Artistic Director and Chamber Chorale Director - Timothy Snyder

Timothy Snyder begins his seventh season with the Boulder Chorale in 2007, having formerly served on the faculties of Connecticut College and the Yale School of Music.  During recent seasons he has led the Chorale to acclaimed performances of Beethoven, Fauré, Mozart, Bach and Handel with the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra—collaborations hailed as “a series of artistic triumphs” by the Boulder Daily Camera.

Choruses under his direction have toured to most major cities of the United States, and internationally to Norway, France, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Greece, Poland, Italy, and the People’s Republic of China.   Active as a composer, his choral works are performed and recorded by some of the nation’s leading choirs, have earned recognition in competitions sponsored by the American Choral Directors Association, the Composer’s Guild and Ithaca College, and are published by Hinshaw Music, Shawnee Press, Lawson-Gould and Santa Barbara Music.   

Mr. Snyder is active as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator of choruses, and has directed church music programs in Connecticut and Colorado.  He is Director of Worship, Music and Outreach at Atonement Lutheran Church in Boulder and is a candidate for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Colorado where he is a student of Joan Conlon and Lawrence Kaptein.

Associate Conductor and Women's Chorale Director - Kimberly Needham

Ms. Needham completed dual master’s degrees in music education and vocal performance at the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2004. Her professional experience includes six years of secondary choral teaching in North Carolina public school systems, during which time she was honored as Teacher of the Year, Jaycee Young Educator of the Year, and featured in Who’s Who Among American Teachers. In 2003, Ms. Needham advanced as a finalist in voice competitions sponsored by the Denver Lyric Opera Guild and the National Association of Teachers of Singing. During her graduate studies at the University of Colorado, she appeared as in Madame Lidoine in Dialogues of the Carmelites, and as Gianetta in L’Elisir d’Amore. She also served as conductor of the University Women’s Choir and as instructor for various music education courses. Ms. Needham is currently Director of Choral Music at Niwot High School, where she serves six choirs with a combined membership of 250 students.

Principal Accompanist and Musical Preparation - Michael Mastronicola

Mr. Mastronicola is a candidate for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Colorado-Boulder and is Director of Music Ministries at Brighton First Presbyterian Church in Brighton, Colorado. He is also Instructor of Music at Front Range Community College.

Mr. Mastronicola has performed in numerous concerts throughout the United States and on concert tours of Bulgaria, Italy, and Austria. He is a frequent performer at the Estes Park Music Festival and, as organist, has performed with the Boulder Philharmonic and at ELCA synod-wide conventions. During 2005, Michael was selected to be the coach accompanist and harpsichordist with the Opera Colorado Outreach Ensemble, during which time he was awarded the Harold A. Norblum Memorial Award for “outstanding dedication and exemplary community service.”

He has held teaching positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Colorado-Boulder, and the Rochester City School District. In 2001, he was guest conductor of the Boulder County Multiple Piano Festival. Mr. Mastronicola is a Colleague of the American Guild of Organists and holds degrees from Ithaca College and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Accompanist - R. Anthony Lee

Tony Lee comes to the Boulder Chorale with a career spanning 45 years as organist, church musician and composer. At the College of Church Musicians, Washington National Cathedral, he studied composition and analysis under Leo Sowerby, organ under Preston Rockholt and conducting under Paul Callaway. His compositions for organ and chorus have been heard in churches and cathedrals throughout the United States, including performances at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, and Washington National Cathedral.

As organist, Mr. Lee has served parishes in Maryland and Colorado. He was organist/choirmaster at St. John’s Episcopal, Boulder, from 1968-1970. Since 1986, he has been accompanist with Boulder’s Ars Nova Singers under the direction of Thomas Morgan. In 2004, Mr. Lee retired after 33 years as organist at St. Aidan’s Episcopal, Boulder and is now associate organist at St. John's, Boulder. Tony has been with the Chorale since 2005.

Accompanist - Caitlin Sugishita

Caitlin Sugishita completed her M.M. in Piano Performance at the University of Colorado in Boulder, where she studied with Doris Pridonoff Lehnert. She has won numerous regional competitions including MTNA and the Nancy Clark Piano Competition. In 2000, she was a featured performer at the International Piano Festival in Houston, Texas. Caitlin has performed both solo and collaborative recitals throughout the United States and Europe, and most recently gave a series of recitals in Japan with her husband, violinist Takanori Sugishita.

In addition to the Boulder Chorale, Caitlin is also the Pianist at Jefferson Unitarian Church in Golden and the Accompanist & Assistant Music Director for the Arvada Center Chorale.

Administrator - Erin Christensen-Mandel

Erin moved to Colorado in 2000 with a music degree from Gonzaga University. In addition to performing cello with the Boulder Chorale and the Boulder Women’s Chorale, she has performed with the Colorado Cello Choir, the Gonzaga Symphony Orchestra, the Whitworth Orchestra, the Spokane Civic Theatre, the Gonzaga Choir, and with many smaller ensembles. Erin currently is the studio cellist for San Luis Sound. In 2004 she finished her Master’s degree at Naropa University in Literary Translation. Erin has been with the Chorale since 2004.