Danielle Bridges - Artistic Director
Danielle Bridges received her B.M. in Vocal Music Education from the University of Central Arkansas and her M.A. in Choral Conducting and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa. During her studies, Ms. Bridges discovered a particular interest in developing creative, communal textual analysis and nonverbal communication methods for use during choral rehearsals. She is a proponent for music by women composers and founded the Iowa Women’s Music Collective to advocate for the research and performance of music by women. Ms. Bridges has been selected to share her research at conferences including the International Voice Foundation Symposium and the inaugural Theorizing African-American Music conference.
In addition to her experience teaching choral music in contexts ranging from middle school to community choirs for singers in retirement communities, Ms. Bridges has served as a choral consultant for public and private schools. She serves as Bel Canto Chorus's Production and Volunteer Manager and is the current Director of Music at Community United Methodist Church in Elm Grove, WI, where she conducts the Chancel Choir, Clarion Bells, and Festival Choir.
Reach out to Danielle by email (conductor@choralunion.org) or by phone 262-238-3454
Collaborative Pianist- Simone Gheller
Dr. Simone Gheller was born in Padua, Italy in I978. He received master’s degrees in Piano (1999), Organ Performance & Organ Composition (1999), Music Education (2003), and Choral Music & Choral Conducting (2004). He also received a doctorate in Organ Performance and Organ Composition, magna cum laude (2006). He studied at the University of Vienna, and he received two “Medaille d'Or en Superieur d'Interpretation” at the Conservatoire Superior des Music de Paris. Gheller also studied at Oberlin College, where he completed the Artist Diploma—a great distinction in music. Currently, he is Music Director and Organist at St. Jerome Church in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. He is also the accompanist of the Waukesha Choral Union and the Milwaukee Ballet School & Academy.
Gheller has an extensive international performing history spanning the last 35 years, with concerts in prestigious locations. He has garnered many awards, including first prizes at several national and international organ competitions. He has recorded four CDs: Fiori Musicali by Girolamo Frescobaldi, The Complete Choral Works with Organ by Alessandro Scarlatti for the Tactus label, theOrgelbüchlein by J.S. Bach, and music by Liszt and Reubke for the Onclassical Label.
