Biographies

Gary Witley, Artistic Director and Conductor

Gary Witley has been involved with Masterworks Choral Ensemble since its inception in 1981, and is currently Artistic Director, Conductor, and Business Manager. He has directed choirs for The Evergreen State College and South Puget Sound Community College. He has been music director for Presbyterian, Methodist, Catholic, and Brethren churches in California and Washington. Mr. Witley has an A.A. degree in Music, from Santa Barbara City College, a B.A. degree in Choral Conducting from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and an M.A. in Educational Technology from City University in Seattle. In March 2004, he was an adjudicator at the San Francisco Choral Festival sponsored by World Projects Corporation. Mr. Witley has been a music specialist in public schools for 22 years and is currently employed by the Tenino School District and the Olympia Waldorf School teaching chorus and recorders to grade 5 thru 8.

Mr. Witley has helped Masterworks grow from its beginnings as a 40-member non-auditioned choir to an auditioned choir of over 85 singers. He has been the group’s principle conductor since 1981. Mr. Witley also founded, directs, and sings with the Masterworks Singers, a smaller ensemble that performs for community and private events, and participates in Masterworks concert programs.

Additionally, Mr. Witley is a composer and arranger. Collaborating with Vonda Witley as poet/lyricist, they created an 8-movement choral/orchestra work in 2006 called “Come, Union.” They also created an original production for Masterworks in December 1999 called “Seasonal Celebrations.” This choral-theater show—with narrator, adult and children’s choruses, dance, costumes and sets—traced Solstice and Christmas traditions from 1000 AD to 2000 AD. Mr. Witley’s three musicals for young voices, “One Earth,” “Once Upon a Rainforest,” and “What Makes Me, Me?” focus on environmental and gender equity issues.

Angi Swan, Accompanist

Playing the piano since the age of three, Angi grew up in a musical home and was soon accompanying church services, choirs, musicals, and soloists. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor’s in Music Education, and earned her Kodaly certification at the University of St. Thomas. She has taught elementary vocal music and worked as both organist and bell choir director in various churches. Angi has sung with the Fort Dodge Choral Society, and the Masterworks Choral Ensemble. She currently teaches private piano lessons and is a choir director at the First United Methodist Church in Olympia. She also teaches 4th and 5th grade vocal music in the Olympia School District. Angi and her husband, Patrick, live in Olympia and have three daughters.

Elizabeth Berndt, Assistant Rehearsal Accompanist

Following her choral conducting studies under Ron Jeffers at Oregon State University, Elizabeth attended The Conservatory of Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart, Germany studying voice, piano and conducting. She holds Bachelors Degrees in Music and Music Education, with emphasis in Choral Conducting, and a Masters Degree in Education.

Elizabeth taught high school music for ten years during which time she also accompanied the German American Choir in Stuttgart. She was a soprano singer and rehearsal director for the Karlshöhe Kontorei for nine years before returning to the United States. She is currently director and founder of Mason County's Harstine Community Choir.