Boulder Chorale Artistic Director – Ben Riggs 

Ben Riggs is a conductor, singer, and pianist living in Denver, CO. Ben is passionate about music making and the ritual experience, both in sacred worship and secular concert venues. Ben’s professional experience leading volunteer choral ensembles and teaching burgeoning musicians have made him in demand as a clinician, teacher, and conductor both in Denver and throughout the United States.

Ben is the Director of Worship at Christ Church United Methodist. In addition to directing the CCUM Chancel Choir, Ben oversees worship planning & coordination and church promotional materials. Before coming to Christ Church in 2003, Ben was the full-time Director of Music at Denver's Wellshire Presbyterian Church.

Ben is also the Artistic Director of the Denver Gay Men's Chorus (DGMC). Committed to its mission of building community through music, DGMC performs three major concerts each year and appears at dozens of free outreach events throughout the Denver-metro area.

From 2002-2007, Ben served as an adjunct faculty member at the Iliff School of Theology, where he directed the Iliff Choir, assisted in planning community worship, and team-taught the Ritual & Worship class.

Ben is an active performer in the Denver musical community. He sings regularly with the St. Martin's Chamber Choir, Denver's only fully-professional chorus. Recently, Ben helped found the brand new Firesign Vocal Quartet and the Colorado Conductors’ Chorus, a unique ensemble made up entirely of choral conductors.

In 2006, Ben founded the Congress Park Choral Union, a volunteer summer-only community chorus. CPCU included more than 70 singers during its inaugural season; the chorus presented a sold-out Debut Concert at Christ Church UMC on August 6, 2006.

Ben holds a Bachelor of Music in piano from Wheaton College Conservatory of Music, and a Master of Music in choral conducting from the University of Colorado. At present, Ben is completing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Literature and Performance, also at the University of Colorado.

Children's Chorale Music Director – Kimberly Watkins

Kim Watkins completed dual master’s degrees in music education and vocal performance at the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2004. Her professional experience includes thirteen years of secondary choral teaching in North Carolina and Colorado public school systems. In 2003, Mrs. Watkins 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 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 an instructor for various music education courses. Mrs. Watkins has been a soloist with the Arvada Chorale, Boulder Chorale and the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra. She has adjudicated voice competitions at CU Boulder and in the Saint Vrain Valley School District. Kim served as Associate Director for the adult ensembles of Boulder Chorale from 2002-2009, leaving to begin work developing Boulder Children's Chorale. Mrs. Watkins is currently Director of Choirs at Niwot High School. She resides in Longmont with her husband, Jason, and her son, Daniel.
 
 

Children's Preparatory Choir Director – Shauna Keene

Camerata Accompanist – Susan Olenwine

Concert Chorale Accompanist / Bel Canto Accompanist – Caitlin Strickland

Caitlin Strickland received her M.M. in Piano Performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder where she studied with Doris Pridonoff Lehnert and Alvin Chow.  During her time there she 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, TX.  The following year she was accepted as a student at the Ecole de Musique in Paris and also had an opportunity to study and perform at the International Piano Sessions in Prague.

Caitlin has an extensive background as an accompanist and has performed with many musical groups in Colorado including the Colorado Opera, Boulder Chorale, Arvada Center Chorale and Resonance Women's Chorus.  She was also the pianist at Jefferson Unitarian Church in Golden for six years; she is now the accompanist at Lakewood United Church of Christ.  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.  Caitlin lives in Boulder with Takanori and their four-year-old son, Kiryu.

Concert Chorale Associate 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.

Children's Preparatory Choir Accompanist –

Administrator – Erin Christensen

Erin Christensen has been with the Chorale since 2004.  She moved to Colorado in 2000 with a music degree from Gonzaga University and is currently in the Master of Music Cello Performance program at the University of Denver, where she studies with Richard Slavich. In addition to performing cello with the Boulder Chorale and the Boulder Women's Chorale, she has performed with the Lamont Symphony Orchestra, Boulder Symphony Orchestra, 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.

Executive Director – JoAn Segal

JoAn Segal joined the Chorale in 1993 and has served in various board positions. A librarian, she also holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Communication and Theatre. She headed a western library networking agency and served as an executive of the American Library Association. Still active in library associations, she also reads poetry at a senior residence. JoAn's small business, Vintage Ventures, provides library services to law firms in the Boulder area.

Graphics – Julie Hale

Julie Hale is a 2nd Alto and has been singing with the Boulder Chorale since 2001. She was born in Colorado, grew up in Boulder and is married to another Colorado Native, Jeff Hale (Bass/President). They have three grown children and three grandkiddos. Julie is a graphic designer who loves to travel and ride her bicycle.