Joy Ondra Hirokawa is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Bel Canto Children’s Chorus. She earned a Bachelors degree with honors in Music Education from Temple University, Philadelphia, PA and a Masters degree in Choral Conducting, also from Temple University. She has completed postgraduate work in children’s choral conducting and is currently a DMA student in Music Education at Boston University at the dissertation stage in her studies. She was honored to be selected as a Conducting Fellow at the first Chorus America Orchestral Conducting Workshop for Children’s Choir Directors held in Chicago in June, 2004, and was a Conducting Associate at the 2006 Chorus America Choral-Orchestral Conducting Masterclass. Mrs. Hirokawa is a frequent guest conductor and clinician, presenting regularly at MENC and PMEA conferences and conducting numerous honors choirs, including the ACDA-PA All State Middle School Honors Choir in 2007 and the ACDA-PA All State Women’s Honor Choir in 2008. Mrs. Hirokawa is also a published arranger. Her arrangement of My Favorite Things is available from Hal Leonard. Mrs. Hirokawa is currently Visiting Professor of Music Education at Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA, following twenty years of teaching in the public schools.
Sue Ellen Echard is full time director of Music and Arts at Church of the Holy Spirit, Episcopal Church in Harleysville, PA where she directs 6 ensembles of choirs and handbells. She has two undergraduate degrees in theology and music and a Masters of Sacred Music Degree from Westminster Choir College. At Westminster, she was an organ student of Eugene Roan and studied choral conducting with Allen Crowell. More recently Sue Ellen has studied organ with Mark Laubach of St. Stephen’s Pro-Cathedral in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Sue Ellen has been a choral director on the staff of the Bel Canto Children’s Chorus for the past six years. She has also been on the residential and music staff of the Royal School of Church Music at the King’s College Course in Wilkes-Barre since 1996, serving most recently as a Music Manager for the course. She has been published in the National Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians and the book “Reinventing Worship” edited by Brad Berglund. She has been an active church musician, choral director, organist and piano teacher for 25 years specializing in building graded choir programs.
Kirsten Olson, director of the Preparatory Choir, has undergraduate degrees from University of Wisconsin-Madison and Valparaiso University. She received two Masters degrees from Westminster choir College in Princeton; one, in Choral Conducting with Joseph Flummerfelt, and one in Sacred Music with Helen Kemp and Donald McDonald. At Temple University, Ms. Olson did post-graduate studies in Early Childhood Music and Child Psychology with Edwin Gordon. She is currently the Minister of Music for Children and Youth at St. John’s UCC in Lansdale, PA and continues to teach piano, organ, flute and voice in her home studio. Ms. Olson also gives a variety of musical lectures and workshops on the East Coast. She serves as the Music Director at Montgomery Theater in Souderton, and is on the Education Committee at the theater. Kirsten and husband Roy’s two daughters, now college students, were active in the Bel Canto choirs for six years.
