Lift the Chorus: Voices from Cornell Alumni

Kimberly (Rice) Smith ’06, an Anthropology and Archaeology major, reflects on her time as an Alto II in the Chorus. She served as Assistant Concert Manager during the production of the Ave CD, later as Vice President, and as Tour Manager for the “TONE” Tour of New England—where she brought the Chorus back to her hometown church in Connecticut. Now a nurse educator in Manhattan, she shares how Chor...

Becky Van Tassel ’08, a Plant Biology graduate from Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, served as grants coordinator, vice president, president, and tour manager for the 2008 joint international tour to China. Through a PCCW grant, she helped update and expand the Chorus alumni database, strengthening outreach for fundraising and engagement. Now a teacher, she credits Chorus leader...

Meredith Benneth Smith ’10, an English major in the College of Arts and Sciences, sang in the Chorus and After Eight, serving as publicity manager. She toured with the group to Canada, China, and the U.S. South, performing both masterworks and American spirituals, and took part in school workshops abroad. A journalist and former Cornell Daily Sun staffer, she credits Chorus with shaping her Cornel...

Sheila Morrell, a 1983 Human Service Studies graduate from Cornell’s College of Human Ecology, joined Chorus after her sister and sang under Professor Thomas Sokol. She helped design the group’s first standardized concert dress and built lasting friendships through music. Since graduating, Sheila has led church choirs, sung in community ensembles, performed in nursing homes, and volunteered at a c...

Sophie Arzumanov ’21, an Operations Research and Information Engineering graduate from Cornell’s College of Engineering, served the Chorus as Concert Manager and later General Manager. As GM, she oversaw finances, tours, and Centennial planning during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also represented the Chorus at the Glee Club’s sesquicentennial AB meeting, advocating for financial equity...

Nanette Eichell, a 1971 History graduate from Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences, joined Chorus her first year and sang under Professor Thomas Sokol. She performed with major orchestras, served as librarian, and recalls a time before formal leadership or alumni networks. Now based in Kentucky, Nanette continues to stay musically active and recently began learning piano, keeping music a central...

Caroline Hinrichs ’22 led the Chorus as president during the pandemic, organizing socially distanced outdoor sectionals, managing office moves from Sage Chapel, and guiding the group through multiple director transitions. As a Nutritional Science major, she also sang with the Cornell Chordials, recorded for their album, and collaborated with the Chorus Advisory Council to strengthen alumni connect...

Stacie Dressel, a 2024 Biological Engineering graduate from Cornell’s College of Engineering, joined Chorus in her sophomore year and became publicity manager during the Centennial. She created a 15-minute “Chorus Through the Years” video for the celebration, highlighting a century of history. As After Eight’s musical director, she brought fresh energy to the group. Now in graduate school at Princ...

Rachel Wright, a 2007 Development Sociology graduate from Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, served as president of the Chorus and musical director of After Eight. She helped revive After Eight in the mid-2000s, arranging lasting repertoire like Life is a Highway . After graduating, Rachel joined Teach For America and went on to become a high school math teacher. She now serves as...

Aja Tillman, a 2005 Textiles and Apparel graduate from Cornell’s College of Human Ecology, brought her design and branding eye to the Chorus through roles like publicity manager and president. She helped introduce the maroon DCA shirts and was present during the early adoption of the Chorus’s now-iconic Treble Woman logo. Asia toured internationally with the Chorus in Italy and remained connected...

Rebecca Coatney, a 2008 music graduate from Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences, served as concert manager and VP of the Chorus, and toured internationally to Italy, Canada, and China. After graduating, she joined the Chorus Advisory Council and later chaired the endowment campaign, helping raise over $1 million. Now a middle school math teacher in New Orleans, Rebecca has stayed connected to m...

Amy Crouch, a 2022 Linguistics graduate from Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences, sang as a Soprano II and later served as General Manager during the COVID-19 pandemic. She grew musically through four years of Chorus-sponsored voice lessons, applied her linguistics training to performing in multiple languages, and toured with the Chorus in Canada and the Pacific Northwest. As GM, Amy helped gui...

Brianna Cox, a 2020 Communication graduate from Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, credits the Cornell Chorus as the deciding factor in her college choice. As Social Media Manager, she led a record-breaking recruitment campaign, and as the first Centennial Co-Officer, helped shape the group’s historic 2022 celebration. Brianna treasures the connections and traditions of the Chorus...

Dr. Anne C. Jones, a 2004 Biological Sciences graduate, served as Cornell Chorus President from 2003 to 2004. During her term, she advanced key initiatives like the endowment drive and the No Whining, No Flowers commissioning project. Later, as a member of the Advisory Council until 2018, Anne helped create job descriptions, enhance council structure, and boost alumni and new member engagement. Fr...

Kathy Heppner Trogolo, a 1995 History graduate from Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences, found her passion for music and leadership through the Cornell Chorus. Joining as an alto 2, she eventually served as President and General Manager. During her leadership, Kathy navigated the Chorus through Professor Tom Sokol’s retirement after 38 years and planned a joint Northeast tour with the Glee Club...

Janice Obuchowski, a 1998 English graduate from Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences, sang in the Cornell Chorus and After Eight. Her time in these groups, including a memorable senior tour to Taiwan, shaped her love for music and collaboration. Now the author of The Woods , winner of the Iowa Short Fiction Award, Janice has served as a fiction editor for the New England Review and is an ass...

Deirdre Courtney Batson, a 1972 Cornell graduate with a history degree, has been a passionate advocate for the Cornell Chorus. In her second appearance on the podcast, she delves deeper into the group's history. Deirdre provides unique insights into the challenges women’s singing groups have faced and the resilience of the Chorus through difficult times, such as its reformation in 1960 and its...

Alexis Waite, a 2020 graduate in Biometry and Statistics from Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, was a key leader in the Cornell Chorus, serving as Historian and Vice President. She created History Jeopardy to celebrate the group’s legacy and cherishes the tours, traditions, and friendships that defined her experience. Now studying to be an actuary, Alexis continues to apply t...

Maggie Lin, a 2020 Environment and Sustainability graduate from Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, led the Cornell Chorus as president during the COVID-19 pandemic, fostering community and adapting rehearsals. As an alto 1, alto 2, and After Eight musical director, she arranged dynamic pieces like a Jonas Brothers medley. Maggie now channels her choral experience into a folk-rock...

Wynne Williams-Ceci, a 2022 graduate with a double major in psychology from Cornell’s College Scholar Program, joined the Chorus after growing up inspired by its professionalism and camaraderie. Co-hosted by Katrina Payton, current president of After Eight, this episode explores Wynne’s journey through the Chorus, where she held roles as Secretary, Vice President, and President. During the pandemi...

Nancy Marrone, a 1983 mathematics graduate from Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences, transformed her passion for music into leadership within the Cornell Chorus. Serving as Secretary, President, and General Manager, Nancy played a key role in organizing a successful northeast tour and fostering collaboration with the Glee Club. Through these roles, she learned that trust and the value of one’s...

Michelle Carfagno, a 2019 Biological Sciences graduate from Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, embraced leadership roles in the Cornell Chorus, including Soprano 2 Section Leader and Vice President. She relaunched the alumni mentorship program and strengthened alumnae connections. Now pursuing a medical career, Michelle applies lessons in teamwork and leadership from her Chorus ex...

This is the second part of the Centennial episode series that features Chiara Alvisi (Class of 2020, Biology and Society) and Anna Rodriguez (Class of 2021, Biological Sciences), young alumni who served as registration chairs for the Chorus's Centennial celebration. Chiara and Anna reflected on the transition from students to young professionals and the challenges of balancing historical tradi...

In the first part of the two-part Centennial Series, Erin Flinn ’00, Nancy James ’96, and Olivia Dybas ’23 reflect on the Cornell Chorus’s centennial celebration, offering insights from both seasoned and recent alumni perspectives. Founded in 1920, the Chorus had planned to commemorate its 100th anniversary in 2021. However, the pandemic necessitated a delay until 2022, providing additional time t...

Mary McDonald, a 1979 graduate in Communication Arts from Cornell, discovered her passion for opera through the Cornell Chorus. A Romulus, NY native, Mary helped found Nothing But Treble, a female a cappella subset of the Chorus that later became an independent group. During Chorus-sponsored voice lessons, Mary uncovered her coloratura range, leading to a Master’s in Vocal Performance and a profes...