Sopranos

 

DIANE CALELLO, soprano, graduated from the College of William and Mary in Virginia where she toured with the William and Mary Choir as well as founding and directing an all-female ensemble, The Accidentals, , which has recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. Since that time, while pursuing a medical degree and postgraduate training, she has sung with a number of regional ensembles in addition to The Princeton Singers. These include the Choir of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, New Jersey, the Tim Keyes Consort, and the Caritas Chamber Chorale, with whom she performed in 2017 as a featured soloist.  She lives with her husband, three children, and pug (Bernadette) in Martinsville, NJ and is a cantor at the Catholic Community of St. Charles Borromeo in Skillman, an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and the Executive and Medical Director of the New Jersey Poison Control Center. 

​

LAURA KOSAR, soprano, enjoys a diverse career as a performer and music teacher. Performance highlights as a soloist include the beloved soprano solos in Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Orff’s Carmina Burana, the Mozart Requiem, Bernstein’s Mass, Schubert’s Mass in G, as Hansel in Hansel und Gretel, and as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro. As a chorister she has enjoyed singing with the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir, Opera Delaware, and the Princeton Festival Opera. Ms. Kosar maintains a private voice and piano studio, holds a position at St. James the Less as a soprano and director of the youth choir, and teaches early childhood music classes.

​

BLYTHE QUELIN, soprano, has performed the roles of Ifigenia in Handel's Oreste, Amy in Mark Adamo's Little Women, and Janthe in Heinrich Marschner’s Der Vampyr.  Ms. Quelin has had the opportunity to work with exceptional teachers, coaches, and conductors such as Daniel Beckwith, Margaret Cusack, Joseph Flummerfelt, J. J. Penna, and Brian Schkeeper.  As an ensemble singer, Ms. Quelin recorded the album Heaven to Earth and performed in Lakmé and I Capuleti e i Montecchi at the Spoleto Festival U.S.A.  She has also performed Handel’s Messiah, Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, Berlioz’s Requiem, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with some of the greatest orchestras in the world.  Ms. Quelin is also active as a recitalist, specializing in works by Poulenc, Fauré, Debussy, Brahms, and Schumann.

​

KATHERINE YOUNG, soprano, has an interest in vocal repertoire from the Medieval to the Contemporary, performing with groups including Brandywine Baroque, Piffaro, St. Clement’s Choir, The Princeton Singers, The Philadelphia Singers, Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia, Skylark Ensemble, and the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia. Ms. Young has attended numerous festivals including participation in the Baroque Academy at Amherst Early Music Festival and Seattle Academy of Opera’s Accademia d’Amore. In 2008, she debuted as the role of Grace I in Ariadne by Conradi at the Amherst Early Music Festival and in 2009 was a soloist in the modern premier of John Blow’s With Cheerful Hearts. She also performed the role of Musico in The Force of Fatherly Love by Alessandro Stradella with Brandywine Baroque, Amore in Monteverdi’s Poppea Prologue, and Angelus in Carissimi’s Job with Accademia d’Amore. Ms. Young holds Bachelor degrees from Bloomsburg University in Music Education and Vocal Performance and a Master’s of Music Education degree from Westminster Choir College of Rider University. She currently maintains a busy concert schedule of solo recitals and choral performances and teaches public school in Philadelphia.

 

​

Alto

​

EVA KASTNER-PUSCHL hails from Austria and enjoys a vibrant performing career in Europe, the U.S. and China as a mezzo-soprano, pianist and actress, performing as soloist and with renowned ensembles. She has performed with the American Bach Soloists Academy, OperaWorks, The Princeton Festival, Sound of Baroque in Shanghai, Princeton Pro Musica, the New York Continuo Collective, and Early Music Princeton among others. In addition to her classical training, she indulges in cross-over, jazz and theater. Ms. Kastner-Puschl is an active performer with A Moment for Music (M4M Productions) in Princeton, the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir and as a section leader at Trinity Episcopal Church in Princeton. A former member of the voice and piano faculty of Westminster Conservatory of Music, she now teaches private voice and piano in Yardley, PA. Besides a Master of Music degree in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, Ms. Kastner-Puschl holds diplomas in Music and Instrumental Music Education from University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz (Austria) and a Master’s degree in Social and Economic Sciences from Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz (Austria).

​

HEATHER KAYAN, alto, is an ensemble singer who mainly performs in and around the Philadelphia area. She received a Bachelor of Music in  Music Education and a Master’s of Arts in Teaching from Westminster Choir College in 2008 and currently works at McCarter Theater in Princeton, NJ. As a soloist, Heather’s recent performances include Handel's Messiah and Haydn's Paukenmesse. In addition to singing with The Princeton Singers, Kayan also performs with Philadelphia's The Crossing, Washington DC's The Thirteen, Kinnara Ensemble, and is a section leader with Trinity Episcopal Church in Princeton, NJ.

​

SAGE LUTTON, alto, holds a Masters degree in Vocal Pedagogy and Performance from Westminster Choir College, as well as a Bachelors in Vocal Performance from Trenton State College. She has sung in over twenty productions under the direction of Richard Tang Yuk in the New Jersey Opera Festival and Princeton Festival.  
As a Lehigh University Finkel Artist-in-Residence, she has sung area premieres of Steven Sametz’s compositions, Music’s Music, and Three Biblical Love Songs. She has been a returning artist for the Bryn Athyn Orchestra, and the Abington Presbyterian Church’s Music at Abington series. This is her fifteenth year with both The Princeton Singers and Jerome Brandt’s Skylark Ensemble. She is a cantor at St. John Vianney Roman Catholic Church in Colonia, New Jersey. Sage can be heard as a guest artist on That Was Then, This Is Now, Green Mountain Dreaming, and To Vermont with Love, all CD releases of  Mary Koth Lutton.

​

BRIAN RAMSEY, counter-tenor, has been singing with  The Princeton Singers since January of 2006. After graduating from Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance, he made Philadelphia his home, and has remained active as a private vocal instructor and coach, classroom music teacher, arranger, and conductor, having directed choirs of 5th graders, a Grammy-nominated professional chamber ensemble, and almost everything in between. Mr. Ramsey has performed with numerous ensembles in and around the Philadelphia area, including ChiaroOscuro, Ancient Voices of the University of Pennsylvania, The Athenaeum for Early Music at Rutgers University, The American Boychoir, Pennsylvania Pro Musica, and has sung in such venues as The Academy of Music (under the direction of Lorin Maazel), The Kimmel Center, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall (under the direction of Eric Whitacre). He has been singing with the choir of St. Clement’s Church, Philadelphia, since 1992. Recordings include a wealth of sacred and secular choral works, Christmas titles, film soundtracks, and incidental music for live theatrical productions.  

​

​

Tenor

​

JORDAN BARRETT, tenor, is a choral singer and pianist based in Wilmington, Delaware. He is the bass soloist and section leader at both First and Central Presbyterian Church, and regularly appears with other churches in the greater Philadelphia area. He regularly sings with the Mastersingers of Wilmington, and has sung with OperaDelaware, Opera Philadelphia, Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia, The Princeton Singers, Vox Polpuli, and Delaware Choral Arts. This past season, Jordan joined the roster of New York's Nancy Werstch. During the summer of 2017, Jordan sang with the Bard Music Festival, and most recently made his Carnegie Hall debut in the chorus of Luigi Nono's Intolleranza with the American Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Leon Botstein. As a pianist, Jordan frequently accompanies singers in the Wilmington area. He holds a Bachelor of Music in voice performance from The Pennsylvania State University and pursued a Master of Music in voice performance from the University of Delaware. He is currently a student of Grant Youngblood.

​

CARL ELLINWOOD, JR., tenor, is currently from the Philadelphia, PA area serving as an Elementary Music Teacher fo Audubon Public Schools in Audubon, NJ and as  a Section Leader for the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Philadelphia.  Carl recently returned from the Washington, D.C. area where he served as an Elementary Music Teacher for St. Mary's County Public Schools, the Artistic Director of the St. Mary’s Children’s Chorus, and was the 2016 guest conductor for the St. Mary’s County Elementary Honors Chorus. As a singer, Carl has performed as a soloist and chorister in the Washington, DC and Philadelphia areas, including with the Washington Master Chorale, Choralis, Washington National Cathedral, Opera Philadelphia, Philadelphia Singers, and the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia. This season, Carl will be singing with The Village Carolers, a caroling group that performs in various areas during holiday season in New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut. Carl received his BA in Music and BA in Radio/TV/Film at Rowan University. While at Rowan Carl was a member of the Concert Choir and he also played the First Priest and Armored Man in The Magic Flute. Carl graduated with a Masters of Music Education from Marywood University where he studied voice with Ellen Rutkowski. He was involved in the Marywood Opera Scenes Showcase performing various roles from Rigoletto, Dialogues of the Carmelites, La Bohème, The Magic Flute, Candide, and Don Pasquale. Carl maintains a private voice studio in Audubon, NJ.

​

NEIL FARRELL, tenor, has been both member and soloist with most of New York’s finest professional choirs, including, among many others, Musica Sacra, Voices of Ascension, Early Music New York, and the New York Virtuoso Singers. His solo repertoire includes Bach’s: Weinachtsoratorium, Johannespassion, Matthäuspassion, Magnificat, and Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610. A former member of The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble and founding member of Equal Voices, he delights in small ensemble singing as well. A double-specialist in early and new music, he recorded as tenor soloist Milton Babbitt’s Four Cavalier Settings for Koch International, performing them at Babbitt’s 90th Birthday celebration at Weill Recital Hall. His discography includes many CDs with Voices of Ascension and Musica Sacra as well as with early music ensemble Pomerium, and he is represented as singer and arranger on recordings by the Western Wind. An active composer throughout his 18-year tenure as a member of NYC’s Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola, both his music and singing are featured on their recordings. He now makes his home in Allentown, PA.

​

BRYAN HOYOS, tenor, a son of Columbian immigrants, was exposed to a world of music from a very young age – and found himself singing at every available opportunity. During his teenage years, Bryan was a member of various advanced choral ensembles as well as a lead singer with the Mariachi Nuevo Mexico in New York City. During his studies at Westminster Choir College, Bryan made his operatic debut as Rinuccio in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi (2006) and also ventured into musical theater, playing various roles including Sancho Panza in Man of La Mancha (2007). As a young professional, Bryan’s career continued to flourish in all directions–performing as a tenor soloist for works such as the Requiem by both Mozart and Verdi, and Handel’s Messiah. In 2010 Bryan appeared as El Remendado in Bizet’s Carmen with Concert Opera of Philadelphia and made his solo debut in Carnegie Hall with Pacific Opera Company. Bryan has appeared as a tenor soloist for various regional orchestras and chamber ensembles, performing works by Bach, Vivaldi, Schubert, Haydn, Rossini, and others. Never giving up his passion for choral music, Bryan has worked with ensembles including the National Chorale, and the Philadelphia Singers.

​

​

Bass

​

LES ANDERS, bass/baritone, has specialized in ensemble and small choral group singing since 1990. Starting in 2006, Les was delighted to add The Princeton Singers to a roster of performing organizations which includes The Choir of St. Clement’s Church (Philadelphia), Pennsylvania Pro Musica, Piffaro, The Albemarle Singers 
(American Boychoir), and The Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia, among many others. His musical education includes four years of intensive jazz studies (saxophone and composition) at Temple University, as well as vocal tutelage with Gary Magby (Opéra de Lyon). Residing in downtown Philadelphia, Les is the lead buyer for a web-based retailer and has held purchasing positions at corporations throughout the Delaware Valley for over 15 years. 

​

JONATHAN BRITT, bass, fostered his passion for music at an early age by studying piano, voice, saxophone, and drums. He later began formal studies in jazz improvisation in high school. Jonathan earned a B.A. in Music from Westminster Choir College and a M.M. in Music Education from Boston University. As a performer in both the Westminster Choir and the Westminster Symphonic Choir, he performed regularly with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic, and also performed in operas and choral concerts at Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, SC. As a musical director, his theater productions include Oliver!, The Fantasticks, 1776, Guys and Dolls, and many more. He co-founded Fazed Visions, a jazz group that performed throughout central and northern New Jersey. Today, Jonathan continues to perform as both a classical singer and a freelance jazz and pit drummer/percussionist. 

 

NICHOLAS HAY, bass, is a graduate of the Peabody Institute of The John Hopkins University. Mr. Hay has performed with Opera Philadelphia,  New York Lyric Opera Theatre, dell’Arte Opera Ensemble, and SEM Ensemble to name a few. He recently performed the role of Leporello in New York Lyric Opera Theatre’s concert performance of Don Giovanni and the role of Samuel in Un ballo in maschera with Amore Opera.  He also recently performed in Petr Kotik’s opera Master-Pieces in the Czech Republic.  Mr. Hay is an active choral musician in New York City.  He regularly performs with Fifth Ave Presbyterian Chamber choir, New York Virtuoso Singers and the Bard Festival Chorale.  Upcoming events include A Tribute Recital to Feodor Chaliapin at St. John’s in the Village in New York City.
 

MARK HIGHTOWER, bass, is the Upper School Music Director at the Haverford School located in the  suburbs of Philadelphia. In addition to directing choirs, teaching academic classes, and serving as musical director of musicals each year, he enjoys playing bass and guitar. Mark is a staff singer at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church in Philadelphia under the direction of Peter Conte and sings with the Philadelphia Orchestra as well as being a soloist for various ensembles and performances in the area. In his second season with The Princeton Singers, Mark continues to enjoy making beautiful music with wonderful friends and colleagues.  

   

​