Guest and Feature Artist Biographies

   ♫♫  Allegro Community Children's Choir

   ♫♫  Kaytee Dietrich

   ♫♫  George Farmer

   ♫♫  Gerald Gipson, Conductor, Oxford Middle School Symphonic Band

   ♫♫  Andrew Glover
   ♫♫  Paul Hartfield

   ♫♫  Carol Henson

   ♫♫  Michael Herrera

   ♫♫  Dr. James Popejoy, Conductor, University of North Dakota, The Wind Ensemble

   ♫♫  Presbyterian Church of Stanley Chancel Choir

    ALLEGRO COMMUNITY CHILDREN'S CHOIR, is an exciting and upbeat choir program formed to enrich, inspire, and transform the lives of children by learning, sharing, and performing beautiful music.  Since its creation in 2000, the organization has grown from one choir with 38 members, grades 5-9, to 140 members in three choirs, grades 3-12.   The three choirs represent 53 different schools and six different school districts.  Through the pursuit of choral excellence, children are learning to value and experience the joy of singing while developing necessary life skills such as self-confidence, discipline, cultural awareness, responsibility, and the importance of community service.  Allegro offers a comprehensive music education program for singers and provides unforgettable musical experience, not just for the participants, but for audience members as well.  Allegro directly impacts our community by providing two free concerts each season that are open to the public.  The organization sponsors an annual benefit concert for Harvesters Foodbank and area children’s choirs.  The choirs also perform regularly at retirement homes, hospitals, and other functions as community outreach. 

Allegro was selected to perform at the 2003 Kansas Music Educators Association’s annual convention in Wichita.   The choir has made yearly appearances on the “Monk and Kelly” show.  They have also appeared with the Midwest Winds, the William Baker Festival Singers, and the Kansas City Civic Orchestra.   The choir has also participated in the St. Louis Heritage Music Festival and won the Choral Division as well as the Judge’s Trophy for the receiving the highest score of all middle school and high school bands, choirs, and orchestras participating.

     CHRISTY ELSNER is founder and director of the energetic Allegro Community Children’s Choir.  She graduated with honors from the University of Kansas in 1992 with a degree in Music Education and received the Marcus E. Hahn Award for Outstanding Senior Music Education Student.  In 1995, she was the recipient of the Kansas Choral Directors Association’s Award for Outstanding Young Conductor.  She has taught elementary and middle school vocal music in the Wichita Public Schools as well as middle school vocal music in the Blue Valley Schools.  She has directed children’s and youth choirs at First United Methodist Church in Wichita, United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, and at Presbyterian Church of Stanley in Overland Park.  In accordance with Allegro’s emphasis on community service, Mrs. Elsner logged over 60 hours of volunteer service in the last year working with church and public school choirs.  Ms. Elsner is an active clinician for children’s and youth choirs and continues to give workshops on her innovative rehearsals and unusual teaching tools.

     GERI ALLCORN, accompanist, studied piano and organ at Wichita State University.  She continues her love of music as organist for Raymore Christian Church in Raymore, Missouri.  “Miss Geri” also accompanies for schools, soloists, and ensembles throughout the Kansas City metro.  Her appreciation for children of all ages is reflected in Pioneer Preschool, which she has owned and operated in Overland Park for more than twenty years.

Allegro sang with Midwest Winds in December 2002, December 2003, and December 2004 at the Holiday Concert, during its first, second, and third concert seasons.

    KAYTEE DIETRICH, Flute - Kaytee graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance.  While at KU, she studied flute with Dr. John Boulton.  In addition to playing flute and piccolo in Midwest Winds, she is principal flute in the Kansas City Wind Symphony, in which she has also played piccolo and clarinet.  Kaytee is a freelance woodwind player.  She has played flute, piccolo, clarinet, and alto saxophone in the Shawnee Concert Band, as well as several instruments in the pit orchestra for various performances at Theater in the Park.  In addition to teaching flute lessons, she works at LabOne in the ExamOne Case Management Center as a Senior Field Office Rep.  She resides in Gardner, Kansas.

Kaytee performed the flute solo in Suite for Solo Flute, Clarinet and Alto Sax with Midwest Winds at the Classical Pops concert during its second concert season in April 2004.

    GEORGE FARMER was born in Tampa, Florida, on December 17, 1944 and is a product of the Hillsborough County Public School System.  Upon graduating from high school in 1963, he entered the University of Tampa as a music student and remained there until he was drafted into the U.S. military in 1965.  Farmer remembers that day vividly, as he was drafted on his 21st birthday.  Two weeks prior to his battery’s departure for Vietnam, he won a talent show representing his “Bravo” battery at Fort Still, Oklahoma, performing one of his own piano compositions.  The following day, Specialist 4 Farmer received a visit from Warrant Officer Flewell—a visit that perhaps saved Farmer’ s life.  Farmer became a member of the 77th Army Band, remaining at Fort Still until his honorable discharge in 1967.

Mr. Farmer returned to his formal studies following his military obligation.  He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Education from the Oklahoma College of Liberal Arts, Chickasha, Oklahoma in 1972.  Graduating as "Most Talented," Farmer performed one of his original compositions at the graduation ceremonies.  He continued his music studies at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, where he received a Masters in Music Education and Piano Performance.

As a professional educator, Mr. Farmer is in high demand as a clinician and adjudicator.  Farmer has served as District Chairman for the Florida Bandmasters Association and Chairman of the Sight-Reading Committee for the association.  He has also served as an adjudicator of the F.B.A. for the past 25 years.  His band and orchestra programs have won national recognition at various festivals and consistently earned superior ratings at district and state music festivals.  Under Farmer’s direction, the Hillsborough High School Band played for President Clinton when he visited Tampa in 1996.  Farmer’s marching bands performed at various NFL games featuring the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, and the San Diego Chargers.

Mr. Farmer began composing for the band idiom following the events of September 11, 2001.  He composed When Angels Weep for those who lost their lives in the World Trade Center and for all those who perished that day.  The Midwest Winds performed this haunting piece at the opening of the Kansas State Music Educators Convention in 2006.  Farmer has since written several concert band compositions, many of which are published by Daehn Publications.

Mr. Farmer’s music has been played by the All-State bands of Florida for the past three years, and two of his compositions, The Silent Hills of My Childhood and Whispers from the Heart, have been named as Editors’ Choice awards by music distributor, J.W. Pepper.  His compositions have been premiered by prestigious groups including the University of South Florida Symphony Band and Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Michael Robinson, and the Western Kentucky University Symphonic Band, under the direction of Dr. John Carmichael.

Although Farmer has enjoyed his time making music with children, he is looking forward to retirement so he can devote his full attention to composition, writing quality music for students to play for years to come.  George Farmer is married to Susan Farmer, whose parents reside in Overland Park, Kansas.  George and Susan have two children, twins, Matthew and Clare.

Midwest Winds performed a concert dedicated to Farmer's music during its fifth concert season in March 2007.

    GERALD GIPSON, is in his 32nd year of teaching instrumental music—all in Kansas—and his 16th at Oxford Middle School.  Mr. Gipson holds Bachelor and Master of Music Education Degrees from the University of Missouri at Kansas City Conservatory of Music and has studied conducting with Dr. Craig Fuchs at Pittsburg State University.   He is a member of the Music Educators National Conference, Kansas Music Educators Association, Kansas Bandmasters Association, and National Education Association.  Mr. Gipson has served as both middle level band and middle level orchestra chair for the Northeast District of KMEA and was named "Middle Level Band Teacher of the Year" for 2004-2005.  In 2006 he was the Oxford Middle School nominee for Kansas Teacher of the Year.

Mr. Gipson is a founder and member of the executive committee of the John Philip Sousa Kansas Junior Honor Band and is co-conductor of the Olathe Area Youth Symphony Philharmonic Orchestra.  Since 1995, he has been a frequent guest conductor at the Midwestern Music Camp.  Bands under the direction of Mr. Gipson have appeared on the Kansas Music Educators State In-Service Workshop on six occasions.  The Oxford Middle School Eighth Grade Symphonic Band performs frequently at local and regional festivals where they consistently earn superior ratings. 

The Oxford Middle School Eighth Grade Symphonic Band performed at the concert dedicated to George Farmer's music during Midwest Winds' fifth concert season in March 2007.

    ANDREW GLOVER joined the C.L. Barnhouse Co. of Oskaloosa, Iowa in October 1998, where he is in charge of production for all new Barnhouse music publications and serves as editorial manger.  His compositions and arrangements are published by Barnhouse, Theodore Presser, BOVACO, and Educational Music Services.

Prior to Barnhouse, Andy taught instrumental music at Rosary High School and in the Webster Groves School District, both in the St. Louis, Missouri area.  He also spent twelve years in the private sector as education manager and development director for an international trade association representing the financial services industry.  In addition to teaching, Andy performed professionally as a euphonium player with the Detroit Concert Band, conducted by Leonard B. Smith, and has appeared as a soloist, guest conductor, and clinician with many bands.

A native of St. Louis, Andy attended public schools in Webster Groves, where he was a student of Ed Carson.  He graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Central Methodist College, where he studied with Keith House, Ronald Shroyer, and Ron Anson.  He has been writing and arranging band music since age 15.  In his leisure time he enjoys working on music projects, fixing up his 93-year old house, bicycling, spending time with his three cats, writing, and cooking.

Andy guest conducted Midwest Winds in October 2003, during its second concert season.

     PAUL HARTFIELD, Tenor Soloist, is an intelligent singer with a glorious voice.   Although American-born and raised in Texas, he is in style and spirit a true Italian tenor.  Mr. Hartfield has a highly personal singing style that makes difficult songs seem effortless and yet deeply moving.  With an easy command of the high register, he continues to impress critics and audiences with his floating pianissimos and has few peers in projecting Italianate passions tempered with constancy and consistency of tone.  His singing blends technical command with elegant, gifted musicality.

Mr. Hartfield earned a number of America’s most prestigious singing awards early in his career, and was very soon singing with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, New York City Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Greater Miami Opera, Seattle Opera, Kansas City Opera, and San Diego Opera.  Mr. Hartfield’s international engagements have included the Theatre des Champs-Elysees, Opera de Monte Carlo, Teatro Communale di Bologna, the Bel Canto Festival (France), Hong Kong Opera, and Cape Town Opera.

Conservative in his repertoire, Mr. Hartfield shines in the lyric roles of Verdi and Puccini.  He has delighted audiences with the bel canto heroes of Donizetti’s Tonio in La Fille du Regiment, Ernesto in Don Pasquale, Nemorino in Elixir of Love, and Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor.  Mr. Hartfield recently added the poet Lensky in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin to his repertoire in a Russian version sung with the Utah Opera.  In 2002 he performed Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci with the Tampa Bay Opera.

With a cumulative record of over 100 performances of Rigoletto and nearly 80 performances of La Traviata, Mr. Hartfield focuses the majority of his time and energies on the symphonic concert stage in an environment that allows him to present a significant amount of the tenor repertory from Mozart to Mussorgsky.

Mr. Hartfield has sang with Midwest Winds during each of four concert seasons at the Holiday Concert in December.

    CAROL HENSON, Clarinet - Carol graduated in 1998 with a Bachelors in Music Performance from Southwest Missouri State University, where she studied with Dr. David Green.  She became a member of Midwest Winds in the fall of 2003.  Since 2001 she has worked in accounting, working for a small firm in Lenexa, Kansas and then a firm downtown.  Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, Carol now lives in Shawnee, Kansas with her husband, Gil.

Carol played the clarinet solo in Suite for Solo Flute, Clarinet and Alto Sax with Midwest Winds at the Classical Pops concert during its second concert season in April 2004.

    MICHAEL HERRERA, Alto Saxophonist - A student at Grandview High School, Michael Herrera began playing saxophone in 1997.  He currently studies privately with Tim Timmons, Professor of Saxophone at the University of Missouri - Kansas City and Kerry Strayer, jazz writer and arranger.  He currently performs with the Kansas City Youth Symphony and the Kansas City Youth Jazz Band and has received a division "I" solo rating at the state music festival for the past three years.  Michael recently performed Persuasion with the Grandview High School Band at the 2003 Missouri Music Educators Association convention.

Michael performed Persuasion with Midwest Winds at the Pops concert during its first concert season in May 2003.

    DR. JAMES POPEJOY is Director of Bands at the University of North Dakota, where he conducts the Wind Ensemble and University Band, and instructs courses in graduate and undergraduate conducting, instrumental literature, and jazz techniques.  He holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Central Missouri State University; the Master of Arts degree in Conducting from the University of Iowa; and earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting from the University of North Texas.  Selected as the "Outstanding Graduate Student in Conducting" from among the more than 1500 music majors at UNT, he has also been chosen for membership in the national honor organizations of Pi Kappa Lambda, Kappa Delta Pi, and Phi Beta Mu.  Dr. Popejoy served as Director of Bands and Percussion Studies at McLennan Community College in Texas for five years; was a public school music educator in Missouri for nine years; and has founded and conducted numerous adult and student community ensembles.  He remains active as a classical and jazz percussionist, clinician, and conductor.

Dr. Popejoy and The Wind Ensemble joined Midwest Winds for a mid-November concert, during its second concert season in 2003.

    PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF STANLEY CHANCEL CHOIR sings every Sunday in two worship services throughout the school year and prepares larger choral works accompanied by orchestra during Christmas and Easter.  In 2002 they were selected to sing in the annual Harmony Choral Celebration, which is the only known interfaith concert in the U.S. promoting religious understanding and respect among people of different faiths and cultural traditions.

     ROBYN L. HARTFIELD has served as the Director of Music at the Presbyterian Church of Stanley since 1998.  She received her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and Voice Performance along with her Master’s degree in Choral Conducting from the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.  She has served as a soloist and conductor for the past 25 years in many churches; and before coming to Stanley, taught vocal music in various public and private schools for 13 years, including Pembroke Hill School and the Barstow School. Robyn has served as a clinician and adjudicator for local and regional choirs as well as teaching private voice lessons.  She is presently a member of the A.C.D.A., Presbyterian Association of Musicians, Youth Cue, and serves on the board for Chorister’s Guild.  She is married to international opera singer Paul Hartfield, and together they have three children, Maria, Paul Jr., and Robert.

     CAROLE INGRAM has served as the organist for the Presbyterian Church of Stanley since 2002. She earned a B.S.E. degree with a Major in Music Education and Piano Performance from Eastern Illinois University.  She was granted a Graduate Assistantship to teach while attaining a Master of Arts Degree in Piano Performance. Carole played and performed professionally on the piano and organ and served as an accompanist throughout college to the present time.  She taught part-time at Johnson County Community College from 1980-1984, as well as accompanied the Johnson County Chorus, taught Elementary Music in the Olathe School District for 19 years, and teaches piano lessons.

The PCOS Chancel Choir sang with Midwest Winds in December 2005 at the Holiday Concert, during its fourth concert season.