2018 Presenters

Karen Porter

Karen Porter holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Piano Performance from Brigham Young University, where she also studied choral conducting, organ performance and collaborative piano. At BYU she was actively involved in choral music, accompanying BYU Women’s Chorus and serving as collaborative pianist to various vocalists and instrumentalists. She studied choral conducting at the graduate level with Dr. Ronald Staheli and has sung under the baton of such acclaimed conductors as Craig Jessop, John Rutter, Mack Wilberg, Jerrold Ottley and Ronald Staheli. Karen’s work in church music began with a calling to be the senior primary pianist at age 10, followed by a calling as ward organist at age 15, and continues through regular rotations as choir director, choir accompanist, ward organist and primary music leader.

Karen is currently Artistic Director of Cántico Singers, a Portland choral ensemble now in its 10th year. She was the Assistant Conductor from its inception in 2008 and has served as Artistic Director since 2010. Cántico Singers performs regularly throughout the Portland area and was recently selected to perform at the Northwest Conference of the American Choral Directors Association. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Karen has called the Portland area home since 2006. When she isn’t waving her arms in front of a choir or demanding taller vowels, she can usually be found shuttling one of her four children off to music lessons or band rehearsals and enjoying Portland’s amazing food scene with her husband.

Lauren Fraley

(Basic Conducting, Art of Accompany)
Lauren Fraley is a local pianist and music instructor who moved back to the Pacific Northwest a little over a year ago. She holds a doctoral degree in Keyboard Collaborative Arts from the University of Southern California, where she studied piano with Alan Smith. She has also studied with world-renowned pianist and author Paul Roberts as well as Lucinda Carver and Diane Baxter. Lauren has taught private piano for over 15 years, along with teaching group music classes to young children, and loves collaborating with vocalists and instrumentalists at the piano and harpsichord. Besides pursuing her love of music, Lauren enjoys spending time outdoors in the forest or at the beach with her husband and two daughters.

Joseph Hoffman

(Getting Them to the Bench)
While continuing his studies at BYU, Joseph conducted the 300-voice University Chorale and taught courses for music majors in music theory, conducting and sightsinging. As a piano teacher, Joseph wanted his students to love music and piano playing as much as he did, but he struggled to find a piano method that provided a rigorous, well-rounded musical training, while still being fun and engaging. After years of study, exploration, and experimentation, the “Hoffman Method” of teaching piano was born. Hoffman Academy of Music has experienced rapid growth, and now serves over 300 students with a faculty of 11 teachers.

Eric McKirdy

(Music Chair Boot Camp: Organ Secrets)
Eric McKirdy began playing the organ at an early age, and pursued it as a major in college, studying at the University of Oregon with Dr. Barbara Baird. Since that time, he has been honored to perform throughout the United States and Europe, both as a soloist and as organist for several choirs. He has written a number of arrangements for choir and organ, and for the last four years has taught extensively at the Portland Regional LDS Music Workshop. Eric serves on his chapter’s board of directors of the American Guild of Organists. He and his family live in Albany, where he recently completed his twentieth year as ward organist.

Tom Pixton

(Choral Reading)
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.

David M. Thomas

(Choir Rehearsal Technique, Conducting Master Class)
Dr. David Thomas has served as the Artistic Director of Portland Choir & Orchestra since 2007. He attributes much of his success as a teacher and conductor to his years of study and performance with Dr. Ronald Staheli. Dr. Thomas received his DMA from the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire in St. Petersburg, Russia, and holds additional degrees in Russian language and vocal performance. Dr. Thomas has previously served as Artistic Director of Portland Choirs and Co-Director of Hoffman Academy of Music. He and his wife Emily enjoy performing together and operating Studio Thomas: Music Performance Instruction, as well as loving the wonders of life with their three girls and two boys.