Dr. Andrew Roby,
Artistic Director, Concert Choir Conductor
Dr. Andrew Roby has served in various choral conducting positions in academic, church, and community settings since 1981. Academic appointments have included Asbury College, Shorter College (GA), and Union University. He has also taught at Gardner-Webb University and has served in church music positions in Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina. Currently he provides leadership to the music and worship ministries of The Memorial Baptist Church in Greenville. Prior to his appointment with GCS, Andy has directed the North Carolina Baptist Singers and Orchestra, an organization composed of approximately 160 church musicians from across the state for 12 years. Andy is a frequent handbell and choral clinician. In recent years, he has been engaged as a choral clinician/conductor throughout the southern United States, and internationally in Germany, Brazil, and Cuba. Andy has also conducted choirs on tours throughout the United States and internationally to England, Germany, The Netherlands, Brazil, Cuba, Belize, Trinidad, and Nicaragua. An active member of the American Choral Directors Association, Andy recently served as president of its North Carolina Chapter. Previously, he was the Southern Region Newsletter Editor and Repertoire & Resources Chair for Music in Worship. He has presented sessions at both state and regional conferences of ACDA, and has published articles in state and regional publications, as well as The Choral Journal, the official juried journal of ACDA. Andy received his undergraduate degree from Union University (TN). His masters degree as well as the Doctor of Musical Arts were awarded by The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, where he studied conducting with Dr. Milburn Price, past national president of ACDA, and Dr. John Dickson, currently the Director of Choral Activities at Louisiana State University (LSU). His vocal pedagogy studies were with Dr. Jay Wilkey.
Dr. Andrea VanDeusen,
Co-Conductor, Children's Chorus and Youth Chorale
Dr. Andrea VanDeusen is an associate professor of music education at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, where she teaches courses in music education foundations, large ensemble methods, choral methods, and supervises student teachers. Previously, she taught secondary school vocal music for twelve years, both nationally and internationally, having held teaching positions in Michigan, New Jersey, and Switzerland. VanDeusen is active as a guest conductor, clinician, and researcher in music education. Her research explores the ways in which sociocultural and political contexts influence music teaching and learning and their intersections with choral music education. She regularly presents at research and practitioner conferences across the United States and internationally, including the NAfME Music Teacher and Research National Conference, American Education Research Association Conference, Society for Music Teacher Educators National Conference, New Directions in Music Education Conference, and the International Society for Music Education World Conference. Dr. VanDeusen’s scholarship is published in the Journal for Music Teacher Education, Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education, and Arts Education Policy Review, as well as in state music education journals. She serves on the editorial board for Arts Education Policy Review and as Program Chair for the Music Education Special Interest Group of the American Education Research Association. Dr. VanDeusen also sings in mirabai, a professional women’s ensemble conducted by Dr. Sandra Snow. VanDeusen holds a Ph.D. in music education (choral conducting cognate) from Michigan State University, and Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degrees in music education from Western Michigan University.
Paul Flowers,
Co-Conductor, Children's Chorus and Youth Chorale, & Bella Voce Conductor
Mr. Flowers is the choral music teacher at Hope Middle School in Greenville, NC. In 2015 he was selected as the Richard E. Keasler NC Middle School Choral Teacher of the Year. Previously, he was selected as the first Hope Middle School Teacher of the Year in 2006. The Hope Middle School Chorus, under his direction, has received consistent Superior ratings at state festivals since the school opened. Also, the Hope Chorus has received First Place and Grand Champion trophies at Music Showcase Festivals. The chorus also received Silver and Bronze trophies at Festival Disney in Orlando, Florida.
He is now in his 20th season conducting the Greenville Choral Society’s Children’s Chorus and is founding conductor of the society’s Bella Voce singers, a smaller select group of older middle school and high school singers. He is frequently invited to serve as clinician, conductor and adjudicator for choral clinics, honor choirs, workshops and festivals. Mr. Flowers has taught pre-kindergarten through high school and has served as music director in churches, directing fully graded music programs.
Mr. Flowers received a Bachelor of Music degree from East Carolina University, where he was assistant conductor of the University Chorale and prepared groups for major choral-orchestral works. He served as president of the ECU chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. He serves on the NCMEA Middle School Board and coordinates the NC Middle School Choral Teacher of the Year program. He also serves the NC ACDA Board of Directors as Repertoire and Standards Chair for Community Children’s and Youth Choirs. Mr. Flowers’ students have been selected for many North Carolina All-State and Honor Choirs and have participated in prestigious music camps. His choirs have participated in concerts at Carnegie Hall, New York City, Washington D.C., Williamsburg Virginia, Charleston SC, and Orlando Florida.
He is now in his 20th season conducting the Greenville Choral Society’s Children’s Chorus and is founding conductor of the society’s Bella Voce singers, a smaller select group of older middle school and high school singers. He is frequently invited to serve as clinician, conductor and adjudicator for choral clinics, honor choirs, workshops and festivals. Mr. Flowers has taught pre-kindergarten through high school and has served as music director in churches, directing fully graded music programs.
Mr. Flowers received a Bachelor of Music degree from East Carolina University, where he was assistant conductor of the University Chorale and prepared groups for major choral-orchestral works. He served as president of the ECU chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. He serves on the NCMEA Middle School Board and coordinates the NC Middle School Choral Teacher of the Year program. He also serves the NC ACDA Board of Directors as Repertoire and Standards Chair for Community Children’s and Youth Choirs. Mr. Flowers’ students have been selected for many North Carolina All-State and Honor Choirs and have participated in prestigious music camps. His choirs have participated in concerts at Carnegie Hall, New York City, Washington D.C., Williamsburg Virginia, Charleston SC, and Orlando Florida.
Jorge Richter,
Artistic Director - New Carolina Sinfonia
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Jorge Richter is currently Artistic Director of the New Carolina Sinfonia and Associate Professor of Music at East Carolina University, where he conducts the ECU Symphony Orchestra and teaches orchestral conducting, violin, viola, and chamber music.
He has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia as guest conductor of the the Brasilia National Theater Symphony Orchestra, the Antunes Chamber Orchestra, the Espirito Santo Philharmonic, and the 25th Brasilia Summer Festival Orchestras in Brazil, the National Music Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra in Amman, Jordan, and guest conducting engagements also with the Chungnan Philharmonic Orchestra; Sang Rok Festival Orchestra in South Korea, the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra, the Tulsa Youth Symphony, and the Oklahoma Youth Symphonies among others. As a violinist and violist Jorge Richter has appeared as a soloist with the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra, Parana State Symphony Orchestra, the 25th Brasilia Summer Festival Orchestra, and the East Carolina University Symphony Orchestra. He also served as principal viola with the Lansing Symphony, section violist with the Tulsa Philharmonic, and violinist with the Parana State Symphony Orchestra. Richter studied violin and viola with Robert Dan, I-Fu Wang, and Klaus Wüsthoff. Conducting with Leon Gregorian and Osvaldo Colarusso. Chamber Music with Joseph Fuchs, Robert Dan, Yuko Iwatami, George Sopkin, Barbara Stein Mallow, and Andrew Dawes. Performing chamber music with the Utah Music Festival, Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival, the 25th Brasilia Summer Music Festival, and members of the Tulsa Philharmonic. Jorge received his D.M.A. from Michigan State University, M.M. from Andrews University, and a B.M. in violin performance from the Parana State School of Music and Fine Arts in Curitiba, Brazil; and has previously served on the faculties of Truman State University, Oklahoma State University, and the University of Tennessee. |
