Karin Banks Robin Hensley

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1 Piano Teachers Karin Banks Karin Banks earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from the University of North Texas and her Master of Music Degree in Piano Pedagogy from Georgia State University. There she studied with Dr. Geoffrey Haydon and Dr, George Lucktenberg. Past instructors include Shirley Irek and Dr, Carey Lewis. While pursuing her Master s Degree, Karin completed additional nonrequir4ed coursework (both classroom and independently) in World Music, and Music History, including the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods. She taught piano and voice for seven years at the former Neighborhood Music Schools of Georgia State University where she served in an additional capacity as the director of the Metro Atlanta Boys and Girls Club Youth Chorus in a collaborative effort between Neighborhood Music Schools and the Metro -Atlanta Youth Arts Connection. For two years Ms. Banks directed and accompanied the youth choral ensemble for the Neighborhood Music School s annual collaboration with Moving in the Spirit Dance Company in the 2004 production of From Africa to the A-Train (which featured her arrangement of the classical spiritual Wade in the Water) and the 2005 production of Story Catcher. Ms. Banks has taught group piano at the college graduate level. Further, she teaches piano in the private studio of Shirley Irek and in the afterschool program at the Cliff Valley School. For two and a half years she has served as the Music Director of the Absalom Jones Student Center and chapel, which serves the Atlanta University System. Known among her colleagues as a gifted teacher, Ms. Banks students have performed in festivals and competitions as well as their own performance agendas. Students from her studio have received scholarships for music study from the Hank Aaron Foundation and have attended prestigious camps such as Interlochen Summer Music Festival. Students from her studio have continued to pursue music either as an avocation or as a college study, being accepted to school such as Indiana University. In March 2011, Ms. Banks was music consultant and performer for the Ballethnic Dance Company s world premier of Flying West, a ballet adaptation of the play by Pearl Cleage. One of her original compositions was also featured in the production. Karin is a member of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) and the National Federation of Music Clubs. In addition to teaching at other venues, Ms. Banks also maintains a private home studio in East Point. Robin Hensley Dr. Hensley is active in the Atlanta area as an organ recitalist, accompanist, teacher, and advocate for young musicians. A North Carolina native, Robin earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The University of Georgia, the Master of Music degree from Converse College (South Carolina), and the Bachelor of Music degree from Salem College (North Carolina), all in organ performance. During her graduate studies, Robin served as a teaching assistant and accompanist at The University of Georgia, and she later taught music classes and applied piano

2 and organ, and served as a staff accompanist in the music departments of Clayton State College and University, and Agnes Scott College. Dr. Hensley has performed throughout North and South Carolina and Georgia as an organ recitalist and accompanist, and as a church organist, sharing a wide variety of music with audiences and congregations of all ages. She particularly enjoys presenting educational lecturerecitals, and offering children s concerts that introduce young people to the organ. Robin s teaching experience spans a twenty-five year career and includes all ages, from preschool through adults. Currently, Dr. Hensley shares her talents GAC as music instructor for The Village and Elementary School. Robin and her husband Darren have two children, Garland, a GAC grad and a sophomore at Salem College; and Benjamin, a senior at GAC Esther Jeon Ms. Jeon began playing the piano at age 3 while growing up in South Korea. She auditioned and was accepted to attend the Sun-hwa Art School and Sun-hwa Art High School, the most prestigious music schools in South Korea. At the age of 17, she moved to New Zealand with her family to further her piano studies under Gillian Bibby, a world renowned pianist and composer. While earning her Bachelor of Music in Classic Performance Piano from Massey University in Wellington, New Zealand Ms. Jeon s instructors included Rachel Thompson and Richard Mapp, as well as master classes with Michael Houston, Gareth Farr and Thomas Heicht. During her collegiate years she performed at numerous concerts and chamber music groups. After graduating from college, Ms. Jeon spent three years teaching various age groups and organizing annual concerts at Wellington Music Academy. There, she was specialized in teaching for the grade exam of Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), London. Ms. Jeon s résumé includes a number of award winning performances and accolades. She achieved 1st Place in the Wellington Region and National Finalist in the Westpac (now Adams Foundation) Chamber Music Contest for two consecutive years, 1997 and She was awarded the Scholarship of the Second International Chamber Music Contest from the University of Canterbury s School of Music and the Australian Festival of Chamber Music (1998). In 1998, Ms. Jeon was selected as one of four pianists in New Zealand to attend a music summer school hosted by the Adams Foundation and taught by New Zealand s best pianist, Michael Houston, and the New Zealand String Quartet. Since relocating to the United States in 2008, Ms. Jeon has enjoyed sharing her passion for music with her students as a private instructor and most recently a piano teacher at Greater Atlanta Christian School where her daughter is currently a k4 student. Ms. Jeon serves her faith as a children s bible class teacher and pianist for the main worship service, adult choir and various other services at New Day Church. She finds time to give back to the community through a number of volunteer activities through the church as well as working as a freelance artist for various musical programs. Ms. Jeon continues to contribute her talents and ideas to the musical community through active membership in the Associated Board of Royal School of Music.

3 Dian Knight Mezzo-Soprano Dian Knight received her undergraduate training at the University of Miami s School of Music. Graduate studies followed at the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. While there she was a Corbett Opera Scholar and a Three Arts Scholarship recipient. She has the honor of being the first African-American enrolled in the prestigious Artist Diploma in Opera program. She also received the Beamon-Hough award for outstanding achievement in the arts from the Cincinnati Links Inc. A European studies grant from Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. allowed her to attend the Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. Mrs. Knight also received training from the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado. She has performed with the Cincinnati Ballet Company, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and at the Corbett Theatre f the Performing Arts. She has done recital work in Miami, Florida; Cincinnati, Ohio; New York City, New York; and Washington D.C. She worked with an ensemble of professional soloists called Voices out of Princeton, N.J. She has also worked with Opera Ebony out of New York City. Critics have praised the richness and warmth of her voice as well as her ability to communicate with the audience. She has worked full-time in the ministry with the N.Y. Church of Christ, overseeing the women s ministry and the arts ministry in Brooklyn and Queens. Her husband Kendall and their twin adopted boys Joshua and Caleb reside in Lilburn and attend the Greater Atlanta Church of Christ which features an Arts and Entertainment ministry. They serve as a shepherding couple for the church. Kimber Kwiatkowski - Mrs. Kwiatkowski holds the degree of Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, with a concentration in piano performance from Mercer University. She has been both a pianist and organist for various churches. Currently, Mrs. Kwiatkowski serves as accompanist for both the Junior High and Senior High Choirs at GAC and maintains a large private studio. She and her husband Jeff have two children who are lifers at GAC, Chloe (10 th grade) and Wynn (6 th grade). Mrs. Kwiatkowski also holds a Juris Doctor degree from Mercer University s Walter F. George School of Law Carole Mitchell- Mrs. Mitchell received her Master of Music degree from Georgia State University, with a concentration in piano pedagogy, piano, and organ. Her undergraduate degree is from Queens College, where she earned her bachelor s degree in Music. Mrs. Mitchell maintains a piano studio in her home in Lilburn. Her students actively participate in GCMTA events, Federated Festivals, and other events...where several of her students have been recipients of special awards and scholarships. She is also adjunct instructor in piano at Georgia Perimeter College s Fine Arts Department. She teaches piano class, applied piano, and is accompanist for the GPC Chorale, vocalist/instrumentalists and opera venues, but enjoys teaching students of all ages and all skill levels. Mrs. Mitchell has performed as pianist for Kjos Publications with choral clinicians John Haberlen and William L. Dawson, accompanist for Georgia Middle School All-

4 State Chorus, and pianist for ACDA National Convention. Mrs. Mitchell is active in professional organizations serving as an adjudicator for GMEA piano competitions, MTNA auditions, and festivals in Georgia and South Carolina. She has served as one of our judges for the GACS Piano Festival in 2011 and Mrs. Mitchell has been organist and pianist for churches and other community associations in the metro Atlanta area for many years. She has performed on WABE 90.1 FMs Atlanta Music Scene on several occasions, as collaborative pianist and vocal accompanist. Jonathan Smith- Mr. Jonathan R. Smith has lived in the Atlanta area for over fifty years. He was born and raised in DeKalb County, where he began piano lessons at age five. He also began singing in his church s graded choir program at this time, with yearly participation in the Choir Festival at Rock Eagle in Eatonton, GA. He sang in the Junior, Youth and Adult choirs for thirteen years until accepting a position of church pianist in Stone Mountain, GA at age 18. Since that time, he has continued serving in this capacity in churches around the Atlanta area for more than thirty years. He is currently pianist at The Church at Decatur Heights, where he has been serving since Mr. Smith studied piano with Louise Jones, a graduate of Furman University, for ten years and then at Georgia State University with John Schneider and Ruth Duncan MacDonald, both graduates of Julliard in New York. He earned the Bachelor of Music in Piano/Theory from Georgia State in 1982 following his senior recital, which included works by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin and Ginastera. He also holds a Master of Music Theory degree from Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, where he was a member of the Men s Chorus, which toured and gave concerts in churches in every state across the South from Florida to California and included performing for the American Choral Directors Association in Anaheim CA. Jonathan began studying trombone at age seven, and in eighth grade he was inducted into the Varsity Marching Band based on his first-chair position and musical experience and ability. He was the keyboard player in his high school s jazz band, accompanist for the string ensemble and performer on talent shows there. He was a member of the Advanced Boys Chorus and Advanced Mixed Chorus under the direction of Madison Short, and he had the lead role of Tony in the school s performance of the musical West Side Story. He was a member of the DeKalb Chorale and the Georgia All State Chorus for three years, singing under Donald Neuen and Robert Shaw, and he participated in summer music workshops at Florida State University. Mr. Smith has been teaching piano for 35 years, during which time he also served as business and systems administrator of an Atlanta church. He has been a member of the Atlanta Symphony Chorus, which has won fourteen Grammy awards, for sixteen years. He has served as pianist at The Church at Decatur Heights for the past 15 years and in that ministry for over 40 years. Mr. Smith is also a sought after accompanist for several established Atlanta musicians. He and his wife Kim live in Lilburn, GA and have six grown children and six grandchildren. He is a member of the Gwinnett, Georgia and National chapters of the Music Teachers National Association.

5 He maintains a home music recording studio with a Yamaha S400B grand piano and a Knabe upright piano. He has recorded numerous improvised pieces of his own as well as with local artists. His original works and choral arrangements have been performed in chapel services and at the Black and White Gala at Greater Atlanta Christian School, where he also regularly accompanies voice and instrumental students on recitals Joy Sullivan- Joy Sullivan is a 2004 graduate of Shorter College in Rome, Georgia, receiving a Bachelor of Music in Piano Pedagogy. While at Shorter, Joy received honors in Piano Pedagogy as well as the Music Teachers National Association Student Achievement Recognition Award. Joy grew up in Claxton, Georgia and studied piano for 10 years before going to college. While in high school, Joy won state and regional piano competitions, and received several awards at the collegiate level from the Georgia Music Teachers Association competitions. Joy s passion is to teach piano to students of all skill levels. While studying at Shorter, Joy taught private lessons for many different students of all ages and skills. She was also involved in teaching a group piano class at Shorter. Since her youth, Joy was the church accompanist at Pineview Baptist Church in Reidsville, Georgia where her father is the pastor. Mrs. Sullivan served as our General Music teacher to the elementary here at GAC, but took a leave to raise her three beautiful boys. Heather Witt The Atlanta Journal Constitution called mezzo-soprano Heather Witt, the kind of singer you hope to hear- talented, alert a singer with a future. Ms. Witt is known for her portrayal of a wide array of opera s most notable mezzo-soprano characters, including: Gertrude in Romeo et Juliette, Giulietta in Les contes d hoffman (FIO, Brazil), Dryad in Ariadne Auf Naxos, Principessa in Suor Angelica, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, Third Lady in Die Zauberflöte, Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Elmire in Tartuffe, Mauya in Riders to the Sea, Mrs. Nolan in The Medium, Mrs. Herring in Albert Herring, Meg in Falstaff, Sally in Hand of Bridge, and Dorabella in Cosí fan tutte. Ms. Witt won first place in Georgia State University s Bauru Atlanta Competition (2011), was an Emerging Artist at St. Petersburg Opera (FL) in 2011, and also attended the prestigious Opera Division at La Musica Lirica in Novafeltria, Italy (2005). In 2013, Ms. Witt made her South American debut with Festival of International Opera of the Americas in Sao Paulo, Brazil. From 2006 to 2009, she was a member of the world-renowned Atlanta Opera Chorus, and has been a featured soloist for many Atlanta Opera events and collaborations. Heather Witt is also an esteemed oratorio and concert soloist and has performed the alto solos in Karl Jenkins s Stabat Mater, Beethoven s Mass in C Major, and Handel's Messiah. She is a staff soloist at First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. Ms.Witt completed her undergraduate studies in Music at Millikin University (Decatur, IL), and received a Masters in Voice from Georgia State University (Atlanta, GA). 2.14