Dennis Boyle, Musical Director

Dennis Boyle, music director and conductor of Philomusica since 1982, has studied with such world-class conductor/teachers of the choral art as Robert Shaw, Vance George, Margaret Hillis, Dennis Keene, Robert Page, Gregg Smith and Jon Washburn. He has adapted and shaped their techniques into his own unique style for achieving a translucent ensemble sound.

Mr. Boyle has considerable experience as a choral singer who well understands vocal problems and potentials. He has sung under Dave Brubeck, Margaret Hillis, Henry Lewis, and Robert Shaw with the Mostly Mozart Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, and the New Jersey Symphony in such venues as New York’s Carnegie and Avery Fisher Halls, the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and on England’s BBC Cambridge Radio Station.

A well-respected conductor in New Jersey, Mr. Boyle founded and served as Music Director and Conductor of the Woodlyn Chorale, was Assistant Conductor of the Summit Chorale, was the first Music Director and Conductor of the Highland Park Community Chorus, founded and currently directs Diaden, a chamber choir. He served as Choral Director at East Brunswick and Highland Park High Schools, where enrollment in both choral programs more than doubled during his tenure. Mr. Boyle was selected for inclusion in Who’s Who in American Teaching 1996, was an Adjunct Professor of Music at Seton Hall University and currently teaches at Rutgers Prep. Mr. Boyle was one of 16 conductors chosen nationwide to be a Conducting Fellow at the 1998 and 1999 Dennis Keene Choral Festivals.

Under Mr. Boyle’s direction, Philomusica has performed in St. Peters Basilica in Rome, St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice, the Duomo in Florence, and Canterbury Cathedral in England. He made his Lincoln Center conducting debut with Philomusica in Avery Fisher Hall on May 28, 2001.


Shea Velloso, Rehearsal Accompanist

Shea Velloso is in his final year of studies as an Organ Performance major at Mason Gross School of the Arts, where he studies with Dr. Antonius Bittmann. He has previously studied with Mark Trautman and Dr. Paul Hollman, and has taken numberous master classes. In 2004, Shea was the recipient of the Elizabeth W. Durmam Award for Performance. He has performed recitals in Jamesburg, New Brunswick, Red Bank, South Amboy, and has performed on the show Pipedreams.

As Director of Music at United Methodist Church at Milltown, Shea is the organist, director of the church’s three choirs and is responsible for planning the church’s concert series. Velloso previously served as Director of Music at the Presbyterian Church of Jamesburg. In addition to his job at the Methodist Church, Shea serves as accompanist for Philomusica Choir, Spotswood High School Chorus, and the Ocean Grove Chamber Singers.


The Voices of Philomusica
The Philomusica singers come from a wide variety of ages, backgrounds, professions, and musical experience from across New Jersey.  This season's singers include:

  Soprano

Olga Bakina

Leah Beardsley

Jennifer Chapman

Ann Chicchi

Betsy Dixon

Marcia Feldman

Louise Hyland

Faith Knabe

Harriet Lindblom

Jean Meyers

Judith Pastorio

Sharon Widnauer

   Alto

Janice Barth

Linda Gabriel

Diane Hubert

Greer Iszlai

Diane Lucas

Heidi Lindbloom Meyer

Michele Olivieri

Stephanie Pavlakos

Marcy Pell

Gail Simmons


  
         
  Tenor

Clif Ashcraft

Tim Cohen

Miguel Cruz

Jonathan Ehrlich

Arnold Feldman

Fred Lawson

Michael Weaver


   Bass

Jeffrey Aaron

Andrey Bakin

Jim Brittain

John Chapman

Art Erickson

Richard Fried

Andrew Laschuk

Vladimir Lojko

  

Philomusica's Executive Board Members

  • President: Arnold Feldman
  • Vice President: Judy Pastorio
  • Treasurer: Andrew Laschuk
  • Secretary: Ann Chicchi
  • Members-at-Large: Louise Hyland, Harriet Lindblom

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