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Richard J. Colla-Artistic Director Richard J. Colla is artistic director and conductor of the Opus Handbell Ensemble. He is also the full-time Minister of Music and Worship at Trinity United Presbyterian Church in Modesto where he has directed a variety of vocal and instrumental ensembles since 1990. Richard joined the Modesto Junior College music faculty on a part-time basis in the spring of 2003. He currently directs the Concert Choir and Chamber Singers and teaches An Introduction to American Popular Music. He has also taught Music Appreciation and Music Fundamentals. Richard has also served as a member of the voice faculty at California State University, Stanislaus, and is an active adjudicator and lecturer. He has presented lectures on a variety of topics including vocal technique and literature, choral literature and methods, as well as handbell techniques. He and his wife, Ginger, also conduct joint workshops in vocal techniques. Richard is very active as a bass-baritone soloist and has appeared extensively in recital, oratorio and opera performances. Richard served a four-year term (1993-1997) as the California State Chair for Repertoire and Standards of Music in Worship for The American Choral Director's Assoc. (ACDA). He has also published articles in The NATS Journal for the National Association of Teachers of Singing, The Cantate California for the American Choral Director's Assoc., and The Journal for the Choral Conductor's Guild. Richard received his bachelor of music degree with honors from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln in vocal performance, and his Master of Music degree at the University of Illinois in choral conducting. Richard and his wife, Ginger, were honored as the recipients of the 2007 Excellence in Arts Awards for music by the Stanislaus Arts Council. Richard’s choir at Trinity (Koinonia Choir) was invited to participate in a performance of John Rutter’s Requiem in New York’s famous Carnegie Hall in 2005. The Koinonia Choir is currently making plans to tour in England next June (2008). As part of that tour, the choir will be participating in the International Church Music Festival in Coventry under the direction of Sir David Wilcox.
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William Aprile
* William is a district music specialist. He teaches beginning orchestra instruments to students in grades four, five and six in six elementary schools and Orchestra Choir at the Junior High School in the Stanislaus Union School District. He performs with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra playing bass and is director of the Junior Division of the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra (MSYO) as well. Will has been playing handbells since 1992, joining The Opus Handbell Ensemble in the Spring of 1996. |
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Judy Aprile Judy’s love of music began with piano lessons when she was five-years-old. Since then she has accompanied choral and instrumental groups, taught early childhood music education, given private piano lessons, directed children’s choirs at church and school, as well as being a 4th grade teacher for the past 23 years. Judy started playing handbells eight years ago and loves being an integral part of an ensemble of musicians. |
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Barbara Bort * Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., Barbara started her music training at the age of five. She has BME and MA degrees in music from Andrews University in Michigan. After moving to California, she played cello with the Modesto Symphony for several years, while teaching private piano and organ lessons. For the last 13 years, Barbara has taught second or third grade in the Ceres schools. She currently is the organist at her church, where she also plays in the handbell ensemble. She plays french horn in the MJC Community Band along with her saxophone-playing husband, Marvin. Barbara also enjoys reading, needlework, and traveling. |
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Marvin Bort Marvin started the study of music in elementary school
back in Ohio. After graduating from high school, he served in the Navy Band for
four years before heading off to college, where he was granted a music degree.
He has taught music for over thirty years. Marvin currently is a music
specialist for the Sylvan School District, teaching at C.F. Brown and Orchard
Schools. He plays all the woodwind instruments, especially the saxophone and
bassoon. He enjoys playing the alto and soprano saxophones in the Modesto Junior
College Community Concert Band. He also is kept busy as the choir director and
handbell director at the Modesto Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Marvin is very
glad to join his wife, Barbara, as a member of Opus Handbell Ensemble. |
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Beth Clause Beth has been involved in instrumental and vocal music for many years. Beginning at age seven, she has played piano and flute and sang in a choir. She graduated from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, where she was a member of the Concert Band, Orchestra, Concert Choir, Collegiate Chorale, and Madrigal Singers, with degrees in Elementary and Special Education. Currently, she enjoys singing with Trinity Presbyterian vocal groups. Beth has taught elementary school for 19 years.
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Terry Halvorson Terry is the founder of Opus. Although he is not an active ringing member of the group, he does still ring with us occasionally, and continues to stay active in handbell ringing in the L. A. area as program director and ringer for Campanile. Terry is pursuing a music degree at Cal. State Northridge, and is a fine Oboe player as well as many other instruments. |
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Janet Johnson This is Janet’s second semester with Opus, but she’s been ringing handbells for seven years with the Sacred Heart Church Choir in Turlock, where she is also the Director of their Thrift Shop. In her spare time Janet enjoys reading, quilting and selling things on eBay. |
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Michele Meenk Originally from Whittier, in Los Angeles County, Michele is a senior at Big Valley Christian High School. She plays (and helps teach) the handbell group at school, and will be conducting a handbell workshop for the younger grades next year, and possibly this summer. Besides the handbells and piano, she also plays the alto saxophone in the band, and is a team player for the varsity softball and soccer programs. Michele also sings in the concert choir at school, and enjoys drama—has performed in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," "Sound of Music" and "Oklahoma" with Southern California Youth Theatre, as well as "Les Miserables" with Townsend Opera Players. Michele is a senior girl scout, and is working on her gold award. She participates in GAM, and goes hiking and backpacking with her troop from southern California. |
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Carl Morris
Photo and Bio to come. |
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Photo to come |
Sally Price Sally was born in Stockton, California, and raised as an “Air Force brat.” She rang five years with Echoes of Joy at Trinity United Presbyterian Church, and with Opus off and on for six years. Sally received her B.A. in Music and Psychology from Wellesley College in Massachusetts and her M.A. in Education from Stanford. She has been a music teacher for 33 years in Turlock at both high schools and at Turlock Junior High. Her adult children are each musically inclined; her son creates music with sampling and plays guitar and bass; her daughter played piano and like her brother, has an eclectic collection on her Ipod. Her husband, Bob, tried a variety of musical instruments while in high school and, thankfully, decided his talents lie elsewhere! He remains an enthusiastic supporter of his musical family. In her scarce free time, Sally enjoys spending time with her family in traveling, going to movies, shopping, and trying out new recipes. |
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Stephen Reddy *
Stephen has been playing handbells off and on since 1986. He’s been ringing with Opus almost a year and a half. Since January, 1988, he’s been Minister of Music at Modesto Church of the Brethren. He’s been active in the ecumenical concerts to benefit Habitat For Humanity, Stanislaus, directing the combined choir on three occasions. Stephen has taught at Marshall Middle School, Edison High School, presently teaching Spanish at Ceres High School. His wife, Jolinda, teaches fifth grade at Empire Elementary School and son, Nathan, is in first year at Modesto Junior College.
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Lori Smith *
Lori discovered handbells at
church during her highschool days, and has enjoyed playing them through the
years whenever they were available. Her background includes Dunaj International
Dance Ensemble, Stockton Chorale, various church choirs, piano, clarinet, and
guitar. She greatly enjoys travel, and has recently discovered the fun of
working backstage in community theater. Last summer she sharpened her skills by
attending a handbell workshop at the Zephyr Point Conference Grounds in
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Originally from Cincinnati Ohio, Lisa began ringing in 1975 and was hooked for life! She came to California in 1990 and met Bobbie Young, a retired Opus ringer, who introduced her to the handbell choir at Centenary United Methodist Church. She attended one of Opus' first concerts, and met its founder, Terry Halvorson, whose talent and enthusiasm for bell ringing was the challenge she was looking for. She is a Graphic Artist for Trinity United Presbyterian Church, and is a member of the Modesto Symphony Chorus and Chamber Ensemble. In her spare time she enjoys bike riding, swimming and pursuing the classical art of Dressage and Carriage Driving. |
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David Ramsey-Warner
David first played bells at CSU,Stanislaus in 1989, and instantly fell in love with them. He has also played with the Carillon Ringers at Turlock UMC, and at Geneva Presbyterian Church. He is in his 2nd "tour" with Opus. He is also active in the Barbershop Harmony Society (15+ yrs), and sings in a barbershop quartet. His musical background includes singing with MJC's Chamber Singers, CSU Stanislaus Chorale and Chamber Singers, and TOP. |
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Ann Weaver FUSION Director and Opus Alum
Ann is
Associate/Youth Pastor of Hughson First Baptist Church. Her handbell experience
started in 1981 and her love for ringing inspired her to become a director. A
mother of six and grandmother of eleven, Ann is teaching handbells and voice to
the little ones of the next generation. |
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Susan Ingram FUSION Assistant Director and Opus Alum Growing up in the Bay Area, Susan first began piano lessons with her first-grade teacher. After a few lessons, she ran into a road block – her toy piano ran out of keys! So her mom and dad had to get her a real piano. The next year, she began the violin and then in the fourth grade, she took up the flute. Her highlights as a young musician were: playing the piano solo on Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” (original version – uncut) with full band in junior high school, and playing for the Queen of England with the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra on the violin. Somewhat surprisingly, Susan did not pursue music in college but ended up receiving a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering/Computer Science at UC Berkeley and then a MSEE from Santa Clara University. After “retiring” after a successful 10-year career (J), Susan settled down in Modesto raising her son Zachary, helping out with the family music retail business and teaching private music lessons. With her “spare time” in the last few years, she has been more active in the music ministry at church and has taken up the organ (studying with Steve Grubb) and occasionally filling in as substitute organist at several local churches. Susan is the founding member and assistant of FUSION, a junior division of Opus for youth grades seven through twelve. She and Opus alum, Ann Weaver, have teamed up to help today's youth learn and express music through the medium of handbells. |
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**Booking Coordinator * Board Member |
