About Us
Down East Singers, founded in 1979 by Marion Gray, is a musical organization specifically incorporated to create opportunities for participation and enrichment for community members to perform quality choral music under professional leadership and to bring affordable live choral music performances to community audiences. This experience enables those with talent and musical interest to develop their musical potential, while at the same time striving for excellence in musical performance.
A non-auditioned chorus, Down East Singers generally has 60–70 members in any given season ranging in age from highschoolers to seniors. The members' musical experience varies widely. Some have sung in different choruses for years; others are new or are resuming their interest in singing after an absence of many years. Almost all sang in high school or college choruses and some received formal vocal training or continue to study music and take lessons today. Chorus members represent a wide variety of professions and come from many mid-coast communities. All share an interest in singing a classical repertoire under the direction of a nationally-recognized Artistic Director and a superb accompanist.
Down East Singers is a nonprofit corporation organized under the laws of the State of Maine and is recognized by the IRS as a tax exempt entity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Gifts to Down East Singers are tax deductible.
Artistic Director
Anthony Antolini has been Artistic Director of Down East Singers since
1991. He graduated from Bowdoin College and holds graduate degrees
in music and Slavic Studies from Stanford University. In high school in
New York his musical mentor was conductor Thomas Dunn. His
conducting teachers include Harold C. Schmidt (Stanford University),
Charlene Archibeque (San Jose State University), Helmuth Rilling
(International Bach Academy) and Vladimir Minin (Moscow Chamber
Choir). In 2021 he retired from his position on the faculty at Bowdoin
College where he conducted the Bowdoin Chorus for 30 years. In 1988
he published the first modern, bilingual edition of Sergei
Rachmaninoff’s Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. His award-winning
television documentary on this subject, “Rediscovering Rachmaninoff,”
has been broadcast on public television nationally. In 1999 he was a
featured speaker at the national convention of the American Choral
Directors Association (ACDA) and in 2000 at the ACDA convention in
Baltimore, Maryland. His editions of choral music are published by E.C.
Schirmer and Paraclete Press. He was elected by the Maine Chapter of
ACDA as “Conductor of the Year” for the 1999–2000 season. He is also
Music Director at the Episcopal Church of St. John Baptist in Thomaston,
and a faculty member of the New England Suzuki Institute at Colby
College in Waterville. He lives in Cushing with his wife, Ann Greenleaf, a
dog and two cats.
Assistant Artistic Director & Accompanist
Jennifer McIvor became Down East Singers’ accompanist in September 2010 and
Assistant Music Director in 2018. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Loyola
University in New Orleans and a Master of Music in Music Education from New
England Conservatory, where she studied piano with Gabriel Chodos.
Ms. McIvor teaches music at Georgetown Central School and music and art at Southport Central School in addition to her work as a piano teacher at her home studio in Wiscasset. Prior to moving to Maine, she taught at Arlington Catholic School in Arlington, Massachusetts, the Learning Project Elementary School and Newton Preparatory School in Boston, and at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a member of the Music Teachers National Association and the National Association for Music Education.
Chorus Members
Fall 2024 DES Chorus Members
Sopranos
Tessa Antolini
Bridget Conway
Deborah Gillis
Rebecca Hansard
Susan Hyde
Chris McLarty
Tiare Messing
Mary Nelson
Lucy Nutter
Julie Phelps
Anne Roundy
Altos
Jocelyne Arseneau
Marilee Brown
Margery Cuyler
Jean Goldfine
Ann Greenleaf
Charlotte Gulezian
Marsha Hoecker
Rona Hokanson
Emily Jenks
Jeanne Klainer
Susan Klemmer
Ronnie Lester
Carter Myer
Rachel Snow
Demi Sperazza
Susan St. John
Tenors
Alden Anderson
Tina Antolini
Debbie Brady
Jeff Kaufmann
Siobhan Kelly
Benjamin Matos
David Myers-Wakeman
Hayden Sears
Baritones/Basses
Scott Bell
Ross Faneuf
Seth Lester
Bruce Meyer
Jay Pendleton
Nick Railsback
Bill Studebaker
Peter Warren
John Wood
Board Members
Anthony Antolini Artistic Director ex officio
Ross Faneuf President
Rona Hokanson Vice President
Mary Louise Nelson Treasurer
Carter Meyer Secretary
Bruce Meyer
Rebecca Hansard
Anna Rose
Lucy Nutter
Rona Hokanson
Susan Hyde