About Us
What is the Huntsville Master Chorale?
The Huntsville Master Chorale is a chamber ensemble dedicated to providing choral excellence for the Tennessee Valley. This group, originally the Eugene Brasher Chorale, was founded in 1998 by Dr. Eugene Brasher, who served as the director until his retirement in December of 2005. Handy Avery then served as Interim Director for the remainder of that year and the name was changed to Huntsville Master Chorale. Tom Dooling was appointed to lead the Chorale in the summer of 2006. Tom served as music director through the spring season of 2009. In June of 2009, our current music director, Dr. Erin Colwitz, was chosen.
About Our Director
Erin Colwitz, a native of Green Bay, Wisconsin, received her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She later completed the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California in choral music. Dr. Colwitz studied conducting with William Dehning, David Wilson, Magen Solomon, and Claire McCoy. At USC, she was awarded a full teaching assistantship as conductor of the Thornton Oriana Choir, the University's only women's chorus, a post she held from 2003-2006.
In Minnesota, Dr. Colwitz was a full-time vocal and general music teacher at Centennial Middle School. As a professional singer, Dr. Colwitz was contracted to sing with the Dale Warland Singers in 1999. She can be heard on three of their albums, one of which was nominated for a Grammy: Dominick Argento’s Walden Pond (2003) on Gothic Records.
In Los Angeles, Dr. Colwitz was a member of the choral music faculty at California State University, Fullerton where she conducted the women’s choir and taught music education courses. She also served as the Director of Music at St. Victor Catholic Church in West Hollywood from 2003-2008, where she conducted the church choir and guest orchestra in weekly services, feast day services, and large choral works such as Duruflé's Requiem, Opus 9, and Handel's Messiah.
Dr. Colwitz is currently the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. She conducts the Chamber Choir and Concert Choir, teaches conducting, choral education methods and diction classes, as well as private voice. Dr. Colwitz serves frequently as guest conductor, contest adjudicator and choral clinician throughout Alabama.
Dr. Colwitz lives in Jones Valley with her husband, Dr. William Dehning, an accomplished conductor, Emeritus Professor, and published author, and their very silly golden retriever, Sam.
About Our Accompanists
Sharon Keffer is the Minister of Music at Huntsville First Church of the Nazarene, where she has served for over thirteen years. She is actively involved in the community as an accompanist and is in her fourth season of accompanying the Huntsville Master Chorale. Several schools in the area including Mountain Gap Middle School, The Academy for Academics and Arts, Stone Middle School and Hazel Green High School have engaged Sharon as an accompanist for various concerts, district and state festivals and solo and ensemble competitions. In addition, she works in the band room at Mountain Gap Middle School where she provides administrative support for a program of over two hundred students. In her spare time Sharon enjoys being a band mom at Grissom High School where her youngest child plays in the Symphonic I and Marching Tiger Bands. She also likes biking, cooking and volunteering in the soccer and basketball programs at her church.
Dr. Frank Contreras is a member of the music faculty at Oakwood University and is the organist at both Temple B’Nai Sholom and First Presbyterian Church here in Huntsville. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from West Virginia University, his Master of Music degree from East Carolina University, and his Bachelor of Music degree from Millikin University. He has also studied at The Royal School of Church Music and the Monterey Institute of International Studies. He holds the Artist’s Diploma from the American College of Musicians. As a soloist, Frank has performed with the Huntsville Symphony on several occasions.