Artistic Director: Dr. David A. McConnell
Dr. David A. McConnell founded Vox Philia in 2012 as an intergenerational chamber choir comprised of professional and gifted amateur singers. The choir’s performances have garnered considerable acclaim for thematic programming and musical excellence. In the summer of 2014, Dr. McConnell co-founded Berks Sinfonietta, a chamber orchestra that also utilizes an intergenerational approach, bringing professional Reading, PA players together with gifted students in both high school and college.
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Dr. McConnell teaches music courses at Pennsylvania State University, Berks Campus and Alvernia University in Reading. As Minister of Music at Immanuel UCC, he plays for weekly liturgies, conducts the Senior Choir and Bell Choir, oversees the training and rehearsing of four other choirs and manages an active concert series at the church.
Dr. McConnell received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in December 2002. |
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A native of Philadelphia, Dr. McConnell also holds degrees from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey and Temple University in Philadelphia. He has attended the prestigious Pierre Monteux School for Conductors and Orchestral Musicians in Hancock, Maine, the South Carolina Conductor's Institute in Columbia, South Carolina, and The Conductors Institute at Bard College.
Dr. McConnell has presented papers at the national American Choral Directors Association in San Antonio, Texas and the College Music Society Northeast Chapter Conference in Lewiston, Maine. Articles by Dr. McConnell have appeared in journals of the International Federation of Choral Music, the American Choral Director’s Association, the Conductors’ Guild and the American Beethoven Society. He has written a chapter on Beethoven’s early Piano Concerto in E-flat for inclusion in a book being published about Beethoven’s time in Bonn.
In recent years, Dr. McConnell has conducted choirs in Portugal, The Netherlands, and Latvia, as well as throughout the northeastern United States.
Dr. McConnell has presented papers at the national American Choral Directors Association in San Antonio, Texas and the College Music Society Northeast Chapter Conference in Lewiston, Maine. Articles by Dr. McConnell have appeared in journals of the International Federation of Choral Music, the American Choral Director’s Association, the Conductors’ Guild and the American Beethoven Society. He has written a chapter on Beethoven’s early Piano Concerto in E-flat for inclusion in a book being published about Beethoven’s time in Bonn.
In recent years, Dr. McConnell has conducted choirs in Portugal, The Netherlands, and Latvia, as well as throughout the northeastern United States.
Assistant Conductor: Emily DeMerchant
Emily DeMerchant is a Soprano and Voice/Piano teacher hailing from Toronto in Ontario, Canada. After her Bachelor of Music degree in Performance, she was longing for a learning experience in the world of pedagogy. This led her to Westminster Choir College to study with some of the country's top pedagogy experts while pursuing her Master of Music in Voice Pedagogy and Performance.
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While at Westminster Choir College, Emily was happy to grow her love of choral music. Emily worked as a Graduate Assistant with Professor Tom Shelton and the Williamson Voices Treble Ensemble and was able to help prepare and perform works such as Andrea Ramsay’s Suffrage Cantata and Gyorgy Orban’s Mass No. 6. She also took the opportunity to grow in her conducting craft by taking choral conducting courses with leading choral pedagogue Dr. James Jordan.
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Emily’s singing, described as dynamic and engaging, has taken her to the opera and recital stages. She is passionate about singing beautiful music. Some of her favorite music is late romantic art song repertoire, especially in French and German. Emily also loves learning new repertoire and singing for her friends and family. Her most recent favorite composer is Poldowski, a female composer from Belgium. Her operatic performances with the Westminster Opera Theatre include Hansel and Gretel by Humperdinck and Ballymore: Winners by living American composer Richard Wargo.
In addition to being the Assistant Conductor with the Voices Chorale NJ, Emily teaches voice and piano for Cornerstone Music Studios, in Millstone NJ. She also serves with her local church Calvary Tabernacle UPCI in Wrightstown, NJ in both the Music and Children’s departments.
In addition to being the Assistant Conductor with the Voices Chorale NJ, Emily teaches voice and piano for Cornerstone Music Studios, in Millstone NJ. She also serves with her local church Calvary Tabernacle UPCI in Wrightstown, NJ in both the Music and Children’s departments.
Accompanist: Dr. Akiko Hosaki
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Dr. Akiko Hosaki, collaborative pianist, serves as accompanist with Voices Chorale NJ. She has worked with several opera companies in the U.S. and Japan, and is an active chamber musician. Dr. Hosaki currently serves as the head of vocal staff accompanists and the pianist coordinator at Westminster Choir College, and Senior Choir Director/organist at Hillsborough Reformed Church at Millstone, where she runs the concert series. She holds degrees from Musashino Academia Musicae in Japan, Westminster Choir College, and University of Minnesota.
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Voices Chorale NJ Board of Trustees:
President: Jane Read
Vice President: Bob Kull
Treasurer: Bob Wiedemann
Secretary: Carole Moore
Member: Kim Stolow
Member: Linda Silber
Member: John Wagner
Artistic Director: David A. McConnell
President: Jane Read
Vice President: Bob Kull
Treasurer: Bob Wiedemann
Secretary: Carole Moore
Member: Kim Stolow
Member: Linda Silber
Member: John Wagner
Artistic Director: David A. McConnell
