Concert Sponsors

Spring Street Group, Inc.,
Rick & Carol Olson and
Mark & Lois Helland

The Casper Foundation

Dr. Gary & Nancy Schwartzhoff

The Bailey Family

Guest Artists - 2011/2012

Sarah Bruening, flute

Sarah Bruening is a senior instrumental music education major at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She has performed on flute and piccolo with the university’s Symphony Band, Wind Symphony, Blugold Marching Band, and Orchestra as well as a solo flute recital last spring. In addition, she accompanies vocalists and instrumentalists on piano. Sarah is also an avid singer, having participated in the university’s Concert Choir, The Magic Flute opera, and Girl’s Night Out, female a cappella ensemble. She founded and co-directs the only vocal jazz group on campus called Soundscape, who performed with UWEC’s Jazz I at the Viennese Ball and had a summer tour. Her other university endeavors have included volunteer and clinic coordinating with the Eau Claire Jazz Festival and a Blugold Fellowship research project in music education. When not pursuing musical activities, she teaches gymnastics at the YMCA and indulges in movies and books.

Jeffery Crowell, percussion

Dr. Jeffery Crowell is an Associate Professor of Music and Coordinator of the Wind and Percussion Division at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he teaches applied percussion and percussion techniques, conducts the UW-Eau Claire Percussion Ensembles, and leads Jazz Ensemble III, part of the outstanding UW-Eau Claire award-winning jazz area. Before joining the faculty at UW-Eau Claire, Dr. Crowell taught on the faculties of several colleges, including Purdue University.

Dr. Crowell received his DMA in percussion performance with a jazz performance/electro-acoustic media emphasis from the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. He is active throughout the United States as a performer, clinician, adjudicator, and educator with recent performances in South Africa, Argentina, Uruguay, and at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C.

A versatile artist in many genres, Dr. Crowell's performance and recording credits include such artists as Bobby Shew, Louie Bellson, David Samuels, Henry Mancini, Joan Rivers, Lou Harrison, Kent Nagano, David Garibaldi, Buddy Baker, Glen Velez, Nebojsa Zivkovic, and John Bergamo. He has performed at the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Green Umbrella Series, presented and performed at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, is in the motion picture "The Majestic" starring Jim Carrey, marched with the Velvet Knights Drum and Bugle Corps, and has taught on the staffs of numerous award-winning groups including the Tournament of Roses Marching Honor Band.

He is an active member of the Percussive Arts Society, currently serving on the Music Technology Committee and the Wisconsin PAS Chapter Advisory Committee in addition to having been the Wisconsin Chapter President. Dr. Crowell is an artist/clinician for Mapex Concert/Quantum Marching and Majestic Concert Percussion, Mapex Drumsets and Hardware, Sabian Cymbals, REMO Drumheads, Black Swamp Percussion, and Innovative Percussion Sticks and Mallets.

Eva Csikós-Tibbetts, viola

Eva Csikós-Tibbetts is a violist. She moved to Eau Claire a year ago with her husband Charles, and their two children. She was born in Hungary where she started her viola studies at the age of 14, at the Young Talents School of the Franz Liszt University of Music in Budapest. There she later earned her State Diploma (Masters) in Viola Performance and Higher Level Teaching. After her postgraduate studies at the University of Music in Stuttgart, Germany she earned a Superior Artistic Diploma in Viola Performance. During her viola career, she joined several professional orchestras in Hungary and Germany, and has performed under great conductors such as Leonard Bernstein, Antal Dorati and Claudio Abbado. In her new home town Eau Claire, she enjoys Wisconsin life and looks forward to musical involvement with her viola, which includes teaching, chamber music, and orchestral playing.

Judy Lies, organ

Judy Lies has been the organist/pianist at First Congregational United Church of Christ since 1993. She is a graduate of Augsburg College in Minneapolis with a Music Education Degree and has received a degree in mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Formerly, Lies has served as the organist and Director of Music at Central Lutheran Church in Chippewa Falls while also teaching elementary music in the public schools. Currently, she maintains an independent piano studio of 55-60 students and works as a free-lance accompanist.

Richard Moses, conductor

Richard Moses is thrilled to be returning for his second year as conductor of the UWEC Women's Chorus. Mr. Moses graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a post bachelor certification in May 1994. In addition to his teaching certification, Mr. Moses holds a master’s degree in music theory and bachelor’s degree in music composition from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

For 16 years, he has directed choral activities in the Altoona School District, where he rehearses and conducts all choral groups (grades 6-12) and provides voice lessons to the high-school choral students. In addition, Mr. Moses directs an award-winning show choir and chamber choir that regularly earn final placements and caption awards at Wisconsin and Minnesota competitions.

Mr. Moses has been active in the community by conducting and/or participating in several groups including The Eau Claire Male Chorus -(1997-2002), The Master Singers-(1995-2000), First Congregational UCC Chancel Choir (2005-Present) and various Eau Claire Children’s Theater productions. He has been selected five times by students for the Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Education Award, named a 2008 Coca-Cola Educator of Distinction by the Coca-Cola Scholarship Foundation, and cited in the Who’s Who Among American Educators Journal several times. In addition, he was awarded the Wisconsin Center for Academically Talented Youth Certification of Excellence.

Mike Rindo, narrator

Mike Rindo is the Assistant Chancellor for Facilities and Executive Director of University Communications at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. As Assistant Chancellor, Rindo leads and supports all aspects of facilities planning and management including the development of new buildings and major construction projects. As Executive Director, Rindo is responsible for internal and external comprehensive communications, media relations initiatives, the institutional creative promotion process and legislative and community relations. Before joining the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Rindo had a professional broadcasting career that spanned nearly 25 years. Rindo, a 1978 UW-Eau Claire alumnus, is an active member of the Eau Claire community, serving on the board of directors and volunteering for a number of non-profit organizations. He and his wife, Pam, have been married for 33 years and they have two adult married daughters, Abigail and Rachel and son-in-laws Joe and Jason.

Al Ross, narrator

Al Ross has been involved in commercial broadcasting for over 25 years as an on-air personality from Milwaukee to Tampa and a few places in-between. In addition, he has also served as Creative Director for various broadcast corporations.

Most recently, he has spent 15 years as an independent artist, writing and producing marketing campaigns for radio and television. Several hours per week are also spent working with Wisconsin Public Radio as a writer and voice for a mixture of state promotional and regional public service announcements, plus hosting the weekly hour-long arts and humanities program Spectrum West. He resides in the small town of Augusta, WI and, thanks to technology, can perform many functions from a home office/voice studio.

Paula Smith, harp

Paula Smith has earned a Master of Music degree in Harp Performance as well as a Master of Science degree in Education: School Psychology. She has been an instructor of harp at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire since Fall 2000, and was employed as a school psychologist with the Menomonie School District from 1985-2011. Ms. Smith's active teaching and performing career has spanned 25 years in Wisconsin and Minnesota and she continues to serve as the harp coach for the Wisconsin State High School Honors Orchestra. During her career, Ms. Smith has appeared in regular performances with The Master Singers, The Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra and the Central Wisconsin Symphony and concerts with artists such as Roberta Flack, Johnny Mathis and Garrison Keillor. Ms. Smith's work in the university setting has broadened to use her expertise in multiple fields to oversee the integration of harp and music therapy in both research and clinical work in the academic and community setting.

Charles Tibbetts, French horn

Charles Tibbetts is a French horn player who last year, retired to Eau Claire with his wife and children after 36 years of professional horn playing in Germany. The Deutsche Radio Philharmonie was the last orchestra he performed with before retiring after 25 years of service with them and where he also met his Hungarian wife and professional violist, Eva Csikos-Tibbetts. Together they have two teenage children, Philip and Rebecca, both born in Germany.

Charles was born in Madison, Wisconsin and at the age of 13 studied privately with the famous New York freelance French horn player, John Barrows. He also played principal horn in the Wisconsin Youth Orchestra in Madison when it was first founded under Marvin Rabin. Later Charles continued his studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison until the death of his teacher, at which time he then left for Europe. There, he studied briefly with Alan Civil, Herrmann Baumann and Barry Tuckwell. At the age of 22, he won his first principle horn position with the Philharmonia Hungarica under Antal Dorati.

His main love is playing chamber music in all forms possible for the French horn and is currently playing in several musical groups in Eau Claire and St. Paul. This is now Charles’ second season with The Master Singers.

Mary Jo Wagner, narrator

Mary Jo Wagner graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Music Education. She spent many years teaching private voice and piano and serving as a church choir director and organist. The later addition of courses in broadcast journalism provided the opportunity for her to work at Wisconsin Public Radio for 20 years as a talk show host and news reporter. Her program, "The West Side" was an award winning, hour long regional public affairs program focusing on western Wisconsin. Currently she works as a Professional Moderator for national Webinars and Audio Conferences at KRM Information Services, Inc. in Eau Claire. To stay immersed in music, she also helps with the Chippewa Valley Youth Symphony concerts and the Eau Claire Jazz Festival. She sings in the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Symphonic Choir.