Diane Retallack, Artistic and Executive Director
Celebrated for her passionate leadership, rich imagination and expressive performance, Dr. Diane Retallack has served as Artistic Director for Eugene Concert Choir since 1985, the Eugene Vocal Arts since she founded the chamber ensemble in 1986, and the Eugene Concert Orchestra since 2015.
Read Diane’s full bio here.
Jill Switzer
Office Administrator & Music Education Director
Olivia Davis
Orchestra & Stage Manager
Christina Lay
Payroll & Reconciliation
Nathalie Fortin
Piano Accompanist
Alex Amick
Piano Accompanist
Chris Dobson
Evocantus Director
Jill Switzer, Office Administrator
& Music Education
Jill is a proud member of the Eugene Concert Choir and has also sung with the Eugene Opera Chorus. She currently serves as both the Office Administrator and Music Education Director.
She earned a Bachelor of Music Education at Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana. She has worked extensively with children, youth and adult choirs, most notably as Music Director at the Indiana University Newman Center for eight years. While she is classically trained, her performance background also includes musical theater and Latin American folk music.
Her teaching credentials encompass vocal technique and music theory workshops in both English and Spanish.
Olivia Davis, Orchestra Personnel Manager
Born and raised in Eugene, Olivia Davis is delighted to be back in her hometown after several years away pursuing academic and artistic endeavors. She holds a BM in Violin Performance and Composition from the University of Oregon, an MM in Composition from the University of Texas at Austin, and a DMA in Composition from the University of Michigan.
Olivia has served as composer-in-residence for numerous organizations, institutions, and ensembles, and has received commissions from esteemed performers, including MacArthur Fellow and Grammy Award–winner Johnny Gandelsman.
While primarily a composer, she is also an accomplished visual artist and continues to enjoy teaching as well as performing on both violin and viola.
Christina Lay, Payroll and Reconciliation
A second-generation Eugenean and graduate of the University of Oregon, Christina has managed to combine her concerns for the community and love of the arts with her bookkeeping skills by working for several nonprofits in the Eugene area, including the Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson House, Lane County Historical Museum, Eugene Opera, Eugene Ballet, The Very Little Theatre, and The Eugene Concert Choir. When not keeping the books, she writes them. She’s a published author, director of ShadowSpinners Press, and a member of Wordcrafters In Eugene’s Board of Directors.
Nathalie Fortin, Piano Accompanist
Nathalie Fortin was born in Montréal, Canada. She holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the University of Southern California. In the Pacific Northwest, where she has lived since 2001, she is an accompanist at the University of Oregon Community Music Institute, Willamette Violin Academy, the Eugene Gleemen, Pegasus Playhouse, Eugene Opera, and she has been the Eugene Vocal Arts
collaborative pianist since 2019.
Alex Amick, Piano Accompanist
Alex Amick is a Washington native from Whidbey Island. He started piano when he was six-years-old, however, his formal training began at the age of 16 when he met Dr. Kay Zavislak. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Music and Spanish from Western Washington University, where he studied under Dr. Kay Zavislak and Professor Jeffrey Gilliam. During his undergraduate studies, he was twice recipient of the Dean's Scholarship Award and was the winner of the 2022 Concerto Competition.
He has worked with several major music ensembles in Washington state, namely with Vox Pacifica (under Wendy Bloom), Choir of the Salish Seas (under Kevin Schmidtt), and the Bellingham Festival of Music. During the last part of the 2023-2024 academic year, he was part of the staff collaborative pianist at Western Washington University. Alex was also a piano teacher and has worked for Bellinghome School of Music and Evergreen Music School in Bellingham, Washington.
Currently, he will be pursuing a Masters in Solo Piano Performance at the University of Oregon starting the fall of 2024.
Chris Dobson, Evocantus Director
Chris Dobson, the founder and director of Evocantus, has directed choirs in Eugene since 2004. He currently teaches choir and serves as the music department lead at South Eugene High School.
Chris directed choirs for the Oregon Children's Choir for 20 years, and served as their Artistic Director for three years. He is also an active local performer, currently singing with Eugene Vocal Arts and with Eugene Concert Choir.