Valerie J. Becker

Artistic Director

Valerie J. Becker, Artistic Director for the Treble Chorus of New England is a graduate of Boston University, where she received both her Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees in piano performance. While at B.U. she was awarded membership in Pi Kappa Lambda, the national music honor society and was chosen most outstanding senior in music by Mu Phi Epsilon. Her post graduate studies led her to the University of Illinois where she worked on an accompaniment and coaching degree, to Austria where she studied German Lieder, and to Italy where she performed with the Rome Festival Orchestra and was their primary pianist.

She has performed as soloist with the Boston Pops. As a collaborate pianist she has appeared in recital with many major artists throughout the United States and abroad, including many who are members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. As a rehearsal pianist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra she has had the occasion to play for world-renowned artists such as Midori, James Gallway, YoYo Ma, Kathleen Battle and Isaac Stern.

Ms. Becker taught for 15 summers in the Boston University high school program at Tanglewood, working with both choral and chamber groups. She also taught at the North Carolina School for the Arts from 1980 – 1983 and was the pianist for the Metropolitan Opera regional auditions.

In 1994 Ms. Becker joined the staff of the Treble Chorus of New England as the pianist, and in 1998 directed the new intermediate choir. As Associate Director, she has directed the Training Choir since 2004 and Concert Choir since 2005. In 2007 she was appointed Artistic Director.

Ms. Becker has been a Fine Arts faculty member of The Winsor School in Boston for the past twenty-five years. She resides in Arlington with her husband David Medzorian and their son Alexander.

Heather Chu

Director of Schola

Heather Chu is a choral conductor, professional singer, and vocal and piano instructor. She received her BMA in Vocal & Piano Performance at California State University, Fresno and continued on to complete her Masters in Vocal Performance and Vocal Pedagogy at the New England Conservatory of Music. In addition to teaching voice and piano privately, Heather has taught Voice for Non-Majors at New England Conservatory and served as Teaching Fellow and Vocal Instructor for the Boston Children's Chorus - altogether working with students from ages 6 years to adult. Heather also conducts the Cambridge Chinese Choral Society and sings professionally in Greater Boston.

Anne Gardner-Kaihlanen

Music Assistant

Anne Gardner-Kaihlanen is a multifaceted musician who began the study of piano at age six, brass instruments at age ten, voice at age fifteen and organ in her thirties. Anne has taught voice at Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire; St. Paul's Preparatory School in Concord, New Hampshire and in private studios in Boston and on Cape Ann.

She holds a degree in music education from Lowell University and did her graduate work at Boston University where she was selected to be graduate assistant to both the director of the choral programs and the chairman of the voice department. While there, she taught sight singing, developed vocal training techniques for the choruses, coached and accompanied vocal chamber ensembles on the piano and the harpsichord, and prepared the choirs for performance.

As a professional singer, the soprano has performed in recitals in the New England area and has appeared as soloist with the Handel & Haydn Society, The Boston Cecilia, The Harmann Vocal Ensemble, The Cape Ann Singers, The Apple Hill Chamber Players, The Keene State Chamber Orchestra and the Peterborough Chorale. She was also a professional member of the choir at All Saints Church in Brookline for several years.

Anne is certified as teacher and supervisor of music for grades K through 12. She has taught instrumental music in the Arlington and Ipswich public schools. Anne was Music Director at the First Universalist Church in Rockport for several years and still substitutes on occasion for the current organist.

She has been associated with the Treble Chorus of New England since 1985 as opera coach and voice teacher for the summer workshops, was music assistant to the former director for several years working as accompanist and vocal coach for both training and advanced choirs.

Anne teaches voice in her private studio in Rockport. Her teachers include Ellalou Dimmock, voice; Allen Rogers, vocal coach; Henry Lowe and Barbara Bruns, organ; May Black Wells and Deborah Yardley Beers, piano.

Anne lives in Rockport with her artist husband, Lauri R. Kaihlanen.

Monica Wallace

Accompanist

Monica Wallace graduated in 2006 from Westminster Choir College of Rider University, where she received her Bachelor of Music in Piano. While a student at Westminster, she divided her time between her major in piano pedagogy, her job as a vocal accompanist, and her work with the Westminster Christian Fellowship. Her piano studies were with Ingrid Clarfield and J.J. Penna. She was also a member of the Westminster Symphonic Choir, a choir that performs regularly with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to her work with the Treble Chorus, Monica teaches traditional and Suzuki piano lessons, both independently and for Creative Arts for Kids, a community arts school in Reading, MA. She also freelances as both an instrumental and vocal accompanist.

Thomas C. Lissey

Accompanist

Thom is pleased to be working for the first time with the Treble Chorus of New England. A native of New Haven, Connecticut and a graduate of Wesleyan University, he is currently Music Director at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Medford as well as Choir Director at Congregation Shalom in Chelmsford.

From 2002 to 2004, Thom was Conductor of the Reading Community Singers, and from 1997 to 2002, he was Accompanist for the Mishawum Choral Society in Woburn. In recent years, he has been an accompanist for American Repertory Theater, Boston Conservatory, Brookline Public Schools, Charlestown Chorale, Craig Wich Vocal Studio, Longy School of Music and Suzuki School of Newton.

In 2004, Thom won the Award for Best Musical Direction from the Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theaters for his work on Ragtime at the Footlight Club in Jamaica Plain. He also received awards directing music for Guys and Dolls (Newton Country Players) and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Belmont Dramatic Club). Other recent credits include King of Hearts (Colonial Chorus Players), Cabaret (Wakefield Repertory Theater), A Chorus Line (Winthrop Playmakers), and Pippin (Northeastern University).