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In 2006 the Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale welcomed Fred Kiser as Conductor and Artistic Director.
Mr. Kiser is currently a doctoral student at the University of Iowa where he studies choral conducting with Timothy Stalter, and is the Director of Music and Worship Ministries at Shueyville United Methodist Church. He holds a Bachelor's degree in vocal performance from Bradley University where he studied conducting with John Jost and a Master's degree in choral conducting from the University of Missouri-Columbia where he studied with David Rayl. Mr. Kiser conducted the University of Iowa Women's Chorale during the 2004-2005 academic year, and has also served as assistant conductor of the University Choir. From 1996-2004, he was chairman of the Fine Arts Program and Assistant Professor of Music at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. At Westminster, Mr. Kiser conducted the Chamber Singers, Jazz Choir, string ensemble, and band. He also taught courses in music history and theory.
Mr. Kiser has been the artistic director for the Columbia Choral Ensemble in Columbia, Missouri and served on the faculty of Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tennessee. He was guest conductor for the Chamber Singers of Iowa City in their 2005 performance of Honegger's "King David. " He has also been involved in community theater in Columbia, Missouri and Mount Vernon, Iowa. He lives in Solon, Iowa with his wife Heidi and two sons.
Fred has set high goals for the Chorale and plans to extend the scope of our work to new venues of music, musical collaborations, and community involvement in the Midwest.|
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Executive Director
Rebecca R Schultz
Rebecca graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Arts Management with a minor in Music from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. While studying at Stevens Point, Rebecca held 3 internships and spent a semester in London. The internships included: the Attic Theater in Appleton, WI; the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra in Stevens Point, WI; and the Tucson Pima Arts Council in Tucson, AZ.
Upon graduation Rebecca was hired at the Schauer Arts and Activities Center in Hartford, WI as the Program Services Coordinator. The Schauer Center is a non-profit arts center/theater that brings in traveling shows, hosts local artists and arts organizations; and it also has a School of the Arts and an art gallery. While she was there she was the coordinator of the School of the Arts, coordinator of all volunteer activities, Front of House Manager, Assistant Marketing Director, and Assistant Box Office Manager just to name a few. Rebecca has also taken some graduate courses in Accounting at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee.
Since moving to Iowa in early June 2005, Rebecca has eagerly been getting involved with the non-profit community. She currently works for Cornell College as Prospect Researcher in the office of College Advancement. Rebecca has been volunteering with the Cedar Rapids Choral Association as Board Member, Grant Writer, Singer, and Webmaster since July 2005 and is very excited to be the newest Executive Director.
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Assist. Artistic Dir.
Marita Wolgast
Marita Wolgast is currently the Coordinator of Traditional Worship at First Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa where she directs two adult choirs and has been on staff since 1990. Mrs. Wolgast is also a Teaching Artist at Coe College since 1994. Her responsibilities at Coe College include teaching studio piano, class piano and accompanying. She has also directed several of the Coe choirs in the past years.
She has accompanied numerous faculty and student recitals at Kansas State University, Arizona State University, the University of Iowa, and Coe College. Mrs. Wolgast received her Bachelor of Music Education degree in Choral Music from Kansas State University and a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from Arizona State University. She and her husband Brett have three teenage children.|
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Board President
Jane Schildroth
Jane Schildroth is
the Director, Corporate and Community Relations at the Pomerantz Career
Center at the University of Iowa.
Jane joined the CRCC Board of
Directors in August 2005, with experience as a member of the chorale for
several years in the mid 90's.
She is interested in creating and implementing a strategic plan for the
group as they begin work with a new artistic director as well as with a new
maestro for the CRSO. She lives in CR and works
in Iowa City, so she has complete buy-in for the corridor concept!
She is passionate about the arts and very much enjoys choral music.
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Board Member
Debra Brooks
Dr. Debra L. Brooks. PhD, joined the Cedar Rapids Choral Association Board of Directors in 2005. She is currently a neuromuscular therapist, and previously taught vocal music for the Cedar Rapids Community Schools for 22 years.
Debra is a familiar face in Eastern Iowa music circles, having performed as a soloist with the Cedar Rapids Symphony, for the Symphony Guild Follies, and on Variety Club telethons. She is also very active in the community, has served as a member of Walford Community Development and chairwoman of the Professional Women’s Network Program Committee (2002-2003).
In 2001, she was named the YWCA’s Outstanding Mentor Of The Year and won the YWCA’s Tribute To Women Of Achievement Award. Debra was also was the recipient of a First In The Nation In Education Award from the state of Iowa in 1991. In addition to volunteer work, Debra’s interests include singing, painting, playing the piano, power walking, and philosophy.
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Board Member
Paul Bunting
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Board Member
DeAnn Fitzgerald
Dr. Fitzgerald has been in the eye care profession for 22 years. A graduate of the College of Optometry in Forest Grove, Oregon, she got into the profession because of her passion for helping people. The doctor has been providing eye care to the Corridor community since she moved to Cedar Rapids in 1984.
Along with her practice, Dr. Fitzgerald has been no stranger to philanthropic work, participating in eye care outreach programs example being Vision USA, working behind the scenes with the Red Cross, Girl Scouts, and many other organizational non-profits, but her biggest humanitarian effort has been the non-profit organization that she has established called Spanda Inc. Dr. DeAnn Fitzgerald has had a long history of 20+ years of humanitarian work under someone else’s organizational umbrella. Realizing that she could accomplish even more, she took it upon herself to make a crusade to expand her philanthropic work under her own umbrella, along with supporting her current good deeds. Having this tremendous passion she created the non-profit organization, Spanda Inc.
Board Member
Dan Mussell
Dan is a 2nd Tenor with the Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale and as a board member, he is interested in promoting the talent, diversity and commitment of the many members of the Chorale to the Eastern Iowa Community.
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Board Member
Pat Roland
Pat is passionate about helping people and organizations reach their goals by offering creative ideas and methods of implementation. Her interests include traveling, reading and volunteering.
Board Member
Lorina Spies
Board Member & Membership President
Heather Dankert
Ann Schreck
Catharine Johnson
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Membership Secretary
Emily Goulson