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Brayton BollenbacherArtistic DirectorAfter spending the last six years in the Pacific Northwest as the Artistic Director of Diverse Harmony, the nation's first queer straight alliance youth chorus, and Diverse Harmony's small a cappella ensemble Spectrum, Brayton is ready to sweat in the southwest with Desert Voices Mixed Chorus and Reveille Men's Chorus. Prior to his time in Seattle, Brayton received a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from The Ohio State University in 2006 and a Bachelor of Arts in Sexualities Studies in 2007, completing a thesis on How Gay Male Bias influences the Gender Performance of Drag Queens in and out of Drag. After spending six amazing years in Columbus, OH, Brayton completed his Masters in Social Work at the University of Washington. Brayton completed his LICSW credentials in 2014 while directing Diverse Harmony. Brayton is so excited to be changing lives and fostering community through song in Tucson and cannot wait to continue to amazing progress that these organizations have made throughout their existences.
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Kimberly WaigwaAssistant Artistic DirectorKimberly Waigwa is a graduate from the University of Arizona’s Fred Fox School of Music, holding a Bachelor of Music in Choral Music Education as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing. With aspirations to stand out as a high caliber, high energy, and multifaceted educator and conductor, Kimberly has sought to gain a multitude of different musical and leadership experiences with such opportunities as Interim Director of the St. Nicholas and After School Music Program Choirs, guest conductor in the Helios Ensemble, as well as assistant and small ensemble director with the LGBTQA mixed chorus Desert Voices, with which she made her national conducting debut at the 2016 GALA Choruses Festival in Denver, Colorado. Most notably, in 2017, Kimberly was selected as 1 of 8 undergraduates to participate in the Inaugural Undergraduate Masterclass at the 2017 American Choral Directors Association’s National Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota where she was honored and privileged to work with both clinicians Dr. Ann Howard Jones and the Luther College Collegiate Chorale.
Kimberly has appeared twice as a conductor in with the Audivi Vocem Conductors Choir, receiving lessons and participating in masterclasses with preeminent conductors such as Dr. James Jordan, Dr. Jerry Blackstone, Dr. Arian Khaefi, Dr. Jaclyn Johnson, and Dr. Jason Harris. Additionally, Kimberly also serves as Music Director at Mountain Vista Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Kimberly began as Artistic Director of the Phoenix Women’s Choir in July 2017, marking her debut as a GALA Chorus Director. As a proud member of the LGBTQA community and advocate for social justice, Kimberly is looking forward to embarking on this new chapter of growth with the Phoenix Women’s Chorus and continuing to strengthen the numbers and visibility of Arizona’s GALA Choruses. |
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Dr. Kyungsun ChoiAccompanistPianist Kyungsun Choi has been enjoying a varied career as a soloist, chamber musician, accompanist and teacher. He has given numerous solo recitals and chamber recitals both in South Korea and USA. In addition, he has worked as a choir pianist and an opera pianist/coach. The opera productions that he has participated in were varied including Mozart, Puccini, Verdi, Bizet, Mascagni, Sondheim, Mechem, Menotti, and Bernstein.
A native of Seoul, South Korea, Pianist Kyungsun Choi graduated from Yonsei University in Seoul, where he earned Bachelors degrees in Piano Performance. He went on to University of Northern Iowa on a full tuition scholarship where he received a Masters of Music under Prof. Sean Botkin and served as a graduate teaching assistant. Most recently Dr. Choi completed his DMA in Piano Performance at the University of Arizona under Dr. Paula Fan while serving as a graduate teaching assistant. Dr. Choi has served as a GALA Choruses accompanist with Reveille Men's Chorus since 2007. |