John Fleischman, Founder & Director
Mr. Fleischman holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the State University College at Fredonia, New York and has done graduate work in voice performance at SUC Fredonia, SUC Potsdam, and the Eastman School of Music. He is a vocal music instructor in the Orchard Park Central School District and a past-president of the Erie County Music Educators Association. He previously served as NY ACDA Repertoire and Standards Chair for Children’s Choirs. Mr. Fleischman is also a member of the New York State School Music Association and the Music Educator’s National Conference for whom he is a nationally registered music educator. He was listed as a distinguished educator in Who’s Who Among American Teachers in 1994. In 1995, he was awarded the Artist-Teacher diploma after completing Level III of the Choral Music Experience Institute for Choral Teacher Education under the leadership of Dr. Doreen Rao. In May 1997, he was the recipient of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Erie County Council of Music Coordinators Award for Excellence in Choral Music Education.
Mr. Fleischman frequently conducts All-County and Area All-State Festivals throughout New York and Northern Pennsylvania and serves as a vocal adjudicator for NYSSMA. Mr. Fleischman has also performed extensively throughout Western New York as a tenor soloist. He has appeared frequently in area concerts, musicals, recitals and operatic productions. He appeared with Artpark Opera Chorus for ten summer seasons and sang with the Westminster Choir for 19 years. From 1992-1998 he was the music director of the Orchard Park Chorale, an adult community choir.
Catherine Sutherland, Director
Catherine E. Sutherland earned her Bachelor and Master degrees in Music Education from SUNY College at Fredonia. She is newly retired from teaching Classroom/Vocal Music at Transit Middle School in the Williamsville Central School District. In addition to her responsibilities in the Williamsville School District, Mrs. Sutherland has been the accompanist of the Buffalo Niagara Youth chorus, Inc./Western New York Children’s Chorus since 1988, and has traveled with them to England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Amsterdam and France. Mrs. Sutherland is an active guest conductor of County and NYSSMA festivals. She and her husband have served as conductors of the touring ensembles for American Music Abroad for several summers. In 1996, Mrs. Sutherland was awarded the Artist-Teacher Diploma in Canterbury, England after completing Level III of the Choral Music Experience Institute for Choral Teacher Education under the leadership of Dr. Doreen Rao. In 1998, she was the recipient of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Erie County Council of Music Coordinator’s Award for Excellence in Classroom Music Education. Mrs. Sutherland is a member of the American Choral Directors’ Association, the New York State School Music Association, the Music Educators National Conference, and the Erie County Music Educator’s Association. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Erie County Music Educators Association since 1989 as a liaison for Choral and Classroom Music, as secretary and as president.
Elenora Seib, Director
Elenora J. Seib, a native of Buffalo, New York, holds a Master of Music degree in Vocal and Instrumental Accompanying from the Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelor of Music Degree cum laude from the SUNY College at Fredonia. Currently Music Associate at Westminster Presbyterian Church, she joined the music staff as Assistant Organist in 1978. Prior to her appointment at Westminster, she was the Organist at Wayside Presbyterian Church in Hamburg, New York. She has been musical director and/or Coach/accompanist for SUNY at Buffalo Opera Studio, Western New York Opera Theatre, Greater Buffalo Opera Company, Opera Sacra, Artpark, and the Chautauqua Institution Summer Schools. Miss Seib is one of the accompanists for the Western New York Children’s Chorus, having toured with them as organist for concerts in Stratford-upon Avon , Paris, Edinburgh, Dublin, and Killarney,and as a chaperone for International Children’s Choral festivals in Italy and Germany. A member of the faculty of Niagara University, Miss Seib teaches voice classes in the Theatre and Fine Arts Department.
David Curtis, Accompanist
David G. Curtis is currently the Director of Choral Activities at Niagara Wheatfield Senior High School, is an Artistic Staff member of the Western New York Children’s Choir, and is the former director of the Niagara County Community College Choir. Mr. Curtis is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo, receiving the Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Music Education. His choirs have earned numerous "Gold and Gold with Distinction" Awards at N.Y.S.S.M.A. Major Organization Evaluation Festivals, and numerous "First Place" Awards at National Choral Competitions. The Niagara Wheatfield Choirs, under his direction, have performed for the "N.Y.S.S.M.A. Winter Conference", "National Rural Educators Conference", "A.C.D.A." Choral Workshops, E.C.M.E.A. Conference Day, has served as a model choir for practicum students from the University at Buffalo, Buffalo State College, and Houghton College, and was the featured choir at Carnegie Hall for the National Youth Concert Series in March of 2009. As a music educator, Mr. Curtis has received the Irving Cheyette Music Education Award from the University at Buffalo for excellence in Music Education.
Cynthia Ripley, Accompanist
Cindy earned a Bachelor of Music degree from The Crane School of Music, State University College at Potsdam, and completed her graduate work at The Crane School, SUC at Fredonia, and The Eastman School of Music. Her dedication to making a difference at a remote school in the rural school district of Gowanda, New York, has led her to become a nationally-recognized educational consultant in music and theater arts. During her in her 33 years as a vocal educator and music department chair of the Gowanda, NY, Central School district, Cindy initiated Gowanda’s musical theater program. She produced and directed over 60 productions, supplementing her lack of a budget with creativity and enthusiasm. By the end of her tenure, the all-school musicals were receiving a “football” response. The talent of the students was the talk of the town and many community members lent a hand in contributing their resources and/or expertise to productions.
Cindy’s achievements received national attention when she was selected as one of the 39 educators nationwide to be named to USA Today’s 2005 All Star Teacher Team. Cindy has served for 25 years on the Board of Directors of the Erie County Music Educators Association. She is a member of The American Choral Directors Association and is listed in the “Who’s Who of American Educators and American Women.” She was the 1999 recipient of the Erie County Council of Music Administrators and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Award for Excellence in Classroom Music. Cindy serves on the education committees of the Buffalo Philharmonic, Shea’s Performing Arts Center, and the Arts in Education Institute of Western New York.