Staff
Diane Retallack, Artistic and Executive Director
Both the Eugene Concert Choir and the Eugene Vocal Arts Ensemble appreciate having had Dr. Diane Retallack as Artistic and Executive director since 1985. Her energy and vision over this extensive period have allowed the choirs to expand artistically, and have helped them weather storms that can adversely affect arts organizations. Following her bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and a master’s from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Diane earned a Doctor of Music in Choral Conducting from Indiana University. Here, she studied conducting with Margaret Hillis, the late Founder and Director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus, and score analysis from the late renowned choral scholar Julius Herford. Diane has also studied conducting with Helmuth Rilling at the Oregon Bach Festival and the Bach Sommerakademie in Stuttgart, Germany, and has participated as a singer at Carnegie Hall in several Robert Shaw Choral Workshops. Formerly Director of Choral Activities at Seattle University, Diane has had experience in every level of choral direction, including college and high school teaching, church choirs, children’s choruses, and community groups. In addition, she is an American Choral Directors Association certified adjudicator for the state of Oregon. In 2005, she received the well deserved Bishop Arts and Letters Award for extraordinary contribution to arts and culture in Eugene.
Angela Egremont, General Manager
As General Manager of the Eugene Concert Choir, Angela Egremont brings to the job an extensive background in writing, editing, event planning, and office management. She holds a B.A. in Journalism from California State University, Los Angeles. She first came to Oregon as a partner in a nationally circulated sports publication for masters athletes, where she handled editing, rewriting, layout and design. In July 2007 she undertook her present position with the choir. Since 2004, she has also sung with the choir as a soprano I. Singing has always been an important component of her life’s activities, and since age 16, she has performed in many choirs, both in England (Portsmouth and London), and the U.S.A. (New York City, Boulder, Honolulu, Los Angeles; and now Eugene). She also remains an active member of the Women’s Business Network in Eugene.
Darrel Kau, Development Consultant
Darrel Kau joined the Eugene Concert Choir staff in 2007 as Development Consultant. A familiar participant in the local arts scene, Darrel has over 15 years arts management and development experience. He currently serves as the Development Director for FOOD for Lane County. the He holds a B.M. in Music Education and an M.S. in Arts and Administration from the University of Oregon. He is an Adjunct Faculty member of the University of Oregon Arts and Administration Program and teaches annual courses on Marketing the Arts and Event Management. Darrel is also a member of the Arts Foundation of Western Oregon Board of the Oregon Community Foundation.
Julia Brown, Accompanist, Eugene Concert Choir
Julia Brown is currently Director of Music and Organist at First United Methodist Church in Eugene, Oregon, while also maintaining a full schedule of teaching, performing and recording. Brown has appeared in concert in North and South America and in Europe, having performed at the Oregon Bach Festival, Astoria Music Festival, American Guild of Organists Regional and National Conventions, Latin American Organist Conventions, and National Public Radio. She enjoys chamber music, having worked as an accompanist for vocalists and instrumentalists from a young age. She currently performs with several early music ensembles in the area. As a Naxos recording artist, her releases of Scheidemann and Buxtehude on Brombaugh and Pasi organs have received high critical acclaim. Discography also includes Christmas Concert on the historic organ in Mariana, Brazil, Bach Organ Favorites and harpsichord Fantasias of W. F. Bach. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brown studied piano, harpsichord and organ in her native Brazil before receiving her MM and DMA from Northwestern University as a student of Wolfgang Rübsam. She is currently recording harpsichord and organ works of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach for Naxos.
Christina Yue, Accompanist, Eugene Vocal Arts Ensemble
A native of Eugene, Christina Yue received her Master of Music degree in Piano Accompanying and Chamber Music from The Eastman School of Music. She has been the rehearsal pianist for the Eugene Symphony Chorus, Cascadia Concert Opera, and is the staff accompanist for the Community Music Institute Suzuki Strings Program at the University of Oregon. She also performs with university students and fellow musicians in the Eugene community and had her own private piano studio for several years.
Kathryn Leonard, Music Education Director
Kathryn Leonard, a certified music and general education teacher, holds a Master of Arts Degree in Teaching from Pacific University and a Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance – Pedagogy Concentration from Marylhurst University. As a performer, Kathryn has given solo recitals in venues such as Pittock Mansion, the Old Church, and as part of the Hult Center’s SHOcase series. Kathryn has performed numerous solos with the Eugene Vocal Arts Ensemble and the Eugene Concert Choir and has been a lead performer for the Oregon Festival of American Music. The Eugene Register-Guard has named Kathryn an “outstanding soloist” and an “excellent” performer. As an educator, Kathryn has served on the voice and piano faculty of the John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts since 2009. At the Shedd Institute, she helped develop and acts as the lead teacher for the innovative Music Box program for elementary school children. Kathryn has also served as the Music Director for the Eugene Concert Choir’s Educational Outreach Program (ECCO) since 2010, bringing free music education to public schools.
Jennifer McConochie, Education Coordinator
Jennifer McConochie received her B.A. in English from UCLA, graduating cum laude. After teaching middle and high school age children in Horsham, Sussex, England, from 1968 to 1972, she returned to the U.S. and completed a Montessori Teaching Diploma in Los Angeles. In 1982, she founded College Hill Montessori School, which ran for 24 years, serving children 3-6 years old. Since her retirement in 2006, Jennifer has continued her work with children’s education as a classroom volunteer at Ridgeline Montessori Public Charter School in Eugene and for the Special Education Department at the University of Oregon. In addition, she has developed Oregon Trail history presentations for children aged 4-11 at the Lane County Historical Society.
