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LEADERSHIP

With appearances across the United States, Dr. Andrew Minear is an active conductor, music educator, and choir leader. He is the founding Artistic and Executive Director of Orlando Sings (orlandosings.org), where he conducts the Orlando Sings Symphonic Chorus and the professional vocal ensemble Solaria. He also serves as Director of Music Ministry at All Saints Episcopal Church of Winter Park. Under his leadership, the All Saints Choir was selected to serve as choir-in-residence at Hereford Cathedral in Hereford, England, in July 2026.

Recent and upcoming engagements include Opera Orlando’s All Is Calm; the National Concert Chorus at Carnegie Hall; the American Choral Directors Association Southern Region SSAA Honor Choir; Music and Worship Arts weeks in Lake Junaluska and Montreat; eleven all-state choirs; and service as chorus master for concerts with Opera Orlando and the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. He has conducted multiple summers at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan and led the Florida Ambassadors of Music on performance tours of Europe. Dr. Minear’s passion for expressive music-making has been cultivated through over two decades of work across children’s, church, community, middle school, high school, collegiate, and professional choral settings.

Previously, Dr. Minear served as Director of Choral Activities at the University of Alabama, where he conducted the university choirs, oversaw the graduate choral conducting program, and taught courses in conducting and choral literature. Prior to joining the Alabama faculty, he earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting from Michigan State University, where he directed the MSU Campus Choir and served as Assistant Director of the MSU Men’s Glee Club. He was named a Michigan State University Distinguished Fellow, and his doctoral research focused on graduate choral literature curricula and pedagogy.

Over fourteen years in the Orlando-area public schools, including six years as Choral Director at Dr. Phillips High School—the Visual and Performing Arts Magnet program for Orange County Public Schools—his students were selected more than 180 times for Florida All-State and ACDA Honor Choirs. Cora Bella, the advanced SSAA choir, performed to critical acclaim at the 2011 State, 2012 Southern Region, and 2013 National Conferences of the American Choral Directors Association.

Visit www.andrewminear.com.

Sarah Purser is a Central Florida based mezzo soprano, voice teacher, and arts administrator. She earned her master of arts in music and bachelor of music education degrees from the University of Central Florida. In addition to her role as Business Manager with Orlando Sings, Sarah currently serves as the community engagement coordinator and studio artist program director for Opera Orlando and maintains a private voice studio.

Previously, Sarah spent much of her career directing choirs, teaching voice, and performing in and around the Orlando area. She spent six years teaching high school and middle school chorus in Orange County Public Schools and another ten years directing choirs and teaching AP music theory at Bishop Moore Catholic High School in Orlando. She also served as adjunct voice instructor and taught music theory courses at Valencia College from 2012 until 2019.

Sarah is a founding member of the professional women’s vocal ensemble, The Helena Collective whose 2019 collaboration with Opera Orlando on their original production “6/VIII: The Six Wives of Henry VIII” received accolades and won critic’s choice award at the Orlando Fringe Festival. Sarah also enjoys singing with the professional choir at the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe and frequently performs roles with Opera Orlando as well as other companies. Recent performances include Marcellina in Marriage of Figaro; Jane Seymore in 6/VIII; The Six Wives of Henry the VIII, Hansel in Hansel and Gretel, and Tisbe in Rossinni’s Cenerentola.

ARTISTIC STAFF

Sandra Shafer is the Director of Choirs at her alma mater Apopka High School and has twice been named “Teacher of the Year” at Liberty Middle School (2014) and Apopka High School (2022). Student choirs under her direction have consistently received Superior Ratings at District Music Performance Assessment as well as toured throughout the United States. Most recently, Apopka High School’s Treble Choir “Belles” was invited to perform at the 2021 Florida Conference of the American Choral Directors Association.

As a performer, Mrs. Shafer serves as section leader and soloist at Winter Park Presbyterian Church and sings with the Orlando Sings Symphonic Chorus and Solaria Singers. She is an active conductor, clinician and adjudicator throughout Florida, and has presented sessions at conferences of the Florida Music Educators Association and the Florida Vocal Association. Mrs. Shafer serves as the social media chair for both FL ACDA and Southern ACDA and is an active member of ACDA, FMEA and FVA. Mrs. Shafer holds a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Music Education from Stetson University in DeLand, FL.

Zachary Pecore, originally from Niceville, Florida, currently serves as the Director of Choirs at East River High School here in Orlando. He has consistently earned excellent and superior rating with his choirs both at the middle and high school level. A graduate from the Florida State University (FSU) with his bachelor’s in choral music education, Zach immediately moved down to Orlando after graduating to experience the City Beautiful and the thriving arts scene that it has to offer. He has performed with several professional arts organizations in Orlando, and is excited to be returning to Orlando Sings for their second season as the tenor section leader. 

Zach is an active member of the Florida Music Education Association (FMEA), Florida Vocal Association (FVA), American Choral Director’s Association (ACDA), and is a past recipient of the Southern Division ACDA Colleen Kirk Award. Zach has served as the All-County Choir chair for Orange County Public Schools (OCPS), the head counseling and dorm supervisor for FSU Summer Music Camps, and is the current OCPS district chair for FVA.

Ledean began piano study at the age of 7, quickly discovering a love for both piano and choral music, which developed into a lifelong vocation as a collaborative pianist. She attended Florida State University, earning a Bachelor of Music Education degree with choral and general emphasis, studying piano under John Salmon and James Streem. She earned a Masters degree in Piano Pedagogy from Louisiana State University, where she studied with Kathleen Rountree and Constance Carroll.

Ledean has collaborated with a wide variety of vocalists, choirs, and instrumentalists in solo, choral, chamber, musical theatre, and church settings. She previously held staff accompanist positions with Eastern Shore Choral Society, The Orlando Chorale, and Orlando Choral Society. Currently, Ledean accompanies for the choral programs of Olympia High School and West Orange High School, as well as for many other school choirs throughout central Florida. She has performed alongside honor choirs at state, regional, and national ACDA programs.

In addition to collaborative music, Ledean has an extensive background as a piano teacher, working with students of all ages in private and group settings, and has presented at state and national MTNA conventions. She served as a church musician for over 20 years as pianist and music leader, and has also enjoyed her work as Musical Director for high school theatre productions.

Melinda Fradley is the Director of Choral Activities at West Orange High School in Orlando, Florida. She was most recently the Jean Faircloth Principal Conductor for the Savannah Children’s Choir. She is best known for her 25 years as a music educator in Volusia County Schools, and the Artistic Director of the DeLand High School Chorus. The beginning of her career was spent teaching music in the elementary schools while she also worked 10 years as a conductor with the Stetson University Children’s Choir alongside Dr. Ann Small. Fradley received a Bachelor of Music Education and a Master of Education Leadership from Stetson University.

Ms. Fradley has participated in post-graduate studies with Dr. Duncan Couch, and Dr. Andrew Larson, in both choral conducting and choral history as well as working with Dr. Rodney Eichenberger, Charles Bruffy and Dr. James Jordan during their summer workshops.

Under her direction, the DeLand High Chorus was invited to sing for the 2010 Florida State School Board Association Conference. In 2014, her Chamber Women had the honor of performing for President Sirleaf of Liberia, and in 2015, Fradley and her choirs traveled to New York to perform in Carnegie Hall under the direction of Dr. Andre Thomas. Her Concert Choir was chosen to perform at the 2017 Florida ACDA state conference.

In 2019, Ms. Fradley spent three months as a guest professor at the City of Beijing University and the Kaiwen Academy in Beijing, China, where she taught American choral methods to collegiate and professional choral conductors and secondary school students at the invitation of Professor Lingfen Wu. She has also served as a guest clinician and conductor of several All-County Honor Choirs throughout the state of Florida. Ms. Fradley initiated a Choral Foundation program working with the public schools in Savannah, Georgia, and because of this program Savannah Children’s Choir was awarded an annual grant from the City of Savannah.

As an active member of NAfME and ACDA, she is serving as Florida ACDA High School Honors Chair, and is an adjudicator for FVA. She is currently a singing member and President of The Festival Singers of Florida, under the direction of Dr. Kevin Fenton. Melinda was twice named Teacher of the Year for her schools; 1999, McInnis Elementary and 2014, DeLand High School.

Sydney Leduc is a passionate and dedicated choral musician and educator based in Orlando, Florida. With a profound love for choral music, Sydney has made significant contributions to the vocal arts community while inspiring the next generation of musicians as a teacher at Lakeview Middle School in Winter Garden, Florida.

Since graduating from Stetson University in 2021, Sydney has had the opportunity to perform with multiple Florida-based ensembles, which have allowed her to explore diverse repertoire while connecting with like-minded artists. Sydney is a proud inaugural member of Orlando Sings’ Symphonic Choir, under Dr. Andrew Minear, and Harmonia, under Sandra Shafer. She also sings with The Festival Singers of Florida, under the direction of Dr. Kevin Fenton.

This season, Sydney is especially excited to perform with Solaria for the first time in their Solstice Concert. Having admired the ensemble for the past three years, she feels incredibly fortunate to be a part of such a remarkable musical experience.

Kristopher Schave is a Central Florida-based conductor, educator, and vocalist, performing with the Orlando Sings Symphonic Chorus as a member of the Professional Core and tenor section leader, collaborative pianist and associate conductor for Apollo, and with the Solaria Singers chamber ensemble. He currently serves as Music Director at St. Ann Catholic Church in Haines City, where he leads an adult English-speaking choir, an adult Spanish-speaking choir, and seasonal children’s choir programs.

Kristopher is the founder and conductor of the Celebration Community Chorus, a non-auditioned ensemble dedicated to fostering community through choral music, now in its 15th season. He also maintains a private studio for voice and piano instruction.

A passionate advocate for musical excellence and accessibility, Kristopher holds a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University and a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from the University of Central Florida. His professional background includes 15 years with Disney Entertainment and nearly a decade teaching middle school chorus in Central Florida.

As a performer, Kristopher has appeared in a wide range of concert, sacred, and theatrical settings, and his work as a conductor and educator reflects a deep commitment to artistry, collaboration, and community engagement.

Alex Pollard is an Orlando native and is currently the Choir Director at Boone High School. He holds a Bachelors and a Masters degree in Choral Music Education from The Florida State University. As a choir director, his choirs have been invited to sing at the Florida ACDA conference, and have consistently received Superior ratings at district and state MPA. His choirs have performed in venues at Walt Disney World, Seaworld, and New York City. As a singer, Alex has sung in local professional choirs and groups, including the Voices of Liberty at EPCOT. Alex is an active clinician and adjudicator, and a proud member of the American Choral Directors Association, Florida Vocal Association, and Florida Music Educators Association. Alex is excited to be a part of the inaugural season of Orlando Sings!

Lauren Langa is a voice teacher based in Orlando, Florida, where she maintains a large private studio and serves on the voice faculty at Rollins College.  She attended Florida State University for her undergraduate studies where she majored in both vocal performance and choral music education, and she holds a master’s degree in vocal pedagogy from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey.  Lauren’s instruction is centered around voice science and vocal health, and she has extensive experience with both traditional and contemporary styles. 

Lauren frequently presents masterclasses and lectures on topics ranging from making the private voice studio a career, choosing music theatre repertoire, to preparing for music theatre college auditions.  She has presented for Westminster’s Voice Pedagogy Institute, DKI Jakarta Regional Pesparawi Development Institute in Indonesia, Independent Scholarship & Creative Activities Presentations at Rider University, Florida State Thespian Festival among many others.  She has also done extensive training in the area of contemporary commercial music and is certified in Somatic Voice Work, which has yielded significant success with her students.

Lauren’s high school students consistently earn spots in the country’s leading music theatre and classical voice undergraduate and graduate programs, such as Carnegie Mellon University, Florida State University, Eastman School of music, Penn State University, Shenandoah University, Texas State University, University of Michigan, and many more. Additionally, many of her students have been selected as Florida representatives for the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, including Sofia Deler who was named the national winner in 2017.

In addition to her Orlando studio, she also teaches students in New York and Los Angeles, and her students can be seen in the The Prom (movie), Jesus Christ Superstar Live on NBC, Sing Street (Broadway), MJ: The Musical (Broadway), as well as on many regional stages such as the Chicago Lyric Opera. Lauren’s combined skillset as not only a trained vocalist and performer, but trained teacher, has provided the foundation for her greatest passion of teaching voice where she can enjoy the fruits of her students’ performing successes.

J. Christine Linschoten (Le) is thrilled to return to Orlando Sings for their 5th Annual Choral Festival in 2026! Dr. Linschoten was a founding member and former assistant conductor in the Orlando Sings family. She taught at Olympia High School in Orlando from 2015 to 2022. Under her direction, Olympia choirs were recognized as FVA (Florida Vocal Association) Choirs of Distinction and invited to perform at state, regional, and national ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) conventions. 

Dr. Linschoten currently serves as the Associate Director of Choral Activities at Texas State University. She conducts the University Singers and Treble Voice Choir and teaches undergraduate choral conducting. Outside of Texas State, Dr. Linschoten enjoys a robust career of adjudicating and clinicing choirs around the United States. She was recently appointed as the Assistant Artistic Director of the Austin Gay Men’s Chorus, where she conducts their small ensemble Take Note. 

Dr. Linschoten received degrees from Centenary College of Louisiana, Michigan State University, and the University of North Texas. At UNT, Dr. Linschoten conducted the world premiere of the American Prize-winning Requiem for a Poisoned Earth by PJ Mooney. Dr. Le’s dissertation research centered on Florence Price’s Cantata Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight.