Staff and Directors

Artistic Staff

Directors

Dr. Kimberly Keck
Artistic Director; Concert Choir, Grace Moore Singers, and Ensemble Director; Tour Choir Director

Dr. Kimberly Keck has been teaching music and directing choral ensembles in Higher Education for twenty-five years. Most recently, she was the chair of the Worship and Performing Arts Department at Bryan College. While at Bryan, she directed the Chorale and Chamber Singers, taught Applied Voice, Vocal Pedagogy and Music Education courses. Under her direction, the choral ensembles had the opportunity to perform for audiences both in the United States and Europe. She has had the privilege of conducting Ralph Vaughn Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Haydn’s Lord Nelson’s Mass, and Handel’s The Messiah among others. Additionally, Dr. Keck was the founder of the Bryan Opera Theatre where she served as the director for nine seasons. 

Kimberly earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Music Education from Boston University where she did extensive research in vocal pedagogy. She holds a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In 2021, she completed all three levels of certification from the Lovetri Institute in Somatic Voicework.

John Wigal
Jubilate Director

Mr. Wigal serves as the director of music at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Lookout Mountain, and as adjunct instructor of organ for Covenant College. John earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Wittenberg University and a Masters of Music from Northwestern University and taught vocal music at Elgin Academy. 

Darius Barber
Cantilena Director

Mr. Darius Barber is the chorus and general music teacher at Brainerd High School. Mr. Barber also serve as the coordinator of church music at First Presbyterian of Cleveland, TN. After receiving a Bachelor of Music Education from Lee University, Mr. Barber went on to earn a Master of Education with an emphasis in middle grades from Liberty University. Mr. Barber’s favorite thing about teaching and conducting is creating diversity opportunities and experiences in the choral world.

Accompanists

Penny Tullock
Concert Choir, Grace Moore Singers, and Ensemble Accompanist

Ms. Tullock has been an accompanist and vocal coach for over forty years and has served as the primary accompanist for CGC since 1989.  Ms. Tullock has played for singers, instrumentalists, and choral ensembles at Carson-Newman College, Southern Seminary, The University of Louisville, Covenant College, and The University of Tennessee, Chattanooga.  She plays for the Baylor School choirs, and teaches voice and piano at the School of Fine Arts of First Baptist Church in Chattanooga.

Betty Anne Neal
Jubilate Accompanist

Betty Anne earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics and Music from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.  She is the organist at St. Stephen Catholic Church.  She sings with the Chattanooga Bach Choir and has sung with several community choirs in Atlanta and Chattanooga.  She is the sitting President of the Chattanooga Music Club and generously donates her time to the Girls Choir.

David Kammerdiener
Cantilena Accompanist

Mr. Kammerdiener received a Bachelor of Music from Oklahoma Baptist University, a Master of Church Music from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Master of Music Education – Kodaly emphasis from Holy Names College.  He has taught piano and directed choirs for more than 30 years in the U.S. and four Latin American countries.  “Mr. K” as he is known, is also the pianist for the Sweet Georgia Sound Big Band, the Uptown Big Band, and the Morgan Five Jazz Combo.  

Administrative Staff

Sara Snider Schone
Executive Director

Sara Snider Schone has spent twenty years in customer service, hospitality, and arts administration. She has collected accounting, marketing, sales, and customer relations training from the corporate sector, with substantial tenures at such companies as The Chattanoogan and Unum, and used it to assist in administration, development, and production efforts for numerous local arts organizations. Sara is the Founder and Artistic Director of grass-roots company Opera Tennessee (now in its ninth year), the social media coordinator for Symphonic Tales, and a member of the Chattanooga Music Club. Holding an undergraduate degree in bassoon from Southern Adventist University, she is in demand as both a mezzo-soprano soloist and bassoonist and has thriving voice and bassoon studios.