin and Yang of Teaching Music. In addition, Dr. Wood was the founding Music Director of the Youth Orchestras of Lubbock. As recently retired ASD Fine Arts Director, Dr. Wood is pleased to share that Fine Arts high school students in ASD have a ten percent greater likelihood to graduate, and attend school at an eight percent higher rate than the general population.  Dr. Wood's wife, Brooke, works for the Alaska Chapter of the Nature Conservancy.