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

Madeline Branham is a distinguished singer and dedicated arts professional with a rich background in music education and performance. A proud graduate of Gardner-Webb University, Madeline earned her Bachelor of Music in Music Education where her collegiate journey was marked by several accolades, including Vice President Roles in both Alpha Chi honors society Honors Student Association, Mary Doctor Performing Arts Scholarship with Blumenthal Arts, Outstanding Musician Award, Excellence in Student Teaching Award, and the Schweppe Outstanding Musician Award.
Professionally, Madeline has held roles as a choral director, voice and piano instructor, and musical theatre educator. She currently serves as the Student Services Coordinator at Arts+, where she supports accessible arts education and programming for students in Charlotte, NC. In addition, Madeline directs the Melody Choir for the Charlotte Youth Choir, fostering young talent and encouraging a love for music in the community.
Madeline is a proud member of the worship team at Arlington Baptist Church alongside her husband Carson, who serves as the Worship Pastor. Madeline is also a proud inaugural member of the Blue Ridge Consort.
Outside of her professional pursuits, Madeline enjoys spending quality time with her goldendoodle, Ruby, and indulges her passion for travel, with a particular fondness for trips to Disney. Her vibrant career and personal interests reflect her deep love for music and her commitment to enriching the lives of those around her through the arts.

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.

Emily Floyd conducts choirs of all ages. She is the Artistic Director for the Asheville Youth Choirs and Director of Choirs at First Baptist Church of Asheville. 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.

Claire Lemke is a classically trained vocalist, performer, and music instructor from North Carolina. She has accumulated over 20 years of experience as a soloist and as a member in several prestigious choirs. As a performer, she is well-versed in singing a variety of genres including jazz, pop, and country. She currently maintains a thriving private piano and voice studio in Asheville, NC and is on the music faculty at Haywood Community College and Western Carolina University. She is also the Assistant Artistic Director of Womansong, a women's chorus local to Western NC. In 2018, Claire earned her Bachelor's degree in Music from Western Carolina University. In 2019, she earned a Masters in Music Theory and Cognition from Northwestern University during which her research focused on vocal imitation and empathy. Claire is excited to be a part of the Blue Ridge Consort and to continue bringing musical inspiration to Western North Carolina.

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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.

Altos

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!

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.

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.

Coming soon!

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.

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

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.

Joshua Cheney, a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, is Assistant 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, and guitar. He is an active performer 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 Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina. Joshua and Rebekah reside in Asheville, North Carolina.

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.

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.

Peter is a junior traditional worship music major at Gardner-Webb University and is involved in music ensembles, leadership roles, and has had various solo opportunities on campus as well as at churches and community events in Cleveland and Rutherford counties. At present, Peter is a choral scholar at Shelby Presbyterian Church in Shelby, NC, often directing the chancel choir or composing and arranging pieces to be used in worship.
Currently residing in Forest City, NC, Peter plans to become a music minister at a church upon graduating, in addition to pursuing a master’s degree related to church music.

Coming soon!

Mark Woodcock serves as the Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church Raleigh and is a doctoral candidate at the University of Illinois. He has taught at the University of Illinois, Piedmont University, Graceland University and Truman State University and has prepared choirs for performances in Alice Tully Hall, Chicago’s Symphony Center, and the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.
As a singer he has performed throughout Europe and North America with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Chorus, UMass Amherst Bach Festival, Illinois Bach Academy, Voices of a New Renaissance, and Coro Vocati. As a graduate of the Estonian Academy of Music, he has performed extensively with the Estonian groups Voces Tallinn, Heinavanker, Nuku Koor, Rahvusooperi Eesti Poistekoor, and in the Estonian National Song Festival which is a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Basses

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.

Dr. Eric G. Johnson is the Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Music Education for Gardner-Webb University. Prior to pursuing the Ph.D. in Music Education with a Choral Conducting emphasis from the University of Mississippi, he was the choral director at Holmes Middle School in Eden, NC where he directed a vibrant choral program. With a B.M. in Music Education and Sacred Vocal Performance from Appalachian State University and an M.M. in Music Education from Florida State University, Dr. Johnson is active in the musical world as an educator, clinician, and presenter. He has presented at national conferences for both NAfME and ACDA and conducted numerous honor choirs in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. Eric presently serves as the Interim Music Director for Viewmont Baptist Church in Hickory and sings around the region with the Blue Ridge Consort.

Aaron M. Rice serves as Chair of the Department of Music and Associate Professor of Music at Gardner-Webb University, where he directs the Music and Worship Leadership Studies program, teaches courses in vocal music, and directs the Gardner Singers. Prior to his arrival in Boiling Springs, he served at Shorter University as Director of Choral Activities and Coordinator of Music and Worship Leadership. While at Shorter, the Shorter Chorale performed for the national meeting of the Baptist Church Music Conference in 2017. He has prepared choirs for performances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. As a chorister Aaron has performed for state and regional conferences of ACDA. A native of North Carolina, Aaron received degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, East Carolina University and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Aaron is married to Lane and they have two children, Kati Fletcher and Henry.

Jeb Sturgill, a native of Chilhowie, VA, is the Band Director at Chilhowie High School. With a strong foundation in both vocal and instrumental music, Jeb studied Music Education at Virginia Tech, where he received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Music Education. Over the past eight years, he has performed with, and conducted multiple vocal and instrumental ensembles across North Carolina and Virginia, including the Virginia Tech Men’s and Women’s Choirs, Mitchell high School Band and Choir, and the Chilhowie high School Band. With a passion for music education Jeb hopes to make a lasting impact on his students and colleagues alike, and try to foster a vibrant musical community wherever he goes.

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

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.