Spotlight on the Chorale

For several years, the Long Bay Symphony has engaged the CMC as its principal symphonic chorus. The Chorale performs annually on the Long Bay Symphony season series, and the LBS will typically accompany the Chorale on one of its subscription programs. The organizations have collaborated to perform Bach’s St. John Passion, Beethoven’s Mass in C and Symphony no. 9, the Requiems of Mozart, Brahms, and Verdi, Verdi’s Stabat Mater, Schoenberg’s Survivor from Warsaw, Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe, Holst’s The Planets, Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky, Orff’s Carmina Burana, and the opera’s La Traviata of Verdi and Carmen of Bizet.

An impressive list of guest artists has enjoyed performing with the Carolina Master Chorale. Viennese baritone Benno Schollum; mezzo-soprano Kirstin Chavez, world-renowned for her portrayal of the title role in “Carmen”; coloratura soprano Emily Hindrichs, one of the world’s most sought-after young interpreters of the Queen of the Night in “The Magic Flute”; and tenor Mark Vitale, known for his performances throughout Europe of the title role in “Jesus Christ Superstar” and as Tony in “West Side Story” are just a few of the outstanding singers who have appeared with the CMC.

In 2011, America’s most-performed opera composer, Carlisle Floyd, visited Myrtle Beach twice for performance events with Carolina Master Chorale. In February, he was inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame after his nomination by the CMC, and in May, he returned for the first-ever complete performance of “A Time to Dance,” his only work for chorus and orchestra.

Internationally, the CMC has completed numerous performance tours, giving concerts throughout Great Britain, Austria, Italy, Denmark, Germany, the Czech Republic, Spain, and Costa Rica. In June 2012, the Chorale performed tour concerts in Helsinki, Finland; Tallinn, Estonia; and St. Petersburg, Russia. In June 2018, the Chorale performed in Canada, and in June 2024, they traveled to perform in Portugal.

As a partner in the rich cultural diversity of South Carolina, the CMC has generated and accepted collaborations with most of the region’s finest performing arts organizations, such as the Long Bay Symphony, the South Carolina Philharmonic, Theatre of the Republic, Litchfield Dance Arts, and numerous civic, community, and business entities, including the City of Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, South Carolina Hall of Fame, NAACP, and many others.

Education has always been a primary focus of the Carolina Master Chorale. Each year, the Carolina Master Chorale performs for thousands of South Carolina schoolchildren. The CMC’s historical commitment to music education has included performances in Horry County schools and annual appearances before more than a thousand-seventh graders at the Induction Ceremony of the South Carolina Hall of Fame.

Beginning July 1st , 2024 the Grand Strand Voices Youth Choir became the Carolina Youth Chorale expanding the educational reach of the CMC.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS – 2025–2026

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To our wonderful patrons, sponsors, and friends of the Carolina Master Chorale,

It is my great honor to have been invited by the CMC Board of Directors to serve you in the capacity of Interim President for the remainder of our 43rd season. The CMC’s sustainability is largely due to your support. We are forever grateful for the generous contributions which allow us to bring you beautiful music throughout the seasons.

I take this opportunity to personally invite you to become part of the Carolina Master Chorale family. There are many ways for you to get involved, from auditioning as a possible singer to a number of volunteer opportunities. As a volunteer, you may give as little or as much as your schedule allows. As a singer, there is nothing more exciting than rehearsing and performing with our fellow singers, under the stellar tutelage of our Music Director, Dr. Charles Jones Evans. Please contact our office if you are interested in learning more, or speak with me after any concert.

Please follow us on social media so you do not miss any of the many CMC updates and “extras”, such as our upcoming live holiday performances on WMBF, the CMC’s partner, for whose sponsorship we are so thankful!

I encourage you to invite your friends and family - who may not have experienced the power of great choral music – to attend a performance. In the immortal words of the great Elton John, “Music has healing power. It has the ability to take people out of themselves for a few hours!”

Judi Adams, Interim President
Carolina Master Chorale

2025 - 2026 Board of Directors

Judi Adams - Interim President

Terry Poplava - Vice President

Audrey Farrell - Secretary

Barbara Mousaw - Treasurer

Terri Springs

Kevin Lamm

Terry Shumway

Ex-Officio Board Members

Norma Culler

THE ARTISTIC AND ADMINISTRATION STAFF

Amelia Bigler

Welcome our Guest Conductor for April, Amelia Rollings Bigler, PhD, MM, PAVA-RV. Dr. Bigler currently serves as Associate Professor of Voice and Voice Pedagogy at Coastal Carolina University (CCU) in Conway, SC. Dr. Rollings Bigler holds a PhD in Vocal Pedagogy from The University of Kansas and a MM in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from The Pennsylvania State University. Operatic, oratorio, and musical theatre roles include the soprano soloist in Verdi’s Requiem, Third Norn in Wagner’s Götterdämmerung, Lady Billows in Britten’s Albert Herring, Magda Sorel in Menotti’s The Consul, the Witch in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, and Saraghina in Yeston’s Nine. 

The National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and The Voice Foundation selected Dr. Rollings Bigler as the winner of the 2018 Van L. Lawrence Fellowship, awarded yearly to one singing teacher engaged in empirical research.

She was also the first recipient of the NATS Clifton Ware Group-Voice Pedagogy Award and established the Center for Group-Voice Pedagogy and Research at CCU in 2023. Dr. Rollings Bigler was selected to be a NATS Master Teacher for the NATS Intern Program in 2025. She has also served as a Featured Clinician for the NATS Science-Informed Voice Pedagogy Intensive and has completed residencies at Utah State University and Boston Conservatory at Berklee along with workshops at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, the University of Texas at San Antonio, Iowa State University, Collin College, Loyola Marymount University, and Shenandoah Conservatory. This summer, Dr. Rollings Bigler will be an instructor for the St. Andrews Vocal Pedagogy Course in Scotland and the Vocal Pedagogy Professional Workshop at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Dr. Rollings Bigler won the Edwards College Award for Distinguished Teaching at CCU in 2024.

 

An active researcher in voice pedagogy, Dr. Rollings Bigler has presented her research in such refereed venues as The Voice Foundation Symposium, The International Phenomenon of Singing Symposium, The Singing Network, the Pan-American Vocology Association Symposium, the National Association of Teachers of Singing National Conference, the International Congress of Voice Teachers Symposium, the Fall Voice Conference, the Musical Theatre Educators’ Alliance, and the Ohio State Voice Forum. Her primary research interests include musical theatre and contemporary commercial music (CCM) voice pedagogy, small and large group-voice teaching, historical voice teacher certification and education, and the effects of shoe heel heights, head position, jaw opening and other aspects of body alignment on acoustic and perceptual measures of singing efficiency. Her publication on the effects of high-heeled shoes on singers can be found in the Journal of Voice, the world’s premiere peer-reviewed voice medicine and research journal. Other publications have appeared in The Oxford Handbook of Voice Pedagogy, Journal of Singing, Choral Journal, and Voice and Speech Review.

 

Dr. Rollings Bigler completed a singing voice health practicum experience through the University of Kansas Medical Center under the supervision of laryngologist, Dr. J. David Garnett. Dr. Rollings Bigler currently serves as past president of the Pan-American Vocology Association (PAVA) Board of Directors after serving as the organization’s president, membership director, and co-chair of the Credentialing/Specialization Committee.

 

In addition to her teaching at the university, she currently directs the Chancel Choir at First Presbyterian Church Myrtle Beach. She also maintains an active professional virtual voice studio and voice teacher mentorship and training program through her organization, The Phonation Company. www.ameliarollingsbigler.com

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D. SCOTT FERGUSON

Collaborative Pianist

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D. Scott Ferguson has enjoyed a dynamic career in both performance and music direction. He was a member of the music staff for the Broadway productions ofMary Poppins and Coram Boy. With over twenty national touring production credits, his favorites include Mary Poppins, Les MisérablesCATS, and Kiss of the Spider Woman. He also spent a decade as a Musical Director for the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes’ Christmas Spectacular.

Ferguson holds a degree in Piano Performance from Murray State University, where he was a William G. Broughton Fellow. He continued his studies at the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, and earned a master’s degree in Piano Performance with a focus on Vocal Coaching and Accompanying from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

An active performer, Ferguson collaborates regularly with the Carolina Master Chorale, Southeastern Oratorio Society, Long Bay Symphony, and the Carolina Philharmonic. He is also passionate about teaching and currently serves on the music faculty at Coastal Carolina University.

REBECCA A. DONEVANT

Executive Director

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A native of Myrtle Beach, Rebecca is beginning her 10th year with the Carolina Master Chorale. She previously served as Executive Director for the nonprofit Grand Strand Golf Director's Association for 30 years while also spending 40+ years in the hospitality industry. Her experience in management, marketing, and business brings a wide expanse of knowledge to the Carolina Master Chorale.

She has served on the Board of Directors for the Long Bay Symphony and on the City of Myrtle Beach's Cultural Arts Advisory Committee. Rebecca attended Myrtle Beach schools and is a graduate of the University of South Carolina.

Members Of The Carolina Master Chorale

Soprano

Laura Bradford
Donna McElveen
Janet O'Leary
Courtney Pendleton
Sharman Poplava
Penelope Reed
Suzanne Sharp
Joy Taylor
Ann Thomas
Brooke Brumbaugh
Terry Heins
Cathy Higgins
Katherine Jasmine
Betty Johnston
Sara Morey
Barbara Mousaw
Peggy O’Neil
Sherrie O'Savio
Kathy Ott
Lora Zaccagnino

Alto

Judi Adams
Fran Gilbert
Samantha Martinez
Debbie Rojas
Terry Shumway
Dona Vasey
Donna Winkler
Clare Reigart
Barbara Huunter
Betsy Cowan
Barbara Dickinson
Melody Evans
Rachel Pedersen
Ariel Roebuck
Cindy Verost

Tenor

Tommy Barone
Caleb Elia
Robert Haley
Joseph Segnit
John Guiderian
Gary Hodgins
Andrew Michaels
Tom Mulvin
Matthew Simpson
Larry Wilson

Bass

Albert Evans
John Cochran
Jim Conrad
James Crawford
Randy Page
Terry Poplava
John Steele

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