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
Leah Beardsley
Jenni Chapman
Rebecca Chapman Smith
Ann Chicchi
Betsy Dixon
Marcia Feldman
Julie Ann Glaz
Louise Hyland
Harriet Lindblom
Jacinta McGonigle
Jean Meyers
Sharon Wildnauer
Lora Zaccagnino 
  Alto
Janice Barth
Susan Durst
Linda Gabriel
Diane Hubert
Melissa Kibbe
Diane Lucas
Heidi Meyer
Fran Nimeck
Stephanie Pavlakos
Marcy Pell
Joyce Richardson-Melech
Gail Simmons
Greer Slusark 

 
         
  Tenor
Clif Ashcraft
Miguel A. Cruz
Jonathan Ehrlich
Arnold Feldman
Ken Kohler
Fred Lawson
Paul Tighe
Michael Weaver 

  Bass

Jeffrey Aaron

Andrey Bakin
Jim Brittain
John Chapman
Art Erickson
Richard Fried
Vladimir Lojko

György Schiff
Richard Roy
Gabriel Spector 

 

Philomusica's Executive Board Members

  • President: Arnold Feldman
  • Vice President: Judy Pastorio
  • Treasurer: Louise Hyland
  • Secretary: Ann Chicchi
  • Members-at-Large: Jean Meyers, Jim Brittain

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East Brunswick, New Jersey, USA 08816
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