Diane Sare, Founder and Chair Emeritus
In 2014, Diane Sare founded the Schiller Institute NYC Chorus, and is Chair Emeritus of the Board. Diane grew up in Maine, in a musical family of scientists and doctors. Her mother, a biochemist, played clarinet and piano, as well as running the Arcady Music Festival in Bar Harbor. Her father, a medical doctor, played the trumpet, and they were all regulars in the town band that played every summer on the Village Green.
Diane went on to study music education and trombone performance at the New England Conservatory of Music, and became active in the International Schiller Institute, which promoted a true dialogue among civilizations, and the right of every human being to progress, which resonated with her New England Quaker upbringing.
In the 1990s, Diane created and directed a children's chorus for the Schiller Institute's Washington DC production of Through the Years, a play written by Civil Rights heroine Amelia Boynton Robinson, which had within the play over 20 African American Spirituals.
The renowned accompanist and vocal coach, Sylvia Olden Lee, became Diane's teacher and mentor in the performance of Spirituals during this time. Her leadership of the chorus since its inception continues to be an inspiration for its members and she remains active as a conductor and sings in the soprano section.
Jennifer Ann Pearl, Chair
Jen Pearl is a soprano, conductor, and voice instructor, and her background includes classical vocal studies in the Italian bel canto method, and study and performance of the African-American Spiritual, both as a choral conductor and soloist.
As a young singer she both sang in and observed the Schiller institute-hosted master classes with the late Bass-baritone, William Warfield and Metropolitan Opera vocal coach, Sylvia Olden Lee. This helped shape her life-long commitment to the Schiller Institute's and international LaRouche movement's mission of sparking a Classical Renaissance.
Jen is currently on the voice faculty at South Shore Conservatory (Hingham, MA), EKS Music School (Quincy, MA), maintains a private vocal studio in her home, and is the founder and conductor of the Schiller Boston Community Chorus. She is thrilled to be the newly elected Chair of the Schiller Institute NYC Chorus Board of Trustees and looks forward to continuing the mission of the chorus.
Megan Dobrodt
Megan Dobrodt is a teacher, flute player and choral conductor, and is a Board member-at-large of the Schiller Institute NYC Chorus. She studied at Indiana University with students of Thomas Robertello, and has performed in orchestras and ensembles from Boston to New York to the Washington DC area. She is active in both the science and music work of the Washington DC-based Schiller Institute and chairs its Board of Directors. Megan sings in the alto section and co-directs the class & lecture program of the chorus.
John Sigerson
John Sigerson is the principal conductor, music director, and Vice-Chair of the Board of the Schiller Institute NYC Chorus. He is also a founding member and music director of the Schiller Institute, and has worked for decades with Schiller Institute Founder Helga Zepp-LaRouche and her husband Lyndon LaRouche to bring about a Renaissance of Classical musical composition and performance. His musical education includes study with contrabass soloist Gary Karr, and tenor voice with Mexico’s José Briano and Italy’s Antonella Banaudi.
In 1992, he co-authored A Manual on the Rudiments of Tuning and Registration in which the general argument is presented why Classical music must be based on a fixed tuning of A=432 cycles per second. Sigerson has directed choruses for the Schiller Institute in Europe, Mexico, Colombia, and the United States, and enjoys singing an occasional concert of Classical German Lieder.
Nancy Guice
Nancy is the Alto Section leader and a conductor of the Schiller Institute NYC Chorus.
She has been singing in professional-level choirs since age 15 including the Ontario Youth Choir (5 years) LDSS Chorus (Listowel District Secondary School Chorus, award-winning high school choir), and the UWO Faculty of Music Singers. After obtaining her Bachelor of Music Degree at the University of Western Ontario, she sang with The Tudor Singers of Montreal (L'Ensemble Vocal Tudor) for 2 years before joining the cadre of the Schiller Institute.
Since that time Nancy has been organizing for a classical, cultural renaissance and in this capacity has continued solo and choral singing, most recently as an original member of the SINYC Chorus. During the isolation time of Covid 19, she initiated and did production work on the virtual rehearsals and performances of the chorus and has recently joined the Board of Directors.
John Scialdone
Son of Neapolitan and Sicilian immigrants, John Scialdone was raised on the accordion and the space program in the Finger Lakes region of New York. A piano technician for over 40 years, and a private pilot since age 16, John is Secretary-Treasurer and sings in the baritone section of the Schiller Institute NYC Chorus. He is married to Margaret, an avid pianist since age 5, who sings in the alto section.
PAST DIRECTORS
Dr. Lisa Bryce
Lisa Bryce, Soprano is a native New Yorker, has a Doctorate in Music Education and is Board member-at-large of the Schiller Institute NYC Chorus. Lisa has lived in Italy and Germany, and performed Oratorio, Opera Concerts and Art Song throughout Europe. Lisa Bryce is a Public School Music Teacher, and also provides Music and voice instruction to University and Conservatory students, adults and children. Dr. Bryce was a voice coach, conductor, and co-directed the music skills program of the chorus, and served on the Board from July 2020 to July 2022.
