2015 MARTINSBURG CHORAL FESTIVAL JUDGES

Dr. Erik Jones- HS Concert Choirs

Dr. Erik Jones is in his eighth year as the Director of Choral Activities at Shepherd

University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, where he directs the Chamber

Singers, the Masterworks Chorale, the Women's Camerata, and the Vocal Jazz

Ensemble. He is also in his eighteenth year founder and artistic director of

the Master Singers of Virginia, which won the 2012 Choral Excellence Award for

Most Creative Programming. He received his Bachelor of Music degree summa

cum laude in vocal music education at the University of Massachusetts at

Amherst. Dr. Jones went on to receive his Master of Music degree in choral

conducting at the University of Cincinnati, and his doctoral degree in choral

conducting at the University of Maryland at College Park.

While his conducting takes him all over the Washington, DC region performing

music from medieval times onward, he has a particular love for a cappella choral

music of the 20th and 21st centuries. The Master Singers have been invited to

perform at numerous festivals and conferences, including a 2005 summer

conference of the American Choral Directors Association. Dr. Jones is also an avid choral composer, with over

twenty works to his credit, most of which have been premiered by the Master Singers. Dr. Jones is in high demand

at festivals and competitions around the Washington, D.C. region.

Dr. Jones has also published numerous articles, including the cover story on Veljo Tormis in the April 2005 ACDA

Choral Journal and an examination of rhythmic layering and tempo relationships in the Bach B Minor Mass,

published in the Spring 2008 edition of the American Choral Review. He recently presented lectures at the 2006,

2008 and 2010 ACDA Southern Division conventions.

Dr. Kathleen Shannon- HS Concert Choirs, MS Choirs, and HS

Show Choirs

Dr. Kathleen Shannon has served the choral art as a conductor and pedagogue

for more than 30 years. Extensive training and experience in Choral Music

Education, Conducting, and Choral Pedagogy have allowed her to enjoy several

dynamic faculty appointments. From 1996-2011, she served as Associate

Professor and Director of Choral Activities at West Virginia University, where she

conducted traditional choirs, vocal jazz ensembles, and taught choral methods,

choral literature and conducting at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Prior to her tenure at West Virginia University, she was appointed to the music

faculties of the University of Mississippi and the University of Miami. Currently,

Dr. Shannon teaches online music courses for West Virginia University, works as

a conductor in the areas of traditional choral pedagogy and vocal jazz. She is also

the Chorus Master for the York Symphony Orchestra (PA).

Dr. Shannon has also worked as a musical director, choreographer and

adjudicator of traditional choirs and show choirs in Mississippi, West Virginia, and Florida.

Dr. Scott Glysson- HS Concert Choirs, MS Choirs, and

HS Show Choirs

Scott Glysson is the Director of Choral Activities at West Liberty

University in West Liberty, WV. Dr. Glysson has been recognized for

his achievements in conducting in both the choral and orchestral

genres. As the conductor of university, high school and community

ensembles, he has performed both nationally and internationally.

Under his leadership as the Artistic Director of The Tucson

Masterworks Chorale, the group’s excellence was recognized through

an invitation to perform in Lincoln Center’s Avery Fischer Hall in

March of 2014. As a student, he received the George Mason

University College of Fine Arts award for Outstanding Music Student

for his achievements in the area of choral and orchestral conducting.

As a graduate student, Dr. Glysson was honored as one of eight semi-finalists from across the country to compete

in the National Choral Conducting Competition sponsored by The American Choral Directors Association. He has

also been honored as a finalist in the Western Division American Choral Directors Association Conducting

Masterclass Competition.

Previously, Dr. Glysson served as Assistant Director of the internationally recognized Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus.

While living in Northern Virginia he held the position of Director of Music at Floris United Methodist Church and

teaching positions at several high school in the Washington D.C. area. He also served as the Artistic Director and

founder of the Floris Concert Series, where he organized and conducted major-work charity concerts with chorus

and orchestra. He has also held the position of Assistant Conductor of The Reston Chorale, one of the Washington,

D. C. area’s most celebrated choruses.

An active scholar and educator, Dr. Glysson has presented and published in the fields of music education and

musicology. In 2011, he was honored with the privilege to present his research on the motets of the medieval

composer Guillaume de Machaut at the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the American Musicological Society. As a

board member of the Arizona State Chapter of The American Choral Directors Association, he has published

several articles and reviews. Dr. Glysson’s dissertation and current research centers on the choral motets of

Camille Saint-Saëns and the 19th century cecilian movement.

Dr. Glysson holds a DMA in Choral Conducting from The University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. He also holds a

MM in Choral Conducting from the University of Arizona, and a BM in Music Education from George Mason

University.

Jack Flesher- MS Choirs and HS Show Choirs

Jack Flesher is a graduate of West Virginia University. As a WVU

Foundation Outstanding Senior, he graduated summa cum

laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and Bachelor of Music

degree in Music Education with a minor in English. He currently

teaches general music and choir at Mountainview Elementary

School and is an Assistant Director at MTC, a non-profit children's

musical theatre company. He is an active member of the Mountain

Laurel chapter of the American Orff Schulwerk Association, an

honorary member of the Lobi-Birifor Dance Troupe of Ghana, and

continues to perform with the WVU African Music and Dance Ensemble. Since his years as a member of a high

school show choir, he has served numerous times as a clinician and voice coach for high school show choir and

musicals, and he is very excited to return to Martinsburg High School as a judge!

Nicoletta Ciampa- Star Performer

Nicoletta Ciampa is a recent West Virginia University School of Music Graduate with a

Bachelors of Music in Performance with her concentration in voice. As a student, she

studied with Mr. and Mrs. Dr. Koehler and performed with the WVU University Singers,

WVU Choral Union, WVU Opera Scenes, and with WVU’s School of Theatre & Dance. Some

of her favorite roles include: “Mercedes” in Bizet’s opera Carmen, “Second Lady” in

Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute, female ensemble in Cabaret, and “Sarah” in Ragtime. Ms.

Ciampa is currently the Assistant Director, Vocal Coach, and Program Coordinator of

Morgantown Theatre Company (MTC), a non-profit children's theatre program, where she teaches and directs

theatre classes for children grades K-12. Nicoletta teaches private voice lessons in Morgantown, WV where she

resides.

Laura Koposko- Star Performer

Ms. Koposko is a 2012 graduate of West Virginia University’s School of Music. There she earned her bachelor’s degree in Music Education graduating magna cum laude. During her time at WVU, Ms. Koposko was a voice student of Dr. Nicholas Perna and was involved with many of the college’s choirs including Women’s Choir, University Choir, and Choral Union. Following graduation, Ms. Koposko spent the spring of 2013 teaching high school choir at Delmar High School in Delmar, DE where she directed six student choirs. Currently, Ms. Koposko is employed with Berkeley County Public Schools where she has been teaching K-2 General Music at Valley View Elementary since the fall of 2013. There, she teaches the

beginning foundation of music to 400 students weekly. Ms. Koposko currently resides in Hedgesville, WV with her fiancé, Mr. Nathan Rihn who is the strings teacher at Mountain Ridge Middle and Intermediate Schools along with Martinsburg South Middle School, and their two dogs.