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- Staff - Our Founder |
Artistic Staff
Administrative Staff
John Russell is the Director of SDCC’s Youth and Alumni Choirs. He obtained his Bachelor's degree from Western Michigan University, his Master's from Columbia University Teacher’s College and is currently a doctoral student in Choral Music at the University of Southern California. Mr. Russell’s principal conducting teachers have been Dr. Craig Arnold (Luther College), Dr. Joe Miller (Westminster Choir College) and Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe (University of Southern California). Mr. Russell is also the conductor of the University Chorus at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music and the Director of Choirs at Los Angeles City College. He was previously the principal choral conductor at LaGuardia School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City. While in New York he conducted performances with New York’s renowned Orchestra of St. Luke’s, served as a clinician for the New York Philharmonic’s Education Department, and was a guest conductor with the New York City National Chorale. In addition to his work as a teacher and conductor, Mr. Russell is an active tenor soloist, most recently performing G.F. Handel’s Dixit Dominus with the Westminster Chamber Choir and Orchestra in Princeton, New Jersey.
Mr. Morgan has served on the Board of Directors of the San Diego Master Chorale, The Spreckels Organ Society, and is the Founder and Executive Director of the African American Music Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the Negro Spiritual. He has been an adjudicator locally and nationally and has been featured panelist/lecturer at the National Association of Negro Musicians Convention and the National American Guild of Organists Convention. As an educator, he has been the instrumental music teacher at Francis Parker School and is currently the instrumental music teacher at Warren-Walker Middle School where all students are required to learn to play an instrument. He is the choir director at Christ Episcopal Church in Coronado and conducts a volunteer community choir for San Diego’s Annual Spirituals Festival presented by the African American Music Foundation.
Ms. Orem is an award-winning choral director who is devoted to music education for children and their teachers alike. Since 1975, she has taught music on every level, from preschool throught college. She directed the first San Diego City Elementary Honor Choir in 1992 and then again in 1999 where she was honored as the Choral Director of the Year for the San Diego City Schools. She was then selected as one of the Outstanding Elementary Music Specialists for the Southern Border Section of the Music Educator's National Conference (MENC/CMEA) and recently conducted the Elementary Honor Choir in 2007. Currently, Ms. Orem is a classroom music teacher at Jerabek Elementary
School in Scripps Ranch (since 1990), where she has been teaching kindergarten
through fifth grade and leading an after-school volunteer choir.
She is a local and national presenter for the American Orff-Schulwerk and Kodaly Associations and
currently the president of the San Diego AOSA chapter. Ms. Orem also consults for the
San Diego State University Education Department and plays handbells with the Church of the
Good Samaritan Bell-a-Peal handbell choir.
Upon her graduation from UC Riverside, Ms. Widney began a music program and founded the school choir at King/Chavez Academy of Excellence in Barrio Logan, where she also taught fourth grade. She holds a California Teaching Credential specializing in Music and is a member of Pi Lambda Theta Honors Society for educators. Ms. Widney was a long time member of the San Diego Children’s Choir, from soon after it was formed until her graduation in 1999. She participated in five Concert Tours with the Choir including international tours to Scotland, England and Italy. Ms. Widney is in her second year in the Ethnomusicology Master’s Program at San Diego State specializing in Bulgarian vocal music. She has performed in the Latin American Ensemble at San Diego State and is also a graduate member of the Student Advisory Council for the School of Music and Dance. She currently volunteers as the summer music director for Camp Stevens Choir Camp and has been the music director for the Point Loma Arts Academy. Ms. Widney is currently the soprano staff singer at St. Peter’s Church in Del Mar and is an active member of the Bach Collegium of San Diego, where she has toured to Mexico City to perform in the Baroque Organ Festival.
Ms. Manion is an accomplished concert pianist and has been performing for choirs and solo performances for over thirty years. Her travels include Europe, and many parts of the U.S., doing both solo and accompaniment work. She is an experienced private piano teacher of 25 years, and has been active as an accompanist for musical theatre here in San Diego for many years in various venues. She frequently plays for various choirs at churches and schools throughout the city. Her work has included accompanying the Chamber Singers and Concert Choir at San Diego State University, and several city-wide Honor Choir performances. Ms. Manion loves to compose and perform, and has recoreded three CD's
of her original works, which have been performed on national
television and radio.
Elyse has accompanied for many ensembles, including numerous musical theater productions, musical theater classes, gospel choir, concert choir, vocal jazz ensemble, orchestra (harpsichord and piano), ballet, opera workshops, vocal classes, and solo vocalists and instrumentalists. Elyse has studied with Larry Wagner at Wagner’s School of Music, Ruby Styler, Eula Clark, Myrna Gowing, and Brenda Martin. In addition to performing at SDCC, Elyse teaches piano at Valhalla High School as well as group and private piano lessons at Greene Music Education Center, while pursuing a Masters of Piano Pedagogy at San Diego State University.
Ms. Wishnuff taught for 15 years at the Blairgowrie Music Centre in Johannesburg. She is also an enthusiastic singer and has been a member of the South African Broadcasting Symphonic Choir and the prestigious chamber choir, The Chanticleers Singers' under the direction of one of South Africa's icons, Richard Cock. In addition to her work for SDCC,
Ms. Wishnuff is the Music Director for the Community Congregational Church
in Pacific Beach, and
teaches piano at the California Institute of Music,
at the Oceanside Academy of the Performing Arts, and at her home.
Ms. Icenhower received her A.S. Degree from the Fashion Merchandising Institue in 1974, where she graduated at the top of her class, and her Certificate in Development Managment from the University of California Irvine in 1985. During 1985, she also obtained her Real Estate License. Ms. Icenhower has extensive management experience. She has been a designer, merchandiser and buyer for multiple organizations including Fashion Conspiracy, Fedmart Corporation and Moonsoon Stores. As the Vice President and General Manager for Cote D' Ore Sportwear, Ms. Icenhower designed the product line and supervised all subcontractors, sales, production and shipping. Besides her responsibility for all Choir Administration,
Ms. Icenhower is a Choir Mom, the Project Coordinator for her
family business Icenhower Enterprises (since 1983) and a member of
the SDCC Board of Directors.
As a long time Choir parent, Ms. Smith was President of the Choir's Parent Association for several years.
and currently serves on the Parent Board as Secretary.
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Michael Morgan is the Director of SDCC's Concert and Intermediate Choirs. He holds a BS Degree in Music Education from Hampton (Institute) University in Virginia. He is a well known and respected educator, conductor, and performer. Although born in Birmingham, AL, Mr. Morgan has called San Diego home since 1987 after serving as a Navy Supply Corps Officer. Among his numerous credits are performances with the San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera Company, La Jolla Symphony, and many other local and national organizations.
Margie Orem is the Director of SDCC's Preparatory
Choirs. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education
from CSU Chico and a Master's of Art in Teaching from Grand Canyon University. She
has taken master conducting classes from Robert Shaw, Anton Armstrong and Henry Leck.
Lauren Widney is the Director for the Intermediate Choir at the Allied Gardens Branch. She received her degree in Music from University of California at Riverside. At UC Riverside, Ms. Widney was lead soprano in the Chamber Choir and was a member of the Gluck Music Fellows. She was also co-founder of the student run a capella group, “High - C”.
Priscilla Manion is an accompanist for SDCC Choirs.
She earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees
in Piano Performance from Wheaton College Conservatory of Music and
University of Redlands.
Elyse Reed has been playing the piano since the age of 3. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Music at Point Loma Nazarene University where she was awarded a Music Department Scholarship, Willow-May Beresford Scholarship for piano, Dean’s Academic Scholarship, and MTNA (Music Teachers National
Association) Scholarship. She also won first place for her classical piano performance at “MusicFest”, South West CAPMT District I.
Ronel Wishnuff is an accompanist for SDCC Choirs.
Ms. Wishnuff received her Bachelors of Music degree from the University of the
Witwatersrand in Johannesburg with a distinction in piano and is currently
obtaining a Masters degree in Piano Performance at San Diego
State University.
Donna Icenhower is SDCC's Executive Director.
Jackie Smith is the Finance Coordinator
for the Choir.