Soprano Meghan Attridge graduated from the Eastman School of Music in 2009. Primarily a classical singer, her opera repertoire includes 1st and 2nd Lady (The Magic Flute), The Mother (Hansel und Gretel), Tisbe (La Cenerentola), The Governess (The Turn of the Screw), Anne (A Little Night Music), and The Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors).
She has participated in master classes with world-renowned singers including soprano Benita Valente and Ruth Ann Swensen.
Meghan currently works as a music teacher for Buffalo Public Schools.
Jennifer Mernitz has her undergraduate degree in music performance (vocal) from Baldwin-Wallace College, her master's degree in music performance (vocal) from Boston University, and her NYS Teacher Certification from SUNY at Buffalo (UB). During these many varied and wonderful learning years, music gave her the opportunity to travel and perform in many exciting places in the USA, Europe, and the British Isles. She has performed many different styles of music from folk songs to opera and enjoys the unique challenges that each has to offer. She is in her sixteenth year of teaching music at public schools and is currently enjoying her fifth year of teaching at Grand Island High School. Her teaching schedule includes six choirs, voice lessons for all choral department students and AP Music Theory. She enjoys the challenges and rewards of passing on her passion for singing to talented young men and women. She actively performs in the Western New York area and was the soprano soloist/section leader at the UU Church of Buffalo for 26 years. She resides in Williamsville with her husband Ken, and their two children.
Laura Noack, soprano, holds a master’s degree in Voice Performance from Arizona State University and a bachelor’s in Music Education from the State University of New York at Fredonia. Laura actively performs in operatic, concert, and choral settings, and has appeared as a soloist with many organisations in Buffalo and Erie, PA.
As a 2008 SUNY Fredonia School of Music Concerto Competition winner, she had the opportunity to perform Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with orchestra. Festivals include Vancouver International Song Institute and Halifax Summer Opera Workshop. In 2014, Laura attended the Franz-Schubert-Institut in Baden-bei-Wien, Austria where she performed in masterclasses for Christa Ludwig, Elly Ameling, Helmut Deutsch, and Rudolf Jansen, among others.
She has performed with several professional chamber choirs abroad in the Netherlands and Germany, including the Sächsisches Vocalensemble and the Dresdner Kammerchor. Laura is currently a staff singer at the Westminster Presbyterian Church and teaches vocal music K-8 in the Iroquois Central School District.
This is Carmen’s third year in Harmonia Chamber Singers as an Alto 1. She graduated from Greenville College in May 2015 with a BS in Commercial Music and an emphasis in jazz guitar. She was highly involved in the College Choir and Chamber Singers, so when she graduated she was eager to find a new choir. Thankfully, she was able to join Harmonia for their 10th Anniversary season where she was able to premiere a few gorgeous works, including Steven Sametz' Echo. When she is not at Harmonia, she is working as a Development Associate for Apex Clean Energy and a Barista at Starbucks. You can also find her gigging around Western New York with her acoustic folk duo, Thirty Mile. She feels fortunate to be a part of Harmonia and is looking forward to her second season with the group.
Nicole Peets holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree from SUNY Fredonia and a Master of Education in Music Education degree from University at Buffalo. She is the high school choral director at Starpoint High School. When she is not teaching, she has performed in local jazz and opera performances. She is thrilled to be apart of Harmonia for the first time this season.
Rebecca has been singing with Harmonia since 2006. A native of New York City, she attended the renowned LaGuardia Arts High School (the Fame! school) as a voice major. In 2009, she graduated from the University at Buffalo with a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice. While at UB, Rebecca studied with Alexander Hurd and Tony Arnold and attended summer music programs in Lucca, Italy and Salzburg, Austria. Since graduating, Rebecca completely shifted gears and began working with her family's hardwood flooring business, Niagara Hardwood Center. In addition to singing with Harmonia, she also served as the soprano section leader at St. John’s Grace Episcopal Church in Buffalo until December 2015 when she began her favorite position yet, as a stay at home mom to her son, Theodore. She currently lives in North Tonawanda with her husband, Dan, their mischievous feline, Oliver, and, of course, little Teddy.
Sara Martinez is a mother, wife, educator, & mezzo soprano living in Kenmore, NY. Originally from Rochester, she made the move to Buffalo for college, fell in love, began a new life, and never left! She currently teaches 3 choirs, music technology, & piano at Charter High School for Applied Technologies and is passionate about giving all students opportunities in music-making that they otherwise may not have. Sara is excited to start her fourth year with Harmonia Chamber Singers!
Nancy Nuzzo is the Harmoniac voted most likely to “go home and look it up.” Trained in musicology and librarianship, and for many years the director of UB’s Music Library, she often investigates the interesting and thorny questions that arise during rehearsals. She is a member of the Parish Choir of Calvary Episcopal Church, Williamsville, and plays tenor and bass viola da gamba in the York Consort.
Jenna Washburn, a native of Hamburg, NY, is a recent graduate of Michigan State University, where she studied under the tutelage of Professor Richard Fracker. Washburn holds an M.M. in Vocal Performance from MSU, as well as B.M. degrees in both Vocal Performance and Music Education. Washburn has performed several leading roles with MSU Opera Theatre, including Mimì in La Bohème, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, and Anna Maurrant in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene. Most recently, Washburn travelled to New York City, where she covered the role of Alice in Verdi’s Falstaff with the Martina Arroyo Foundation Prelude to Performance Young Artist Program. Washburn currently studies voice with Professor Kathryn Cowdrick. Jenna is very excited to be singing with the Harmonia Chamber Singers!
Educator, choral director, and singer Robin Smith is based in Western New York. Teaching for the Gowanda Central School District, her high school Chamber Choir has performed at music festivals throughout the northeastern United States, including New York State School Music Association Major Organization Festival, and has been consistently awarded outstanding ratings.
As an active clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor, Robin has worked with elementary, middle, and high school choirs as well as community choruses. This year she will be conducting the Erie County Music Educators Association Elementary All County Chorus at Kleinhan’s Music Hall in Buffalo.
Over the past 17 years, Robin has held the position of staff singer, section leader, and soloist. She has performed with Buffalo area church and community choirs such as First Presbyterian Church of East Aurora, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Buffalo Choral Arts Society and the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus. Her most notable solo roles have been performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic and Opera Festival di Roma in Italy.
Robin holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Music Education and Music Performance from the State University of New York at Fredonia. Additionally, she is certified in general music with the Gordon Institute for Music Learning.
Robin happily resides in Hamburg with her husband, Garry, and their two children Gabriel and Lennon.
Monica Stankewicz holds a Bachelor’s of Music degree from SUNY Fredonia and a Master’s in Accompanying/Vocal Coaching from Westminster Choir College. She is a Buffalo Public School music teacher, singer, accompanist, and choral director and has been enjoying all of those professionally since 1993. Originally from Syracuse, Monica moved to Buffalo in 1999, and has acted, music directed, and accompanied for several local theater companies. Additionally, Monica has accompanied and music-directed for many local high school productions. Monica is proud to be assistant director of Harmonia, where she has been
singing Alto II since 2006.
Robert Pacillo, Founder and Executive Director of Harmonia, is an active singer, conductor, teacher, and accompanist in the Western New York region. He is choral director at Lockport High School. Robert holds a Master of Music degree in Music Education, and a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and Piano Performance, both from the University at Buffalo. He is a cantor for the Diocese of Buffalo, and has sung with St. Joseph Cathedral Choir, Buffalo Choral Arts Society, Vocalis Chamber Choir, and The Lake Effect. He is also music director for the Lancaster Youth Bureau Summer Theater Workshop. Robert resides in Lewiston with his wife, Catherine, and their three children.
Joe has been singing with Harmonia since the 2008-2009 season. He has been involved in choral music from a young age when he started singing in his first group, the Mill Street Blues at Mill Middle School in Williamsville. He continued singing in high school with the Williamsville South Concert Choir and the all-male group the Dynamics under the direction of Dr. Michael Levi. In college, at St. Bonaventure University, Joe sang with both the Concert Choir and the Music Ministry where he also served as the president. After college, he began singing with St. Gregory the Great Church Choir and then with the St. Joseph Cathedral Choir where he continues to sing today.
Today, Joe serves as Chair of the Board of Greater Buffalo Friends of Music and also as a member of the board of the Episcopal Partnership for Mission and Outreach. In his day job, Joe works for the Erie County District Attorney’s Office as the Special Projects Coordinator, responsible for managing grant programs, writing grant proposals, managing projects ranging from case management system implementation and domestic violence collaborations to starting a recycling program in the office.
Kyle is a graduate from SUNY Fredonia and is a business analyst at M&T bank. This is Kyle's first season singing with Harmonia. Previously he sang with the all male a cappella group, Much More Chill, in college and also sang with the Buffalo Gay Men's Chorus for a semester before joining Harmonia.
Brad Carson holds both a Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Music Education from State University of New York College at Fredonia. Originally from the Hudson Valley of Eastern New York, Brad is happy to call Western New York home. He has enjoyed singing in many of the Buffalo area church and community choirs, such as St. Paul's Cathedral Men's Choir, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, and the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus. For the last 9 years, he has taught general music and chorus at Orchard Park Middle School. He truly enjoys working with the developing adolescent voice. He has helped direct and run many musicals and school music festivals. This will be his first year performing with Harmonia Chamber Singers and he is very excited to work with the best voices and directors that Buffalo has to offer!
