Hope Armstrong Erb, Founding Artistic Director
Hope Armstrong Erb is an active conductor, pianist, composer, teacher and lecturer, and has performed in the United States, Europe, and China. Critics have proclaimed her "a wonder" in her ability to maintain a high standard in both performance and teaching. Hope is equally enthusiastic performing music from ancient to modern and continually expands the diversity of her concert repertoire through research, composition, and collaboration with composers and performing artists locally and globally. With the aid of native speakers she has coached her singers to perform in over 40 different languages.
Hope takes great joy in nurturing top singers to achieve a level of musicianship comparable with the best singers anywhere, and to that end has received the highest honor in American choral music performance by being selected to perform at National and Regional ACDA conventions. Equally rewarding has been her enormous success in teaching “non-singers” to match pitch, read music and sing in harmony, many of whom have eventually progressed to the top choirs. Hope presented an interest session at the 2008 Southern Division ACDA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky entitled: “NOBODY‟S HOPELESS! Everyone can learn to sing!” and she works continually proving it is so! In 2007-9 she served as the Virginia ACDA Repertoire and Standards Chair for Children’s Choirs, and delighted John Rutter in her preparation of the Voices United Children’s Honor Choir for a performance of his Mass of the Children. Last season, she was the guest conductor of the 2011 Loudoun All-County Elementary Chorus.
Hope has served on the faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Richmond and has taught in public and private schools, K-12 including 22 years working primarily with middle and high school boys. At home, she maintains a private studio where she offers lessons in piano and theory, as well as vocal and instrumental coaching and accompanying. She has presented on a wide range of topics from the boy’s changing voice to classic sonata form to teaching a Chinese choir jazz style, and has given numerous lecture recitals related to history and art exhibits in venues such as the VA Museum of Fine Arts.
As a pianist, Hope has been hailed for her “innate musicianship and graceful style” as well as her “robust, rhythmic, and excellent playing.” In great demand as a chamber musician and accompanist, Hope is honored to have been invited to perform on the piano for the opening concert of the Virginia Music Teachers Association State Convention in October 2011 and collaborated in that performance with violinist Violaine Michel.
Anne Williford, Executive Director
Anne Williford joined GRCC in 2001 and handles the day to day operations of the choirs, as well as fundraising for the organization. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and an MBA from the University of Michigan and has a background in banking and volunteer work. Both of her daughters have sung with GRCC and each graduated from the program having sung with it for seven and nine years respectively.
Peter Curry, Assistant Director and Accompanist
Peter Curry is a pianist and composer from the Philadelphia area in his second season with GRCC. He studied jazz performance at the Maynard Ferguson Institute in Glassboro NJ and is currently continuing his education as a classical performance major at Virginia Commonwealth University. His setting of Langston Hughes’ poem “Heaven” composed especially for the GRCC Treble Choir was a favorite song among choristers and audiences last season.
J. Matthew Mangialetti, Assistant Director and Accompanist
J. Matthew Mangialetti is a pianist and composer from Richmond, VA beginning his first season with GRCC. Matt studied classical piano with Ms. Leilani Mork, chamber music with Dr. Dmitri Shteinberg, and is currently a student of Dr. Sonia K. Vlahcevic at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is enjoying his 5th year as a pianist at The School of Richmond Ballet and has worked with numerous actors, dancers, and musicians from around the Richmond area.