Voices Boston

VOICES Boston Staff

Daniel P. Ryan

Artistic Director

Maestro Daniel P. Ryan is a multi-hyphenate musician acclaimed for his musical creativity, relentless inventiveness, and adventurous spirit. A native of Greater Boston, Daniel’s work spans many different mediums and genres as a prized conductor, composer, educator, and singer. He currently serves as the Artistic Director of VOICES Boston, Co-Founder of The Gena Branscombe Project, on faculty at Interlochen Arts Camp, and as the newly named conductor of the Colleges of the Fenway Orchestra and Chorus.

Daniel has conducted hundreds of concerts, operas, and musicals, and was a two-time finalist for the American Prize. With the advent of Covid-19, Daniel has cemented himself as an innovative leader passionate about the persistence of healthy and high-quality music performance, training, and collaboration. As the former Co-Artistic Director of MassOpera, he made headlines with his opera truck brainchild, #SocialDistanSing, personally driving live opera from the back of his pickup to over 35 locations during the first year of the pandemic and serving Boston’s homebound, veteran, low-income, and disabled communities. His campaign #MassOperaVotes committed hundreds of singers throughout the nation to both vote in the 2020 election and sing at the polls. And in Fall 2021, Daniel conceived, orchestrated, and conducted 18 sold-out performances of a site-specific La Traviata at the Historic New England’s Eustis Estate that was hailed as “intimate and immaculate.”

With a deep commitment to supporting the next generation of music makers, Daniel has blazed a path in music education and training during Covid. With the premier children’s choir VOICES Boston, Daniel created ZoomBopping to provide both safe performance opportunities and surprise melodies and motivation to classrooms and corporations worldwide; inaugurated VOICES Innovation: online courses teaching students across the country music technology software; and collaborated with White Snake Projects on Alice in the Pandemic, the first CGI animated opera performed remote and live on an online platform which the Wall Street Journal recognized as “a remarkable new environment for operatic experimentation.” Additionally, each summer, Daniel serves as a music director and vocal coach at Interlochen Arts Camp.

Daniel’s compositions and arrangements sit at the crossroads of classical music, rock, and golden age musical theatre. Past commissions include Putnam Chorale Youth Chorus, VOICES Boston, and In Good Company Theatre. Current projects in development include the new musical Lessons from Brimfield (workshop premiere at the Brimfield Antique Market in May 2022); original choral music for Christina, a new play by Alexis Scheer; and restoring and reviving Gena Branscombe’s lost choral-orchestral masterwork Pilgrims of Destiny.

Daniel holds a MM from The Boston Conservatory and BA from Catawba College. He is fully vaccinated and boosted, and lives in Brookline with his  wife Alexis and their mini Aussie Sagan. When he is not actively conducting, composing, or teaching music you can find him in the woods, or staring at the stars, dreaming about it.

Emily Vincent is a Boston-based soprano, music educator, voice teacher, and arts administrator from Thompson Connecticut. She is a graduate of Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music as well as Community, Youth, and Education Studies. In her undergraduate studies, she focused on vocal performance and conducted research on fostering communities of acceptance and collaborative learning. In her graduate studies, Emily conducted a research project and podcast series called Q-MusEd, highlighting ways for arts educators to support and affirm LGBTQ+ students in ensemble and in private studio lessons. Emily holds a Master of Music in Music Education from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music.

In addition to her work as Program Director at VOICES Boston, Emily works at the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education, teaching small ensembles and private voice students with a wide range of disabilities and The Hopkinton Center for the Arts as a voice and ukulele teacher. As a performer, Emily has portrayed a number of roles for Enter Stage Left Theater including Aunt March (Little Women), Paulette (Legally Blonde), and Leading Player (Pippin). Emily continues to work with Enter Stage Left Theater as a director for young students. At VOICES, Emily wrote and directed our 2019

Emily is committed to giving students access  to inclusive music and theatre curriculum, as it is her favorite way to spread joy! 

 

Emily Vincent

Program Director

Alicia Britton

Conductor of Training Choirs

Alicia Britton is a native Midwestern, born in Minneapolis and raised by her
grandparents on a farm in rural Wisconsin. Her career as a pianist and singer started at a young age and from classic country to Motown to Hip/Hop, the soundtrack of her upbringing is prevalent in her current compositions. Loving art song and opera led Alicia to study piano, German and as a coloratura soprano for her bachelors at Westminster Choir College, specializing in German Lieder.

Following undergraduate school, Alicia curved away from classical performance and
sustained a freelance career as an actor and popular singer in Philadelphia, PA. She
then discovered her joy of teaching piano and voice lessons, a skill that would not have
been unearthed if it weren’t for Meridee Winters School of Music in Ardmore, PA. After
Philadelphia, Minneapolis was beyond rewarding, staying for three years as an actor,
director, singer, and educator. Alicia served as music director for shows that include
High School Musical, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Annie, Jr., Beauty and the
Beast as well as directed workshops in jazz, pop, music theatre, and diction. In spring
2025, she will lead several workshops at Arlington Center for the Arts, and she
continues to teach private lessons in piano and voice. Excelling at audition preparation,
private voice students have been successful in casting opportunities, scholarship
competitions as well as accepted to study music at top universities and programs. She
is equally in love with being an educator as she is with being on stage!


Alicia relocated to Boston in 2018 and received her masters in Ethnomusicology from
Boston University. She was particularly struck by Balinese Gamelan, sonic warfare and
linguistics. She is obsessed with language and will always make sure what is said is
what is meant! A member of the International Women’s Writing Guild, she has a volume
of poetry and a two-person play in the works. Fitness is an integral part of Alicia’s life.
She consistently participates in 5k’s, finished the Philadelphia Marathon in 2011, and at the Greater Boston YMCA, Alicia is a prolific group fitness, cycle and Les Mills
BodyPump instructor. In November 2024, she will be participating in the Spartan
Stadion 5k at Fenway!

Alena Feldman is a soprano from Pottstown, PA. She holds a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Boston University College of Fine Arts studying with Penelope Bitzas, and a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Alena has been praised for her beautiful voice and her expressive stage presence. She has appeared in several operas and concerts,
including: Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Varna International (2024), Vitellia (cover)
in La clemenza di Tito (2024), La Voix de Lointain in Cendrillon (2024), and Alice 3 in
Alice Tierney (2023) with Boston University Opera Institute, Contessa Almaviva (cover)
in Le nozze di Figaro with Chicago Summer Opera (2023),She has also performed
Oratorio works such as Mozart’s Requiem and Dona nobis pacem by Vaughn Williams
with the Boston University Symphonic Chorus. In addition to her opera experience, she also has experience in musical theater and theater. She has played roles such as
Bernarda Alba in Bernarda Alba with Superhuman Arts (2022), and Orpheus in the
Hades Town Arrangement with the Berklee Musical Theater Club (2022). Ms. Feldman
is looking forward to competing in the Metropolitan Laffont Competition Districts level for the 2024-2025 season.

Ms. Feldman has ample experience in teaching a variety of students in and out of the
music scene. She has been working as a Substitute teacher for 2 years with Boston
Public Schools and has been invaluable in developing her ability to adapt to diverse
environments and build rapport with individuals of all ages and backgrounds. In the
administrative realm Ms. Feldman was the Chorale Manager at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Alena has also taught the Class Voice for non-majors during her time at Boston University and as a private voice teacher focusing on Vocal Pedagogy concepts.


Additionally, she was a voice and beginner piano teacher at Merry Melody Music
Academy and even taught Karate back at home in Pennsylvania. Alena is also training
to be an Alexander technician. She is passionate about the Alexander Technique and
believes that it can help people to improve their posture, movement, and overall
well-being. She is looking forward to helping others through the technique as it has
helped her tremendously. Additionally, Alena has taught students from 4-22 years old in a variety of disciplines and is very excited to work with the talented students in Brookline at VOICES Boston. She is a highly motivated individual with a strong work ethic and a dedication to music education. She believes all students should be nurtured for who they are and then their true talent will blossom.

Alena Feldman

Program Assistant

Maria Rabbia

Collaborative Pianist – VOICES Boston Children’s Choir

Maria Rabbia hails from New Hartford, New York, and is excited to begin her DMA in Collaborative Piano at Boston University, where she will be studying with Shiela Kibbe. Previously, Maria received her MM in Collaborative Piano from Ithaca College, studying with Dr. Diane Birr and received a BA in Piano from the College of Saint Rose under Dr. Young Kim. Coaching and collaborative credits include International Performing Arts Institute in Kiefersfelden, Germany (2017-2020), The Voice Institute of the Finger Lakes, and participation as a Young Artist with Opera Company of Middlebury. Equally passionate about both art song and opera, Maria was a part of the Middlebury Song Festival, and worked with Opera Ithaca on productions of La bohème and Carmen. Maria has played for over 70 recitals while at Ithaca College and is the pianist for the newly released The Great Courses “How to sing.” During COVID 2020, she was the music director for The Social Distance Opera Project’s premiere release of Don Giovanni. As a private piano instructor, Maria has been teaching both children and adults for almost 10 years and is currently teaching through the Cambridge Music Consortium. She has accompanied choral groups from the age of 13 and is thrilled to begin working with VOICES of Boston.

North Carolina native and Boston newcomer, Christopher Lockman, is a vocalist, pianist, and composer. Chris began his musical journey at age 4, when his great uncle brought him a small Casio keyboard and later an acoustic guitar that were to be thrown away. He would often listen to various film/television/video game themes and learn to play them on these instruments. Years later, Chris joined his school choir, where he was selected to perform in NCMEA’s Middle/High School Honors and All-State choirs respectively. In high school, Chris was a student of VOICES Boston’s Artistic Director Dan Ryan. At age 16, Dan introduced him to his first conducting job at Providence United Methodist Church, where he served for 7 years. After graduating high school, Chris went on to study Music Composition briefly at Appalachian State University and later, Audio Production at Full Sail University, where he earned his Bachelor’s of Science. In North Carolina, Chris most recently worked as an accompanist for voice students at Mitchell Community College and Catawba Valley Community College, and frequently worked as a music director at The Green Room Community Theater, and Theatre Statesville. Chris has music directed/played in the pit orchestra for over thirty musical theatre productions, and has directed multiple choirs in NC. Chris currently teaches voice and piano at The REAL School of Music in Burlington, MA. 

Chris Lockman 

Collaborative Pianist – VOICES Boston Children’s Choir

Brooke Meehan

Dance Teaching Artist & Choreographer 

Brooke Meehan is a Connecticut native who moved to Brookline this past year. She graduated from Keene State College in 2020 with a Bachelor’s of Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor’s of Dance Education. She stayed at Keene State into the next year to complete her Master’s of Special Education through an accelerated program. During her time at Keene State, she was a member of the dance team and held the position of manager for two years. Through her dance education major, she was able to train in modern dance, as well as learn the foundation of teaching dance to young children. She was a dancer in various dance productions and choreographed her own piece for dance performances. 

Brooke has taught dance of many styles including jazz, lyrical, hip hop, acro and musical theatre. She has worked with students ranging from 3 to 18 of all various dance abilities. In middle school and highschool, Brooke performed in numerous musicals including Once on this Island, Godspell, and Suessical. She has always loved performing and has transferred that love into teaching. 

She is currently working as a preschool teacher in Brookline as well as teaching dance classes in the Boston Metro Area. Brooke is interested in becoming a dance movement therapist and hopes to continue to combine her love for special education and dance through movement. Brooke believes all students are capable of artistic movement if they are given the space and tools to do so! 

One of the nation’s preeminent children’s conductors, Johanna (Jody) Hill Simpson has worked with young people of all ages and levels – from kindergartners through graduate students— at Dartmouth College, Lincoln Elementary School, Harvard University and the New England Conservatory. She founded PALS Children’s Chorus (now VOICES Boston) in 1990 and served as Artistic Director for 16 years, during which time PALS earned the reputation as one of the finest youth ensembles in the country.When Seiji Ozawa said “Jody really has a genius way of teaching”, he captured the essence of why she is able to transform groups of willing singers into compelling ensembles.

Simpson’s years in Boston with the PALS Children’s Chorus were rich with notable performances and collaborations in Boston, New York, Washington DC and Tanglewood with Ozawa, James Levine, Yo Yo Ma, Henri Dutilleux,Tan Dun, Raphael Fruhbeck DeBurgos, James Conlon, Marek Janowski, Tod Machover, David Hoose, Keith Lockart, and even Nathan Lane and Celine Dion. She was and continues to be a champion of composers and new music and has commissioned and premiered an impressive list of new works, including Mehmet Sanlikol’s Ergenekon, Howard Frazin’s Voice of Isaac, Bret Silverman’s Tree of Life, William Cutter’s Awake the Dawn, and Megan Henderson’s The Police Log.

In the world of opera, Ms. Simpson’s young singers have appeared in performances of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Tanglewood, Stefan Asbury conducting. Her children joined the Boston Early Music Festival for world premiere performances of Johann Mathesson’s opera Boris Goudenov in Boston and Tanglewood. Ms. Simpson has collaborated with the Boston Lyric Opera, for performances of the historic Carmen on the Common, Tosca, The Little Prince and La Boheme. She has also collaborated with Kayo Iwama and the Cantata Singers in performances of the children’s opera Brundibar.
She has conducted choruses at New England Conservatory (where she also received the Outstanding Alumni Award and studied with renowned choral conductor Lorna Cooke deVaron) and Harvard University. Her ensembles can be heard on recordings by the BSO, the Boston Pops and the PALS private label.

Since moving to the Monadnock region ten years ago, Ms. Simpson founded Music on Norway Pond and has been busy conducting the Norway Pond Festival Singers, and the Junior Minstrels. She also developed the Music on Norway Pond Concert Series for which she has forged a powerful connection with the New England Conservatory, featuring frequent performances in Hancock by their brightest stars. Jody and her husband Rick, an accomplished tenor, live in Hancock, New Hampshire, on Norway Pond, with their standard poodles, Pearl and May and their cat, Goldie.

Johanna Hill Simpson

Artistic Director Emerita, Founder