Staff

Christopher Eanes, Artistic Director. Currently the artistic director of the Cincinnati Boychoir, Chris began his career as the director of vocal music at Blair Academy in northwest New Jersey before pursuing doctoral work at the University of Southern California. As a performer, he has sung in Los Angeles under the direction of Christoph von Dohnányi, Carl St. Clair, William Dehning, Magen Solomon, and Paul Salamunovich. In 2006, he was appointed artistic director of the Chamber Opera of USC, in which capacity he conducted several productions annually. He also served as chorus master and assistant conductor of the USC Thornton Opera, and conductor of the USC Thornton Apollo Men’s Choir.

An avid collaborator, Chris has presented concerts in conjunction with the Taft Museum of Art, the Center for Holocaust & Humanity Education, and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Chris’ work with the Cincinnati Boychoir was featured in Chorus America’s Spotlight On Innovation (The Voice, Fall 2009) and the Cincinnati Enquirer (April 30 & December 10, 2010). An appearance with the Cincinnati May Festival in 2010 prompted Music Director James Conlon to write, “The Cincinnati Boychoir, under the direction of Christopher Eanes, is an outstanding cultural asset to Cincinnati’s rich musical life.”

Recent and upcoming projects include an appearance on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage in March 2011, an appearance with the Cincinnati May Festival in May 2011 (Mendelssohn’s Elijah), and Handel’s Messiah in December 2011 with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra (one of the only performances in the United States to use a choir of boys and men).

Chris spends June and July of each summer coaching gifted high school musicians at the Hotchkiss Summer Portals program in Lakeville, CT, where he has also been working on a project to edit and perform the sacred works of Baldassare Galuppi.

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KellyAnn Nelson, Director of Education & Outreach, has had the privilege of reaching motivated musicians in a variety of ways throughout her career.  She is a sought-after choral music educator, and, as such, has served as guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator and presenter at various national, all-state, and regional honor choir events, conferences, and choral/vocal jazz workshops in Michigan, West Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey, North Carolina, Connecticut, Kentucky and Indiana. Her article “Making Music with Your Youngest Singers” was published in the ACDA Choral Journal in September 2008.

KellyAnn enjoys working as both an artistic and administrative leader.  As such, she has served as both the project manager and teaching artist for Linton Music’s Peanut Butter & Jam Sessions in Cincinnati, Ohio, as well as the associate conductor and outreach manager for the Cincinnati Children’s Choir.   She also enjoyed serving in various board leadership capacities with the Michigan School Vocal Music Association.   KellyAnn spends her summers as a conductor, teacher, and educational coordinator with programs such as Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Westminster Choir College’s Vocal Institute, Cincinnati Boychoir’s SongFest, Cincinnati Children’s Choir’s Summer Festival, and Princeton Day School’s Music in Motion summer program.

Her interest in conducting choirs and managing choral programs started with her experience in the schools.  She recently served as the Director of Middle School Choirs and General Music at Princeton Day School in Princeton, New Jersey, as well as the Associate Conductor of the Princeton Girlchoir, where she conducted the Quarter Notes training choir and the select PGC Ensemble. Ms. Nelson taught middle school and high school choral music in Michigan and Ohio for more than a decade and served as adjunct faculty at Western Michigan University, where she directed the nationally acclaimed vocal jazz ensemble Gold Company II.  She received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Music Education from Western Michigan University, and has studied both choral conducting and arts administration at University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).

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Bonnie Keller Spain, Associate Director and lead accompanist, has worked for the Boychoir since March 2001. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree, cum laude, from Birmingham-Southern College and a Master of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. A private teacher of piano and organ for more than twenty years, she has taught on the music faculty of Edgecliff College and was Director of Music at All Saints Episcopal Church in Mobile, Alabama for fourteen years.

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John Spain, Business Manager, holds a Bachelor of Music degree in organ from Birmingham-Southern College and a Master of Music degree in organ from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Along with Mrs. Spain, he served as Director of Music at All Saints Episcopal Church in Mobile, Alabama for fourteen years. Mr.Spain is currently the Organist at St. Anne Episcopal Church and serves on the Board of Directors of the Sewanee Church Music Conference.

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Marcia Blust, Personnel Manager, is an experienced administrative assistant, having worked many years for law firms and other businesses. Mrs. Blust has taught art and has a masters in art education from Miami University. She also holds a bachelor of fine arts from Augustana College (Rock Island, IL) and a legal assisting degree from U.C. She is a long-time Bridgetown resident, with two children and a golden retriever.

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Tina Kramer, Music Magic teacher, has taught classroom music in public and private schools, including Bethany School and Schilling School for the Gifted, for 24 years. The pioneer of the Boychoir’s Music Magic program, she serves as organist for St. Michaela and All Angels Church.

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