Art Bragg, Conductor

Art started his professional musical career at the age of 11 as a paid soprano in a Men and Boy’s choir in Upstate NY. By the age of 18 he was conducting the choir and playing the organ in a small church. Art attended Union College, where he accompanied the Glee Club, including on a concert tour of Venezuela. After obtaining degrees in music and computer science, Art went to New England Conservatory where he received a Master’s degree in Piano Accompaniment.

Art moved to Boulder 24 years ago to work on a Doctorate in Choral Music at CU. During that time he was conductor of the Rocky Mountain Chorale for two and a half years. (Some of the current members actually remember this time!). Four years ago Art started The Renaissance Project a 24-voice a-capella Boulder choir that specializes in the great motets of the Renaissance. Art is now a Software Consultant during the day. Art also occasionally teaches the Lindy-Hop and has recently taken up the Argentine Tango.

Brian du Fresne, Associate Conductor

Brian du Fresne grew up in Europe and obtained degrees through the University of Texas (B.M. and M.M.) and the University of Colorado (M.M.Ed.). Brian currently holds the positions of Director of Vocal Music and Director of Musical Theatre at Monarch High School in Louisville, Colorado. At that school he directs the choirs, teaches AP music theory and guitar, and directs the annual musical. Additionally, Brian was hired in 2009 to rebuild the faltering choral program at Broomfield High School. Enrollment tripled in his time there.

Brian has served on the Boards of Directors for Colorado Music Educators’ Association, Colorado All State Choir, and Boulder’s Trouble Clef Theatre Company. He is proud to serve as the Associate Conductor of the Rocky Mountain Chorale. Brian has been engaged by the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, Denver’s Congregation Temple Emmanuel, the Denver Pops Orchestra, the Ars Nova Singers, Colorado’s All-State Symphonic Orchestra, and the El Paso Symphony Orchestra in Texas. He has been the Principal Organist at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Boulder since 1996, and has been Section Leader for the Ars Nova Singers since 1994. Brian holds the Associate Certificate through the American Guild of Organists. Brian and his partner of twenty-five years, Fred Jewell (a prolific composer and teacher of public school orchestra), live in Longmont with their Siberian huskies and two cats.

Lisa Phillips, Section Leader

Lisa Phillips was born in Boulder and studied voice at CU under Julie Simson. She completed her Master of Music in Voice Performance from Wichita State University in 2000. She has performed as both the soprano and mezzo-soprano soloist with the Boulder Messiah Sing-Along with Robert Arentz and has acted as the vocal coach for the choir of the same production for eight years. Lisa has also performed as the soprano soloist for the Fauré Requiem. Local stage credits include Dido in Dido and Aeneas by Purcell and directed by Raouff Zaidan at the Rocky Mountain Center for Musical Arts (RMCMA) and Little Buttercup in HMS Pinafore with the CU Lyric Theater. She has also performed as the Secretary in Menotti’s The Consul, the Witch in Hansel and Gretel, Clarina in La cambiale di matrimonio by Rossini, and perhaps most enjoyably, Donna Ribalda in PDQ Bach’s The Stoned Guest.

Currently, Lisa is the Music Director and Resident Soloist at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder. She is Founder and Director of the Boulder Shoestring Players, a youth theater troupe, whose productions include Once Upon a Mattress, The Fantastiks, and (currently in production), My Fair Lady. Lisa is grateful to have Rick Thomas as a vocal and artistic coach, as she builds her career in the Boulder area.

Norm Anderson, Accompanist

Norman Anderson has been playing piano for about 21 years and is currently pursuing a degree in piano performance at CU Boulder. He has received numerous awards for his classical playing, the most recent of which was 1st place in the NFMC Biennial Young Artists Competition 2009. In addition to playing with the RMC, Norman works with local vocal/instrumental studios, public schools, and children’s theater companies. He plays every Sunday at Louisville United Methodist Church, where he also directs the choir and makes the music selections.

Board Members for the 2011-2012 Season

President	Van Rudd
Vice-President	Tom Satter
Secretary	Christina Brady
Treasurer	Marilyn Powell
Publicity	Aisha Sayles
At-Large	Cecile Penland
Librarian	Kay Norris
Past President	Tom Satter