DeCantus - A Cappella Ensemble and Victorian Carolers: Current Members

The present members of DeCantus have over 120 years singing experience:

Julie Bailey (nee Pugaczewski) Soprano		Julie discovered her love for singing and entertaining while attending Hill-Murray School, where she sang in multiple specialty ensembles, earned thirteen awards at state contests, and played roles including "Jenny Lind" in Barnum and "Laurey Williams" in Oklahoma! She continued performing at the College of St. Catherine and the University of Minnesota, in numerous community theater productions, and in occasional guest performances such as "Dido" in a choral adaptation of Dido and Aeneas. In 1997 Julie discovered a love of improvisational, intimate performing at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival where, in addition to singing with DeCantus, she plays a street character and acts as co-director of the Mayor’s Entourage. Julie is a founding member of DeCantus.
Kadee Crottier Soprano		Kadee gave her first solo performance at the age of three, when she jumped up at her mother's recital and sang "the ABCs" and "Jesus Loves Me." No one has been able to stop her from singing since. She has sung across the U.S., and in England and Norway, with several premier ensembles, including Nordic Choir and Minnesota Chorale. She also has performed in many operas, including The Magic Flute, Don Pasquale, Carmen and The Ballad of Baby Doe. Favorite performances include duets from Don Giovanni, Il barbiere di Sivilgia and La vestale; Britten's War Requiem and Mahler's 2nd Symphony with the Minnesota Orchestra; and many, many church concerts presented with her sister, mother and grandmother.
Molly Dimba Mezzo Soprano		Molly has two BAs from Bemidji State University, one in vocal performance and one in theater. She currently teaches private voice, violin, and viola lessons to students of all ages. She has performed at the Ordway with the Minnesota Opera, at the Jungle Theater, in the Fringe Festival, played in the pit of the Bloomington Civic Theater, and stage managed at Stages Theater in Hopkins and The Paul Bunyan Playhouse in Bemidji.
Trevor Hartman Bass	No Picture	No Bio
Kellie Hultgren Alto		Kellie doesn't remember when she started singing, but years of church performance led her to Angelica Cantanti youth choirs. Choral and flute performance took her to Europe, Scandinavia, and the Caribbean in high school. She went on to sing with the Saint Olaf College Cantorei and Early Music Singers During that time she became a founding member of early-music group Concenti Scuiri and of Lyonesse, a folk duo performing at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. 2008 marks her sixth season with DeCantus and her thirteenth year at the Renaissance Festival.
Matt Ledder Bass	No Picture	No Bio
Amy Madson Mezzo/Alto	No Picture	Amy Madson has enjoyed singing since she can remember. She earned a BA in music from St. Olaf College, where she sang in Cantorei and other ensembles. She was also an active member of the St. Olaf Theater Department, performing roles in The Threepenny Opera, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Assassins, and Into the Woods. Amy has a passion for all types of music, but especially jazz and gospel. In addition to DeCantus, Amy teaches voice, is a church music soloist, and is currently studying to become a board-certified music therapist.
Shana Marchand Mezzo Soprano		Shana has been a member of DeCantus since 2004. She attended Carleton College, where she majored in music with a focus on vocal performance. She also performed in the Carleton Singers for 3 years and studied voice with Margaret Brand and Ben Allen. After graduating from Carleton, she joined the Minnesota Chorale in 2004.
Alison Nolan Mezzo/Alto	No picture	Alison has been singing with DeCantus for the since the 2006 Christmas season. Alison has performed in the past with groups such as Shakespeare's Love Child, the Pyrates of Portobello, and now as a solo act touring local renaissance festivals. Alison has a degree in theatre from Hamline University and works as the Associate Producer for a local show called Sample Night Live. You can find out more about Alison at alisonnolan.com.
Nathan Petersen-Kindem Bass		No Bio
Dave Robbin Baritone/Bass	No Picture	No Bio
Chris Sibilia Tenor		Chris has been singing for most of his life. Early on, he was a soloist with the New Jersey All-State Chorus and performed in the New Jersey State Opera's 1977 productions of CavalleriaRusticana and I Pagliacci with James McCracken and their 1980 production of Aida with Placido Domingo. While studying, he sang and performed internationally with the Princeton Madrigal Society as well as the University's Early Music group, Musica Alta. A graduate of the Yale School of Drama, he was also featured as a soloist while singing with the Yale Collegium Musicum and the Connecticut Hebrew Chorale. Since moving to the Twin Cities in 1994, Chris has supplemented his day job as a staff member at Minneapolis's renowned Guthrie Theater with choral singing in several community groups, all the while serving as Tenor Section Leader with the choir of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, St. Paul.
Laurel Hove Tausend Alto		Laurel has been with DeCantus since 2002. Raised in the small town of Spring Valley, MN, she moved to the big city to study voice at the University of Minnesota. She performed with the Chamber Singers under the direction of Dr. Thomas Lancaster. Since then she has performed as a soloist and with several local groups in such works as Orff's Carmina Burana, Bach's Mass in B Minor, Mozart's Requiem and Poulenc's Gloria. She has appeared on A Prairie Home Companion, at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, and as a soloist for Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. In addition to lending her talents to DeCantus she also sings with Exultate. While her voice is her best instrument she enjoys playing the piano, flute, recorder, and Irish tin whistle badly. Outside of her musical pursuits, she works for Wonderment, spends as much time as possible with her husband and two children, sews costumes for the renaissance re-enactment, loves to cook, and is a student of Waldorf Education and the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner.
Deyhdra Dennis Weiss Soprano		No Bio
Trey Thomas Wendell Tenor		Trey received his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at Simpson College in 1997. His Opera experience includes chorus work in Amahl and the Night Visitors and Dido and Aeneas. He performed the role of Pritchtich in The Merry Widow, and Samuel in The Pirates of Penzance. He was also a chorus member in the cantata Carmina Burana. Trey has played a variety of roles in Musical productions of Chicago, Pump Boys and Dinettes, Little Shop of Horrors, Oklahoma, and Into the Woods. He has performed internationally in Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.
John Zeiler Bass		John T. Zeiler is the type of guy that will dance in the morning, perform for the masses at night, and then seduce you with a grilled cheese sandwhich. He graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 2006 with a BA in Dance and English. Since then he has been living the dream and performs all over the Twin Cities as a dancer, singer, actor, and Jockey Underwear model. If you want to stay up on his many adventures or any upcoming shows he may be in, you can become his friend on Facebook.

Click here for a list of alumni members of DeCantus