The Singers

Liz Belden

Stephanie Brown

Tommy Castle joined DMVAE as a tenor in the fall of 2014. He graduated from Loras College in Dubuque, IA with degrees in both Music and Public Relations. Tommy is an Account Manager for an Information Technology company here in Des Moines. In his free time, Tommy enjoys swimming, biking, running, and has completed 30 + triathlons over the past 5 years including two Ironman Races. He lives with his wife Alice in West Des Moines, IA.

Emily Chafa began singing with the Des Moines Vocal Arts Ensemble during the 2010-2011 season. She also sings in the Plymouth Church Chancel Choir and the Chorale. For many years, Emily was a singing member of the Des Moines Choral Society and served 2 years as President of that organization. Emily and her husband Brad spend their free time attending Iowa Cubs games and Cyclone football and basketball games. Emily served on several state and local professional and civic nonprofit boards over the years, including the DMVAE Board of Directors. Emily continues to serve the legal profession through leadership positions with several national, state and local bar associations. She occasionally sings the national anthem for the Iowa Cubs and other events. 

José Clavell-Acosta joined the ensemble in the 2015-2016 season. Originally from Ponce, Puerto Rico. José started to sing when he was in middle school. He studied in the Juan Morel Campos Music Institute where he sang in all choirs and fell in love with choir music. He studied in the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico where he sang in the Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, and Ars Antiqua, a Renaissance ensemble he co-founded. He has sung around Puerto Rico, the United States and Canada. Before coming to the Midwest, Clavell was a founding member of the semi-professional choir The Ponce Municipal Chorale. He recently finished a Masters in Choral Conducting from Western Illinois University. He currently lives in Grimes, Iowa and works as the Director of Worship and Traditional Music in Ankeny First United Methodist Church.

Mackenzie Donais is a new member of DMVAE. She is a recent graduate from Drake University and is currently working at Norwalk Middle School as their Vocal and Show Choir Director. Her hometown is the suburb of Apple Valley, Minnesota and has always been surrounded by a family of educators. She has sung in choir and has enjoyed the experience since elementary school. She is excited to grow with DMVAE throughout this season.

Bridget Edwards joined DMVAE in 2024 and is excited to sing in an ensemble again. A long-time music lover, she played in the Hawkeye Marching Band and Urbandale Community Band, and sang in the Coro Universitario di Firenze and the Sweet Adeline’s of Central Iowa. 

Bridget spends most of her time with her wife and two young daughters. She also loves to be outside and enjoys reading.

Zoey Erixon joined DMVAE in 2023 after taking a 10+ year break from ensemble singing. Growing up, she was very involved in band, choir, and speech, and sang in everything from Iowa All State Choir to her school’s jazz and A Cappella groups. She also enjoyed producing and promoting live events throughout college and her early career, with experience ranging from working at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco to marketing events across Iowa like Mission Creek, 80/35, and Hinterland music festivals.

Outside of her love for music, Zoey is a mental health therapist who feels honored to support teenage and adult clients navigating life’s many challenges. She specializes in working with anxiety, trauma, and ADHD. In her free time, Zoey enjoys life with her husband, cats, and dog, indulging in reality TV, channeling her inner movie critic, and tackling the DMPL’s yearly Reading Challenge.

Erin Fast joined DMVAE in 2023. With a passion for music that has been ingrained in her since childhood, Erin’s voice has become her artistic outlet, bringing her joy and fulfillment. In her professional life, Erin channels her compassionate nature into the realm of charitable giving. Her career path aligns with her values, allowing her to make a meaningful impact in the community. She lives in Beaverdale with her family and enjoys reading, yoga, book club with friends and traveling.

Lori Fenton is a native of northwest Iowa, growing up in Sioux City and attending Buena Vista College. She has lived in Des Moines since the fall of 1994 and currently works for Global Atlantic Financial Group. She is a member of Plymouth Congregational Church where she sings with the Chancel Choir. She is also an avid handbell ringer and rings with the Des Moines Concert Handbells. Lori joined the ensemble in the fall of 2007 and currently serves as Board Treasurer.

Timothy Fitzgerald has been a member and past board member for VAE since 2001. He studied Vocal Music at Grandview University (College Campus) and has performed since the age of 8 in several groups, including the YMCA Boys Chorus and Bell Ringers, the Choral Bell Ringers, Lincoln High School, Matins Choir of Plymouth Church, and Grandview College Choir under the Direction of Carol Stewart. Tim is also a past board member and vocalist for Plymouth Chancel Choir and the Howells Scholars of St Paul’s Episcopalian in DSM. Currently, he is the Director of Dining Services, and “well-seasoned” Executive Chef for Eurest, Compass Group USA.

Kailey Gering joined DMVAE in the fall of 2021. Kailey is originally from Madison, WI but moved to Des Moines after graduating from Luther College in 2020. At Luther, Kailey sang in many choirs, including the Nordic Choir. She graduated with a Major in Music Education and now teaches middle school general music and choir at McCombs Middle School in Des Moines. Kailey is excited to be in her second year with DMVAE!

Alexander Gray

Brett Gregory

Ken Hanson grew up in the small western Iowa town of Castana. He received a B.S in Hotel Restaurant Management from ISU where he sang in the Concert Choir and Iowa State Singers. He has sung in church choirs in Ames and Urbandale as well as in the Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus for over 20 years. For work he is the Jail Services Supervisor for Polk County where he oversees the foodservice and warehouse operations. He also serves on several boards. He is the past chair of the Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals. He currently serves on the Nutrition Foodservice & Education Foundation and is the Chair of the Certifying Board for Dietary Managers. He also serves on the board of the First Friday Breakfast Club and chairs their scholarship committee awarding scholarships to high school seniors who work to fight homophobia and discrimination. Ken has three grown children and two grandchildren. He lives in Ankeny with his husband Wade. They enjoy gardening, camping, traveling, and doing their best to spoil the grandkids. 

Katie Harper-Griffith joined DMVAE in the spring of 2024. She is originally from Coralville, IA, and went to Iowa State University for her undergraduate degree. She spent the last 4 years in Colorado getting her Master’s in Vocal Performance from the University of Northern Colorado and singing with various opera companies along the front range. She and her husband moved back to Iowa to be near their families and are enjoying spending time with their sister-in-law and new niece. Katie also enjoys reading, playing handbells, doing yoga, and being outside. 

Jeff Hauser

Adrian Horras has joined the DMVAE for the first time this 2023/2024 season as a baritone. With a BA General Music, Adrian has performed operas at the University of Northern Iowa, opera scenes in Sweden, and choral concerts in Spain. After graduating in 2020, he began working for a national banking institution where he is now an Account Service Representative. He currently lives in Johnston, IA, with his fiancé, Autumn, and their dog, Buddy. In his free time, he enjoys playing tabletop games with friends and volunteering at his local church.

Sue Hoss has been an alto in DMVAE since she moved to Des Moines in 1998. For over 25 years she made a living in food media until taking a hard left turn into a new career last spring — she’s now the Office and Company Manager at Des Moines Metro Opera. She still cooks — she just doesn’t get paid for it. Sue lives in Beaverdale with her two cats, Bennie and Birdie.

John Kalish

Melanie Keiper joined DMVAE as an alto in 2014. She grew up in Cedar Rapids and Benton County and was in the A Cappella Choir and Chamber Singers at Central College. She previously sang with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra Chorus in Birmingham, The City Choir of Washington – performing at the Kennedy Center and A Capitol Fourth on PBS, the Montgomery Chorale, and numerous church choirs. Melanie has returned to Iowa after living around the world and is currently an Assistant Federal Defender with the Federal Public Defender’s Office.

Ellie Korpi

Emma Krull joined DMVAE in 2015 after graduating from Simpson College with a Music Education degree. At Simpson, she performed in the Chamber Choir, the Madrigal Singers, and the operas. Emma is an elementary music teacher and is enjoying her ninth year of teaching, the last three of which have been with Carlisle schools. Emma also sings with the new Des Moines Early Music Ensemble and is an active member of the Des Moines Metro Opera Guild. She lives in Des Moines with her husband, Josh, and two cats, Franz and Ralph, and in her spare time loves to play volleyball, go to concerts, and read.

Stephanie Lau is a new member of DMVAE. She lives in Ankeny with her husband and two dogs. She is grateful for the opportunity to make beautiful music with such welcoming and talented musicians. 

Desiree Law

Katherine McKibben joined the ensemble in 2018. She graduated from Central College in Pella, IA, where she sang in the A Cappella Choir and was involved in the theatre department. Katherine earned her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and works as a data analyst at Farm Bureau Financial Services. She lives in Altoona with her husband and two dogs. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing piano, and going for walks with the dogs.

Reagan Mann began singing with the DMVAE in the fall of 2022. She fell in love with the vocal music world in high school and continues to sing in church on a regular basis. She graduated from Highland Canine School for Dog Trainers’s Master program and now owns Mann’s Best Friends, a dog training and boarding business in the Des Moines area. Reagan enjoys playing violin, writing, and working in the youth ministry programs through Community of Christ.

Sarah McDougal is a member of the soprano section and has sung with DMVAE since 2004. A lifelong musician, Sarah minored in voice and violin at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  She previously sang with the Nebraska Choral Arts Society and the Clarion Chamber Chorale, and is currently a member of the Howells Scholars at St Paul’s Cathedral. Outside of singing, Sarah enjoys a career at The Principal Financial Group, Husker football and living in Beaverdale with her cat, Tosca. Sarah served on the DMVAE board for ten years.

Maggie Mendenhall

Ben Meyer joined the Des Moines Vocal Arts Ensemble in the fall of 2022. Originally from Waukee, IA, Ben returned to the Des Moines area after graduating from Luther College in 2022. At Luther, Ben sang with the Nordic Choir, the Luther College Opera Theater, and minored in vocal performance. Currently, he is also a member of the Plymouth Congregational Church Music Staff and the Des Moines Choral Society. Outside of music, Ben works as an emergency medical technician and is actively applying to medical school.

Eric Mohlis currently serves on the Board of Directors for DMVAE and sings Tenor II in the ensemble. Mohlis is Director of Choral Activities at Dallas Center-Grimes High School where he conducts three curricular choirs including the flagship ensemble DCG Singers. He also directors the varsity jazz choir Dissonance. He joined Dallas Center-Grimes High School in 2015 where he has overseen its growth and expanded the program into five curricular choirs, four jazz choirs, and two show choirs. He also has developed Peer Music, a music class specifically created to meet the needs of the special education students at DCG.

Dan Montgomery has been singing in the bass section for a long, long time. So long that he can no longer remember his first season with the ensemble. His favorite memory is singing “I’ll be Back” from Hamilton in the annual cabaret show. He hopes his lasting contributions to DMVAE will be two original works composed for the ensemble; “Benediction” by Rene Clausen in memory of his beloved sister Kay and “Keep Watch” by Tim Takach in thanksgiving for his recovery from cancer.  He believes the most enjoyable aspects of rehearsal are receiving side-eye from Susie Stageberg and Sarah McDougal, both of whom have perfect pitch.

Shawn Mullen, a Drake University graduate with a degree in music business, has been with DMVAE since 2009. His career includes roles with the Des Moines Symphony and as Director of Marketing for the Louisville Orchestra. After returning to Hastings, Nebraska, he was a principal percussionist and board member of the Hastings Symphony. Now back in Des Moines, Shawn serves as President and Chief Energy Officer of Protex Central, Inc., is a past president of DMVAE and the Rotary Club of Des Moines, and remains active at Grace United Methodist Church. He and his wife, Sharilynn, have four children and a puggle named Tucker Biff.

Joseph Mullin has been a member of DMVAE since 2024. Originally from Creston, Joseph is a graduate of the University of Iowa, where he played in the Hawkeye Marching Band while earning his degree in biomedical engineering. Joseph currently works for Biolife Plasma Services in quality assurance. In addition to singing with DMVAE, Joseph plays horn and violin in the Simpson College Community Orchestra and the Des Moines Gamer Symphony Orchestra, and rings with the Des Moines Concert Handbells. Joseph is an avid composer and has arranged several works for DMCH and DMGSO. He currently serves as Music Director for Province 26 of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity. Joseph lives in Des Moines with his wife Cassandra.

Carol Palmer became a member of DMVAE in 2010 and recently joined the VAE Board. She was an audience favorite at many local theaters around town having appeared in numerous musicals since the mid-80s. Carol and her husband, Dan Chase, were professional actors for Jest Murder Mysteries for 12 years and performed in a five-state area. She has been employed at Principal for nearly 40 years. Being around cats and listening to 70s music keeps Carol very happy.

Hailey Parrish‘s love of music began as an 8 year old, taking piano lessons from a local church pianist. She later learned the violin, and began playing and singing in church on a regular basis. She continued her musical journey as a student at Indian Hill Community College, participating in choir, jazz band, piano and vocal lessons, and musical theater during her two years there. Her simple interest in music quickly grew into a desire to teach and share music with others.

Her passion for instruction and conducting a student-led women’s group led her to transfer to Simpson College for a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education. This gave her the opportunity to teach music in the Des Moines and Waukee public school districts. Hailey occupied the title of Director of Choral Activities at Central Lee Community Schools in Donnellson, Iowa for the 2016-2017 school year. She taught classes in music including four curricular choral ensembles, general music, music appreciation, music theory, two show choir ensembles, and private vocal and piano lessons. For the next two school years, Hailey worked at Davis County Community Schools as a Kindergarten through 5th grade general music teacher. She is currently the Administrative Assistant for a Home Health Agency in Chariton IA, and greatly enjoys her experience singing with the Des Moines Vocal Arts Ensemble!

Originally from Ankeny, Iowa, Kourtlin Pearson studied Music Education at the University of Lincoln – Nebraska. Upon returning to the Des Moines Metro area, Kourtlin taught vocal music to 7th through 12th grade students in public schools for 8 years and gave private vocal lessons from her home for 2 years. She is currently an Executive Assistant at Vero Health Center in West Des Moines. In her free time, Kourtlin loves to eat great food, paint/create, read, and catch up on USA Artistic Gymnastics (the only sport she really cares about or follows at all :D). She keeps busy volunteering for a non profit, Walk With You, and doing life with her husband (Justin) and dog (Finley).

Libby Pederson studied Advertising and Public Relations at Michigan State University before traveling to New York City and Nashville where she used her Communications skill to work in the music industry promoting world-renowned artists for a number of years before returning to her native city of Des Moines. As a child, preteen and teen she took part in jazz voice lessons, chamber and show choirs. She joined DMVAE in the Fall of 2024 as a way to get reacquainted with her roots and love for singing and music. Outside of DMVAE, she works as Member Outreach and Marketing Director with the Iowa Association of School Boards, volunteers as a Community Educator and Young Adult Support Group Lead with the Alzheimer’s Association, and spends much of her time reining in her furry, and very excitable dog, Zazu.

Scott Perrin recently retired from a civilian career with the US Navy as a nuclear engineer. He joined DMVAE in 2024. He has sung in Episcopal and Anglican church choirs for many years, including week-long guest choirs providing daily service music at three different cathedrals in England. He has played the trombone since 5th grade and now occasionally also plays the double bell euphonium. Scott grew up in Mason City and lived on both coasts during his career. His non-musical interests include travel, history, vintage cars, and returning the interior of his recently purchased 1960 brick ranch house back to its mid-century modern decor.

Cody Pfau joined DMVAE in Fall 2022.  He is a data engineer who moved back to Iowa in July 2022 after living out of state since 2005, and has enjoyed finding a group of like-minded musicians in the Des Moines Vocal Arts Ensemble!

Peter Roberts

Greg Rohlf joined DMVAE in 2023. He moved back to Iowa in 2018 and lives in Johnston with his wife and three children. He enjoys cycling, gardening and cooking. He is on the faculty at Drake University where he teaches History.

Hanna Sampsel is excited to join the DMVAE for the 23-24 season. She graduated from Central College in 2017 with a BA in vocal music. She is also part of the Howells Scholars under the direction of Mark Babcock at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Des Moines. She currently lives in Johnston with her sister and cat and works in West Des Moines. She enjoys reading when she has the time and mental energy to do so.

Sara Schultz joined DMVAE in 2011 after moving back to the Midwest from North Carolina. She is originally from St. Joseph, MO and received her bachelors in biology from University of Central Missouri in 1999. She sang in the Piedmont Chamber Singers for 8 years in NC, the St. Joseph Community Chorus as well as various University choirs, church choirs, the Christian group New Generation Singers, and a barbershop quartet. After years in the animal healthcare field she now works as the Nursery Coordinator for Lutheran Church of Hope WDM. Sara and her husband Jeremy reside in Waukee where she raises her three young daughters and cares for her plethora of pets!

Earl Sides has sung with Vocal Arts from 1991-1993, 1995-2016, and rejoined Vocal Arts in 2022. A native of La Porte City, IA, Earl is a graduate of Luther College (BA Music) and Drake University (MM Choral Conducting) and was a member of the Luther College Nordic Choir and Drake Choir, respectively. He has also sung with the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Metropolitan Chorale, the Des Moines Choral Society, and the South Dakota Symphony Chorus in Sioux Falls. Earl works as a customer service representative for a homeschool curriculum company and lives in Indianola with his wife, Kathy, daughter Maggie, four cats, and a dog. He and Kathy are also the parents of three adult children – Ben, Sam, and Emily. When not singing or working, he enjoys reading, watching Star Trek, and rooting for the Chicago Cubs and Minnesota Vikings.

Nathanael Smale has been singing with DMVAE since 2021. He is a Simpson College alum, having received both his Bachelor of Music in Music Education in 2018 and his Master of Music in Choral Conducting in 2021. He began teaching K-5 General Music in the Indianola Community School District for one year. For the past five years, Nathanael has been teaching at Norwalk High School, where he is currently the Director of Choral Activities. He conducts three curricular ensembles, directs the varsity extracurricular show choir, and co-directs the annual spring musical. In his free time, Nathanael enjoys spending time with friends and family, trying new foods, and singing musical theatre.

Chuck Smith is an actuary and worked for Principal Financial Group for many years. He attended Oberlin College in Ohio where he sang with the Oberlin College Choir. Since moving to Des Moines he has been singing bass in the Plymouth Congregational Church Chancel Choir and Chorale. He joined DMVAE in 2004. He is the Secretary for the Ensemble and a member of the Bord. In his spare time he enjoys ballroom dancing, piloting airplanes, and traveling.

Dylan Smith

Paul Stageberg has been a choral singer since childhood, growing up in a Lutheran church with a strong choral tradition. For 30 years, he sang with the St. John’s Lutheran Cathedral Choir. Paul has been a member of the Des Moines Vocal Arts Ensemble almost since its beginning. He has also sung locally with the Howells Scholars and the Des Moines Choral Society. In his professional life he holds a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice Administration and is retired from the Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning in the Iowa Department of Human Rights.

Susie Stageberg has been singing in choirs since her school days in Champaign, Illinois. She moved to Des Moines in 1988, and joined the Des Moines Vocal Arts Ensemble in 1991. She is a past Vice President of the organization. In addition to the Vocal Arts Ensemble, Susie has sung in the St. John’s Lutheran Church Cathedral Choir and the Howells Scholars.  Since her 2013 retirement from her position as Reader Advisor at the Iowa Library for the Blind, she has more time to read, cook, knit, cheer for the Iowa Hawkeyes and Chicago Bears, and spend time with her grown children and granddaughter. Susie and her husband, Tenor Paul Stageberg, live in Clive and share their home with numerous pets and Susie’s Seeing Eye dog, Becky.

A graduate of Simpson college, Nate Stone has sung with DMVAE for three years as well as began singing with the Chancel Choir for the United Methodist Church of Ankeny this spring. When not singing, Nate enjoys playing and taking care of his two dogs and one cat, creating workout plans, and watching anything Star Wars.

Becky Strope-Boggus

Nick Tann joined the Des Moines Vocal Arts Ensemble as a baritone in 2023. An Iowa State University graduate, Nick briefly sang with the Iowa State Singers, experiencing the thrill of traveling to Australia with them. Professionally, he is a creative and marketing professional, working remotely for a global business events association based in Chicago. Nick lives in Norwalk with his husband and their beloved pets, a collie and a cat.

Annie Taugher began singing with the DMVAE in 2024. She graduated from Coe College in 2021 with degrees in international studies and French. She works at the Iowa AEYC as an administrative specialist and lives with her husband Aaron in West Des Moines. 

Gloria Thielking is a founding member of DMVAE which performed their first concert in the spring of 1991. Over the years, Gloria has served as treasurer, librarian, and has been on the DMVAE board. Before DMVAE, she was also an original member of the Des Moines Choral Society in 1979. She has also enjoyed singing in the chorus of several productions with the Des Moines Metro Opera. In real life, Gloria and her husband, Armin, have two adult sons, Garrett (Anne) and Aaron. She is a retired physician assistant. 

Kirsten Vander Linden has been singing with DMVAE since 2021. She has been in Des Moines since 2018 after graduating from Luther College in Decorah, IA. While at Luther, Kirsten sang in 4 different choirs over her 4 years of school – one of which included the amazing Nordic Choir. Originally from Minnesota, Kirsten is an Iowa “implant” who now enjoys the many bike trails the state has to offer, along with all of the great breweries. When Kirsten is not singing or on her bike, she enjoys spending quality family time with her husband Britton and two dogs – Roscoe and Kora.