State Conference Session Descriptions, Clinicians, & Presenters

Anchor Music (formerly Sound Music Publications) has established itself as one of the leading resources for vocal jazz music. This reading session will present a variety of charts published by Anchor Music suitable for all levels of vocal jazz ensemble. The session will also include a brief overview of Anchor Music’s website and the resources available there.

Wyatt Steinke is the Manager of Choral Activities at Concordia College and serves as the Staff Advisor for Concordia’s Vocal Jazz Student Organization and Director of Vocal Jazz I. As part of his regular duties at Concordia, Wyatt serves as the Executive Producer for the Concordia Christmas Concerts and the college’s record label, Concordia Recordings, plans and manages The Concordia Choir’s domestic tours, and coordinates logistics for all other on- and off-campus choral performances. He graduated from Concordia College with a degree in Vocal Music Education.

As a student, Wyatt directed Concordia Vocal Jazz I his junior and senior years, founding the Vocal Jazz student organization in his junior year and establishing the annual Concordia Vocal Jazz Festival his senior year. After graduating, he taught 9-12 choir at Park Rapids Area High School for one year before returning to Concordia in his current role in 2018. Wyatt became the Staff Advisor of Concordia Vocal Jazz and resumed directing in 2019.

Michelle Gehrz, conductor of Angelica Cantanti Youth Choir’s Cantabile (grades 4-6), also leads Angelica’s Prelude Choir Class (K-1) and Prep Choir Class (grades 1-3). Michelle is a passionate and joyful choral conductor, music educator, accompanist, church musician, and organist in the Twin Cities. She holds degrees in music education, sacred music, and organ performance from St. Olaf College, University of Notre Dame, and University of St. Thomas (ABT) and has her Orff Certification from UST. 

Michelle is the Artistic Director of Bella Lumina – an adult treble choir based in Hopkins, and also directs the Music Association of Minnetonka Senior Chorale (55+). She is a collaborative pianist for ACDA-MN Honor Choirs, MMEA All-State Choirs, Minnetonka High School, and Mound Westonka High School. She has served as the R&R Chair for Children’s/Youth Choirs for ACDA-MN. Michelle was the conductor of the ACDA-MN 4-5-6 Girls State Honor Choir in May 2023. Her school music teaching career has spanned all grade levels K-12 and has included teaching at Mounds Park Academy (St. Paul), St. Croix Preparatory Academy (Stillwater), and in the Wayzata School District. She has served as Organist/Choir Director at many churches including the Cathedral of St. Paul, Lake of the Isles Lutheran, Mount Calvary Lutheran (Excelsior), Hennepin Avenue UMC, and St. Anthony Park UCC.

Michelle’s greatest calling and wish for her time on this earth is simply to be a bringer together of singers. “I hope to be a catalyst for others to spread light, to find hope, and to feel immense joy through song!”

Elizabeth Egger (she/her) is a conductor and singer whose career is grounded in her mission to educate, create, and explore to help young singers develop their authentic voice. A passionate teaching artist, Beth incorporates playfulness with her students and always leaves room for exploration. Beth currently serves as the conductor of the Angelica Cantanti Youth Choir’s Concert Choir (ACYC) and as the choir director at Scott Highlands Middle School in Apple Valley, MN. With 19 years of experience, Beth has held teaching and conducting roles in schools and churches across Minnesota and Wisconsin. 

Under Beth’s artistic leadership, her ensembles achieved notable recognition, performing at the MMEA Midwinter Convention in 2014, 2015, and 2025 and for the ACDA Fall Conference in both 2015 and 2022. Notably, Beth conducted ACYC singers during the 2018 Super Bowl LII performance and led a 25-member ensemble in the children’s chorus for Director Osmo Vänskä’s season finale of Mahler’s Symphony of a Thousand in 2022. In the 2024-2025 season, Beth is presenting sessions at MMEA and ACDA of Minnesota conferences and directing the Children’s Chorus for Turandot with Minnesota Orchestra.

Beth is also a singer at heart, and has sung with several professional ensembles including The Singers – Minnesota Choral Artists, Milwaukee Choral Artists, Florentine Opera, and Skylight Music Theatre. She earned her MA in Music Education at the University of St. Thomas and BM summa cum laude in Vocal Performance and Music Education at the University of Minnesota. Follow her vibrant journey on Instagram: @choirsips.

Ann Williams is the conductor of the young artists of the Con Brio Choir. Ann received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and Elementary Education from The College of St. Benedict, then earned her MA in Music Education at the University of St. Thomas.    

Ann is inspired by youth and loves teaching.  For the past forty-one years, she has been a classroom educator, music educator and youth choir director.  She began her teaching career as a third grade classroom teacher, then moved her career to the Osseo Area Schools, where she served as a K-6 music specialist for thirty-five years.  In addition to music teaching, Ann is passionate about youth choral music.  Her directing experience includes the auditioned District 279 Children’s Chorus, the St. Alphonsus Children’s Choir, and was a founding director of the Twin Cities Youth Chorale.  Ann is in the midst of her fifth season as director of the Angelica Cantanti Con Brio and Vivace choirs.

Over the years Ann’s choirs have had the distinction of performing at both state and national conventions for the National Association for Music Education (NAfME and MMEA) as well as the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA-MN) fall conference.  Ann was also selected as an elementary honors choir co-director for ACDA-MN.  Choirs under Ann’s direction have performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Dale Warland Singers, and the College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University Chamber Choir.  TCYC also performed with the Minnesota Children’s Chorus Consortium at the Chorus America National Conference as well as with many other community-based choral and instrumental organizations throughout the Twin Cities.  

Ann was a member of the Education Board for the Dale Warland Singers (DWS), and assisted with curriculum writing for both the DWS, and the Osseo Area Schools.  She holds memberships in both ACDA and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME).  As a vocalist, Ann currently serves as a cantor at the Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis. Ann also is the recipient of the 2024 College of Saint Benedict Distinguished Alumna Reunion Award.

Bri Bergstrom is in her 12th year of teaching. She proudly attended the University of St. Thomas for both her bachelor’s degree in vocal musical education in 2013 and her Master of Arts in the field of music education in 2022. Bergstrom’s teaching career has included both classroom and choral music education in Belle Plaine and St. Peter public school districts. She has also served as Adult and Youth worship director at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Belle Plaine and currently leads the contemporary worship team at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Mankato, MN. Along with the choral department, Bergstrom has directed 20 shows. In Belle Plaine, Mrs. Bergstrom directed the high school musicals, middle school musicals and created a student directed one act festival. In St. Peter Bergstrom serves as the vocal music director for the fall musicals and will be directing the competitive One Act Play. Mrs. Bergstrom is an active member in MMEA, NAfME and ACDA, serving as co-chair for the MN ACDA 9/10 SATB Honor Choir and on the Board of Directors. Bri, her husband Isaac, and their two children Eli and Etta live in St. Peter.

Dr. Nicole Mattfeld is Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at Alma College, where she conducts three choirs and teaches courses in conducting and music education. With a passion for creating lifelong singers and expressing the human condition through singing, Nicole’s varied conducting experiences have included working with university, secondary, community, and church ensembles. Prior to Alma College, she served as Assistant Professor of Music at Bethel University, Director of Youth Choirs for Minnesota Chorale, Artistic Director & Conductor of Minnesota Center Chorale, Chorus Director for Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra, and Director of Bella Fiore with Sing Out Loud. Before this, she taught secondary choir for ten years and also worked as a hospice therapeutic musician.

A sought-after clinician, Nicole is active across the United States working with schools as a guest conductor and adjudicator at music festivals and conferences. Her choirs have performed nationally and internationally, and she will make her conducting debut at Carnegie Hall with MidAmerica Productions in Spring 2027. Nicole currently serves on the board of American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) of Michigan. She has previously held positions on the boards of ACDA-MN and Minnesota Music Educators Association.

Nicole holds a Doctorate of Music Education degree from Liberty University. Her research is focused on the scientific benefits of music, specifically utilizing HeartMath techniques to enhance heart coherence and physiological entrainment in the choral ensemble. Nicole also has a MM in Conducting from Colorado State University and a BFA in Choral Music Education from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Mark Gitch is beginning his third year as the Minnesota Music Educators Association’s representative to the Minnesota State High School League’s Board of Directors and Chair of the MSHSL Music Advisory Committee. He has served as the music representative to the League’s Region Committees in 1AA and 6AA as well as a metro area large school orchestra representative to the Music Advisory Committee. In addition, he has managed and/or hosted MSHSL Solo and Ensemble contests for more than three decades and has served as a MSHSL certified judge at numerous large group and solo and ensemble contests.
Following sixteen years in Owatonna, Mark has led the orchestra program at Wayzata High School since 2005. He and his Wayzata choral colleagues collaborate annually to perform a major shared work and look forward to presenting Elaine Hagenberg’s Illuminare this December. He earned degrees in music education from St. Olaf College (B.A. ‘88) and the University of St. Thomas (M.A. ‘02)

Dr. Leah Wyman (she/her) is Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral/Vocal Studies at Graceland University, where she conducts the Concert Choir and Harmonium and teaches courses in conducting, aural skills, music history, studio voice, Music and Social Action, and Social Responsibility. Her research framework, Conscious Choral Pedagogy, bridges cognitive, interpersonal, and social science for neuroscience-informed and socially conscious approaches to rehearsal and performance.

Dr. Wyman has conducted and presented nationwide for ACDA and MEA, including Southwest ACDA and the upcoming Midwest ACDA conference. Her ensembles have performed widely, including the Ohio premiere of Joshua Clausen’s Requiem and interdisciplinary collaborations at Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

She holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music (BM Vocal Performance), the University of Washington (MM Choral Conducting), and the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory (DMA Choral Conducting). Her ethos as a conductor and educator centers on cultivating inclusive, artistically vibrant choral spaces where singers are empowered to connect, grow, and lead.

R&R: Children & Community: I Have a Voice: Developing Confidence in Young Singers

Presenter: Elizabeth Egger

Laura Krider is an arts consultant and singer who lives for making creative projects happen through collaborative artist support and consulting. Shecurrently supports composers and publishers including Alex Shapiro, Jocelyn Hagen, Dale Trumbore, and serves as the Managing Director of Graphite Publishing. Before Laura started her own business, she spent eight years working at the American Composers Forum focusing on youth programs, artist services, composer residencies, and internal administration/communications. As a singer, she frequently works with living composers and performs with ensembles including First Readings Project, Border CrosSing, and others. Laura has a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Music Education and a Master of Professional Studies in Arts and Cultural Leadership from the University of MN. Along with her service with ACDA-MN, Laura also serves on the board of Schubert Club. 

Jennifer Anderson leads the thriving music and youth programs at Central Presbyterian Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. In the larger musical community, she served on the board of the Twin Cities American Guild of Organists, contributed to the PC(USA) Mission Yearbook, and served as co-chair to the Daily Worship Committee for General Assembly held in Minneapolis. She has co-led sessions at both Chorus America and ACDA conventions, and has co-directed the conference choir during Synod School at Buena Vista University. She has also volunteered in the Justice Choir movement. Currently, she is the Music in Worship R & R Chair for Midwestern ACDA. For 19 years, Jennifer was the founding artist director of VocalPoint, which shined a spotlight on important social issues and raised nearly half a million dollars for various non-profits through annual benefit concerts.

Katelyn Sawatzke (Larson) is a choir director at Stillwater Area High School where she partners with Angela Mitchell. Her teaching experience includes work at the middle school, high school, collegiate, and graduate level. At SAHS, Mrs. Sawatzke directs the advanced and developing treble choirs, an extracurricular 9th-10th grade chamber ensemble, and has served as the vocal director for the spring musical. She maintains a private voice studio in Maple Grove and teaches undergraduate and graduate level coursework in vocal pedagogy at the University of St. Thomas. Mrs. Sawatzke frequently serves as an MSHSL contest judge and voice clinician at conferences, festivals, and show choir competitions throughout the Midwest. Choirs under her direction have been selected to perform at the ACDA-MN Fall conference, MMEA, and the St. Olaf Choral Festival. In 2020, Sawatzke was the recipient of ACDA-MN’s “Outstanding Young Choral Director” award. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from St. Olaf College in 2011 and her Master of Arts degree in music education from the University of St. Thomas in 2018.

A native Kansan, Dr. Gerald Gurss received his bachelor’s degree in voice at Emporia State University. He received his master’s degree in voice with a choral cognate from Miami University, where he studied with Ethan Sperry. Gurss received his DMA in choral conducting from the University of South Carolina, where he studied with Dr. Larry Wyatt and Dr. Alicia Walker. His research focus is the inclusion and pedagogy of transgender singers in the choral rehearsal. This research has granted him speaking engagements at Wingate University, University of South Carolina, and the MacPhail Center for the Arts.

Until his arrival in the Twin Cities, Gerald was the artistic director for the One Voice Chorus (Charlotte’s LGBTQ+ chorus) and the chamber ensemble, Sotto Voce. In 2015, he collaborated in the founding of Midlands Men’s Chorus: The Gay Men’s Chorus of Columbia, SC and served as its artistic director until 2018. Gerald moved to St. Paul in 2018 with his husband, Ervin, and his dog, Blue. Since then, he has served as the artistic director for the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus as well as White Bear Lake United Methodist Church. Most recently.

Gerald has been a finalist for the American Prize in Choral Composition numerous times and has been commissioned to write choral works for the following organizations: One Voice Charlotte, The Gay Men’s Chorus of Charlotte, Providence United Methodist Church (Charlotte, NC), The New Jersey Gay Men’s Chorus, The Gay Men’s Chorus of San Diego, The Women’s Chorus of San Diego, The Richmond Men’s Chorus (VA), Turtle Creek Chorale (TX), Sine Nomine (Denver, CO), Portland State University choirs, and the University of South Carolina Women’s Chorus. Dr. Gurss is published in the “Pride and No Prejudice” series with earthsongs Choral Music, and is most recently published with ECS Schirmer.

Ian Brekke is a vocalist, arts education leader, arranger, and vocal percussionist. A Minnesota native, he grew up in a Lutheran choral tradition that has since blossomed into a career involving all varieties of vocal music. Ian primarily works and performs as a jazz vocalist, but also has several years of experience in many musical styles including classical, blues, musical theater, and pop/rock. He has performed extensively at a variety of venues throughout the United States and continues to gig locally in the Twin Cities area. 

Ian currently serves as the Manager of Bloomington Center for the Arts in Bloomington, MN, overseeing all facility operations and annual programming. Previously, Ian served as a tenured professor at Las Positas College in Livermore, CA, fulfilling simultaneous roles as the Director of Choral & Vocal Studies, Music Technology Certificate Coordinator, and Music Department Chair. His vocal jazz ensembles received multiple accolades from Downbeat Magazine in the Community College performance category and were a sought-after performance presence in the Bay Area. 

Ian holds degrees from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach, Sacramento State University, and the School for Music Vocations in Creston, IA. He was fortunate to study under a wealth of vocal educators including Phil Mattson, Jason Smith, Jeremy Fox, Julia Dollison, Kerry Marsh, Julie Adams, Christine Guter, and Jonathan Talberg. Throughout his collegiate career he received multiple Downbeat Magazine Student Music Awards in both vocal and arranging categories. He performed at many nationally-recognized events including the Monterey Jazz Festival, the American Choral Directors Association National and Regional Conferences, and the Reno Jazz Festival.

A sought-after educator, Ian is highly active as a guest clinician, adjudicator, lecturer, conductor, and commissioned arranger. He has presented several workshops nationwide with topics including vocal jazz, arranging, music technology, vocal percussion, music theory, and audition techniques. Ian serves as an Executive Board Member for Vocal Jazz Academy and has previously served as a board representative for ACDA California and the California Alliance for Jazz.

In their free time, Ian and his wife Katrina are kept busy by their two young children, who enjoy all things outdoors in scenic and beautiful Minnesota. Yes, even in winter. 

Dr. Shekela Wanyama crafts and facilitates collaborative, innovative, and human-centered choral experiences. She conducts the Hamline University A Cappella Choir and the Minnesota Chorale’s Prelude Children’s Choir. She is active as a guest conductor with local ensembles as well as state and regional honor choirs.

A passionate educator, Dr. Wanyama taught middle and high school choir for over ten years in public, charter, and independent schools before taking on teaching appointments at Augsburg University (choir) and the University of Minnesota (choral methods). She has presented at choral and education conferences on repertoire for developing voices, building community in choir, contemporary repertoire by composers of the Global Majority, and holistic chorus preparation. Her writing has appeared in Choral Journal, the International Choral Bulletin, and two GIA publications. She participated in Chorus America’s Choral Orchestral Conducting Academy and was a member of the inaugural cohort of Chorus America’s Executive Leadership Academy. She serves on the board of Border CrosSing and on the staff of Schubert Club.

Dr. Wanyama holds a DMA in conducting from the University of Minnesota, an MM in choral conducting from Temple University, a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Minnesota, and is a proud graduate of the Minneapolis Public Schools.

She lives and gardens on Dakota land.

Amanda Weber (she/her) is passionate about uniting music, art and community through her work as a conductor, teacher, performer, artist and social activist. Weber currently serves as the Director of Worship and the Arts at Westminster Presbyterian Church in downtown Minneapolis, where she oversees a unique array of arts programming. Weber is the Founder and Artistic Director of Voices of Hope, an organization that builds choral singing communities in correctional facilities in the state of Minnesota. Her doctoral dissertation, which focused on this work, was awarded the Julius Herford Dissertation Prize in 2018. Weber holds degrees from the University of Minnesota (DMA, 2018), the Yale School of Music (MM, 2013), and Luther College (BA, 2008).

Eugene Sandel (he/they) is a Minneapolis based music educator, performer, and composer. Born and raised in New Jersey, Eugene studied Vocal Music Education at St. Olaf College and graduated Cum Laude. Upon graduating, he moved to Minneapolis and has since taught 6-12 Vocal Music and Music Theory at Richfield Public Schools. Eugene conducts the Minnesota Chorale Youth Choirs and the Vista Lutheran Church Adult Choir in Saint Louis Park, MN. They sing with the Minnesota Chorale and The Summer Singers, a professional vocal ensemble based in the Twin Cities. In addition to his professional practice, Eugene also volunteers time with Voices of Hope, a non-profit organization that provides choir programming in Minnesota prisons.

MaryLynn Mennicke (she/her) is an arts administrator and choral musician from the Twin Cities. She currently serves as the Dean and Director of Admissions for Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival. A singer and choir director, she sings for various choirs, including the Minnesota Chorale and MPLS (imPulse), and she previously served as the Director of Music at Peace Lutheran Church in Bloomington. She has volunteered for Voices of Hope since 2016, and has led the Voices of Hope choir at the men’s prison in Stillwater, MN since 2020.

Matthew J. Olson serves as Director of Choral Activities at Carleton College where he leads three choirs, instructs voice lessons, and teaches courses in conducting and a cappella arranging. Formerly, he served as Associate Conductor of The Singers (Matthew Culloton, conductor), and founding Artistic Director of Bach Roots Festival whose performances of major choral-orchestral works have been hailed as “masterful” and “gripping” by The Minnesota Star Tribune. A passionate music educator, Matthew often leads high school choir festivals and recently served as a Visiting Professor at St. Olaf College and a guest conductor at Florida State University’s College of Music. In 2024, Matthew was named Minnesota’s Music Educator of the Year (collegiate) by the MMEA. His award-winning compositions and arrangements are published by Colla Voce, Santa Barbara, Hal Leonard, and via his website www.matthewjolson.com. He studied choral and orchestral conducting at St. Olaf College, The Oregon Bach Festival, Michigan State University, The Canford Conducting School (U.K.), and The University of Minnesota. Matthew belongs to Beyond Artists, a coalition of artists that donates a percentage of their concert fees to non-profits they care about. He proudly supports College Possible and Oxfam International.