Julie Wollan - Preparatory Choir
Julie began playing the piano at age 9. Her love for playing grew with opportunities to accompany at school, church, and with performing groups. After high school, she continued her piano studies at Seattle Pacific University. Julie has been teaching out of her home studio for 30 years. She accompanies for choral performances in two East Bay school districts as well as private studio recitals. She has been the Danville Girls Chorus Preparatory Choir accompanist since 2006 and enjoys partnering with director Angela Schmidt.
Jesse Micek - Concert and Honor Choirs
Jesse has been working as a piano accompanist in the Bay Area for over twenty years. He has extensive experience working as a collaborative pianist with choirs, solo vocalists, and other ensembles. Besides his work as a performer, he operates a piano teaching studio at his home. He lives in the east bay with his wife and three sons.Laurie Hugill - Apprentice Choir
Laurie Hugill is a native of Burbank, California and she has been an accompanist at Danville Girls Chorus for over 17 years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from the University of Southern California. Ms. Hugill enjoys a very active and varied career as the Apprentice Choir accompanist not only for DGC but also for the choirs at San Ramon Valley High School and several local private instrumental and vocal studios. She is loved by all who have the good fortune of getting to work with her. The choir program at SRVHS and DGC would not be the same without her kind and patient approach to working with the performers, director, parent volunteers and administration.
She is a consummate cook and entertainer.
Issa Stemler - Intermediate Choir
Issa is the Music Director at St. Veronica's Church in South San Francisco as well as the music teacher at their school. She graduated from Humboldt State and taught and played extensively in the Arcata area before returning to the Bay Area. Issa was recently married this past summer.
Angela Borba - Associate Director
Angela Borba has been directing the Preparatory choir since 2004. Ms. Borba holds a Bachelors of Music in Music Education with a Choral concentration from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA. In 2008, she earned her Master’s in Education with a Kodaly emphasis from Holy Names University. Along with her Kodaly training, she completed her Orff Level I Certification at Belmont University in Nashville. Ms. Borba’s musical experience is varied and widespread. She currently teaches general music and chorus at Happy Valley and Burton Valley Elementary Schools. In addition to teaching in the Lafayette School District, Ms. Borba is the director of the Adult Choir at Christ the King Church in Pleasant Hill.
Jennifer Brown - Associate Director
Jennifer Brown has been the director of the DGC Apprentice Choir since 2002. Jennifer earned her degree in Elementary and Music Education from Brigham Young University. She taught for 6 years in Utah where she directed an elementary school choir. In 1991, Jennifer returned to her native California and began teaching at Charlotte Wood Middle School. She has served as choral director at Charlotte Wood since 2000 and the musical theatre director since 1996. In addition, Jennifer also co-conducts Temple Hill Choir (an adult multi-faith community choir) in Oakland and also co-directs their annual production of the Broadway production of Scrooge. She adores musical theater and has been singing and performing since age 4. Her greatest desire is to make sure every girl has a song in her heart to get through the ups and downs life brings.
Rosalind Neisinger - Associate Director
Rosalind Neisinger is delighted to return to DGC as the Intermediate Choir Director! She is a four-year DGC alumna, singing in Intermediate, Apprentice, Concert, and Honor Choirs many years ago. She has been choral director at Monte Vista High School for the past three years. In addition, Ms. Neisinger is the Director of Music at San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church in Alamo. She earned her degrees in Music Education and in English from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. Ms. Neisinger is excited to share her love of singing with the DGC family as we return to live concerts together.
Ken Abrams - Artistic Director
Ken Abrams has been the Artistic Director of the Danville Girls Chorus since 1992.
Mr. Abrams received his Master’s Degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Illinois and his undergraduate degree in Vocal Performance from California State University, Hayward. Currently, he directs the Concert and Honor choirs and oversees all other DGC choirs. In addition to working with DGC, he was the choral director for San Ramon Valley High School for 36 years. The SRVHS Concert Choir was the first-place winner at the Northern California Golden State Choral Competition in 2017, 2014 and 2012. The SRVHS Treble Clef Choir was the first-place winner in 2018, 2016 and 2014. Mr. Abrams is the past President of the America Choral Director’s Association (ACDA) and served as the High School Representative for the ACDA Western Division Region (California, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah and Arizona). Mr. Abrams was named “Teacher of the Year” by the San Ramon Valley School District in 1996, at San Ramon Valley High School in 2002, and by the Danville Chamber of Commerce in 2006.