Jon Noyes is a music educator in the Fairfield (Conn.) Public Schools (grades K-5) and is the Music Director & a founder of the Fairfield County Children’s Choir (grades 4-12). He is also Adjunct Professor of Music at Fairfield University. A Massachusetts native, Mr. Noyes received Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford. He holds a fourth-year certificate from the Kodaly Musical Training Institute and is a Past President of the Southern New England Kodaly Educators. He has completed post-graduate studies with Doreen Rao, Betty Bertaux, Henry Leck, Leon Thurman, Edwin Gordon, Gabriella Thesz and Tibor Szabo.

Mr. Noyes was named Choral Director of the Year for 1998 by the Connecticut Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association and is presently serving as Member-at-Large for that organization. He has conducted all-state and regional festivals in Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and Connecticut. He has presented in-service workshops throughout the region, including Villanova University, and has published articles in local, state and regional journals. In March 2011 Mr. Noyes will conduct the National Children’s Choir of the Organization of American Kodaly Educators at the OAKE Annual Conference in Minneapolis. In July 2011 he will conduct the senior choir at the Vocal Arts Camp at James Madison University in Virginia. Under his direction, the Fairfield County Children’s Choir has performed in New York at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and West Point, in Boston, Burlington, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., New Orleans, San Francisco, Oakland, Hawaii, Canada, England, Ireland, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Mr. Noyes is a member of CMEA, MENC, ACDA, GIML, OAKE and ASCD. He resides in Orange, Conn. with his wife Sarah and children Jake and Abby.

To learn more about the instructional methods of the Fairfield County Children’s Choir, the following documents are notes from workshops presented by Jon Noyes.    Click below to read the documents:
Teaching Music Literacy with the Brain in Mind – Villanova 2010
The Development of Part Singing FPS 2010
Vocal & Choral Techniques Fairfield U

Cynthia Gisela Holberg is a Choral Director and General Music teacher (grades K-4) in the Newtown Public Schools. Ms. Holberg received a M.M. degree with Kodály emphasis from Holy Names University in Oakland, California, and earned a B.S. in Music Education, a B.M. in Music Theory, and a Minor in English from the University of Connecticut. She taught Chorus and General Music in the Darien Public Schools (grades K-5) for five years, and during her year three-year residency in the Bay Area, Ms. Holberg was the Choral Director and General Music teacher at Live Oak School (grades K-8) in San Francisco. Ms. Holberg has also been an active church musician, singing in and accompanying choirs on organ and piano since the age of ten. She has enjoyed singing and touring with Saint Luke’s Episcopal Parish Choir of Darien for over six years, and presently serves as Director of the Junior and Primary Choirs and Soprano Section Leader. Ms. Holberg is an advocate of the “Kodály Method,” and completed Certification Levels I and II at New York University’s Kodály Summer Institute. Over the years, she has studied with master teachers the caliber of Erzebét Hegyi, Judit Hartyani, László Matos, Ildikó Thesz Salgado, Anne Laskey, David Xiques, Dr. Susan Glass, Avo Somer, Arthur Burrows, Dr. Neal Larrabee, and Dr. Peter Bagley. Since 2008, Ms. Holberg has been arranging, performing, and recording music with Cascada de Flores, a professional music ensemble dedicated to the preservation of Mexican and Cuban folk music and dance. Ms. Holberg is a member of the Organization of American Kodály Educators and the International Kodály Society.  She lives in Oxford, Connecticut with her loving husband, Marcin.

Lisa Bettke is an elementary music specialist at McKinley School in Fairfield. She received a B.A. in Piano Performance and French from Gettysburg College and an M.S. in Music Education from the University of Bridgeport.  Ms. Bettke completed her Orff Teacher Training levels I/II at Central CT State and Level III/Master Class at the University of Memphis.  She has served as President of the CT Chapter of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association and was recently elected to the National Board of Trustees as a Regional Representative.  Ms. Bettke has studied conducting with Doreen Rao (Levels I-III) and Henry Leck (Levels I-II).  As an accompanist, she has worked with Doreen Rao, Henry Leck, Mary Goetze, Joan Gregoryk and Jean Ashworth Bartle.

Kevin Cotellese is presently Director of Choral     Activities at Fairfield Ludlowe High School where he   conducts and teaches Music Theory, Piano and Voice  Classes. Originally from Philadelphia, PA, he spent three seasons with the Opera Company of Philadelphia as the Assistant to the Chorus Master and Orchestra Manager. During this time, he also conducted choruses at Concord High School, DE and directed the Wilmington Madrigal Singers community chorus.

Mr. Cotellese received the Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from West Chester University, PA and recently completed the Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting at Temple University, PA. He has studied conducting with Dr. Donald Nally, Mr. Alan Harler and Mr. Luis Biava. In addition to conducting, he has performed as a member of the Bridge Ensemble in the Spoleto Festival, Italy, and has sung with choruses in recent tours of England and Ireland.

Todd Simmons lives and teaches in Westport, CT where he is the Assistant Director and teaches private piano lessons at  the Westport School of Music.  He is an active performer and accompanist who can be heard performing on piano, harpsichord, and organ throughout the region.  He is the accompanist for the Fairfield County Children’s Choir Chamber Singers and performs frequently with them in various places around the world.

Mr. Simmons has held teaching positions at Ridge High School and Princeton High School in New Jersey, as well as Fairfield High School in Connecticut.  He also founded and served as the Director of the Women’s Choir at Fordham University, in Bronx, NY. Mr. Simmons received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the Eastman School of Music and a Master’s Degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Southern Mississippi. He has studied piano with Ingrid Clarfield, Vincent Lenti, and harpsichord with Dana Ragsdale. He studied conducting with Helmut Rilling, Timothy Koch, and David Effron.

Barbara Brauner joined Fairfield County Children’s Choir in 2003. A former administrator in theater management, she has overseen hundreds of national tours for the educational field including drama, comedy and ethnic dance performances.  Ms. Brauner also works in administration for The Westport Historical Society. She lives in Trumbull with her husband and two daughters.

Alicen Masi joined FCCC in 2006.   Ms. Masi earned her undergraduate degree from Arizona State University, and her Master’s Degree from Sacred Heart University.   She has taught kindergarten and first grade for the past 11 years and is beginning a new journey teaching 2nd grade in Fairfield.