Hailing from Colorado Springs, Colorado, Monica Sian Jones recently returned home after receiving a Master of Music at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. Prior to that, she completed a BA in International Studies and Music at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California. At CLU, Monica performed in productions of Quilters, Hay Fever, Julius Caesar, and Dancing in Hell. As a soloist, she sang the soprano solo in the Bach Cantata Christ lag in Todes Banden and the mezzo solos for Faure's Pelleas and Melisande, Copland's In the Beginning, and Jake Heggie's Patterns. Upon receiving the Kornfeld Scholarship for Singers at the ANU, Monica performed the role of la suora zelatrice in Suor Angelica, was a vocal finalist in the Margaret Smiles Accompanist Competition, performed for numerous embassies and for the Australian Governor-General, and sang soprano solos for Bernhard Krol's and Mozart's Vesperae solennes de confessore.

Originally from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, he earned his Master of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he was a winner of the annual concerto competition, and held the position of second bassoon with the Northern Kentucky Symphony prior to joining the Colorado Springs Symphony (now the Colorado Springs Philharmonic Orchestra) in January, 2001, as Second Bassoon and Contrabassoon. Alex also holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, where he participated in ensembles ranging in specialty from music of the medieval period to contemporary music. He has performed in many countries and festivals, including France's Evian Festival; Italy; Austria; Hungary; Ireland; the 1998 World Exposition in Lisbon, Portugal; the Sarasota Music Festival in Sarasota, Florida; the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California; and the National Orchestral Institute in College Park, Maryland. His teachers include William Winstead, Linda Harwell, Phillip Kolker, Denis Michel, Manuel Zegler, and David Fedderly.

Alex became a member of the United States Air Force Academy Band in 1998. He currently serves as principal bassoonist of the Concert Band and as bassoonist of the Academy Winds, a unique and dynamic group that blends the sounds of a woodwind quintet plus percussion. Through the United States Air Force Academy Band, he has had the opportunity to travel across the United States giving performances and masterclasses, and has worked closely with music students ranging from middle school to college. Mr. Vieira has been featured several times as a soloist with the Concert Band and Academy Winds and has recently recorded the Concerto for Bassoon and Winds by Hungarian composer Frigyes Hidas with the United States Air Force Academy Band. Alex is a regular recitalist in Colorado Springs, having been featured in the band's Fine Arts Recital Series at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center and Packard Hall, and also the Thursday Night Recital Series at the Colorado Springs School's Louisa Center for the Performing Arts.

Alex enjoys making music with his extremely talented wife, violinist Azi Vieira, whenever they get a chance. When they are not making music together, they enjoy many outdoor pursuits such as cycling, hiking, camping, and tinkering with their growing collection of bicycles and vintage Volkswagens.

Paul Nagem has been principal flute for the Colorado Springs Symphony and the Colorado Springs Philharmonic since 1994. A native of San Diego, he studied flute there with Damian Bursill-Hall, then principal flute of the San Diego Symphony and now with the Pittsburgh Symphony. He received his Bachelors Degree from the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Lois Schaefer of the Boston Symphony. Mr. Nagem is the instructor of flute at Colorado College. He has performed with the San Diego Symphony, the Colorado Symphony and the Singapore Symphony. Mr. Nagem plays Straubinger flutes.

Judeth Shay Burns, "Baby Doe", earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the Mannes College of Music in New York City, and since that time has worked in both opera and music theater. Most recently Judeth appeared as Christine in the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center Repertory Theatre's production of Phantom. This past year she also joined the three person cast of Side by Side by Sondheim for Aspen Theatre in the Park, and sang Valencienne in Opera Theatre of the Rockies' debut production of The Merry Widow. Judeth has also studied at the Circle Music Festival, where she was a scholarship recipient and a member of their Opera Theater Center, and now feels privileged to be a member of Martile Rowland's voice studio. Other favorite roles include Lauretta in Gianni Schicci with the Colorado Lyric Theatre Festival, Cinderella in Into the Woods with Four Rivers Music Theatre, and Tuptim in The King and I with Theatre West. Upcoming engagements include Mozart's Mass in C Minor with the Aspen Choral Society and a series of concerts with Debra Ayres and the Center for Excellence in the Arts at Colorado Mountain College.

Rebecca Lee has become a familiar face in the Colorado Springs classical music scene. She has been with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic (and Symphony before that) as principal second violin for 14 years and is a founding member of the Hausmusik quartet which this season marks its 14th year. She is an almost native Coloradan having grown up in Longmont, Colorado.

She headed east for school where she received her bachelor's degree from Northwestern University and studied further in Oberlin, Ohio. Her teachers included Myron Kartman, Stephen Clapp, and Harold Wippler. This season's performance of the Saint-Saëns' Violin Concerto marks Rebecca's fourth collaboration with the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs.

Carol Wilson is currently organist at First Christian Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She received her Bachelor of Music degree in organ and piano performance at Colorado State University in 1973. Her Master of Music degree, also in organ and piano perforamnce, was earned at the University of Kansas in 1989. She has served as church organist and given concerts in Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Missouri and Kansas. While in Kansas, she taught organ and piano and was university organist at Ottawa University. In addition to playing at First Christian Church, Carol teaches piano and organ, accompanies in the community, manages a concert series on the church's new pipe organ and is an active performer on organ and piano. She is a member of the American Guild of Organists, both Pikes Peak and Front Range Music Teachers Associations (q.v.).

Bio coming

The Colorado Springs Children's Chorale is delighted to be celebrating 30 years of sharing music and friendship in the Pikes Peak region, working with many great partners over the years including the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, and its predecessor, the Colorado Springs Symphony. Founded in 1977 as a civic children's choir, the Colorado Springs Children's Chorale has grown from one choir of 25 children to five choirs with an enrollment of over 130 children from throughout the Pikes Peak Region. The five choirs of the Children's Chorale include a training choir; an apprentice choir; a concert choir; a touring choir; and a choir for high school singers. These young people have sung with symphonies, chamber orchestras, and adult chorales, as well as other children's choirs from all over the world. The Chorale's musical excellence has earned them national recognition as one of the country's outstanding children's choirs and invitations to international choir festivals. Due to their personal dedication to excellence, the Chorale's fine young singers have been honored with three first place Gold Medals in international competitions, competing with exceptional choirs from around the world including Russia, Taiwan, Canada, Denmark, and the Czech Republic. In the spirit of international exchange, in 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2005, the Colorado Springs Children's Chorale traveled to Japan with performances in Tokyo, Hiroshima, Yamagata Prefecture, Shizuoka, and Fujioshida. In June, 2000 the touring choir embarked on a 23-day tour of Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary, and brought back first place honors from the Prague International Choir Festival. In the United States, the choirs of the Children's Chorale have been honored as guest performers at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Recently, the Colorado Springs Children's Chorale was the recipient of the El Pomar Award for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities for the state of Colorado, and the Mayor's International Award for International Outreach. During the summer of 2004, the Children's Chorale pioneered the Pikes Peak International Music Festival - In Harmony, a traveling festival which has now been hosted in Colorado (2004), Japan (2005) and Chicago (2006), including young singers from across the nation and around the world. During the summer of 2005, the Summit Ensemble toured in England, Scotland and Wales, where they were invited to compete in the prestigious Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, one of only two American choirs to receive that honor. The Pikes Peak Singers visited Australia (where they performed at the Sydney Opera House), New Zealand and Japan, where they participated in the international music festival at the World Expo in Aichi.

Although the Colorado Springs Children's Chorale has garnered an exceptional array of awards and recognitions abroad, its heart and spirit is firmly rooted in Colorado and the Colorado Springs community. A main focus is its outreach program within the state, including its Adopt-a-School program, School Blitz days, All city Boychoir Festival, an extensive Tuition Assistance Program, workshops in schools, and concerts all over the state for groups including Pikes Peak Hospice, Cancer Survivors, CASA, and nursing homes. The children of Colorado Springs Children's Chorale have the ability to touch the emotions of their audiences through music and reinforce their mission of "sharing our dreams of a better world through song."

The Colorado Springs Children's Chorale performances are noted for their purity of tone, beautiful harmonies, and lively choreography. They are goodwill ambassadors representing the positive contributions that the youth in the Pikes Peak Region have to offer.

Karen Roberts - Springs Singers Director

Robert H. Crowder, Jr. - Artistic Advisor, Co-Founder & Pikes Peak Singers Director

Ms. Bammesberger is on staff with the Colorado Springs Children's Chorale and is a private voice instructor. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Angelo State University in San Angelo, TX and a Masters in Music, Voice Performance/Opera from the University of North Texas in Denton. Ms. Bammesberger has appeared in numerous concert performances in Colorado Springs and Denver with the Colorado Vocal Arts Ensemble (member since 1995), Colorado Springs Chorale, Denver Brass, Colorado College Chorale and Orchestra, and First Presbyterian Sanctuary Chorale and Orchestra.

Active on concert, opera, and musical theater stages, Charles has appeared with UCCS Theatreworks, the Colorado Springs Symphony, Colorado Opera Festival, Colorado Springs Chorale the Fine Arts Center Repertory Theatre and as soloist with several regional performance organizations. He has appeared in local productions of Turandot, Noyye's Fludde, Dido & Aeneas, as well as numerous musical theater roles. Last  season, Mr. Schnetzer sang with the Chamber Orchestra in their production of Menotti's The Medium.

Bio coming