Feast of St. Louis
Oratory

Nicholas Bowden is Director of Music and Organist at Fayetteville First United Methodist Church. He enjoys a national reputation as a church musician and an organist, having performed at a wide array of venues across 38 states and 7 countries. Mr. Bowden has been featured on some of the world’s great organs including: St. Paul’s Cathedral (London), The Crystal Cathedral (Los Angeles), The US Naval Academy (Annapolis), Grace Cathedral (San Francisco), the Wanamaker Organ (Macey’s, Philadelphia), St, Thomas, Fifth Av., (New York), The Soldier’s and Sailor’s War Memorial Auditorium (Chattanooga), and the Fox Theatre (Atlanta).

Mr. Bowden is a longtime figure in the music scene of Atlanta. He has served churches of various denominations in the area for 30 years; most of this time (23 years) at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Buckhead. He attended Mercer University in Macon, GA and subsequently served Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft, Lauderdale for 3 years. Nick lives in Sandy Springs, GA, closely follows things political, and has a great amateur appreciation of architecture.

A luminary on St. Louis stages and in opera houses nationwide, Colleen Daly brings her soprano voice to roles that showcase her artistry and velvety tone.  Apart from opera roles, Ms. Daly has delivered compelling performances in major concert venues and with symphony orchestras, performing in oratorios and other sacred music works, musical theater roles, and interpreting art songs.  Ms. Daly is also an in-demand music educator and voice coach. In July 2020, Ms. Daly became the Concert Series’ third artistic director, developing programs that celebrate connection and community through music.

A versatile conductor, opera soloist, and educator, Terry N. Eberhardt brings these experiences and unmistakable charisma to bear on providing artistic vision and leadership to Concert Series programs. Passionate about developing and encouraging young musicians, Mr. Eberhardt currently serves as the Music Coordinator in Howard County Public Schools. In this role, Mr. Eberhardt oversees 230 music educators and is responsible for music curriculum for students pre-K through grade twelve. Mr. Eberhardt also served as the President of the Maryland Choral Educators Association. Mr. Eberhardt has served as a guest conductor for many county-level honor choirs in the state, and is also an active adjudicator and clinician. 

Mr. Eberhardt has received many honors recognizing his contributions in the field of education and professional accomplishments. He is the proud recipient of The Maryland State Teachers Award, The Maryland Distinguished Scholarship in talent and education, and The Peabody Scholarship in talent. In 2008, Mr. Eberhardt was named the “Howard County Teacher of the Year” for his commitment to music excellence in the classroom. Mr. Eberhardt was featured as a “Choral Director of Note” in the January 2011 edition of the Choral Director Magazine. In 2015 Mr. Eberhardt was named Grammy Music Educator of the year semi-finalist.

Brandon Henley is the Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, where he has been serving since 2013. He began as the piano accompanist for Sunday Masses, became Director of Music in 2019, and later the Director of Music and Liturgy in 2023. In his current role, Brandon oversees and schedules over 150 liturgical and music ministry volunteers. He directs the handbell choir, accompanies the adult choir, plans music and liturgy for all Masses, and is the piano accompanist for all weekend Masses, Holy Days, and significant sacramental celebrations.

Beyond his work at St. Francis, Brandon has dedicated 13 years to music education in the Howard County Public School System, where he currently serves as the Band Director at Centennial Lane Elementary School. He has also coordinated the Elementary Solo and Ensemble Festival and conducted the Middle School Gifted and Talented Wind Ensemble.

Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Brandon holds a Bachelor's Degree in Horn Performance and a Master's Degree in Music Education from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

Charles Higgs, organist, is a native of Clarksville, Maryland. He holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Organ Performance from Westminster Choir College in Princeton. He holds a Master’s of Sacred Music from Mercer University in Macon, GA. His major professors were Ken Cowan, Diane Meredith Belcher, and Robert Parris. Upon graduation he was appointed Associate Organist at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta where he served for nine years. Mr. Higgs was responsible for accompanying the chancel choir, directing the Junior Chorister Choir, collaborating on weekly liturgy planning with the music staff and clergy as well as planning and playing funerals, weddings, and organ demonstrations for groups touring St. Luke’s historic sanctuary. In addition, he was primary organist of the 2000-member congregation. As a recitalist, Charles has performed at several venues, including St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Peachtree Road United Methodist, Peachtree Presbyterian, St. Philips Cathedral, Atlanta, The Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C., Princeton University Chapel, Princeton, NJ., and recently at The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C. Currently he serves as Director of Music and Organist at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Milton, GA, where he facilitates an active, dynamic and growing music ministry. Charles also serves as Organist at St. Jude the Apostle Roman Catholic Church, in Sandy Springs, GA.

Conductor and keyboardist Isaiah Shim currently serves as Assistant Conductor of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra and Columbia Pro Cantare, as well as Organist at St Louis Church.

Concerts in the region have been with the Annapolis Opera, Baltimore Chamber and Symphony Orchestras, Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras, Montgomery Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, and Young Artists of America as well as performances in countries of four continents.

Mr Shim received graduate degrees in conducting and collaborative piano from the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University under the mentorship of Marin Alsop, Joseph Young, and Eileen Cornett. Additionally, he received Bachelor of Music degrees in piano performance and music education from Wheaton College in Illinois, where he studied with Drs Karin Redekopp Edwards, Daniel Sommerville, and John William Trotter.

Rebecca Vanover is a soprano, pianist, and music educator, born and raised in Gaithersburg, MD. A proud Terp alumn, she graduated from the University of Maryland with a BM in Voice and a BME in Choral Music Education. During her time at UMD, she performed regularly with the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center and the Baltimore Symphony at the Meyerhoff and Strathmore as a member of the UMD Chamber Singers. In 2014, she traveled to Seoul to represent the United States at the 10th World Symposium of Choral Music, sharing repertoire with some of the world's best ensembles. In addition to her love of choral music, Rebecca thoroughly enjoys opera and musical theater, and has performed both genres locally in D.C./MD area. Most recently, she's performed in "Show Boat", "Beauty and the Beast", and "Joseph" at Toby's of Columbia. When she's not immersed in music, Rebecca can be found running, hiking, baking, and wearing the Maryland flag as many ways as possible. After several years at Veterans Elementary School, she became the Director of Choirs at Centennial High School.

Kelli Young has enjoyed the opportunities afforded her as a featured soloist here in the United States and in Europe.

Some of Ms. Young’s performing credits include guest soloist with the Columbia Orchestra, the premier of the dance work “String Theory” at the Festival Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland which featured aerial art, spoken word and original music. In direct collaboration with James Rich, she directed and performed in the premiers of two of his new musical works entitled Blink and There Was a Boy. She has collaborated with and sung for such greats as composer Marvin Hamlisch and Grammy Award winner Bobby McFerrin at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. She toured mainland China with members of Washington National Opera and Camerata Philadelphia. She is the featured vocalist with the Big Bang Jazz Band, and a regularly featured artist at the International Women’s Brass Conference annual Holiday Brass Concert in Baltimore.

Ms. Young teaching credits include the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, the Little Patuxent Opera Institute, Maryland Opera Camp, the Baltimore School for the Arts, St. Vincent Pallotti High School. She is a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory of Music and The Duke Ellington School of the Arts.