2013 Presenters

Dr. Kevin Brower

Dr. Kevin Brower is a graduate of Utah State University, Brigham Young University, and Arizona State University. In his sixteenth year at Brigham Young University-Idaho, Dr. Brower serves as the Dean of the College of Performing and Visual Arts and as the conductor of the BYU-Idaho Men’s Choir. Dr. Brower previously served as Director of Choral Activities at BYU-Idaho and conducted Collegiate Singers, Vocal Union, Concert Chorale and Women’s Choir. Before his appointment at BYU-Idaho, he taught music in the public schools. Dr. Brower’s choral groups have received national recognition and performed at many regional and national ACDA and MENC events. His groups are frequently involved in national and international performances tours including recent trips to Canada, Brazil and Chile. Dr. Brower has been a featured conductor with the acclaimed Mormon Tabernacle Choir on five different occasions.

Stephanie Cluff

Stephanie has always loved music and used it for service, comfort, self expression, teaching the Gospel, sharing her testimony & entertaining.. She sang alto in BYU choirs 100 years ago when she graduated in Elementary Education with a music minor. Before she discovered she really loved the organ she taught piano to children 10+ years. Through the organ teachings of Dr. Andrew Flanders in 1975-1976, and Dr. Jeannine Cansler Jordon 2003-present, she has developed many more organ skills. She loves to teach adults who come to lessons because their mothers are not making them learn piano and organ. Her husband and she recently returned from a senior mission where she taught keyboard and organ in the evening. Last month she began clogging to maintain energy to outrun their 24+ grand children. Maybe it will make her pedal work more flashy. Six of their 7 children live in the Beaverton area and clap at her recitals.

Laura Friend

Laura is a wife and a mother of 6, and a long time resident of Beaverton, Oregon. She has a passion for music and shares that passion as she teaches music to others. Laura comes to us with eleven years experience as Primary Chorister, teaching both Jr and Sr Primary singing times. She also has several years experience teaching private piano lessons. She is gifted in her ability to keep children engaged during singing time and her enthusiasm is contagious. Come learn from Laura as she shares her thoughts and her ideas in a fun, dynamic and interactive session.

Julie Higgins

Julie Higgins has a BA from BYU-Provo (Communications & French) and a graduate level certificate in French translation. She studied piano at BYU with faculty member Richard Anderson. She started piano lessons at age 8 and organ lessons at age 18. She has served in the church as organist, pianist, choir director and music chairman. She is currently a second year music theory and ear training student of Dr. Donald Appert of Clark College and takes private composition classes from Benjamin Moll. She was among the finalists in the church-wide composition competition in 2012 for her hymn “Oh Heavenly Father, Hear my Plea” which was presented at the workshop last year. She has played professionally, performed in duo-piano concerts with Vladimir Kochanski, teaches piano and organ, is the pianist for the Portland Ensign Orchestra and is currently a stake organ in Vancouver West Stake.

Corina Hughes

Corina Jones Hughes is a native of Beaverton, Oregon, where she developed a love for the piano and organ in her home. She went on and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brigham Young University with emphasis in Organ, studying with Dr. Don Cook. She now resides in Beaverton where she is the mother of four, soon to be five, children and runs a piano studio of 20 students.

Ramona Jones

Ramona has always loved music. Piano has been her main instrument for over 50 years. A few years ago she took advantage of an opportunity to learn organ. She is very familiar with the challenges pianists encounter as they strive to acquire the knowledge and coordination needed to play the king of instruments. Ramona encourages music training with her children and grandchildren. She will soon be serving a mission with her husband, Ivan, in the Guatemala Quezaltenango Mission.

Emily Duke Kalteich

Emily Kalteich currently teaches music lessons (voice, piano, clarinet) from her home with Emily’s Music Studio (www.facebook.com/emilysmusic) and with TakeLessons. She studied vocal performance and clarinet at Brigham Young University, Provo and graduated with a bachelor of music degree in 2007. Her favorite musical experiences there included singing with the BYU Singers for four years and also researching Latin American art songs and performing them in recitals throughout Santiago, Chile and Lima, Peru. Since then she has lived in Portland and sung as a soprano with Portland Opera Chorus, Opera Theater Oregon, and Cantico. One of the most memorable experiences from Emily’s teaching career has been teaching voice and keyboard lessons to homeless youth at a drop-in center downtown. She has also loved being a ward choir director and singing loudly in church, always hoping that others will do the same. If you have any questions for Emily, please contact her at: emilykalteich@hotmail.com.

Tom Pixton

Tom Pixton has directed community and church choirs over a period of 35 years. He more recently founded and directed the West Linn Community Chorus for 6 years. Tom studied choral conducting at BYU, he has served as Stake Music Chair in three stakes and he regularly attends ACDA (American Choral Directors’ Association) choral workshops for continuing education. A lifelong musician and father of seven musically accomplished adult children, Tom masquerades daytimes as a lawyer, but keeps a keyboard and banjo in the office.

Karen Porter

Karen Porter received her Bachelor and Masters of Music degrees in Piano Performance from Brigham Young University, studying under Jeffrey Shumway and Paul Pollei. Karen was an instructor of group piano, private piano lessons and sight-singing at BYU, as well as an accompanist for the BYU Women’s Chorus and vocal master classes. Karen is currently the Artistic Director of “Cantico: The Portland Chamber Singers.” She lives in Sherwood, Oregon with her husband and four young children.

Rosanne Valdivieso

Rosanne Valdivieso has been teaching music to children since she was a teenager. In addition to many years as Primary Music Director for her Ward and Stake, she has taught piano and voice privately, and has written and directed several shows performed by elementary school children. Her composition, “Trust In the Lord” was a winner in the 1975 General Relief Society Music Contest, and was sung in the Tabernacle during General Conference. Her original children’s song, “Imagine a Night that Is Dark and Still” was an award-winner in the 2001 General Church Music Contest. She has a degree from BYU in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy, and is currently serving as Stake Music Chairman and Ward Music Director in the Portland Oregon East Stake.

Our Primary Workshop accompanist is Christine Partna who studied Piano Performance at BYU, and has taught piano privately for many years. She regularly accompanies singers, and instrumentalists, as well as school and Church choirs. Currently she serves as Stake Primary President and Stake Organist in the Portland Oregon East Stake.