BCI is proud to welcome 13 young professional conductors and vocalists selected as our 2025 class of the Frank Nemhauser Apprentice Program. From a pool of nearly 100 excellent candidates, these students are poised to make their mark on the next generation of choral musicians. This opportunity is free to all accepted participants and includes room and board, travel expenses, and music fees. Named in honor of educator and long-time BCI Music Director Frank Nemhauser, the Apprentice Program has a distinguished track record providing early-career support and practical experience to two generations of choral music leaders.
Bailee Green, a second-year graduate student from Mississippi, is obtaining a Master of Music degree in choral conducting from the New England Conservatory of Music in the studio of Erica Washburn. In addition to their current degree, Bailee is also an avid teaching assistant with the Boston Children’s Chorus. Bailee received their Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Southern Mississippi where they studied under Dr. Gregory Fuller and Dr. Jonathan Kilgore. During their time there, Bailee fostered a love for the Estonian choral tradition and choral conducting, all while striving to amplify the voices of under-represented groups in the music education field through their thesis, “Transgender and Nonbinary Attitudes Toward the Choral Music Education Experience.” Now as a conductor, Bailee hopes to increase awareness and appreciation of LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and women composers by programming their music.
Tara Lake is a December 2024 graduate of the Master of Music in Vocal Performance program at West Chester University. Tara has been a member of the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music Community Women’s Choir, the Holiday Pops Chorus of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Classical Roots Choir of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and the Wendell P. Whalum Community Chorus (Morehouse College). As a student in the West Chester University Wells School of Music, Tara was a Vocal Honors Recital performer in 2022, 2023, and 2024. In 2023, she was a West Chester University Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition Finalist. Tara has remained active in the world of theatre and was awarded the Margaret W. Wong Hope Award for her performance of I Know It Was the Blood: The Totally True Adventures of Newfangled Black Woman at the 2023 Borderlight Fringe Festival in Cleveland, OH. Last year, she joined the Center for Puppetry Arts and the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library Museum in Atlanta, GA, playing the role of Ruth in the 2024 production of Ruth and the Green Book. For two seasons, (2022-2024), Ms. Lake served as Staff Soprano and Soloist at the Episcopal Church of the Advent, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Since 2022, Tara has served as a vocalist and worship leader for Epic Church Center City at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre in Philadelphia, PA.
Sean Stanton, baritone, has performed with the Chicago Symphony Chorus, Grant Park Chorus, Music of the Baroque, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Central City Opera, Opera North, and Opera Southwest, among others. He has received awards from the American Opera Society and James Toland Vocal Arts and won the 2024 Young Artist Award from the Los Angeles Chapter of NATS. Sean is currently a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate at the University of Southern California, where he serves as Head Teaching Assistant for Vocal Arts and is a member of the Thornton Wellness Committee. As part of his research into musician wellness, he will co-present Empowered Performance From the Core with Pamela Mikkelsen at the Performing Arts Medicine Association conference in Washington, D.C., this summer.
Benjamin Wegner is a choral conductor, educator, and vocalist pursuing a Doctor of Music in Choral Conducting at Indiana University. He previously taught award-winning high school and middle school choirs at St. Edmond Catholic School in Iowa. He holds degrees from Luther College and the University of Minnesota and has performed with groups like the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus and The Singers – Minnesota Choral Artists. Outside of music, he enjoys cooking, playing cribbage, and running.
Genevieve Welch has recently returned from a year of study on a Fulbright grant at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary, where she studied choral conducting and folk music while exploring local community choirs. Previously, she completed a master’s in choral conducting at the University of Michigan and holds a BA in music with a minor in psychology from Wellesley College. She has served as the director of the Belleville Community Chorus and assistant conductor of the Michigan Youth Chamber Singers and various University of Michigan ensembles. Originally from Portland, Maine, she’s excited to be spending this week in New England and can’t wait to make some music with you all!
Benjamin Coakley is a baritone and conductor from Chicago, IL. Ben holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Education for voice and piano from North Park University and is a candidate for the Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He taught middle and elementary school chorus for two years and is the choir director at First Congregational Church of South Hadley. In addition to singing, Ben enjoys playing guitar, piano, and banjo
Sarita Olson-Gustely is a Mexican-born conductor, teacher, and vocalist currently pursuing her PhD in Choral Conducting at Florida State University, where she serves as assistant director of Levana and performs with the Chamber Choir. Previously, she was Choral Director at Apex Friendship High School, where she was named a finalist for “Teacher of the Year” in 2022 and led her ensembles to performances in London, Paris, and at the North Carolina Music Educators Association conference. An active clinician and adjudicator throughout Florida, Olson-Gustely has presented research across the country and will serve as a keynote presenter in Mexico and featured conductor in Japan in summer 2024.
Steven Olson is a dynamic conductor-teacher currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Music Education and Choral Conducting at Florida State University, where he serves as assistant conductor for multiple university ensembles and as a teaching assistant for undergraduate music education courses. Previously the inaugural Director of Choirs at Green Level High School in North Carolina, his work has earned recognition including the Excellence in Teaching Award and the Richard G. Cox Award for Outstanding Emerging Choral Director. Beyond academia, Olson is also a frequent clinician, guest conductor, presenter, and arranger.
Ashley Vance is a soprano vocalist, educator, and choral conductor currently pursuing her Master of Music at Syracuse University. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Trevecca University in Nashville in 2020. After graduating, Ashley taught privately and collaborated with several choirs in the greater Nashville area, including her extensive work with Vox Grata Women’s Choir. Passionate about fostering community through meaningful musical experiences, Ashley aspires to continue her work as a choral director and voice teacher upon completing her M.M. in 2026.
Olivia Currier is a mezzo-soprano from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She recently completed a season as an Apprentice Artist with the Sarasota Opera. Previously, she was a Choral Scholar with Quintessence: A Community of Singers and was the alto soloist for Britten’s cantata Rejoice in the Lamb with the Lubbock Chorale. Ms. Currier is currently in her graduate studies at Baylor University under the tutelage of Dr. Robert Best.
Tanner Munson is an actor, musician, and voice teacher based in Springfield, MO. He holds a MM in Vocal Pedagogy from Missouri State University and a BM in Vocal Performance from Missouri Southern State University. A frequent soloist with the Missouri State Chorale, Queen City Chorale, and other local ensembles, he has performed both domestically and internationally. Notable solos and roles include the Tenor Soloist in Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Martin in Copland’s The Tender Land, and Jamie Wellerstein in The Last Five Years.
Emily Perry is a soprano from Brookings, SD who is known for her vocal flexibility and compelling stage presence. Most recently, she was a member of the Voces8 US Scholars and the Pensacola Opera Chorus. She performed many leading and supporting roles in the operatic repertoire including Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, and Duchess Carolina in Luisa Fernanda. Perry has been a featured soloist in works such as Handel’s Messiah and Dixit Dominus, Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4. Emily is looking forward to moving to Houston with her husband to continue their careers as freelance musicians.
Anthony Washington is a baritone and choral conductor currently completing a BA in Music and Anthropology at Cornell University where he is a Nexus Scholar. He has appeared as a conducting fellow for the Sarteano Choral Workshop in Sarteano, Italy, Atlanta Conducting Institute, the Choral Conducting Institute at Interlochen, and the Choral Masterworks Institute at the Eastman School of Music. As a vocalist, Anthony took part in the 2024 Chamber Music Collective and was awarded the Barbara Troxell Vocal Award by the Cornell Music Department for artistic excellence and contributions to the Voice Program.
