TEEN CHORAL PARTNERS Vibrant Vivaldi
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Ryan Tani, conductor
Emily Bergeron, mezzo-soprano
Allison Schnier, soprano
Hannah Sheppard, soprano
Brookfield East High School Chamber Choir
Kari Doepke, director
Milwaukee High School of the Arts Concert Chorale
Raymond Roberts, director
Nicolet High School Concert Choir
Trinny Schumann, director
Please SCAN CODE for the Vibrant Vivaldi response survey.
Allen-Bradley Hall
February 12, 2026, 10:15 AM
EDVARD GRIEG
Holberg Suite, Opus 40
I. Praeludium
II. Sarabande
V. Rigaudon
ANTONIO VIVALDI
Gloria in D Major, RV 589
I. Gloria in excelsis Deo
II. Et in terra pax
III. Laudamus te Allison Schnier, soprano
Emily Bergeron, mezzo-soprano
IV. Gratias agimus tibi, propter magnam gloriam
V. Domine Deus, Rex caelistis
Hannah Sheppard, soprano
VI. Domine, Fili unigenite
VII. Domine Deus, Agnus Dei
Emily Bergeron, mezzo-soprano
VIII. Qui tollis peccata mundi
IX. Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris
Emily Bergeron, mezzo-soprano
X. Quoniam tu solus sanctus
XI. Cum Sancto Spiritu
GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL
Coronation Anthem No. 1, HWV 258, "Zadok the Priest"
The MSO thanks the following funders for their generous annual support that makes our Teen Choral Partners programming possible: United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF), Herzfeld Foundation, Hearst Foundations, Townsend Foundation, Educators Credit Union, and the de Hartog Family, Eleanor N. Wilson, and Irene Edelstein Memorial Funds as administered by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. Teen Choral Partners is supported in part by grants from the Milwaukee Arts Board and the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin. Additional support provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Milwaukee County Arts Fund (CAMPAC).
ABOUT THE CONDUCTOR
Ryan Tani
Now in his third season with the MSO and his first as its associate conductor, Ryan Tani has built a reputation for inventive programming, as well as an energetic connection with audiences in Milwaukee and beyond. At the MSO, he conducts a wide range of concerts including education, family, pops, and classics and has stepped in for Edo de Waart and led sold-out performances in his 2025 classics debut. He has served as cover conductor for the Minnesota Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Symphony, and Bozeman Symphony.
A committed advocate for new music, Ryan was music director of Baltimore’s Occasional Symphony, commissioning over 20 works and supporting dozens of composers in just three years. At Yale, he served as conducting fellow of the Philharmonia and resident conductor of New Music New Haven, earning the Dean’s Prize for artistic excellence.
Ryan’s community-focused work includes leading multiple ensembles across Montana, including the Bozeman, Missoula, Great Falls, and Montana State University symphonies. Committed to connecting with audiences off the podium, he also developed outreach programs, taught university courses, and fostered collaborations between artists and the public efforts that continue to shape his approach today.
He holds degrees from Yale, the Peabody Institute, and the University of Southern California, and has studied with Marin Alsop, Peter Oundjian, Markand Thakar, Larry Rachleff, and Donald Schleicher. He lives in Milwaukee with his wife, Bronte, and his corgi, Darby, and enjoys cooking, reading, and playing violin.
ABOUT THE MSO
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, led by Music Director Ken-David Masur, is among the finest orchestras in the nation and the largest cultural institution in Wisconsin. Since its inception in 1959, the MSO has found innovative ways to give music a home in the region, develop music appreciation and talent among area youth, and raise the national reputation of Milwaukee.
The MSO’s full-time professional musicians perform over 135 classics, pops, family, education, and community concerts each season in venues throughout the state. A pioneer among American orchestras, the MSO has performed world and American premieres of works by John Adams, Roberto Sierra, Philip Glass, Geoffrey Gordon, Marc Neikrug, Camille Pépin, Matthias Pintscher, and Dobrinka Tabakova, as well as garnered national recognition as the first American orchestra to offer live recordings on iTunes.
In January of 2021, the MSO completed a years-long project to restore and renovate a former movie palace
in the heart of downtown Milwaukee. The Bradley Symphony Center officially opened to audiences in October 2021. This project has sparked a renewal on West Wisconsin Avenue and continues to be a catalyst in the community.
The MSO’s standard of excellence extends beyond the concert hall and into the community, reaching more than 30,000 children and their families through its Arts in Community Education (ACE) program, Youth and Teen concerts, Family Series, and Meet the Music pre-concert talks. Celebrating its 36th year, the nationally recognized ACE program integrates arts education across all subjects and disciplines, providing opportunities for students when budget cuts may eliminate arts programming. The program provides lesson plans and supporting materials, classroom visits from MSO musician ensembles and artists from local organizations, and an MSO concert tailored to each grade level. The ACE program serves 5,500 students, teachers, and administrators in the Milwaukee area every year.
Brookfield East High School Chamber Choir
Kari Doepke-Warnes, director
The Brookfield East High School Chamber Choir is a 49-voice mixed ensemble from the School District of Elmbrook under the direction of Kari Doepke. This curricular group is comprised of auditioned 10th through 12th graders and rehearses every other day in 84-minute classes within a block schedule. In addition to their four main academic calendar performances each year, the Brookfield East Chamber Choir participates in festivals, clinic experiences, and college invitationals to enhance their breadth of musical experiences. They are grateful for recent collaborative opportunities with such groups as the Wisconsin Philharmonic, Jubilate Chorale, and the Master Singers of Milwaukee, as well as choirs from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Stevens Point, Parkside, and Carthage College.
The Brookfield East Chamber Choir has also had the honor of performing in many memorable locations in recent years, such as Washington, D. C., New Orleans, Chicago, San Diego,
Boston, and Orlando. Most notably, in 2019 the ensemble was selected to perform in DCINY’s holiday performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City. There, they presented the world premiere of Eric Whitacre’s The Boy That Laughed at Santa Claus with Mr. Whitacre on the podium. In November 2024, the choir made a return visit to New York City, spending several days rehearsing and performing under Whitacre’s baton.
Dedicated to academic and human excellence, the Brookfield East High School Chamber Choir continues to combine the strength of parental, administrative, and community support with talented students and high artistic expectations to maintain its distinction as “one the finest high school programs in the state of Wisconsin.” They are thrilled to be here today performing Handel’s “Zadok the Priest” and Vivaldi’s Gloria with the other talented high school choirs and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Ryan Tani.
Katelyn Anglim
Helena Baxter
Andrew Behring
Annie Bennington
Jonathon Bonis
Prestinsen Bounyong
Michael Braden
Parker Brooks
Valerie Brown
Norah Brukman
Gabriel Callies
Theodore Celikay
Charlie Cornell
Fiona Dold
Pietja Dusek
Cohen Erickson
Naomi Eull
Careena Evenson
Anna Ewig
Allie Falci
Lydia Fox
Tyler Frank
Isha Girish
Ary Goswami
Maeve Green
Jenya Gudiwada
Noah Hillmann
Adelyn Hoffmann
Norah Holdmann
Kyra Jester
Leandro Jimenez
Olivia Kinart
Gabriella Kovacic
Rubiana LaMacchia
Isaac Lopez
Callum Mayne
Niamh Mayne
Jack Nolde
Aidan Peele
Alison Pilgreen
Orson Pritchard
Cooper Reinhardt
Kairos Ruiz
Annaliese Schaefer
Will Urfer
Sarah Walters
Elizabeth Weisman
Natalie Wurster
Christaan Zoet-Lovell
CHORAL PARTNERS
Milwaukee High School of the Arts Concert Chorale
Raymond Roberts, director
The MHSA Concert Chorale is an award-winning ensemble of students from the Vocal Music Specialty program. This ensemble performs masterworks from all time periods and musical genres and combines with the MHSA Chamber Orchestra to present major works each semester. The MHSA Concert Chorale has performed with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra on numerous occasions in the Teen Choral Partners concert, as well as a guest chorus for the Pops concert series. The Chorale has also performed at various state and regional music educator conferences, including the Wisconsin Choral Director’s Association conference (most recently in 2022), the North Central ACDA conference (2020) and the National ACDA conference (2015). The Concert Chorale will be performing as a featured choir at the
Midwestern ACDA conference on February 28, 2026 at the Pabst Theater. Members of this ensemble are consistently recognized by such prestigious national arts competitions such as YoungArts, DownBeat magazine’s Student Music Awards, and the NAACP ACT-SO contest.
The Chorale is comprised of singers from grades 9-12 who audition for placement in the ensemble. The ensemble members come from every neighborhood in the city of Milwaukee and beyond, including students from suburban districts who commute to the school for the intensive arts training available at MHSA. This diverse group of students endeavor to present every work with expressive interpretation and stylistic authenticity.
Taeshawn Adams
Makayla Adkins
Michelle Allen
Damarys Alvarado
Armanny Baez
Nasir Blue
Travaya Bullock
Azaria Burks
Damone Calmese
Eddie Carstensen
Marcus Castronovo
Irene Clark
Yunicke Coleman
Jeremiah Cooper
Charles Crowell IV
Sonji Currin-Fowler
Nevaeh Daniels
Auriana Davila
M Dias
Tial Sui Dim
Noah Dye-Weitzer
Rosalyn Elicier
Ameriea Evans
Amiracle Evans
Yaneli Figueroa
Daisha Fox
Henry Franco-Torres
Martin Garcia
Olivia Jimenez
Autumn Jones
Jamarion Jones
LeighLa Knox
Allison Kuperberg
Kamero Lawrence
Sequoia Lindsley
Makayla Lloyd
Melody Marks
Heaven Miller
Emerie Page
Eh Gay Paw
Lyric Peterson
Paul Quiroz
Moe Rhynes
Syntrell Robinson
Quoderius Rodgers
Ashunti Ross
Eliezer Sanchez
Sameerah Shareef
Britzeyda Simeon-Moreno
Journei Smith
Fiona Taylor
Denise Tharp
Aniyah Townsend
Jayden Tyler
Madyson Washington
Zai Wilondja
Nicolet High School Concert Choir
Trinny Schumann, director
The Nicolet Concert Choir is a select, auditioned ensemble committed to musical excellence and expressive artistry. Performing a wide variety of musical styles, the choir loves “taking the music off the page” — transforming notes and words into performances that move and connect with audiences on an emotional level.
At the heart of the program is a vibrant, supportive community of singers. Students describe the choir as a family — one built on dedication, inclusion, encouragement, and a shared passion for making music together. Their commitment extends beyond their own ensemble: each year, the choir
inspires the next generation of young musicians through elementary school outreach tours and vocal workshop days with middle school choirs.
In addition to their ensemble achievements, choir members consistently shine individually and in their ensemble while performing at Solo & Ensemble competitions and frequently qualify for state-level recognition. Whether onstage, in rehearsal, or out in the community, the Nicolet Concert Choir represents the very best of hard work, artistry, and musical connection
Gavin Babusiak
Julianna Cha
Charlieze Clevert
Anaiya Deacon
Claire Dobrowits
Kara Golombowski
Silvia Graves
Talia Hildenbrand
Ava Hirsch
Eliana Karan
Yan Nan Li
Vera Nissen
Shir Posner
Eitan Ribault
Eva Sattler
Maizie Schreiber
David Smanz-Geier
Sarina Strick
Shira Strick
Lottie Lee Sutrick
Lily Trimmel
Mackenzie Wooten
Keira Ziegler
CHORAL PARTNERS
Meet Our Soloists
Emily Bergeron, mezzo-soprano
Emily Bergeron is a mezzo-soprano based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Originally from Bemidji, Minnesota, she received her undergraduate degree in Vocal Performance from Bemidji State University. Emily recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she obtained her master’s degree in vocal performance, being fortunate to serve as a teaching assistant and enjoy a studio of her own. Emily has performed in a variety of operas and scene programs in roles such as La Zia Principessa (Suor Angelica) and Prince Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), as well as in selections from Carmen (Carmen), Alcina (Bradamante), and Rusalka (Wood Sprite). In addition to opera programming, Emily has performed Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder with the UWM Symphony Orchestra, with UW-Parkside as the alto soloist in Handel’s Messiah, and with the Lake Forest Civic Orchestra as the alto soloist in Beethoven’s ninth symphony. Emily can be seen this season singing with the Florentine Opera Company, as well as performing with the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus under the direction of Cheryl Frazes Hill.
Allison Schnier, soprano
Allison Schnier is an accomplished soprano whose expressive musicality and artistic versatility have made her a sought-after performer and educator in the greater Milwaukee area. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where she studied music education via vocal performance and choral artistry. She continued her graduate work at Silver Lake College in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, earning a Master of Music degree in music education. By day, Allison brings her passion for music to young learners as an elementary music teacher in the Elmbrook School District. Her classroom is filled with singing, movement, laughter, and the joy of helping children discover their own musicianship.
Hannah Sheppard, soprano
Soprano Hannah Sheppard has sung with the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus since 2013, serving as a core member and section leader. Her long musical career began in Pittsburgh and includes performances as a cellist and as a vocalist in various productions as a child and young adult. Sheppard has most recently appeared as a soloist in Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Handel’s Messiah, and as Serena in the short film Peace Offering. Currently residing in Milwaukee, she shares her life with her husband and their cherished canine companion, Wally, continuing to captivate audiences around the city and working as a clinical researcher.
2026.27 Teen Choral Partners:
We are thrilled to announce that the 2026-2027 Teen Choral Partners program will take place on February 24, 2027 and feature Mozart’s Requiem! High school choirs from around the state of Wisconsin are invited to apply. Application instructions can be found at mso.org/education/competitions/teen_choral_partners or by contacting the education department at edu@mso.org. Please submit all materials by June 22, 2026
2025.26 SEASON
KEN-DAVID MASUR
Music Director
Polly and Bill Van Dyke Music Director Chair
EDO DE WAART
Music Director Laureate
BYRON STRIPLING
Principal Pops Conductor
Stein Family Foundation Principal Pops Conductor
RYAN TANI
Associate Conductor
CHERYL FRAZES HILL
Chorus Director
Margaret Hawkins Chorus Director Chair
TIMOTHY J. BENSON
Assistant Chorus Director
FIRST VIOLINS
Jinwoo Lee, Concertmaster, Charles and Marie Caestecker Concertmaster Chair
Ilana Setapen, First Associate Concertmaster, Thora M. Vervoren First Associate Concertmaster Chair
Jeanyi Kim, Associate Concertmaster
Alexander Ayers
Autumn Chodorowski
Yuka Kadota
Elliot Lee
Dylana Leung
Kyung Ah Oh
Lijia Phang
Vinícius Sant’Ana**
Yuanhui Fiona Zheng
SECOND VIOLINS
Jennifer Startt, Principal, Andrea and Woodrow Leung Principal Second Violin Chair
Ji-Yeon Lee, Assistant Principal (2nd chair)
Hyewon Kim, Acting Assistant Principal (3rd chair)
Heejeon Ahn
Lisa Johnson Fuller
Clay Hancock
Paul Hauer
Sheena Lan**
Janis Sakai**
Yiran Yao
VIOLAS
Victor de Almeida, Principal, Richard O. and Judith A. Wagner Family Principal Viola Chair
Samantha Rodriguez, Assistant Principal (2nd chair), Friends of Janet F. Ruggeri Assistant Principal Viola Chair
Alejandro Duque, Acting Assistant Principal (3rd chair)
Elizabeth Breslin
Georgi Dimitrov
Nathan Hackett
Michael Lieberman**
Erin H. Pipal
CELLOS
Susan Babini, Principal, Dorothea C. Mayer Principal Cello Chair
Shinae Ra, Assistant Principal (2nd chair)
Scott Tisdel, Associate Principal Emeritus
Madeleine Kabat
Peter Szczepanek
Peter J. Thomas
Adrien Zitoun
BASSES
Principal, Donald B. Abert Principal Bass Chair
Andrew Raciti, Acting Principal
Nash Tomey, Acting Assistant Principal (2nd chair)
Brittany Conrad
Broner McCoy
Paris Myers
HARP
Julia Coronelli, Principal, Walter Schroeder Principal Harp Chair
FLUTES
Sonora Slocum, Principal, Margaret and Roy Butter Principal Flute Chair
Heather Zinninger, Assistant Principal
Jennifer Bouton Schaub
PICCOLO
Jennifer Bouton Schaub
OBOES
Katherine Young Steele, Principal, Milwaukee Symphony League Principal Oboe Chair
Kevin Pearl, Assistant Principal
Margaret Butler
ENGLISH HORN
Margaret Butler, Philip and Beatrice Blank English Horn Chair in memoriam to John Martin
CLARINETS
Todd Levy, Principal, Franklyn Esenberg Principal Clarinet Chair
Jay Shankar, Assistant Principal, Donald and Ruth
P. Taylor Assistant Principal Clarinet Chair
Besnik Abrashi
E-FLAT CLARINET
Jay Shankar
BASS CLARINET
Besnik Abrashi
BASSOONS
Catherine Van Handel, Principal, Muriel C. and John D. Silbar Family Principal Bassoon Chair*
Rudi Heinrich, Acting Principal
Matthew Melillo
CONTRABASSOON
Matthew Melillo
HORNS
Matthew Annin, Principal, Krause Family Principal French Horn Chair
Krystof Pipal, Associate Principal
Dietrich Hemann, Andy Nunemaker French Horn Chair
Darcy Hamlin
Dawson Hartman
TRUMPETS
Matthew Ernst, Principal, Walter L. Robb Family Trumpet Chair
David Cohen, Associate Principal, Martin J. Krebs Associate Principal Trumpet Chair
Tim McCarthy, Fred Fuller Trumpet Chair
TROMBONES
Megumi Kanda, Principal, Marjorie Tiefenthaler Principal Trombone Chair
Kirk Ferguson, Assistant Principal
BASS TROMBONE
John Thevenet, Richard M. Kimball Bass Trombone Chair
TUBA
Robyn Black, Principal, John and Judith Simonitsch Principal Tuba Chair
TIMPANI
Dean Borghesani, Principal
Chris Riggs, Assistant Principal
PERCUSSION
Robert Klieger, Principal
Assistant Principal
Chris Riggs
PIANO
Melitta S. Pick Endowed Piano Chair
PERSONNEL
Antonio Padilla Denis, Director of Orchestra Personnel
Paris Myers, Assistant Manager of Orchestra Personnel
LIBRARIANS
Paul Beck, Principal Librarian, James E. Van Ess Principal Librarian Chair
Matthew Geise, Assistant Librarian and Media Archivist
PRODUCTION
Tristan Wallace, Production Manager/Live Audio
Lisa Sottile, Production Stage Manager * Leave of absence during the 2025.26 season