Omaha Symphonic Chorus

A Virginia native, Marques L. A. Garrett (he/him/his) is an Assistant Professor of Music in Choral Activities at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the Glenn Korff School of Music. His responsibilities include conducting the auditioned Chamber Singers and non-auditioned University Chorale (soprano-alto) as well as teaching graduate choral literature. Before earning his PhD in Music Education (Choral Conducting) at Florida State University, he was the Director of Choral Activities at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, he holds an MM from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a BA from Hampton University.

An active conductor, Dr. Garrett serves as a guest conductor or clinician with school, church, community, and festival/honor choirs throughout the country. In addition to his conducting classes at UNL, he leads conducting workshops at other universities and conferences. His formal conducting studies were with Dr. André J. Thomas, Dr. Carole J. Ott, Dr. Carl G. Harris, Jr., and Mr. Royzell Dillard.

A versatile voice that performs both as a baritone and countertenor, Dr. Garrett has sung with several community, church, and university groups as both a chorister and soloist. He was the baritone soloist for the Germantown Concert Chorus’s performance of Haydn’s Missa in Augustiis. His premiere as a countertenor in Dan Forrest’s Jubilate Deo served as the work’s European premiere in Limerick, Ireland. Additionally, he performed the role of Lil Lud in Bernstein’s White House Cantata with the Tallahassee Community Chorus. Currently, he sings with First-Plymouth Congregational Church, Festival Singers of Florida, and the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers.

Dr. Garrett is an avid composer of choral and solo-vocal music whose compositions have been performed to acclaim by high school all-state, collegiate, and professional choirs including Seraphic Fire and the Oakwood University Aeolians. GIA Publications, Walton Music, Santa Barbara Music Publishing, Hinshaw Music, G. Schirmer, Beckenhorst Press, and Carus-Verlag have published several of his compositions.

As a researcher, his most advantageous topic is the non-idiomatic choral music of Black composers. His lectures at state and regional conferences of the American Choral Directors Association and at other local and national venues afford him the opportunity to showcase this underrepresented area of music.

Dr. Garrett holds membership in the American Choral Directors Association; American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers; National Collegiate Choral Organization; and Pi Kappa Lambda. With the National Association of Negro Musicians, he currently serves as the national scholarship chair.

Jonathan Mueller is very excited to be the Assistant Conductor of Omaha Symphonic Chorus. He currently serves as the Director of Music at Dundee Presbyterian Church in Omaha, Nebraska, where he conducts the adult choir and coordinates all musical activities at the church, including the praise band, bell choir, children’s choir, and audio-visual elements. The adult choir also collaborates with the Omaha Symphony and Palladium Brass.

In addition to his responsibilities at Dundee Presbyterian Church, Jonathan is the Assistant Conductor of Madrigali et al., a community chamber choir. He has also worked as a 4th-12th-grade music teacher at Norfolk Catholic, graduate teaching assistant at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Assistant Choir Director at Ankeny Centennial High School, and Director of Music at Maplewood United Methodist Church. Jonathan has taken master classes from Dr. Matthew Harden, Dr. Tim Sharp, Dr. Bruce Browne, and Dr. Greg Zielke. He has conducted or been the rehearsal conductor for Handel’s Messiah, Hayden Creation, Faure requiem, and Carmina Burana.

In his spare time, Jonathan loves to travel with his wife Kristina, especially to Disney World. A little dachshund named Piper runs their household.

A versatile pianist, Stacie Haneline maintains an active recital career in symphonic, chamber, opera, vocal and instrumental repertoire. Thomas Wilkins (Music Director of the Omaha Symphony and Principal Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra) states, “…her musical excellence is overshadowed only by her generous spirit and kindness to her colleagues.” Stacie’s career highlights include performing with Boston Symphony’s Hawthorne Quartet in the world premiere of Clint Needham’s Voices for String Quartet and Orchestra; and the premiere of Leslie Adams’ Dunbar Songs with soprano Gail Robinson-Oturu. Haneline has served as a collaborative pianist for the Sydney Opera House, the University of Australia, New York City Opera, Kennedy Center, Hawaii Opera, Virginia Symphony, Virginia Opera, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brevard Music Center, Omaha Symphony and Opera Omaha.

An established collaborator with Nebraska-based soprano, Jamie Reimer, Haneline and Reimer performed at the African American Arts Song Alliance featuring Robert Owens’ 4 Sonnets to Duse, and most recently, the duo has developed cutting-edge research on collaborative partnerships between singers and pianists, presenting their findings in Stockholm, Sweden and at the International Symposium on Performance Science in Reykjavik, Iceland. Stacie also frequently joins flutist Christine Beard, with whom she has performed at the National Flute Association Convention, at flute festivals in Ecuador, Honduras and France, and on numerous faculty recitals at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Stacie’s avid accomplishments as a chamber artist garnered her recognition as a semi-finalist for the coveted American Prize in chamber music as a member of I, the Siren 2015.

A passionate proponent of chamber music, Ms. Haneline’s arts administration experience extends throughout multiple organizations, including a 10-year position as Executive Director of the Omaha Chamber Music Society. For her efforts, Wilkins has again hailed Stacie, stating that, “her tireless efforts to keep chamber music alive in the city is a gift not only to my musicians, but to our entire community as well.” In her current role as Artistic Director for Vesper Concerts, she enjoys collaborating and programming many different musical and artistic genres, and is particularly drawn towards socially relevant projects.

A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music and Converse College, Haneline studied with Dr. Mark Silverman, Arkady Aronov and Dr. Douglas Weeks, as well as Josef Raieff and Marilyn Neeley. Stacie joined the piano faculty at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2010 where she serves as the collaborative pianist for visiting artists, faculty, and ensembles.

Mr. Gardner’s music, ranging from choral to larger orchestral works, has been performed internationally at various festivals, competitions, and recitals by a variety of community and professional organizations to include the Boston Children’s Chorus, William Baker Festival Singers, Nebraska Wind Symphony, and numerous universities and community choruses. Recent years have brought exciting new venues such as the 2018 Bali International Choral Festival, new premieres such as Requiem – The Promise of Eternity, a 40-minute work for chorus and expanded chamber orchestra, new locations such as performances in Hong Kong, Denmark, and Australia, and new experiences such as the premiere of his first official work as part of the Omaha Symphonic Chorus artistic staff. Most recently, Mr. Gardner had the distinct honor of having his arrangement of “Loch Lomond” performed by the National Youth Choir of Scotland for the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Scottish Parliament, attended not only by members of parliament, but also Her Majesty The Queen.

Mr. Gardner, currently the Composer-in-Residence for the Omaha Symphonic Chorus of Omaha, Nebraska, believes that the greatest innovation and challenge for the modern composer is not just the creation of something new, but of something unique, accessible, and enduring. As a result, his deeply introspective, beautifully melodic and moving compositional style appeals to a wide range of audiences and performers. He continues to explore original concepts of music composition including Story-Composing, the simultaneous composition of music and poetic narrative. Additionally, he enjoys working with local poets and organizations to collaboratively create original works. Whenever possible, Mr. Gardner rehearses and conducts performances of his music, providing compositional insight and interpretation from the composer’s point-of-view. His interests also include speaking with students and aspiring artists about self-publishing, music composition, and the confident pursuit of musical interests.

In addition to being a composer passionate about the benefits of self-publishing, Mr. Gardner is the director of Freedom Voices, an a cappella chamber choir dedicated to the service of military veterans and their families. He has remained active as a performer by singing in all the organizations with which he is associated, even venturing into new territory by learning to sing Barbershop.

Mr. Gardner earned his undergraduate degree in music composition and theory from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He studied composition primarily with Dr. W. Kenton Bales, and has performed extensively under the direction of Dr. Z. Randall Stroope, Dr. James Saker, and Dr. Cina Crisara. He completed his Master of Science in Music Technology degree at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, a unique program that leverages expertise from both the Indiana University Department of Music and the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology.

Whether inspiration for a melody or chord is found while walking in nature, looking up at the heavens, or spending time with his family, Mr. Gardner’s music is a reflection of the joy found in all of these combined experiences.

Dr. Greg Zielke is the Performing Arts Director and Professor of Music at Tabor College, Hillsboro, Kansas. He supervises a vibrant arts program housed in the Shari Flaming Center for the Arts and conducts a newly formed choir, Theater of Voices.

Previously, Dr. Zielke was Professor of Music and Director of the Music Program at Grace University in Omaha, Nebraska. He began teaching at Grace University in 1991. There he was conductor of the Grace Chorale, and the Chamber Singers. In addition, he taught conducting, choral methods, church music, music theory, music history, and private voice. Under his direction, Grace choirs performed across America and took numerous concert tours to Australia and Europe. The latest tour to Europe came in 2017.

They have also performed with Soli Deo Gloria Cantorum, the Clarion Chorale, the Omaha Municipal Orchestra, and the Omaha Symphony Chamber Orchestra. Grace University choirs under Dr. Zielke’s direction have performed the Faure Requiem, Amahl and the Night Visitors, the Mozart Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Vivaldi Gloria, the Rutter Gloria and Requiem, Mozart’s Mass in C “Coronation,” Requiem for the Living by Dan Forrest, and Messiah by Handel.

Together with daughter Mackenzie Dehmer, he developed a musical theatre program at Grace University. The musicals became a signature part of the Grace story and helped produce a number of very passionate and dedicated performers.

Dr. Zielke has been Conductor and Artistic Director of the Omaha Symphonic Chorus since their 2002-03 concert season. Christmas at the Cathedral is OSC’s signature event, now in its 21st edition. Other recent performances include Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven), Requiem (Faure), Carmina Burana (Orff), Porgy and Bess: Concert version (Gershwin), the Dvorak Stabat mater, and the Poulence Gloria.

Dr. Zielke debuted at Carnegie Hall (New York City) in 2009 as conductor of a performance of Haydn’s “Te deum.” He returned in 2016 to conduct Mass in C (Coronation) by Mozart.

As a church musician, he is blessed to have two served churches in Omaha: Community Bible and Westwood. He has been involved in training and developing passionate worship leaders for Christ honoring music and worship. He especially enjoys the opportunity to lead church music seminars and church choir festivals.

Dr. Zielke studied at Tabor College (Bachelor of Arts in Music Education), Wichita State University (Master of Music Education), and the University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory of Music (Doctor of Musical Arts in conducting). His conducting teachers include Dr. Harrison Boughton and Dr. Eph Ehly.

His wife Tamara is an elementary music specialist for Millard Public Schools (Nebraska). His two daughters, Mackenzie and Mikaela, are musicians pursuing careers in singing, theatre and teaching. He is grateful for two wonderful sons-in-law, and two terrific grandsons. Other than a baton, his favorite thing to wave in his fly rod.