Our Artists

Blue Ridge Consort is honored to collaborate with this outstanding roster of artists. Our singers are career musicians, applied and K-12 teachers, working professionals, and experts in their fields. We invite you to get to know the voices behind the music and join us in celebrating what makes our choir truly special.

Sopranos

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Anna Diemer (they/them) is a voice teacher, Singing Voice Specialist, PAVA-Recognized Vocologist, and professional soprano based in Asheville, NC. They specialize in helping singers navigate times of vocal transformation throughout the lifetime, from the natural ones that come with age to the joyful explorations of gender transition. Anna is currently taking new clients for singing, gender-affirming speaking voice, and You Need a Budget coaching (hey, a guy's gotta diversify!) Anna earned their undergraduate degree from Furman University and their masters from the University of Houston Moores School of Music. When they’re not in the voice studio, Anna enjoys cooking, reading fantasy novels, and gaming on their Switch.

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Emily Floyd conducts choirs of all ages. She is the Director of Traditional Music at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Emily has been a church musician for 30 years and taught choral music in public schools at the high school and middle school level. She frequently conducts choirs for conferences, honor choirs, and summer camps. She has presented workshops for ACDA, Choristers Guild, PAM, school systems, and conferences. Also a soloist, Emily has sung as soprano soloist primarily in oratorio work. Emily attended Florida State University and received a bachelor’s degree in music education (voice). Choirs under her direction have performed in 18 states and internationally in places such as St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice, and St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh. She makes her debut on the podium at Carnegie Hall in 2026.

Molly Getsinger, originally from Frederick, MD, is the Chorus Personnel Manager for the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Westminster Choir College, and a Bachelor of Music Education from Shepherd University. As an active performer and choral singer, Molly has sung with ensembles including the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir, Spoleto Festival Chorus, CCM Chamber Choir, Westminster Choir and Westminster Symphonic Choir. Prior to moving to western North Carolina, she was on faculty at the Newberry College, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and Xavier University and began her career in public schools teaching choral and general music.
Molly now lives in Asheville, NC with her husband Jeb and adorable, albeit very loud, hound dog, Graham.

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Soprano Kellie Motter currently serves as Assistant Professor of voice in the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University. Praised for her “moving, involved expression,” she is a versatile artist in repertoire ranging from baroque to contemporary. On the opera stage, Dr. Motter has performed with regional houses such as Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Central City Opera, Opera Naples, and Des Moines Metro Opera. Notable role credits include Marie (La fille du régiment), Despina (Così fan tutte), Lucy (The Telephone), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Morgana (Alcina), and the title role in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. As a concert soloist, she has been featured in Carissimi’s Jephte, Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Steve Reich’s Tehillim, and in numerous works by J.S. Bach, including his solo cantata No. 51, Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen.
She holds Doctor of Music and Master of Music degrees from Indiana University, where she received the Georgina Joshi Graduate Fellowship, and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Maryland.

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Soprano Rachel O’Reilly has made Western North Carolina her home for nearly a decade. After living and performing on the West coast for several years, she relocated to beautiful Mitchell County where she is deeply engaged in the musical landscape of her rural community. Rachel shares her passion for singing with children of all ages through her work as a music educator and vocal coach with local schools and musical productions. She also sings with her church choir in Spruce Pine where she lives with her husband and three children. Rachel is a proud graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Rachel Eaker holds a B.A. in French Language and Literature with a minor in Spanish Language and Literature from North Carolina State University and an M.S. in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Miami University. Currently residing in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, she is a soprano who has performed with the North Carolina State University Chamber Singers, UNC Chamber Singers, North Carolina Master Chorale, Charlotte Master Chorale, and North Greenville Choral Arts. Having lived in six states—Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Ohio—she has been shaped by each community she has called home, while her love of music has remained a constant. She is especially drawn to the precision, blend, and connection that define chamber singing and finds joy in both soaring soprano lines and everyday small adventures. Rachel lives with her husband and two daughters. In addition to singing, she enjoys cooking, staying active, and creative pursuits including art, traveling, and lifelong learning.

Sara Terrell serves as the Director of Worship and Music at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Charlotte. The joy of choral music has always been a part of Sara’s life, beginning with being bounced on the knee as an infant during church choir rehearsals to now conducting them. She has formed and conducted choirs in the Charlotte area and internationally, and has sung with professional choirs such as Caritas (Charlotte, NC), the BBC National Chorus of Wales, Voces Nordicae (Sweden), and CONCORA (Hartford, CT). Prior to working as a Director of Worship and Music, Sara taught voice at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Sara holds a Bachelor of Music in composition from the Florida State University and a Master of Music in choral conducting from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Sara is overjoyed to be singing with the Blue Ridge Consort.

Altos

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Emily Dani is a Charlotte-based Mezzo Soprano and Alto with a deep love for early music and a passion for choral singing. A Furman University alum and student of Emalie Savoy, Emily performs regularly at Myers Park Methodist in Charlotte and with the professional choral group Chicora Voices in Greenville, SC. Drawn to the intricate counterpoint and detailed texture of Renaissance and Baroque music, she eagerly seeks new opportunities to explore and perform across the Carolinas. When she’s not singing, Emily enjoys knitting, learning new languages, and spending time with her spouse Rohan and their two cats, Jade and Jazz. A proud member of the Blue Ridge Consort, she is excited to share her music with you!

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Julia Fawcett is an ardent musician and lifelong singer with a distinct passion for the choral music community. Since receiving her bachelor's degree from Florida State University's College of Music in 1997, she has performed with ensembles in Maryland, Texas and North Carolina, feeding an insatiable curiosity for musical storytelling in all styles, genres and histories. Such storytelling has come in handy throughout Julia's career path, first as a classical music radio announcer, later as a print and broadcast journalist, and then as a nonprofit CEO, where she worked daily with children and families. Today, when she isn't singing, Julia helps others tell their own stories as a senior strategist in the communications industry, specializing in work with nonprofits and philanthropy. She currently resides in Hendersonville, NC with her husband, three children and two dogs. Julia is thrilled and delighted to have the opportunity this season to make music with the passionate artists of the Blue Ridge Consort.

Stephanie Gray is a Hickory native and is excited to be singing alongside her husband in this distinguished Western North Carolina choral ensemble. She holds a Master’s of Music in Voice Performance from Florida State University. She is an accomplished mezzo-soprano who has been a guest soloist in J.S. Bach and Mozart masses and most recently performed several arias from Vivaldi’s Gloria. She has performed in numerous operas and operettas as well as a few musical theater productions. She is an alto for the Blue Ridge Consort. Stephanie is a Music Instructor as well as a Choral Director at Catawba Valley Community College and Alexander Early College. In addition, she teaches private voice lessons.

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A lyrical soprano who’s been performing semi-professionally since age eight in venues ranging from backyards to the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall, Dr. Eleanor Martin is proud to spend her non-musical time as a pediatrician at Asheville Pediatric Associates. Born in Baltimore, she grew up alternating between running barefoot and semi-feral on her parents’ small hobby farm and singing and performing around the Baltimore-Washington metro area with the Children’s Chorus of Maryland and other arts organizations. Her family’s move to rural Minnesota led her to Concordia College where she was honored to spend three years singing with the Concordia Choir under the direction of René Clausen and where she received her BA with a double major in Music and Russian Studies and a double minor in Biology and Chemistry.
Continuing her pursuit of medicine and music, Eleanor completed her MD from the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans and her Pediatric Residency training plus a year as Chief Resident at Georgetown University Hospital, in Washington DC. She made sure to keep singing with various groups including the Louisiana Vocal Arts Chorale and the Master Chorale of Washington. In a serendipitous visit during her last year of training, Eleanor attended a cousin’s graduation in Asheville and realized that she was actually meant to be a Western North Carolinian. Since 2008 Eleanor has called Asheville home;she lives with her three children, three cats, and two dogs.
Eleanor currently sings with the Asheville Choral Society and chamber group Tempus and is thrilled to be an inaugural member of the Blue Ridge Consort. In her role as a pediatrician, Eleanor also serves as an Associate Adjunct Professor with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine and a mentor to medical students.

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Erin Pratt is a graduate of Smith College, where she majored in Music and Classics. Her research focuses primarily on intersections between music and literature in Germany and Austria, particularly in song and prose fiction. Erin’s dissertation project centers on problems of repetition and performance in German strophic song since the eighteenth century. She has a secondary interest in rock singer-songwriters ranging from the Drive-By Truckers to David Bowie. Her master’s thesis, “Walmartland: Music and Corporate Philanthropy in Northwest Arkansas,” combined these disparate interests through critical analyses of two Walmart-sponsored music festivals that respectively featured Jason Isbell and Ludwig van Beethoven.
As a complement to her scholarly work, Erin studies classical vocal performance as a mezzo-soprano. Erin also enjoys baking, watching TV with far-flung friends, and playing far too many video games.

Merideth Sanders is a native of Lincolnton, North Carolina where she graduated from Lincolnton High School. Merideth is in her fourth year of teaching and is currently the Director of Choral Activities at Pisgah High School of Haywood County. Merideth has obtained a Bachelor of Music Education with a concentration in Choral Studies from Appalachian State University. She has performed with groups such as: the Lenoir Rhyne Youth Chorus, Mars Hill University Choirs, Appalachian State University Choirs, numerous church choirs, and others. Merideth is also an inaugural member of The Blue Ridge Consort. Merideth now resides in Maggie Valley, North Carolina with her husband Matthew Sanders, the Director of Bands at Pisgah High School.

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KatieTalsma is Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Montreat College where she directs the choir and teaches classes in Music History, Conducting, and Piano. Katie moved to Western NC in 2019 and before that lived in Visalia, CA. Having grown up in Minnesota, she appreciates the diverse musical experiences that each region of the country has afforded. Prior to singing with the Blue Ridge Consort, she was a member of the women’s choir, Soli Deo Gloria in Fresno, CA. Katie is also a pianist, organist, and flutist. When not teaching or making music, she enjoys traveling, reading, and growing plants and flowers.
Katie obtained her B.A. degrees in Music (Piano Performance) and Psychology from Dordt College (now University) and her M.A. in Music (Choral Conducting) from California State University, Fresno. She is excited to sing with the talented musicians of the Blue Ridge Consort and share choral music with the audience.

Tenors

Joshua Cheney, a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. He is responsible for the leadership and administration of GWU Choirs, to include the direction of the Concert Choir and Reach Worship. Joshua teaches Aural Skills, Music Survey, and courses in conducting, voice, woodwinds, and guitar. He performs actively and has sung professionally with the North Carolina Master Chorale Chamber Choir, Bel Canto Company, Red Shift, Coro Vocati, and Blue Ridge Consort. Joshua holds the B.A. in Music Education from Campbell University, the M.M. in Choral Conducting and Church Music from Mercer University, and the D.M.A. in Choral Conducting from Louisiana State University. Joshua is married to Rebekah Cheney, who serves as the Director of Annual Giving at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Joshua and Rebekah reside in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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Justin Gray, a native of Greenville, South Carolina, now resides in Hickory, North Carolina. Justin is currently the Director of Choral Activities at Hibriten High School in Lenoir, North Carolina. Justin also co-leads worship with his wife, Stephanie at Open Door Church in Long View, North Carolina. Justin holds a Bachelor of Science in Education as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Western Carolina University. Justin is also an inaugural member of The Blue Ridge Consort.

Peter is a senior traditional worship music major at Gardner-Webb University, where he is actively engaged in music ensembles and leadership roles on campus as well as in local churches throughout Cleveland and Rutherford counties. His primary concentration is voice, and he also has training in trombone, piano, organ, and conducting. At Gardner-Webb, he performs with the Concert Choir, Men’s Chorale, and Brass Chamber Ensemble, and has been featured in a variety of solo opportunities.
Beyond the university, Peter has gained experience in church music through internships and service in local congregations, including Shelby Presbyterian Church, where he assisted with choir leadership and contributed original compositions and arrangements for worship. He has also been an active member of the Sanctuary Choir and Handbell Choir at his home church, First Baptist Church of Rutherfordton, where he frequently offered solos and special music.
Peter currently resides in Forest City, NC, and plans to pursue a vocation in church music ministry following graduation, while also pursuing graduate study in church music or a related field.

Payton Huffman, a native of Cherryville, North Carolina, is pursuing his choral Master of Arts in Teaching at Winthrop University. Payton is also the Band Graduate Assistant at Winthrop and is a member of Winthrop’s chamber singers. Payton holds a B.A. in Music from Gardner-Webb University and currently resides in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Basses

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Matt Avanzino is a native of San Francisco and began singing at 8 years old with the San Francisco Boys Chorus under Dr. William Ballard, touring internationally and participating in the rich Bay Area choral scene through high school. At San Francisco State University, he continued singing under Dr. Joshua Habermann in the SFSU Chamber Singers. For the next two decades, he pursued a variety of interests while keeping in tune with music: playing the role of Fagin in Oliver!, singing lead in a 50s rock band, and performing with a variety of semi-professional choirs and small ensembles in California, Washington, Montana, and Munich, Germany.
Currently, Matt lives in Burnsville with his two children, teaches high school Special Education and English in Marshall, and sings with the Asheville Choral Society and its small ensemble, Tempus, in addition to the grateful honor of joining the Blue Ridge Consort as an inaugural member.

A former Patricia and Dr. Carl S. Hoveland Opera Fellow, Isaiah Feken is a sought-after performer across the U.S. Isaiah has appeared with Central City Opera, Des Moines Metropolitan Opera, Des Moines Ballet, Crested Butte Music Festival, Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Athens Choral Society, the Blue Ridge Orchestra, and was an artist in residence with Opera Colorado for their 19-20 and 20-21 seasons. Isaiah has served an Assistant Professor of Voice at Western Carolina University since the Fall of 2024, and was previously the Artistic Director/ Principal Conductor of Drake Opera Theatre in Des Moines, IA.

Robert Harrelson is a bass-baritone originally from Boiling Springs, North Carolina. He studied voice at Indiana University with Giorgio Tozzi and Roy Samuelsen, and recently received his DMA from the University of Georgia, where studied with Frederick Burchinal. During his 20-year career with the U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants in Washington, D.C., Robert performed for five U.S. presidents, as well as numerous U.S. and international political, diplomatic, and military leaders. His hundreds of performances across the U.S. have been seen and heard by millions around the world in person, on television, and via the Internet. Recent opera roles performed include Escamillo, Méphistophélès, Rocco, Il Commendatore, and the Physician (Opera Carolina’s Macbeth). Recent solo oratorio engagements include Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor (both with the Richmond Symphony), Beethoven’s Mass in C and Ninth Symphony, Faure’s Requiem and Haydn’s “Lord Nelson” Mass.

Sage Crum is a baritone and former musical theatre performer with extensive experience in solo, choral, and stage performance. A recurring soloist at First Congregational Church in Hendersonville, he has performed major works including Mozart’s Requiem (Carnegie Hall), Handel’s Messiah, and Orff’s Carmina Burana. His theatre credits include Forever Plaid, Crazy for You, Oklahoma!, Cabaret, and Camelot, among others. He holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Ithaca College and is thrilled to be singing with the Blue Ridge Consort.
When he’s not singing, Sage enjoys travelling and exploring new places with his family, playing soccer and photography.

Brandon Winbush is an active guest conductor and choral clinician in the state of North Carolina. He spent six years as Choral Director and Piano Teacher at Watauga High School in Boone, NC, where he was awarded “Teacher of the Year” in 2021, and his choirs were invited to sing at conferences for the NC chapters of both the American Choral Directors’ Association and the National Association for Music Education. A lover of church music, He is currently the Music Director and Organist at First Presbyterian Church in Newton, NC.
Brandon holds a bachelor’s degree in Choral Music Education and Piano from Appalachian State University, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Choral Conducting at UNCG.

Collaborative Artist

Tate Addis

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A native of Kansas, Tate Addis’ performances have been described as ‘spectacular’ and acclaimed for their ‘deeply communicative musicality,’ leading the Kansas City Star to write ‘this organist has the right stuff.’ His recent solo recital appearances have taken him to Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and the Bloomfield Organ Series at Wichita State University. Additionally, his performances have been broadcast on American Public Media’s nationally syndicated program Pipedreams and in Europe on Radio Klassik Stephansdom.

Active as a church musician since his childhood, Tate has held positions at New York City’s Brick Presbyterian Church, Second Presbyterian Church in Kansas City, and the Yale Berkeley Divinity School in New Haven. Currently, he serves as Associate Director of Music and Organist at First Baptist Church in Asheville, North Carolina, where he collaborates with the Pastor for Music and Worship in a comprehensive music program, directs the youth and adult handbell ensembles, and teaches organ and piano in the church’s Academy for the Arts. In addition, he is the assistant director and accompanist for the Asheville Symphony Chorus. As a collaborative pianist, he has performed with violinists Daniel Hope and Benny Kim, tenor Vinson Cole, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Tate Addis holds degrees from Wichita State University, the University of Missouri – Kansas City, Yale University, and Oberlin Conservatory. His principal teachers were James David Christie, Lynne Davis, Thomas Murray, Andrew Trechak, and Robert Weirich. Additional studies were with Marie-Louise Langlais and Roman Summereder and in masterclasses with Leon Fleisher and Jerome Lowenthal. Tate makes his home in the mountains of Western North Carolina with his wife, Rev. Laura Addis, and their daughter.