GBCC Board & Staff
Who We AreBoard Members
The Greater Boston Choral Consortium is made up of an all-volunteer board.
Erik Peregrine
Co-chair
Dr. Erik Peregrine (they/them/theirs) is a visionary conductor, musicologist, and educator whose work centers relationship as the fundamental basis for music-making. Erik currently serves as the artistic director of Ensemble Companio, an award-winning Northeastern regional chamber choir, and the founding director of LIFT!, an independent conducting studio which centers the development of musical leaders whose identities are un/underrepresented in the field.
As a conductor, Erik’s ensembles are hailed for their transformative programming, advocacy for historically-excluded composers, and vibrant, compelling performances of repertoire ranging from early music to newly-commissioned works. Under Erik’s direction, Ensemble Companio won third prize in the American Prize for Choral Performance (community division) as well in the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music in both 2018 and 2019 for performances of works by historically-excluded living composers.
As an educator, Erik is both an award-winning teacher and internationally-recognized expert on best practices for transgender affirming ensembles. During their recent tenure as Director of Choirs at UC Davis, Erik was awarded both the 2023 UC Davis University Honors Program Faculty Mentorship Award and the 2023 ASUCD Excellence in Education Award for their outstanding commitment to undergraduate education. They regularly present their work on creating LGBTQIA+ inclusive choruses, transgender vocal pedagogy, and diversity in choral music at conferences hosted by Chorus America, GALA Choruses, and the American Choral Directors Association, among others.
Erik holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree in choral conducting and historical musicology from the University of Arizona. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Erik also holds a MM in choral conducting from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC) and a BA in Music from Lewis & Clark College (Portland, OR).
Elinor Armbsy
Co-Chair
Elinor A. Armsby (“Ellie”) has been active as a choral conductor and clinician in Massachusetts and the Philadelphia area for over thirty years. She currently serves as Artistic Director of the Arlington based women’s ensemble, Cantilena and as Senior Choir Director at Acton Congregational Church. Previously, she served as Music Director at First Church in Marlborough UCC and the Northborough Area Community Chorus, Artistic Director for the Rainbow Chorale of Delaware, Director of Music at First United Methodist Church of Germantown (PA) and Director of Choirs at Philadelphia’s Central High School. Ellie has been praised for her success in working with singers at all levels and her ability to create interesting programs showcasing music from diverse repertoires.
In addition to her conducting activities, Ellie is the president of Hildegard Publishing Company, a publisher whose mission is to publish compositions by women composers of all time periods and genres. Prior to her work with Hildegard, she spent many years in various roles at the Theodore Presser Company.
Peter Smith
Treasurer
Peter Smith has been active in Boston choral circles since the 1980’s. His singing background ranges from college a capella to church choir section leader. He is a long-time member of the Back Bay Chorale, serving as BBC’s treasurer and board member from 2006-2016, helping guide the organization through a decade of significant artistic and administrative growth. From 1989 to 2005, Peter worked in IT management at Bain & Company (the international strategy consulting firm) and then made a career shift to arts management. He serves as General Manager of the Back Bay Chorale and Business Manager of both Emmanuel Music (professional chorus and orchestra in residence at Emmanuel Church, Boston) and the Boston Camerata (acclaimed professional early music ensemble.
Max Holman
Member-at-Large
Max Holman is a Boston-based musician recognized for his memorized, clear, and expressive conducting, sensitive collaborative instincts, and “clever” improvisations (Artsong Update). Equally comfortable in front of professional, community, and youth ensembles, his expertise as a vocal coach and choral clinician has transformed seasoned, aging, and changing voices alike.
Max is Music Director of The Spectrum Singers, Assistant Conductor of the Cambridge Chamber Singers, Choral Music and Spanish Teacher at Brimmer and May School, and Choral Director and Conducting Teacher at Grupo Talía’s Encuentro Orquestal Sinfónico in Spain.
Previous international engagements have taken him to Muscat, Rome, Bologna, Milan, Venice, Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, and Montreal. Stateside he has performed on harpsichord with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Norfolk Chamber Consort; sung with the Yale Schola Cantorum, Virginia Chorale, and Music Sacra; and played piano with the Boston Children’s Chorus and Virginia Children’s Chorus. An accomplished ballet accompanist, Max has played at American Repertory Ballet and New Haven Ballet, the latter of which commissioned him to compose and record The Children’s Ballet.
Max received his Bachelor of Music from Rutgers University and his Master of Music from the Yale School of Music and Yale Institute of Sacred Music. When he’s not making music, Max enjoys cooking, cycling, immersing himself in new cultures, forever improving his Spanish, attempting to learn how to dance, making people laugh, and playing fetch with his cat, Estrella. Learn more about Max here.
Brad Dumont
Member-at-Large
Brad Dumont is a passionate arts advocate working to create and support unique artistic projects that contribute to cultural improvement and community-based arts education. He believes in the power of choral singing to build empathetic communities — providing a voice for those that may otherwise not be heard. Brad is committed to a process-oriented approach of music-making which allows for singers to explore diverse themes of equity and justice, a process which helps singers more clearly and creatively communicate their stories.
Brad serves as the Director of Choral Activities at Assumption University and as the Music Director of the Salisbury Singers in Worcester, MA. Additionally, Brad serves as the vice president of the New Hampshire Master Chorale and on the artistic planning team for the Boston-based choir VOICES 21C where he helps develop creative staging and narrative driven programs. Brad is also the operations manager for Emmanuel Music in Boston, an orchestra contractor for ensembles throughout New England, and vice chair of the Greater Boston Choral Consortium.
Brad received a Master of Music in Choral Conducting at Boston University studying with Dr. Miguel Felipe and Bramwell Tovey where he served on the Arts Leadership Council and held teaching assistantships in choral ensembles, conducting, and arts incubation. Originally from Rochester, NH; Brad graduated from Plymouth State University in 2013 as the outstanding Graduating Senior in Music and a Top 20 Senior, earning a B.S. in Music Education K-12 and a B.A. in Music: Vocal Performance and Pedagogy while studying voice with Dr. Kathleen Arecchi, piano with Dr. Carleen Graff, and receiving a choral fellowship from Dr. Dan Perkins.
Stephanie Riley
Secretary/Clerk
Stephanie Riley is the 8-12 Choral Music Director at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School. In addition to her choral directing responsibilities, Stephanie teaches Beginning Piano, Music Technology, History of Rock and Roll, Intro to Music Theory, and AP Music Theory. Stephanie is also the advisor to D-Y’s Tri-M Music Honor Society Chapter and the service organization: Interact.
During her career, Stephanie has brought her choirs to perform at prestigious venues such as the Massachusetts State House, participated in the Handel and Haydn High School Outreach Program, performed at the inauguration for District Attorney Michael O’Keefe, events to benefit Children’s Cove, coordinated a collaboration of Cape Cod High schools and the Cape Cod Symphony, and partnered with other schools on Cape Cod to perform a variety of choral Masterworks.
Stephanie is an active member of the Music Education Community, currently serving as State Treasurer and is the All State Conference Chair. In the past she has served as Chairperson for the Southeast District, Past President of The Cape Cod Music Educators’ Association where she pioneered the All Cape Vocal Jazz Festival. Stephanie holds the position of Choral Editor for the Massachusetts Music Educators’ Journal after previously serving as Technology Editor and regularly writes for both the MMEJ and Pan Pipes: a quarterly journal for Sigma Alpha Iota, Music Fraternity. Stephanie regularly presents sessions on technology in the music classroom and grant writing at the local, state, and regional level.
In addition to her education position, Stephanie is founder and artistic director of Soleil Women’s Choir of Cape Cod. She has found her niche in programming and working with women’s choirs and hopes to continue and expand the project based choir. She actively performs with the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood Festival Chorus and locally with The Chatham Chorale and Chatham Chorale Chamber Singers. In addition to her teaching and singing endeavors, Stephanie is the Assistant Choir Director at the First Congregational Church of Chatham, MA as Chancel Choir Director. With the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Stephanie is a Curriculum Development Consultant, curating curriculum for their annual Young Persons Concert working closely with the Education and Community Outreach Department, and renowned conductor, Thomas Wilkens.
Stephanie holds a BM in Music Education from The Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, MMed. in Music Education from The Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford, and CAGS in Choral Conducting from Messiah University.
Yoshi Campbell
Member-at-large
(bio forthcoming)
STAFF
Alison LaRosa
General Manager
Alison rejoined Greater Boston Choral Consortium as its general manager in 2024 after having previously served on GBCC’s Board of Directors and as chair from 2017 to 2020. She brings to the position extensive experience as an arts administrator and fundraising with organizations large and small. By day, she is assistant director of Gift Planning for Mount Holyoke College.
Alison is a member of the alto section of King’s Chapel Choir in Boston and can also be heard as a cantor at Boston’s Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and other local Catholic churches. Other GBCC member choirs with which she has sung previously include Night Song, Seraphim Singers, and Boston Choral Ensemble. She holds a BM in flute performance from The Catholic University of America and an MA in arts administration from Indiana University, Bloomington.
Former Board Members
GBCC gratefully acknowledges our outgoing executive committee members for their service to the choral community:
Nick Adams (past Chair)
Alison LaRosa (past Chair)
Anne Watson Born (past Chair)
Alex Speir (past Treasurer)
Walter Chapin (past Treasurer)
Alan Lawson (past Secretary)
Jamie Hillman
Eric Christopher Perry
Kara Kirby
Claire Shepro
Jennifer Ritvo Hughes
John Salisbury (past Vice Chair)
Nathan Reiff (past Secretary)
Tori Cook
Jaclyn Dentino
JOIN OUR BOARD
Interested in joining our team? We’re looking for volunteers with experience serving on a board and a passion for choral music.