Melissa Albert (She/her) is a music educator and soprano with experience teaching and singing in both Oregon and Washington.  Throughout her 13 years as an educator, Melissa has taught high school and middle school choir, K-5 general music, as well as music therapy. Melissa received her BA and MAT from Oregon State University specializing in music education and vocal performance. Melissa is currently in her eighth year as the choir director at Reynolds High School, the largest high school in the state of Oregon.

Melissa serves as the Vice President of OMEA District 2 and serves on the ACDA Board. Melissa has sung in many ensembles including Oregon Repertory Singers, The Seattle Esoterics, and The Tilikum Community Choir. She is excited to be joining the current season of Northwest Vocal Arts Chamber Choir for the 2024/25 season. Melissa is particularly passionate about student advocacy and building choral communities with people from diverse backgrounds. Throughout her career she works to build up marginalized groups; supporting LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, women's rights, and trans rights. She is a 5 year breast cancer survivor and currently lives cancer free in Portland with her partner Josh and their 1 year old Bo.

Jennifer Davies is honored to join the chamber choir of Northwest Vocal Arts. For the past 15 years, she has been an active performer, teacher, and director throughout the Willamette Valley, specializing in both musical theater and classical repertoire.

She has performed with several local theater companies such as Broadway Rose Theatre, Lakewood Theatre, Third Rail Repertory Theatre, Stumptown Stages, Pixie Dust Productions, Staged, and Portland's Singing Christmas Tree (where she currently serves as the Youth Choir Director). Additionally, she frequently works as a vocal director and coach for productions and musical theatre classes with local theatre companies, high schools, and universities.

Jennifer is also a private voice teacher and member of the Cascade Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. She received her Masters of Music in Vocal Performance from Portland State University, and her Bachelor of Arts in Music (Vocal Performance; Theater Performance minor) from George Fox University.

Morgan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Oregon State University, where she studied voice and served as soprano section leader and vocal area assistant. She worked with the Parkrose choral program in 2022 and is currently in her third year as the choir director at Centennial High School. In addition to teaching, she has served as music director for Little Shop of Horrors (2024) and Little Women (2025) at Centennial, bringing her passion for vocal performance and musical theatre into the classroom and the community.

Soprano Emilie Faiella most recently returned to Opera Modesto in the title role of Gretel (Humperdinck) in 2025. She previously appeared as Jack in OM’s Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Fallen Giant. In 2023, ‘24, and ‘25 Emilie performed multiple concert series with Portland Opera, including a title role in Roméo et Juliette (Gounod), and in 2022 made several debuts with Inland Northwest Opera and Eugene Concert Choir as Norina (Don Pasquale) and the soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah, among other works. Her past roles include Mabel, Younger Alyce, the Vixen, Gretel, Ginevra, Zerlina, and others. She is a District Winner of the 2020 MONC Auditions, and an alumnus of the Portland Opera and Opera Naples Residencies, and HGO’s YAVA. Emilie received her M.M. at Boston University and B.M. At Azusa Pacific University.Description goes here

An internationally recognized mezzo-soprano based in the Pacific NW, Dr. Lisa Neher is a new music mezzo on a mission to transform audiences through sound, story, and vulnerability. With a voice praised as “full and rich” and “especially alive” (Oregon ArtsWatch), Neher’s performance credits include a residency at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich, Germany with Really Spicy Opera, the world premieres of four operas with Experiments in Opera in New York City, as well as Pacific NW performances with Resonance Ensemble, Third Angle New Music, Orchestra Nova, Opera Theatre Oregon, Renegade Opera, and Big Mouth Society. She is President of New Wave Opera and a Mezzo Chorister with Portland Opera.

Described as a “supremely talented,” “visionary composer” (Willamette Week) and author of “liquid, impressionist piano writing and fluent melding” of voices (NY Classical Review), Neher’s award-winning compositions are inspired by the climate crisis, the love of family and friends, and the mystery of deep ocean life. www.lisanehermusic.com.

Annie has been teaching in Oregon schools since 2014. She received her Bachelors of Music in Music Education from Chapman University and her Master of Arts in Teaching Music from Oregon State University.

She is currently choir director at West Linn High School. In her time working with Oregon students, Annie's choirs have competed nationally at the Lincoln Center in New York and have placed in the top 5 in the OSAA State Championships.

Currently, Annie sings as a section leader and cantor at Saint Mary’s Cathedral and can be heard on professional recordings with the Oregon Catholic Press. She also serves as the Treasurer for the Oregon American Choral Directors Association (ACDA).

Haley Maddox—a Portland native—studied opera at Portland State University, where she performed the roles of Suzy in Puccini’s La Rondine, Mère Jeanne in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites, Hermia in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro. She also appeared as the Alto soloist with the Oregon Repertory Singers in Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis.Haley holds two degrees from Portland State University: a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and a Master of Education. She sang in the award-winning Portland State Chamber Choir for three years under the direction of Ethan Sperry, including the ensemble’s first-place finish at the Seghizzi International Choral Competition in Gorizia, Italy

In addition to her work as a performer, Haley teaches private voice lessons and previously taught choir and elementary music in public schools for five years. She currently works for the State of Oregon and continues to perform locally.

Haley is passionate about making classical music accessible to her community and finds joy in helping students develop confidence and artistry through singing. Beyond choir, she enjoys exploring Portland’s creative scene, singing opera, and playing the ukulele.

Magdalena Travis has been performing for over twenty years. As a dual Polish-American citizen raised abroad, they have graced stages across three continents and explored multiple musical genres.

Their operatic journey began at UC Santa Cruz, where they sang in Brian Staufenbiel’s production of Dido and Aeneas. Since then, they’ve taken on roles like Hansel, Third Lady, and Ruth, and in 2024, performed as Lucano and the First Praetorian Soldier in a gender-bent rendition of Incoronazione di Poppea at Chicago’s Studebaker Theater.

Magdalena, an avid researcher, recently presented Five Virtues of the Feminine, a recital showcasing lesser-known women composers, including Luise Greger, Maude Valérie White, and Germaine Tailleferre. They have also performed works by Grażyna Bacewicz at Chicago's Paderewski Music School alongside Michał Drewnowski.

Magdalena is co-founder of the Eleanor Ensemble, a gender-inclusive conductor-less treble choir. They are delighted to be joining Northwest Vocal Arts for their inaugural season.

Andrew Bergh is in his sixth year as the Choir Director at Tualatin High School in the Tigard-Tualatin School District. His directing responsibilities include four choirs and being the on-stage musical director. He spent the previous four years teaching choirs at the junior high and high school in the Tillamook School District while also directing the Tillamook Community Chorus.

He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education and Vocal Performance at George Fox University. In addition to teaching, he has performed with multiple professional  ensembles including Male Ensemble Northwest, Portland Phoenix Choir, and the Portland Symphonic Choir. He is serving his third year on the OMEA Board as Membership Chair.

In his spare time, Andrew enjoys spending time with his wife, Bobi, and their three dogs, Zuko, Mai and Bosco, playing games with friends and family, and being a devout fan of the Portland Trail Blazers.

Zach Schwalbach is a Portland-based tenor with a diverse musical and professional background. His primary experience is rooted in vocal music education, bringing more than 12 years of experience teaching large choral ensembles, musical theater, chamber groups, and solo voice at the secondary level. He most recently served as director of choirs at Lake Oswego High School.

Zach holds a Bachelor's of Music in Vocal Music Education from St. Olaf College, where he studied conducting, voice, and pedagogy with Anton Armstrong, Christopher Aspaas, Tim Mahr, and James McKeel. After leaving music education and determined to continue using his listening skills, he completed a Master's in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling from Portland State University. He is currently working as a counselor helping clients with severe and persistent mental illness get back to work. He loves spending his free moments in the garden with his wife, Carolina, and son, Rafael.

A Portland native, Aisea Poulivaati is excited to be joining NWVA as tenor section leader. Poulivaati has sung as a soloist and choral musician throughout the Portland-metro area since he was a young boy at Stone Tower Seventh Day Adventist Church. Aisea began his formal musical training at Cleveland High School under the direction of Steve Peter. Aisea took second place at the OSAA State Vocal Competition as a junior and a senior. Aisea also sang with the Pacific Youth Choirs throughout high school and sang with the Oregon Bach Festival every summer.

Following high school, Aisea enrolled at University of Arizona where he studied vocal performance. In 2010, Poulivaati was advanced through the Las Vegas round of America’s Got Talent, where he appeared on episode 511 of Season 5, after two of the three judges advanced him. Although his academic studies were abbreviated due to family circumstances, he has since resumed his pursuit of a vocal performance degree at Portland Community College where he is tenor section leader in the PCC Chamber Choir and studies voice in the studio of Dr. Samuel Barbara.

Miles Thoming-Gale is an elementary music teacher and native Portland human. He sang with the UO Chamber Choir during their 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 seasons and performed at the International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf, Germany.

Since graduating University of Oregon in 2016 Miles has been teaching elementary music and loving it. He is very excited to be performing with In Medio this season and looks forward to sharing this powerful program with an audience!

John Gladen is an accomplished musician and educator based in Portland, Oregon. He is the Minister of Music at St. Andrew Lutheran Church and has performed with various ensembles including Nexus, In Medio, and the Portland State University (PSU) Chamber Choir and is currently on the roster of the Oregon Repertory Singers and the Northwest Vocal Arts Chamber Choir.

John holds both a Bachelor of Music Education and a Master of Education from PSU, showcasing his dedication to both musical artistry and teaching. His experience spans a wide range of musical genres and styles, allowing him to bring a dynamic and inclusive approach to his performances and leadership. John's passion for choral music and community engagement is evident in his work, where he continually seeks to inspire both his audiences and fellow musicians.

Through his roles as conductor, performer, and educator, John Gladen contributes meaningfully to the vibrant choral music scene in the Pacific Northwest.

Jameson returns to the performing stage after more than 10 years studying and practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine. He has sung for Boston Lyric Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, Bronx Opera, Aspen Opera Theater Center, New York Lyric Opera Theater, and Rome Opera Festival, among others. He received his Bachelor of Music from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, and a Master of Music from the New England Conservatory in Boston. In 2007, Jameson was a regional finalist at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Regional Auditions. He was also a tenor soloist at Saint Patrick's Cathedral in New York City for nearly 5 years. In addition to practicing Chinese medicine, he maintains a private voice studio in Beaverton and is also an AmSAT certified teacher of the Alexander Technique. When he is not working with patients, he loves to cook with foraged mushrooms, run in Forest Park, ski Mt Hood, tend to his flock of chickens, and chill with his family.

Dan Gibbs, Baritone, received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Vocal Performance from Southern Oregon University.  He's performed multiple roles for Rogue Opera, Bravo! Opera Theater, Luke A. Housner Staged Opera Workshop, Lark Opera, Ping and Woof Opera, USC Thornton Opera, Opera Modesto, OperaBend, Vashon Opera, and Portland Opera; and has been a featured concert soloist with the Southern Oregon Repertory Singers, Siskiyou Singers, Rogue Valley Chorale, Jefferson Baroque Orchestra, Symphony of the Vines, Oregon Chorale, Beaverton Symphony Orchestra, and Bravo Concerts Northwest.  His most recent credits include singing the role of Father in E. Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel with Opera Modesto, Lodovico in G. Verdi’s Otello with Vashon Opera, Marquis in G. Verdi’s La Traviata with OperaBend; Tim in Joel Thompson’s The Snowy Day with Portland Opera; and Dr. Watson in Evan Meir’s Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Fallen Giant with Opera Modesto(2024). Currently, Dan teaches private voice and guitar lessons from his home studio in Vancouver, WA; and is an active freelance performer and member of the Portland Opera Chorus.

Marcus Peterson, a bass/baritone from West Bloomfield, MI, is completing a double Master's in Voice and Choral Conducting at IU's Jacobs School of Music. Marcus holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance with a Teaching Certification from the University of Michigan.

He has performed throughout the US, Europe, Canada, and South Africa in various choirs, operas, and musical theatre performances. His love of music began in the church and continues to this day.

Marcus has a passion for teaching and performing all types of music from opera to musical theatre to R&B and so much more.