Central Illinois Youth Chorus > About > Meet the Staff

Meet the Staff

NOW HIRING

Youth Intern

Central Illinois Youth Chorus is seeking an individual aged 16-22 to assist the chorus approximately 12 hours per month from September 2025 – May 2026. The Youth Intern will support various aspects of arts administration, assisting in rehearsals, communicating and working with parents and students, and providing performance production support. Working closely with our staff and youth will lay the foundation for a music education or music administration career.

Preferred weekly hours are Mondays 5:30-7:30PM and Thursdays 5:45-7:45PM, as well as additional hours agreed upon by the Youth Intern and Administrative Director, up to a total of 100 hours from September 2025 through May 2026. The position will pay $16 per hour and is dependent on a clean background check.

Successful candidates will have an interest in arts administrative or music education, work well with children and adults, and be a dependable worker.  Applicants should submit a short resume with two references and cover letter to office@ciycsings.org by August 31. CIYC is an equal opportunity employer. This position is available due to the support of the Illinois Arts Council.

Andrea Solya

Artistic Director

Andrea Solya, DMA is Interim Director of Choral Activities at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she is director of the UI Chamber Singers and Women's Glee Club, UIUC's premier treble choir. She teaches choral conducting and literature to undergraduate and graduate students. Each summer she teaches musicianship, conducting and choral methodology in the Master's program of the Kodály Institute at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. Her research interests include the choral music of Andreas Rauch (1592-1656), as well as the art of teaching sight singing to the choral singer and beyond. She has performed and presented on national and international stages and has been working on a critical edition of 25 motets from Andreas Rauch’s 1625 collection "Thymiaterium Musicale". Under her direction, the UI Women's Glee Club has received numerous concert invitations and has undertaken memorable tours to Nashville, New Orleans, Atlanta and to New York City. The UI Women’s Glee Club also appears on renowned composer Augusta Read Thomas's latest CD recording Astral Canticle, released in 2015 by Nimbus Records. Dr. Solya is Treble Choir Repertoire and Standards Committee Chair at ACDA-IL.

Simon Tiffin

Chamber Choir Conductor

Simon Tiffin is a conductor, collaborative pianist, and vocal coach currently pursuing a Master of Music in Choral Music at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he also earned his undergraduate degree in Music: Open Studies. He serves as Music and Artistic Director of The Chorale in Champaign-Urbana and was recently Guest Conductor for the Birmingham County Music Festival Honors Chorus. Simon is the collaborative pianist for the University of Illinois Oratorio Society. As a performer, he was featured as piano soloist in Steve Hackman’s And I Love Her: The Beatles Reimagined at Stanford University’s Frost Amphitheater and later performed the orchestral version with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra. He also sings tenor with the Music of the Baroque Chorus, most recently in Handel’s Theodora. Simon is passionate about supporting young singers through meaningful ensemble collaboration.

Ann Marie Morrissette

Concert Choir Conductor

Ann Marie is the choir director at Central High School in Champaign, IL. She received her teaching certification and Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in vocal performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Mrs. Morrissette has performed in many musicals and operas with the Illinois Opera Theatre and Parkland College, as well as solo performances with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra. Mrs. Morrissette is a former member of CIYC and sang under its founder, Carolyn Paulin.

Robin King

Music Makers Conductor and Preschool Singalong Director

Robin King is the Choral Director at Fisher Unit Schools, teaching 5-12 grade choirs as well as K-6 general music. She received her bachelor's of art in choral music education from Belmont University in Nashville, TN. Robin has had a wide variety of performance experience, from bluegrass to Beethoven and everything in between. She is passionate about helping every student build confidence in their unique voice and healthy vocal technique to support it. Robin is a former member of CIYC.

Nick Pierle

Youth Chorale Conductor

A native of Waxhaw, NC, conductor Nicholas Pierle is pursuing the DMA Choral Music degree from The University of Illinois. Prior to moving to Champaign, Pierle worked as an Adjunct Professor of Music at Queens University of Charlotte where he taught courses in undergraduate conducting and assisted with the university choirs. He also taught middle school choir and general music courses with the Fort Mill School District in South Carolina. In addition to his work in the classroom, Pierle currently serves as Music Minister to Grace Lutheran Church in Champaign, IL. His current research explores practical applications of the Estill Voice Training Model within the choral rehearsal. Pierle holds the Master of Music degrees in Choral Conducting, Vocal Performance, and Vocal Pedagogy from East Carolina University. Additionally, he holds the Bachelor of Arts in Music: Vocal Performance from High Point University. For more information or to stay in contact, please visit https://nicholaspierlemusic.com/.

Kathy Kew Lee

Administrative Director

Kathy joined the staff of CIYC in July 2019 and also serves as Music Director at Community United Church of Christ in Champaign.  Since graduating from Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Psychology, Kathy has performed as a soloist, member, and/or section leader of more than 20 choirs.  While living in Boston, Kathy worked as Business Director and sectional coach of VOICES Boston (formerly PALS Children's Chorus), as well as conductor of their youngest choir.  Kathy loves watching the members of CIYC grow each season in ability, confidence, and friendship. Her two sons have been members of CIYC since 2016.  Kathy's favorite musical collaborations are those she shares with her twin sister, husband, and sons.

Ingrid Kammin

Resident Voice Teacher

Ingrid Kammin, DMA, is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Voice at Illinois Wesleyan University, where she serves as Chair of the Voice and Choral Area and Director of Opera. A passionate educator and performer, Dr. Kammin has studied and performed extensively throughout Europe, including at Il Corso Estivo per Giovani Cantanti in Urbania, Italy, and La Sorbonne in Paris, France. Equally comfortable across a wide range of vocal styles, she teaches and performs everything from Early Music and Opera to Contemporary, New Music, Musical Theater, and Pop. Her deep commitment to vocal pedagogy and education is an active member with the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), and she was recently honored with the NATS Emerging Leaders Award.Dr. Kammin is especially devoted to arts advocacy and community engagement, fostering collaboration and creativity both in and outside the studio. She maintains a vibrant private voice studio in the Champaign-Urbana area, working with students of all ages and experience levels.Outside of academia, Dr. Kammin is proud mom to Sybil and Theo, wife to Mike, and devoted human to a delightfully eclectic animal crew: Bug Puppy (aka Buggy Balogh), Dottie Dog, Queen Nikki Kitty, Prince Chatterley Kitty, a small flock of opinionated chickens—and yes, even some fish.

Andrey Ivanov

Collaborative Pianist

Andrey Ivanov is a Brazilian conductor, pianist and opera coach. He received his Bachelor of Music in Conducting from São Paulo State University and his Master in Music in Opera Coaching from the University of Texas at Austin. Ivanov appeared as music staff and assistant conductor for opera productions in Brazil, Germany and the U.S. He was associated conductor and pianist with the Associacao Coral da Cidade de Sao Paulo and the Orquestra Academica de Sao Paulo between 2017 and 2021. He was also assistant conductor in the opera version of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde made and directed by Yoshi Oida and produced in Sao Paulo in 2017. Ivanov also worked as pianist for the Theatro Sao Pedro in Sao Paulo where he worked in opera and ballet productions with the Sao Paulo Cia de Dança. Ivanov worked as music staff for the productions of the Butler Opera Center in Austin and with the Lyric Theatre at Illinois. Most recently, he played productions of The Marriage of Figaro and Hänsel und Gretel with the Berlin Opera Academy in Berlin. Ivanov is currently a DMA student in Vocal Coaching and Accompanying at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Jace Kim

Collaborative Pianist

Jace Kim is a conductor, pianist, violist, and violinist from Fairfax, Virginia. Jace received a Bachelor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music in Professional Music, and a Master of Music degree from Southern Illinois University in Orchestral Conducting. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Viola Performance. Her career highlights include her posts as Assistant Conductor and Associate Pianist at Soo Opera, Music Director at First Presbyterian Church of Urbana, Conducting Fellow at Pierre Monteux School and Festival, Interim Director of Orchestras at Southern Illinois University (2021), and many more.

Alex Libberton

Collaborative Pianist

Alex has been playing the piano for 18 years, 12 of which have included choral accompaniment for church choirs, high school choirs, and youth music festivals. She has also spent several years as a volunteer accompanist for high schoolers as they participate in district and state solo/ensemble competitions. She is currently the choir accompanist at Central High School in Champaign, IL. Whether playing showtunes with her sisters gathered around the piano or accompanying a choir onstage, Alex loves finding ways to connect and share joy through music.