Singers

Tom Assel studied vocal technique with Dr. Stephen Weber at Amarillo College, Texas. Tom earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical and computer engineering and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the School of Computing and Engineering at the University of Missouri-​Kansas City. While there, he sang in the Conservatory Concert Choir under the direction of Dr. Charles Robinson, and University Singers under the direction of Dr. Ryan Board. He and his wife Julie own and operate Assel Grant Services, a grant consulting firm specializing in grant research and proposal writing in a variety of fields. Tom has been singing with Te Deum since fall 2010.

Yonathan Astatke is looking forward to his first season with Te Deum! Yonny is a born and raised Kansas Citian who is of Ethiopian descent. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Missouri and a Master of Music in Voice from Louisiana State University. He has experience as a leading baritone in a number of roles across opera and musical theater such as Il Conte Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Papageno (Die Zauberflöte), Billy Bigelow (Carousel), Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus), and more. He has been engaged as a concert soloist in works such as Handel’s Messiah and Stainer’s The Crucifixion. Yonny is currently at William Jewell College as an First Year Admissions Counselor. He is also the Bass section leader at Visitation Church. In his free time, Yonny enjoys listening to hip hop, drinking good coffee, going to the movies (he is a proud AMC A‑Lister!), community organizing, and spending quality time with his loved ones.

Jared Brooks is a third-​year graduate student at the UMKC Conservatory, pursuing dual Master of Music degrees in Vocal Performance and Choral Conducting. He studies with Dr. Aidan Soder and Dr. Jennifer Sengin. A native of Georgia, Jared earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Reinhardt University, in Waleska, GA, where he studied with Dr. Cory Schantz and Dr. Martha Shaw. An active performer, Jared has appeared in leading operatic roles including Don José (Carmen), Canio (Pagliacci), Rapunzel’s Prince (Into the Woods), Le Prince Charmant (Cendrillon), and Basilio (Le Nozze di Figaro). He is currently in his second season with Te Deum and has been featured as the tenor soloist in Rachmaninoff’s All-​Night Vigil and Herbert Howells’ Requiem. Additional solo appearances include Schubert’s Mass in G Major, Bach’s Mass in G Major, Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore, and Handel’s Messiah. As a conductor and educator, Jared serves as Choral/​Vocal Intern at Village Presbyterian Church and will join the faculty at Avila University as an adjunct instructor this fall. He is active in ACDA and NAfME and presents interest sessions at state and regional conferences, most recently at the Missouri Choral Directors Association Conference.

Kailynn Byrne is an alum of William Jewell College with a B.S. in Music Education. During her time at William Jewell, Kailynn was a Choral Scholar, or apprentice in the previously Jewell-​affiliated professional ensemble, Cardinalis. While in Cardinalis, she participated in numerous performances, including singing in the chorus of Boston Camerata’s Kansas City production of Dido and Aeneas, the world premiere of Nicholas Reeves’ and Isaac Cates’ Canon for Racial Reconciliation, and as a soloist in Dale Trumbore’s How to Go On during Cardinalis’ “In Our Lifetime” performance. Recent choral experiences include a year-​long choral internship at Village Presbyterian Church, where she had solo opportunities such as the alto solo in Vivaldi’s Gloria during Village’s annual “Tidings of Joy” concerts, and performed with Missouri Choral Artists in their February joint concert with the William Jewell College Concert Choir. Kailynn is now in her first year of teaching as a K‑12 Vocal Music teacher in Hamilton, Missouri, and has begun her first season as a member of Te Deum.

Nico Caruso, a Kansas City native, recently graduated with his master’s degree in Opera Theatre from the University of South Carolina where he studied with Professor Dominic Armstrong. Nico earned his Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Missouri-​Kansas City. Nico stays as involved as he can in the operatic, musical theatre, and choral scenes both in and out of Kansas City and has performed lead roles in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene, Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, and She Loves Me by Bock & Harnick. Nico has also sung tenor in a number of professionally recorded choral ensembles. When not learning music, Nico enjoys baking and doting on his younger sister.

Lucy Conklin is looking forward to making wonderful music with Te Deum again this season! Lucy holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Kansas. As a lifelong chorister, Lucy sang in numerous choral ensembles at KU. After graduating and moving to KC, she served as a section leader and sub at many KC area churches, and sang with KCVITAs for 8 years. Lucy joined Te Deum in 2015, and continues to take immense pride in being a member of this world-​class choral ensemble. Lucy enjoys bringing sparkle to the lives of Kansas City residents as sales manager at Toner Jewelers in Overland Park, KS. A self-​professed crazy cat lady, she lives in Brookside with her husband, Dave and four cats: Dot, Larry, Juniper and Rosemary.

Dr. Tara Curtis is excited to join Te Deum for a third season! She has established herself as an “impressively full-​voiced, dramatic” mezzo-​soprano of operatic and concert repertoire. Her “keen, bright mezzo, darkened with raw edges” with its “arresting power and radiant tone” has been hailed as “a natural fit for Verdi”. Other credits include recent work with Odyssey Chamber Series, the Topeka and Springfield Symphonies, and her professional Wagnerian debut with Dramatic Voices Midwest. She has also sung with Sarasota Opera, Opera on the Avalon (Canadian debut), Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Merola Opera, Tulsa Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Syracuse Opera, St. Petersburg Opera, Opera in the Heights, Wichita Grand Opera, Trentino Music Festival, Crested Butte Music Festival, Janiec Opera Company at Brevard Music Center, and numerous roles at the University of Kansas, the Boston Conservatory and the University of Missouri.

JD Daniel (he/​they) is a composer, bass-​baritone, and writer based in Kansas City, MO; this is their fourth season with Te Deum. A queer, neurodivergent Indian-​American and humanist, their music and writing touch on various aspects of existentialism and human flourishing—secular and mystical, community and individuality, pain and healing, and connection and transformation. A singer with a “powerful and ringing tone” (Paul Pattison, KC Arts Beat), JD’s current engagements are with Cardinalis (Choral Guild KC) and Te Deum and as a Choral Scholar and cantor at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church. Their past engagements include KC VITAs, Boston Camerata as a chorus bass in Dido and Aeneas (2023), and the Missouri Oratorio Society as bass soloist in C.P.E. Bach’s Magnificat (2019). JD holds a BA in Oxbridge Music and Philosophy from William Jewell College (’19), with his third year (2017–2018) at the University of Oxford. He has studied voice with Ron Witzke, Dan Norman, Nicholas Clapton, Daniel Belcher, Jay Carter, and Raymond Feener. JD is a freelance composer-​poet available for commissions, collaborations, and residencies, and he is available as a guest/​substitute for liturgical work as a singer. He has aspirations of expanding into non-​classical singing and working with electronics.

Tenor, Andrew Flanagin is delighted to be singing with Te Deum again for a 3rd season. Flanagin is a professional chorister with Lyric Opera of Kansas City. A gifted soloist, he has performed with Mizzou’s Choral Union, SongFlower Chorale, the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra in Evansville, Indiana, and Musica Vocale in KC. Other career highlights include the collegiate premier of It’s A Wonderful Life by Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer at Indiana University. A passionate teacher, he maintains a private voice studio in Lee’s Summit teaching students of all ages. Flanagin is an alumnus of the University of Missouri School of Music graduating with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance where he studied voice with Ann Harrell and the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University graduating with a Master of Music in Voice studying under the tutelage of soprano, Katherine Jolly. When not singing, teaching or performing, he enjoys wining and dining at local restaurants, spending time with friends and family, spoiling his adorable cat, Cleo, attending live sporting events, and cheering on the Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, and Current, Orlando Magic, Missouri Tigers, and Indiana Hoosiers.

Paige Flenniken is a dynamic soprano whose rich vocal talent spans opera, contemporary music, and choral works. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, Paige has performed in renowned venues across the United States and internationally, earning recognition for her powerful, expressive voice and commanding stage presence. Her roles include standout international performances as Susanna Le Nozze di Figaro in 2025, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and a world premiere of the modern opera, Caligula’s Favorite Play, in 2026 with the Italian Opera Company, Regium Lepidi Opera. These roles along with many others have solidified her place as an emerging opera talent. She has had the honor of working with conductors such as Roberto Bongiovanni, Eric Garcia, and Doug Droste and directed by Guido Loconsolo, Steve Sanders, Anne Marie Condacse, Peter Westerhoff and more. In addition to opera, Paige has performed as a soloist with prominent ensembles such as the Te Deum Chorale, Heritage Philharmonic, Midland-​Odessa Symphony & Chorale, and the Oklahoma State University Orchestra. Her solo repertoire includes R.V Williams’ Serenade To Music, C. Monteverdi’s Venetian Vespers of 1641, C. Orff’s Carmina Burana, S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor, G.F. Handel’s Messiah, and J. Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass. Paige earned her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Oklahoma State University in 2015, after studying at Oklahoma City University (2005–2009). She has had the privilege of studying under vocal masters such as Sarah Anderson, Dr. Jennifer Voigt, Dr. Anne-​Marie Condacse, April Golliver, Bart Dawson, and is currently studying with renowned tenor, Mirko Matarazzo.

Miren Gabiola recently finished her Master’s in Vocal Performance at UMKC, studying with Dr. Raymond Feener. She is continuing her studies as one of two voice area doctoral teaching assistants. Miren moved from Idaho to Kansas City in 2024 and has fallen in love with the city. Since moving to KC, Miren has enjoyed expanding her experience as a concert soloist for works such as Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de Confessore, Carissimi’s Jephte, and Vivaldi’s Gloria. She has performed with the KC Baroque Consortium as well as Village Presbyterian as the soprano intern. Miren also enjoys playing comedic roles such as the very dramatic stepsister, Maguelonne, in Viardot’s Cendrillon. Miren recently made her debut performance as Micaëla in UMKC’s 2026 production of Carmen. She is excited to continue making music in the Kansas City area and looks forward to enriching her experience as a performer through her participation in the Te Deum 2026–27 season.

Abby Gast-​Watterson is a passionate nonprofit professional and musician from Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Abby attended Pepperdine University for a Bachelor of Arts in music, received her master’s degree in choral conducting at the University of Illinois at Urbana-​Champaign, and worked with a children’s choir in Colorado before returning to the Kansas City area in July of 2024. She has worked with people of all ages to accomplish individual and collective goals through music but loves the opportunity to continue finding common ground with folks from all backgrounds through her work as the Development and Events Coordinator with the Center for Practical Bioethics. She loves to bake, go on walks, and snuggle with her mechanic husband, Nicholas, and their two cats, Checkers and Chessica.

Contralto Lisa Marie Gerstenkorn has enjoyed varied solo and ensemble performances with the American Opera Studio, Beau Sérénade of KC, Amherst Early Music Festival, Oregon Bach Festival, Southeast Kansas Symphony, Topeka Cello Collective, Taneycomo Festival Orchestra, Halifax Summer Opera Festival, Messiah Festival of the Arts, and Fort Wayne Philharmonic Players. On the operatic stage, she premiered lead roles with Opera Kansas and Lawrence Opera Theatre, and performed as chef Julia Child in the one-​woman opera Bon Appetit! (Hoiby) with Heartland Opera Theatre. Lisa Marie enjoyed fifteen consecutive seasons with the Tulsa Opera Chorus, and two years as a Filstrup Resident Artist. At Heartland Sings in Fort Wayne, IN, she performed full-​time as a multi-​faceted Principal Vocal Artist for four years until 2024. For the 2026–27 season, she will sing in her first seasons with Te Deum and the Lyric Opera of Kansas City. She currently teaches Voice at Washburn University and through her private voice studio. In addition to opera, choral and sacred music, she loves singing Golden Age musicals, operettas, jazz, and dabbling in pop and rock music. She enjoys traveling with her husband Brian, watching documentaries and period dramas, reading, and relaxing with her two cats Simba and Jack.

Baritone Michael Hon is thrilled to be singing his first season with Te Deum. A native of Kansas City, Michael attended William Jewell College where he minored in vocal performance and was among the choral program’s first Choral Scholars. He has studied with Dr. Raymond Feener and Dr. Ron Witzke. Outside of the performing arts, Michael is a nurse and program manager at the University of Kansas Health System. He loves spending time with his wife, Molly, son, Sam, and dogs, Bingley and Arthur.

Jeff Jasperson is so grateful to be singing with Te Deum for an eighth season! He grew up in Lawrence, KS, and graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, Voice Performance. At KU, he performed in numerous choirs and was a four-​year member of the KU Marching Jayhawks as a trumpet player. From 2017–2019, Jeff was a director of the choral variety show Encore! at Free State High School in Lawrence, and served as the tenor section leader of the Trinity Lutheran Church choir in Mission, KS from 2019 until 2025. He has recently sung the national anthem for the Kansas City Royals, Sporting KC, KC Current, and other local teams. Professionally, Jeff works as a support coordinator for eitas, a non-​profit that collaborates with and advocates for individuals with developmental disabilities in Jackson County. Jeff and his beloved golden retriever Berkeley live in south Kansas City, MO. In his spare time, Jeff enjoys distance running, cooking, and cheering on local sports teams. Jeff extends his deepest thanks to Te Deum’s generous donors who ensure that Kansas City remains a powerhouse for choral music and the performing arts. We can’t do this without you!

Ryan Layton is a teacher, singer, conductor, and collaborative pianist. Ryan teaches choir and music theory at Blue Springs High School and previously served as director of music at Barry Christian Church. He is in his sixth season with Te Deum and serves as singer representative to its board. Ryan represents the Kansas City Metro district on the Missouri Choral Directors Association board where he also served as Sight-​Singing Bee Coordinator. He earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Music Education from the University of Missouri (2018) and a Master of Music Education at the University of Missouri-​Kansas City (2025). Ryan is an avid New York Times crossword solver and a devoted Kansas City and Mizzou sports fan.

Will Lubaroff is excited to return for his second season with Te Deum. A native of Iowa City, Iowa, Will grew up surrounded by music. The son of a professional jazz saxophonist, he began piano lessons at an early age, followed by jazz guitar, before taking up singing in high school. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Northern Iowa, where he sang with the school’s Concert Chorale, Men’s Glee Club, opera program and Cantorei, a chamber choir focused on performing J.S. Bach’s cantatas. Today, he works full-​time as a Copywriter and serves as the Bass Section Leader at Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church, as well as teaching a small studio of piano and guitar students and performing around the Kansas City metro. Will and his wife live in East Kansas City with their anxious dog and four loving cats.

Josh Markley is thrilled to be singing with Te Deum once more. He holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in voice and has been recognized for his research on the development of the baritone voice in the 17th and 18th centuries, lauded as an “excellent resource” by the Metropolitan Opera Guild. On the opera stage, he has performed Marcello in Puccini’s La Boheme, Tarquinius in Britten’s Lucretia, Il Conte in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, Don Alfonso in Mozart’s Così fan tutte, among others. His concert soloist experiences include Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Mahler’s Symphony No. 8: Symphony of a Thousand, Haydn’s Creation, Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, Bernstein’s Arias and Barcarolles, Vaughn Williams’ Sea Symphony, Handel’s Messiah, and the Requiem Masses of Mozart, Verdi, & Faure. Currently, he is the Director of Music for the Barstow School – Upper and Middle Divisions, teaching choirs, music theory, music history, digital music production, and musical theater. Outside his passion for music, he strives to be the best dad he can be to his two amazing girls, Nora and Samantha.

Ann Marzette joined Te Deum in 2009 as part of its inaugural full season. A graduate of William Jewell College, Ann earned degrees in piano performance and church music with a vocal emphasis before completing a Master of Arts in Teaching at the University of Central Missouri. Ann currently serves as Director of Vocal Music at Kearney Middle School. Prior to teaching in Kearney, Ann taught vocal music at Marshall High School for four years and directed the Marshall Community Chorus. Beyond education and music, Ann works at Anthropologie and has a pie business, Easy as Pie KC. Ann resides in Kansas City with her husband Jon and two children, Junie and Lew.

Dr. Kristin Newbegin is a Kansas City based soprano vocal artist and educator known for her versatility and dynamic musicianship. They have performed with acclaimed ensembles and companies including the Grammy Award winning Kansas City Chorale, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera 180, Opera for the Young, KC Vitas, Kantorei KC, The Meadowlark Project, and NewEar Contemporary Music Ensemble. Alongside her performing career, Kristin is the founder of Newbegin Music, a voice studio offering private and group instruction, membership programs, and creative resources for singers. She has previously served as voice faculty at Central Methodist University, Missouri Western State University, Benedictine College, North Central Missouri College, and Avila University. Kristin holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Minnesota and Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in voice from the University of Kansas.

Dr. Kristin Newbegin is a Kansas City–based soprano, educator, and vocal artist celebrated for her versatility and dynamic musicianship. She has performed with acclaimed ensembles and companies including the Grammy Award–winning Kansas City Chorale, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera 180, Opera for the Young, KC Vitas, Kantorei KC, The Meadowlark Project, and NewEar Contemporary Music Ensemble. Alongside her performing career, Kristin is the founder of Newbegin Music, a voice studio offering private and group instruction, membership programs, and creative resources for singers. Kristin holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Minnesota and Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in voice from the University of Kansas.

Sam Nolte is excited to be back for his second season with Te Deum! Sam earned a Master’s in Music from the University of North Texas, and a Bachelor in Music from Drake University, both in Vocal Performance. A life-​long lover of Choral music, Sam has had the pleasure to sing in countries all over the world with the Drake Choir (Dr. Aimee Beckmann-​Collier, director) and the UNT A Cappella Choir (Dr. Allen Hightower, director). Sam is also an accomplished opera performer, singing with programs across the U.S., such as Charlottesville Opera, Cedar Rapids Opera, and the Des Moines Metro Opera. Outside of Te Deum, Sam works for the State of Missouri as a Benefit Program Technician, helping Missourians to apply and access state benefits if they need it, and also works for St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church as a bass staff singer.

Rosie O’Brien is a soprano from Lawrence, Kansas who is thrilled to join Te Deum for a third season. Rosie has developed a career in music alongside her local activism, simultaneously organizing grassroots events, singing professionally, and working at the Kansas City Ballet as a modern dance accompanist. She earned degrees in Political Science and Studio Art from Grinnell College in 2016. As a soprano 1 with the Grinnell Singers, she debuted director Dr. John Rommereim’s original compositions in Taiwan and performed on tour the works of Shaw, Rachmaninov, Pärt and more. Rosie has directed and played Sousaphone with her own New Orleans-​style street parade brass band, Sass-​a-​Brass for eight seasons. Since moving to Kansas City in late 2020, she has performed with the Kansas City Symphony Chorus, Stone Lion Puppet Theater, Renaissance choral ensemble Madrigalia Bar Nonne, free improvisation band Apricot Glow, and is now in her fourth season as a Choral Associate at Country Club Christian Church.

Amanda Obeso is a singer, teacher, mentor, and first-​time Te Deum member based in Kansas City. She received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Missouri, where she studied under the direction of Kyle Stegall, Dr. R. Paul Crabb, Christine Seitz, and Dr. Brandon Boyd. Her stage experience includes the roles of Helena in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Barbarina in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, and soloist in Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard to name a few. She was selected as National Alternate in the MTNA Young Artist Performance Competition in 2023 as well as National Semifinalist in the NATS Musical Theatre Student Auditions in 2022. Amanda has performed with ensembles including The Kansas City Chorale, Premier Vocal Artists, Bach Collegium Choir, and Hitt Street Harmony Jazz Ensemble. She currently teaches voice lessons at KC Music Academy and serves as the College and Career Advisor at Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts. When she’s not singing or teaching, she can be found cuddling with her cat, Milo, or trying out local coffee shops around Kansas City.

Mezzo-​soprano Roslinde Rivera is a Kansas City-​based vocalist and passionate arts advocate and administrator. She holds a degree in Vocal Performance from William Jewell College, graduate certificates in Performance and Performing Arts Management, and an MBA in Nonprofit Management and Innovation from University of Missouri-​Kansas City. An active choral singer and soloist, she has performed with numerous ensembles in the Kansas City area, including Village Presbyterian Church, Musica Vocale, Cardinalis, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Kantorei KC, Re:Sound and the Sacred Arts Chorale. In addition to her extensive choral work, she has taken on operatic roles with The Boston Camerata, Opera on Tap — KC, Lawrence Opera Theatre, and Dramatic Voices Midwest.

Rafael Rodriguez, Tenor, is in his fifth season with Te Deum. A specialist in early music and sacred repertoire, Rafael has over 15 years of experience in Gregorian chant and Renaissance polyphony. He is a parishioner and cantor at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Kansas City, where the liturgical program spans Gregorian chant and both historical and contemporary polyphony. He previously directed a schola at a traditional Latin Mass community, preparing chant for weekly High Masses, major feast days, Holy Week, and solemn liturgies using the Solesmes method. He also spent four years teaching sacred music at a classical Catholic academy, where he directed the high school boys’ choir and schola. He studied voice with Dr. Andrew Childs and sang Tenor I with Songflower Chorale under Dr. Geoffrey Wilcken, the Kansas State Collegium under David Wood, and the church choir at the Immaculata Church under Dr. Childs. Outside of music, Rafael works as a Lead Cloud Technical Project Manager and lives in Roeland Park with his wife and four children.

London Roysden is a singer and educator based in Lawrence, KS, where she recently received her MM from the University of Kansas. She is entering her second year as a choir director in Lee’s Summit, MO, and has previously spent time on the podium as an Associate Director of the Lawrence Children’s Choir and as a graduate teaching assistant for multiple KU choral ensembles under the mentorship of Dr. Eduardo Garcia-​Novelli and Dr. McKenna Stenson. London received her undergraduate degrees from Carthage College, in her hometown, Kenosha, WI. Over the last three years living in Lawrence, she has sung professionally in multiple ensembles and churches between Topeka and Kansas City. A few of the only things she loves more than choral music are her boyfriend Mitch and their two beautiful kitties, Goose and Beatrice Mittens. London is thrilled to be joining Te Deum this year!

Andrew Sanders is a Kansas City-​based conductor, educator, and singer who brings fresh insight to contemporary vocal music through his work in arranging, pedagogy, and evidence-​based instruction. A graduate of Northwest Missouri State University, Andrew holds an M.M. in vocal Chamber Music from the University of Redlands, where he studied under Christopher Gabbitas, former King’s Singer and Artistic Director of the Phoenix Chorale. His extensive performance background includes the role of Japheth in the world premiere of the opera Mother Noah, as well as singing with premier local ensembles like KC VITAs, Cardinalis, and Central Standard. Andrew has years of experience coaching local choirs, barbershop quartets, and commercial artists, as well as managing studio recording sessions. He is the founder and artistic director of LSP Studios, a contemporary vocal ensemble.

Sarah Schulte is excited to be singing with Te Deum for a seventh season! She is currently in her sixth year as Director of Choirs at Park Hill South High School, and was previously the Assistant Director of Choirs at Blue Springs South High School. She graduated from the University of Missouri in 2018 with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Music Education, Summa Cum Laude. While there, Sarah was active with the University Singers and Show-​Me Opera programs, singing abroad in China, Sweden, and Estonia. In addition to teaching in Park Hill, Sarah has previously sung as a section leader in St. Paul’s Episcopal Choir and with the Kansas City Symphony Chorus. Sarah loves hiking, house plants, craft beer, and her dog, Ollie!

Julia Sharp has been happily singing with Te Deum since the fall of 2019. A graduate of UMKC Conservatory, Julia holds a Bachelor of Music in both Vocal performance and Music Theory. She has had the pleasure of singing with many choirs in the Kansas City area, including Kantorei KC, Cardinalis, Kansas City Chorale, Tallgrass Chamber Choir and Voices of Kansas City. Outside of music, her favorite hobbies include cuddling with her cat, Charlie, and road-​tripping across the country with her husband, Jake.

Jenny Smith is a coloratura soprano based in Kansas City, Missouri. She recently completed her Master’s degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Missouri-​Kansas City Conservatory, under the tutelage of Dr. Aidan Soder. Prior to that, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Louisiana Monroe, where she studied with Dr. Claire Vangelisti. Ms. Smith has showcased her vocal talents in a variety of prominent roles, some favorites being Josephine in Gilbert & Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore, Amalia Balash in Masteroff’s She Loves Me, Rose in Weill’s Street Scene, Mabel in Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, and Cinderella in Sondheim’s Into the Woods. An active participant in the Kansas City choral community, Ms. Smith is beginning her third season with Te Deum. She recently served as a St. George chorister at St. Mary’s Episcopal, as well as the soprano vocal intern at Village Presbyterian Church. A few of her recent choral performances include solo appearances in Howell’s Requiem, Bach’s Mass in G Major, BWV 236, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and Haydn’s Little Organ Mass.

Sarah Stevens, mezzo-​soprano, is excited to sing with Te Deum in her first season! Sarah studied Music Education at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. While attending Augustana, she sang with The Augustana Choir, The Augustana Chamber Choir, and The Buffalo Ridge Chorale (local to Marshall, Minnesota). After moving back to Kansas City to be nearer to family, Sarah has sung with the Kansas City Women’s Chorus and the Grammy Award–winning Kansas City Chorale. She also enjoys singing solos, duets, and trios whenever a gig presents itself, especially with her mom and sister. In her free time, Sarah likes to spend time with loved ones, craft, game, and spoil her cat, Olive. She is thrilled to feed her soul with singing and deepen her lifelong appreciation of music.

Asher K. Tillman is a budding bass-​baritone from Strafford, MO in his fifth professional season, and he is excited to be returning for his second with Te Deum! A highly active young performer, Tillman has quickly established himself as a heavy hitter within Missouri’s choral arts scene. He appears regularly with such groups as Kantorei KC, Queen City Chorale, Missouri Choral Artists, Voices of Kansas City, and the GRAMMY Award®-winning Kansas City Chorale, with whom he can be heard on their latest album, The Mirage Calls. Additionally, he serves as a long-​term staff singer with St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Brookside. Beyond the choral sphere, he is also a versatile theatrical performer, enjoying a wide range of character roles in such works as Violet, Molière’s Tartuffe, Cabaret, Chekov’s The Three Sisters, The 25th Annual…Spelling Bee, Peter and the Wolf, and The Fantasticks.