Our Singers
Bass: Doug Herman
Doug says his first inspiration to sing was in church at the age of 6. He begins his second year of singing in the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale and also serves on the Board of Directors. Doug is a judge in the East Central District in North Dakota, and was appointed to the bench in 2004 by Governor John Hoven. He has been the general council to Great Plains Software and a practicing attorney through the Vogel Law Firm in Fargo. In addition to singing in the Chamber Chorale, Doug also sings in the Master Chorale of Fargo-Moorhead.
Alto: Maisi Pedersen
This is Maisi's first year singing in the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale. She is a graduate of Concordia College with a Bachelor of Music Education and holds a Master of Music degree form Peabody Conservatory, concentrating in vocal performance.
Soprano: Jenna L. Hamaker
Jen has been singing since the age of nine. A California native, she moved to the Fargo-Moorhead area three years ago. she has performed with the Sacramento Children's Chorus and the Sacramento Master Singers. She has studied at the Interlochen Arts Academy. When Jen isn't singing, she is the lead cake decorator at Hornbacher's in Moorhead. This is her first year singing in the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale.
Bass: Dean Webster, PhD
Dean begins his ninth year singing bass/baritine in the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale. He credits his singing experience to "On-The -Job training! Dean is a professor of Coatings and Polymeric Materials at North Dakota State University. He is also involved in research activities in the department. He received his PhD from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. An article about Dean's research activities can be found in our "Breaking News" section
Bass: Randy Reichert
Randy is a choral nerd. He enjoys the art of choral singing and choral conducting. He attended Concordia College and had the privilege of studying with both Paul J. Christiansen and Rene Clausen. While at Concordia, he sang in both the Chapel Choir and the Concert Choir. Randy is a mutant bass and enjoys all the old bass singers such as Ford, Robinson,and Ravencroft. Randy sang for two years in the Bellevue, Washington Chamber Chorale and has been a member of the Master Chorale of Fargo-Moorhead for twelve years. He also sings in a Gospel Quartet and has been a choir director in many congregations. Randy has three children, who are grown and on their own, and he has three German Shephers who think they are human.
Soprano: Taaren Haak
Taaren begins her second year singing soprano in the Chamber Chorale. She is originally from Valley City, North Dakota and is a graduate of Minnesota State University-Moorhead, where she majored in journalism with an emphasis in print journalism and photojournalism. She in a vocal music minor, and sang in the MSUM Concert Choir. Tarren has sang in public throughout her life, beginning in elementary school, at churches, sporting events and concerts. She has sung the National Anthem in two American Legion World Series baseball games. While in high school, she studied voice at Valley City State University. When not singing, Tarren works in retail and is active in Tae Kwon Do. She has also been a judge for North Dakota High School Speech competitions.
Bass: Rodney W. Capistran
Rod is in his twelfth year singing bass in the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale. He is an Instructor of Mathematics at Fargo North High School. Rod received hid Doctorate in Education from the University of Minnesota, his Master's degree in mathematics from North Dakota State University, and his Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics and Music at Bemidji State University, where he studied choral music and sang in the Bemidji Choir under Paul Brandvik; and studied trombone with Thomas Swanson. Rod also sings in the First Lutheran Church Choir.
Alto: Jennifer Sternhagen
Jennifer has been singing with the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale since 1999. She is the mother of two active children. Jennifer has a Master of Arts from the University of North Dakota, a Bachelor of Arts from Concordia College; and is an English teacher. Along with singing in the Chamber Chorale, Jennifer sings in the Master Chorale of Fargo-Moorhead, the choir at Bethesda Lutheran Church and the Fargo-Moorhead Opera chorus.
Soprano: Amy Tran
Amy joins the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale this year and sings soprano. She lives in Fargo and grew up in the Breckenridge/Wahpeton area. Amy is a graduate of North Dakota State University with a degree in business and marketing. While at NDSU, Amy sang in Cantemus, the University Chorus and the NDSU Concert Choir. She has also sung with the Fargo-Moorhead Opera. Amy enjoys travel and hopes to skydive and bunjee jump when the weather is warm.
Tenor: Michael J. Burns, AIA
Mike has sung in the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale since 2002. He is a member of the tenor section and was the president of the organization from 2009-2011. Mike is the President of MJB Architects LTD. in Moorhead, Minnesota. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects Mike lives in Fargo and Mike and Pam have four adult children and three grandchildren. Pam is the artistic director of the Lake Agassiz Girls Choir.
Mike attended Minot State University and is a graduate of North Dakota State University. In addition to singing in the Chamber Chorale, he also sings in the choir of First Presbyterian Church in Fargo.
Alto: MaryAnn Berg
MaryAnn sings alto with the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale. She is a twenty three year veteran of the Chamber Chorale, and is a past member of the board of directors. After spending twenty-five years as a fundraiser for Meritcare (Sanford Health) and for the YMCA of Cass and Clay Counties, she volunteers her many talents with several area organizations. She currently serves on the board of directors for Churches United for the Homeless and has been a member for the F-M Symphony board of directors.MaryAnn enjoys spending time with her eight grandchildren and attending all the basketball games and gymnastics meets that she can. She sings in the Choir at First Lutheran Church in Fargo, and is a past member and director of Acappela Express and the Master Chorale of Fargo-Moorhead. She also has sung in the choir at Pontoppidan Lutheran Church and taught piano in her home for fourteen years.
MaryAnn holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in music education from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota. When not keeping busy with her family, music, or community organizations, she loves to travel.
Soprano: Martha Keeler. Olsen
Martha has lived in Fargo for twenty-three years. She came to Fargo as a graduate student, attending North Dakota State University, majoring in theater. While studying at NDSU, she was a voice student of Robert Olson. She comes from a musical family and has been performing for most of her life. She has been a high school drama director, and has been the Executive Director of the Arts Partnership of Fargo-Moorhead. Currently, Martha works as a life coach in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Martha has a long affiliation with the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale. As a graduate student she sang in its second and third seasons, under its founding director, Mary Kay Geston. She returned to the Chamber Chorale in 1999.
Alto: Shelly Schulz
Shelly begins her first year singing the the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale. She is a registered nurse and works at Intelligent Insites in Fargo. She studied at Jamestown College and sang in the Jamestown College Choir.
Bass: Nicholas Naujokas
Nick is an architect and is a graduate of North Dakota State University, where he sang in the NDSU Concert Choir. Nick returns to the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale after being away for a few years.
Soprano: Carrie Anne Platt, PhD
Carrie Anne Platt has sung with the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale since the fall of 2008. She joined the Department of Communications at North Dakota State University in fall 2008, shortly after completing her Ph.D. at the University of Southern California. Dr. Platt received her Master of Arts degree from Wake Forest University and her B.A. from Carroll College (Helena, MT). She was excited about moving to Fargo because she was born and spent most of her life in Montana.
Dr. Platt teaches classes in new media, popular culture and research methods.Carrie Anne has sung in various choirs since elementary school. Her formal training is as an instrumentalist and she is a 'cellist.
When Carrie Anne isn't singing, teaching or conducting research, she enjoys distance running.
Soprano: Athena Gracyk
Athena loves to sing and she loves to write. She regularly makes time for both, and does so as often as she can. She has sung with the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale since 1999, and her singing the Vaughn-Williams "Sea Symphony" with the F-M Symphony was the finest musical experience of her life! Athena attended at St. Mary's College in California, and the University of California, where she sang in the USC Trojan Chorale. She has also attended Minnesota State University-Moorhead.
Tenor: Michael Siggerud
Mike is a retired music educator an school administrator. He currently is an adjunct instructor at Minnesota State University-Moorhead. This is mike's third year with the Chamber Chorale, and he also keeps busy by singing in the Master Chorale of Fargo-Moorhead and the St. Joseph's Church choir. He has also performed in several productions of the Fargo-Moorhead Opera Mike received his Bachelor of Music degree from Concordia College, his Master of Science from Minnesota State University-Moorhead and his PhD from North Dakota State University.
Soprano: Karin Almjeld
Karin is an Administrative Assistant at Appraisal Services, Inc. in Fargo, North Dakota, and is the president of the Board of Directors. Karin grew up in a musical family, with her father being a choral and symphonic conductor. Karin is active in the Chamber Chorale as a singer and a soprano soloist in addition to her duties on the Board.
Alto: Brianne Corfman
Brianne is a graduate of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where she sang in several choirs; including the Nordic Choir, the Collegiate Chorale, the Cathedral Choir, and Pike Kor. She also participated in music while studying at the University of Iowa, and sang in the Alaskan Chamber Singers. This is Brianne's second year of singing in the Chamber Chorale.
Tenor: Steve Strinden
Steve says singing makes him happy! He sang in college while a student at the University of North Dakota.
Soprano: Carole Richman
Carole sings soprano in the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale, and serves on the Board of Directors. She is a semi-retired music teacher, having taught elementary music for thirty years. Carole holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Valley City State University and a Master of Music degree from Miinnesota State University-Moorhead. In addition to Carole's singing and board duties, she is the music librarian for the Chamber Chorale.
Soprano: LeeAnn Urlacher
LeeAnn is enjoying her second year of singing in the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale and has a distinct love for choral music. Originally from Bismarck, North Dakota, she is a teacher of kindergarten through fifth grade music in the Fargo Public School System. LeeAnn received her Bachelor's degree in Music Education from North Dakota State University, and a Master's of Music from Minnesota State University-Moorhead. She is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association, the National Association for Music Education, the Organization of American Kodaly Educators and the Northern Plains Kodaly Chapter.
Alto: Janet Geston
Janet has been a member of the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale since 2001 and served as the president of the organization from 2006-2009. She is a member of the alto section. She often assists the Chamber Chorale's accompanist and plays for sectional rehearsals. Janet retired from classroom after teaching high school English for thrity-five years! She is a staff accompanist in the NDSU music department, has been the rehearsal accompanist for the Fargo-Moorhead Opera Company, has sung in, and accompanied, the Master Chorale of Fargo-Moorhead, and has accompanied many soloists and ensembles. In addition, she sings in the choir at First Methodist Church in Fargo.
Bass: Carl H. Wichman
Carl is a veteran member of the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale, having been a member for well over twenty years. Carl has sung under all, but one, director! Carl is the assistant director of the North Dakota State University Bookstore, where he supervises the text book and general book departments. He has been involved in book distribution since 1978 and is an avid reader. Carl holds a Bachelor of Science in vocal music from Minnesota State University-Moorhead. He has been a member of the First Lutheran Church Choir for over twenty years and has been a member of the Fargo-Moorhead Opera Company.
Alto: Roberta Gackle
Roberta sings alto in the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale and has been a member since 1997. She is a real estate agent in Fargo, and has a long history of real estate sales in the Fargo-Moorhead area since 1995. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bethel College, with a concentration in music education and theatre. She also sings in the F-M Opera chorus.
Tenor: David Boll
The Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale welcomes David to his first year in the Tenor section. He began singing in high school in his home town of Glenwood, Minnesota and is a graduate of North Dakota State University. During the day, David is a programmer at Microsoft. David and his wife live in West Fargo and are proud parents of a daughter.
Tenor: Mark Gealy
The son and brother of talented musicians, Mark has been singing for as long as he can remember. He has sung with the FM Chamber Chorale since 1996. Earlier choral affiliations include the Master Chorale of Fargo/Moorhead, First Plymouth Church, Lincoln, NE and Wellshire Presbyterian Church, Denver, CO. Even longer ago, Mark sang with the concert and touring choir at Hastings (Nebraska) College during each of his four collegiate years there. Inspired by the revival of folk music in the 1950s and 60s, Mark began learning to play acoustic guitar at an early age. To the present, he maintains a modest repertoire of his own arrangements of folk/roots songs. Mark earned MS and PhD degrees in physics from the University of Denver. Following a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, he joined the faculty of Concordia College in 1990, where he makes his living as a scientist. He enjoys life at home with his wife and two cats. Together they collect and enjoy fine wines, Native American art, and toys that squeak.
Alto: Julie Jerger
Julie is an administrative assist for Houston Engineering, Inc. and is the resident secretary for the Buffalo-Red River Watershed district. Julie, and her husband Dennis, live on a dairy farm near Barnesville, Minnesota and they have two children, Mike and Katie.Julie has been involved in music for most of her life. She is the Senior Choir director at St. James Church of Christ in Barnesville, Minnesota. Before joining the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale five years ago, she sang in the Geneva Eschweiler Singers in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, the Fergus Falls Summer Theater and the Fargo-Moorhead Opera chorus. Julie attended college at Minnesota State University-Moorhead and was a member of the Concert Choir.
Tenor: Brian Wittman
In the fall of 2011, Brian Wittman begins his twenty-second season with the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale. In addition to his singing duties he serves on the Chamber Chorale's Board of Directors, chairs the production committee and serves on other various committees.
Brian is a graduate of North Dakota State University and received his musical training at Bemidji State University, where he sang in the Bemidji Choir and studied choral music with Paul Brandvik.
Brian has been the senior technician and production stage manager for the Fargo-Moorhead Opera Company, working on over sixty opera productions. He has been a technician, producer and production stage manager for numerous musical and theatrical productions through-out the area, including Moorhead, Fargo and West Fargo Schools. Along with singing in the Chamber Chorale, Brian enjoys classic cars, politics, road trips and writing.
Alto: Danna Stoll
Danna begins her first year singing alto in the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale. She is a piano teacher and also teaches sixth grade music. Danna is a graduate of Concordia College and sang for two years in the Concordia Choir. She also is a member of her church worship team.
Alto: Kathrine Scholl
Katherine begins her second year singing alto in the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale. She is a graduate of Concordia College, where she sang in the Concordia Choir. She also sings in the Fargo-Moorhead Opera chorus.
Soprano: Martha Nesheim
Martha begins her first year as a soprano in the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale. She is married to our Artistic Director, Paul Nesheim,. They are the proud parents of Lute and Linnea. Martha has been the Artistic Director of Kindermusic of Fargo-Moorhead for many years. Martha grew up singing in choirs. She sang in church choirs, the Carillon Choristers and the Bel Canto Voices in Minneapolis, Minnesota, She has sung in the Concordia Choir, the National Lutheran Choir and the University of Arizona Summer Chorus and several church choirs. Martha credits both her husband Paul and her mother, who is a fabulous singer,for her inspiration to sing.
Alto: Lorelee Benz
Lorelee begins her second year singing in the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale. She is the word processing manager at State Bank and Trust of Fargo, and also serves as a commissioned lay pastor at Baker-Downer Presbyterian Church in Baker, Minnesota. Lorelee is a graduate of Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, with a Bachelor of Music degree concentrating in vocal performance and percussion. She has performed with the Houston Symphony Chorale, the Houston Concert Chorale and with Fargo-Moorhead Opera. In addition, she has held many positions in church music, including singing and directing choirs, and solo performance. Lorelee's inspiration came from her mother, who taught herself to play piano and guitar. She had Lorelee singing in church as soon as she was able. Now as a lay pastor, Lorelee says she is able to sing in church whenever she wants!
Alto: Nan Froelich
Nan has sung in the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale for three years. She is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music and has taught private piano lessons in the Fargo-Moorhead area for over forty years. Nan lives in Fargo with her husband, Andy, and they have three adult children. Nan has sung with Fargo-Moorhead Opera and is a member of the choir at First Presbyterian Church in Fargo. This is Nan's second year on the Chamber Chorale Board of Directors. When not singing or teaching piano, she enjoys tennis, golf and travel.
Soprano: Courtney Jones
Courtney is a recent graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead, and is in her first year of singing with the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Chorale. While at MSUM, she studied voice and sang in the MSUM Concert Choir. She also sings in the Salem Evangelical Free Church worship team. While in college, Courtney also had the privilege to study at Oxford University, and cannot wait to go back. She is employed by the United Way of Cass-Clay, enjoys exclamation points and is generally excited about something!!!
Soprano: Molly Hofker
Molly, and her husband Jordan moved to Fargo nearly four years ago. She is excited to become involved in a musical organization once again, after being away from it since coming to this area. Molly has been involved in musical performance for her entire life, keeping a long family history of making music alive. She began playing the piano as a child and played flute in band and sang in choir through high school. She continued to sing in show choirs and play in band in college. Most notable, she is an alumna of the University of Nebraska Cornhusker Marching Band. Molly lives in Fargo with her husband , two cats and a dog that she affectionately calls her "kids." She is a freelance marketing consultant and maintains her office in her home.
Soprano: Shelby Cochran
Originally form Duluth, Minnesota, Shelby is a graduate of Concordia College with a degree in Organizational Comunication and Theatre Arts. While at Concordia, she sang in the Cantabilie Choir and studied voice with Barbara Schramm. She was a regular on the Concordia Theater Stage, where she participated in both musical and dramatic roles. Shelby has been active in musical activities throughout her life. While in high school, she sang in the Lake Superior Youth Chorus, the Apostolic Choir, the Confirmation Choir and the Apostolic Ringers at First Lutheran Church of Duluth;sang in the Acapella Choir and played in the Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band at Duluth East High School. Shelby is currently serving as an Americorps VISTA volunteer with the Lake Agassiz Habitat for Humanity.