Leslie Britton, Artistic Director and Founding Music Director

Leslie Britton is the Artistic Director and the Founding Music Director of the Rocky Mountain Children’s Choir. She is responsible for developing and implementing the choir's unique mission that partners musical excellence with commitments to inclusiveness, multiculturalism, diversity, and outreach. Leslie directs the Fourteeners and the Summit Singers, and teaches a conducting class to many of the RMCC's advanced choir members. Ms. Britton was the former Music Director and conductor for the nationally renowned Chicago Children’s Choir. With thousands of children in its program, the Chicago Children’s Choir is the largest choral performance and training choir of its kind in the nation. Leslie holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Dartmouth College and a Master of Music Degree in Choral Conducting from Northwestern University. She is a member of Pi Kappa Lamda music honorary society and the American Choral Director’s Association.

 

Lisa Cameron, Music Director

Lisa Cameron is the current Music Director for the Rocky Mountain Children's Choir.  Lisa was instrumental in helping RMCC founders audition and select the original music staff and then joined the staff in 1997.  Ms. Cameron has conducted every choir level at RMCC from Montane to Altitude.  Her primary responsibilities include fulfilling the Choir's mission of outreach to the community, and ensuring musical excellence, multiculturalism, diversity, and a nurturing environment throughout RMCC.

Before becoming Music Director, Lisa taught music at Stanley British School for a number of years and was busy raising three daughters, all of whom are in, or have graduated from RMCC.  She is an active mezzo-soprano and performs in an annual recital. Ms. Cameron received a Bachelor of Music degree from Iowa State University in 1981 and a Master of Music Education degree with an emphasis in Children’s and Adolescent Voices from Northwestern University in 1988. While attending Northwestern, she was elected to the music honorary Pi Kappa Lambda.

 

Jane Ripper, Principal Accompanist

Jane Ripper has been the Principal Accompanist for the Rocky Mountain Children's Choir since rehearsals began in 1996.  She concurrently serves as Associate Director of Music and Organist at Wellshire Presbyterian Church.  Ms. Ripper has accompanied concerts and workshops for the American Choral Directors Association and Music Educators National Conference, vocal and instrumental recitals, master classes, and musical theater productions.  Most recently, Jane was a featured artist in the Organ Recital Series at First Presbyterian Church in Boulder, the Choristers Guild Festival, and the American Guild of Organists Concert Series.

 

Ms. Ripper received a Master of Music degree in Organ Performance and a Master of Sacred Music degree from Southern Methodist University where she graduated summa cum laude.  Jane was selected for the music honorary Pi Kappa Lambda while attending SMU.  She graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Music degree from Simpson College.

 

 

Robert Styron, Conductor

Mr. Styron conducts the Mountain Men and Mountain Aires, and serves on the voice faculty of Denver School of the Arts.  He directs Bellissima, the DSA premier Women's Choir, Vocal Jazz Ensemble (VJE), Treble Choir, and middle school choir elective for non-majors and teaches a variety of music theory classes. His degrees include a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Public Administration from the University of New Orleans as well as a Master of Music Education with focuses in secondary choral music and jazz piano from the University of Colorado at Boulder.  He more recently completed a school executive preparation program at DU.

 

Mr. Styron’s has served as Director of Choirs for Mapleton Schools in Adams County, Music Director and Accompanist at Shepherd of the Hills Church in Boulder, Director of Music at Prince of Peace Church in Denver, and Vocal Coach for the Music Theater Department at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). In New Orleans, Mr. Styron also taught at Pearl River High School and performed with The Louisiana Vocal Arts Chorale and The Orleans Chamber Singers.  He taught music at the University of Northern Colorado’s Summer Enrichment Program for the Gifted and Talented., and was also the vocal music division chair of the Arts Advantage Summer Academy.  Mr. Styron is currently a member of the Music Educators National Conference (MENC), and was the Multicultural Repertoire and Standards Chair on the state board of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA).

 

Mariko Murase, Accompanist

Mariko Murase is a classical pianist in high demand with an impressive history of education and performance experience that spans four continents.  Mariko received a Bachelor of Music in  Classical Piano Performance and a Minor in Vocal Performance from the Nagoya University of Arts in Nagoya Japan.  She also holds a Master of Music in Classical Piano Performance from the University of Denver Lamont School of Music..

Additional studies include piano performance at the Liszt Franz Music Academy in Budapest Hungary, and music therapy at the Nordoff-Robbins in Sydney Australia.  Mariko also works regularly with the Waldorf School providing accompaniment in Eurhythmy, and conducts choir classes at the Arvada Center, the Lamont Men's choir at DU, and Tara Performing Arts High School.  In addition, she teaches private piano to a few select students. 

 

Mary O'Neill Christ, Office Administrator and Montane Conductor

A long time RMCC parent, Mary Christ joined the RMCC staff in 2009 conducting the Montane Choirs, and now also serves as Office Administrator in the choir office.  Mary holds a Master of Arts in Vocal Performance from the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Pomona College in Claremont, California, with additional studies at the Aspen Music School and the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria.

A soprano, she studies with voice teacher Winnie Hartman, and currently sings with Kantorei, at Wellshire Presbyterian Church, and with Impromptu!. She has sung in many Denver area choirs including  Colorado Symphony Chorus, Colorado Mahler Festival Chorus, University of Denver Alumni Choir, and the Cherry Creek Chorale. She often presents programs to local organizations and retirement communities.

 

Callie Jackson, Program Administrator

Raised in Montana, Ms. Jackson toured for one year with the international musical organization, Up with People, where she played keyboards, sang, and performed public relations duties. In Denver, she has worked for the Colorado Children’s Chorale as the Tour Manager/Assistant to the Director and served as a Music Specialist in the Sheridan School district. In addition, Ms. Jackson was formerly a vocalist in the Denver Symphony Orchestra Chorus.

Ms. Jackson graduated with honors from the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and minor in Business. She is currently a member of Delta Omicron and the Colorado Education Association. Callie's children are all musically involved and two of them are currently singing in Mountain Aires and Fourteeners.  Her oldest daughter is a Vocal Performance major at the U. of Illinois after singing with the RMCC for 11 years.  Callie has a private studio where she teaches piano in their Lakewood home. Callie joined RMCC in 1997.

 

Selene Cortez, Program Assistant/Hispanic Liaison

Born in Mexico and raised in Los Angeles, Selene joins the RMCC staff in the fall of 2007 after serving on the Choir's Board for two years.  She was very active in our original Pioneer school outreach program and has been involved in volunteering at Choir events for the past several years.  Selene serves a valuable role at RMCC, coordinating volunteers, translating documents and forms, and communicating with our Spanish-speaking families.  Ms. Cortez worked as a translator for Head Start prior to joining the RMCC family.  Selene keeps very busy as a mother of two girls, both of whom sing  with the Choir.    

 

Juliane Dowell, Assistant Conductor

Juli Dowell graduated Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ in 2008 with a Bachelor's of Music in Music Education.  After moving to Colorado in 2009, she began her current teaching position at Byers Elementary School.  Juli has also belonged to several professional and semi-professional vocal ensembles, both in the Denver-metro area and in her native region, New York and New Jersey.  Currently, she sings with Kantorei under the direction of Richard Larson.  Ms. Dowell is thrilled to be co-conducting the Timberline and Alpine singers; and assisting with the Fourteeners and Mountain Aires.

 

Josh Gaffga, Rehearsal Assistant

Josh Gaffga is a faculty member at Graland Country Day School, where he directs the middle school choir program. A graduate of Davidson College's theatre department, Mr. Gaffga also works as a private vocal coach and performs professionally in Denver as a musician and actor. He has served on the teaching team at the Denver Center Theatre Academy, toured with Imagination Makers and acted on stage with the Denver Center Theatre Company, Arvada Center, Bug Theatre and North Carolina Shakespeare Festival. Mr. Gaffga is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and Actors' Equity Association.

 

Charlotte Braud-Kern , Montane Conductor

Charlotte Braud-Kern is a music teacher at both Ashley Elementary and Gilpin Montessori in Denver. This is her first year working with the Rocky Mountain Children's Choir.  Charlotte also  is the children's choir director at First Unitarian Church in Denver.  She has been singing professionally and for fun her whole life, and is happy to be able to share music with the children in the RMCC.

 

Angela Munroe, Montane Conductor

Originally from Royal Oak, Michigan, Angela Munroe holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music and Elementary Education from Western Michigan University and a Master’s Degree in Music Education from Northwestern University.  She has taught elementary and middle school general and vocal music for eight years in Michigan, Illinois, and Colorado.  Angela is currently teaching at Fairmont Dual Immersion Academy in Denver Public Schools.  At Fairmont she teaches early childhood through fifth grade general music as well as middle school band and music technology.  She has coordinated the Denver Public Schools Elementary Citywide Choral Festival for the past two years for and has been very active in district professional development.  Angela has been an active member of MENC since 1998 and was inducted into Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society in 2005.

 

Betsy Britz, Montane Accompanist

Betsy Britz has been involved as a choir parent with the RMCC since 2001, and joined the staff in the fall of 2003.  Betsy is primarily a rehearsal accompanist for the Montane choir, but has had the opportunity to work with all of the training choirs as an accompanist or rehearsal assistant.  She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in piano performance from Colorado College, has taught piano, and has sung with several metro area choirs, currently singing with the women's ensemble, Impromptu.  She has two musical daughters who have sung with RMCC, one currently singing with the Fourteener choir.  Ms. Britz also has a Doctorate in Nursing from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and works as the Clinical Coordinator/Clinical Nurse Specialist at the University of Colorado Hospital.

 

Libby Ford, Montane Accompanist

Libby Ford earned her Master of Music Education with an emphasis in Choral Conducting this past December from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She also graduated with honors from the University of Louisville where she sang in the school’s top choral ensembles and received her Bachelor of Music Education, along with her teaching license. While in Kentucky, she worked with elementary and middle school choirs, as well as in music ministry while living in Louisville. Currently, Libby teaches private voice and piano lessons in the Denver area, and serves as a music minister in Golden. She stays active singing in the community and performing as a soprano soloist at various venues.