Artistic Staff

Jason Alexander Holmes began with the Cincinnati Boychoir in July 2019. Previously, he served as the Director of Educational Programming at the Boston Children’s Chorus where he oversaw the musical and social education of over 400 singers ages 7-18, a rigorous Teaching Fellowship Program, and BCC’s robust relationship with area schools. 

Prior to his time at Boston Children’s Chorus, Jason taught students in grades 7-12 at the Rochester (NY) School of the Arts in general music, choir, group voice, and piano, and provided musical direction for several productions. Jason has also taught general and choral music in the elementary setting and led the University of Rochester Gospel Choir and the Eastman Young Children’s Chorus.

Choirs under Jason’s direction are consistently praised for their energetic yet unified tone and engaging performance. Audience members and colleagues in the choral field notice the expressive ways in which singers use their voices and bodies to communicate. Additionally, Jason is known for innovative programming which celebrates the cultural context in which his choirs operate while encouraging singers and audiences alike to stretch their awareness by living in musical worlds to which they may not be accustomed.

Pedagogically, Jason is committed to implementing culturally responsive practices in music education. He has given workshops and conferences sessions on this topic at professional development seminars, schools, and music education and choral conferences.

As a bass-baritone, Jason has had the pleasure of performing repertoire from contemporary music theatre standouts like Jason Robert Brown’s Parade to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Also in the worlds of musical theatre and opera, Jason has served on the faculty of the Geva Theatre’s Summer Academy (Rochester, NY) and as chorus master and young artist coach and music director for Finger Lakes Opera (Canandaigua, NY).

Jason holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and Ithaca College, where his mentors and teachers included Drs. Susan Wharton Conkling, William Weinert, Constance Haas, Brad Hougham, and Susan Avery.

At the core of Jason’s teaching and performing is the belief that we are all expressive and musical beings who deserve to witness and participate regularly in moments of truth and beauty.

Lisa Peters is a graduate of Ithaca College School of Music in Ithaca, New York where she received a Bachelor of Music Education with an emphasis in Choral and Vocal Music. In addition, she holds a Master’s Degree in Education with Music Emphasis from Xavier University. Originally from the state of Vermont, Ms. Peters taught high school choir in the Cincinnati area for 30 years, first at Amelia High School and then at Walnut Hills High School until her retirement in 2013. Her high school choirs consistently received superior ratings at OMEA contests and performed with many prestigious organizations in Cincinnati including the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops Orchestras, the University of Cincinnati CCM Choirs and the Vocal Arts Ensemble.

Upon retirement from Walnut Hills High School, Ms. Peters held the position of adjunct choral director at Mount Saint Joseph University for three years. In addition to her positions as a school music educator and choral conductor, Ms. Peters has taught voice privately for the Northern Kentucky University Preparatory Department and the Mount Saint Joseph Music Academy. She also held the position of Children’s Chorusmaster for the Cincinnati Opera for a number of seasons. Over the years, Ms. Peters has sung with numerous groups here in Cincinnati including the Cincinnati Opera Chorus, Cincinnati Camerata, and the Christ Church Cathedral Choir. She presently sings alto with the Cincinnati Choral Society where she is also a member of the Board. Ms. Peters is a member of the National Association for Music Education, the American Choral Directors Association, Chorus America and the VoiceCare Network.

Angelo Sylvester is a teacher of brass, choral music, and English as an additional language. Currently, he resides in Cincinnati, Ohio and teaches as Director of Bands at La Salle High School and conducts with the Cincinnati Boychoir. 

Raised in Louisville, Ohio, Mr. Sylvester went on to receive his Bachelor of Music Education and Tuba Performance from Ohio University in 2015. During his studies, he performed at Southeast and Midwest regional Tuba/Euphonium conferences as well as the 2015 International Tuba Euphonium Conference. He has performed with the Marching 110 and the Ohio University Wind Ensemble locally and on their 2013 European tour, where he performed with Università la Sapienza, Rome.

In addition to his drive for teaching and performing music, Mr. Sylvester is devoted to teaching English as a foreign language. After spending summers teaching in Italy where he earned his TEFL-TP certification, he has earned a Fulbright Teaching Assistantship to Malaysia for 2016.

When he’s not on the stage or in the classroom, he enjoys arranging music, running, taking long naps, and prides himself on his ability to drink too much coffee. In the future, he’s hoping to strengthen the connections between music, social change, and language acquisition.

Edy Dreith has been a professional singer and teacher in the Cincinnati area for 20 years.  She started teaching high school music in Florida in 1996, and has taught preschool music in Cincinnati since 2003.  Her ability to customize curriculum makes each music lesson exciting, new, and target the specific child’s needs. She writes original songs, books, and activities to keep a modern and fresh approach to the current student! There is never a dull moment, and she believes that keeping a positive and patient attitude is key to create and sustain the love of music!

Operatically trained, she is able to show correct vocal technique for the beginner, and coach the more advanced.  She has been involved with several professional ensembles and projects in Cincinnati, and started her company, the Queen City Sisters in the fall of 2013. Her love of music, voice, life, and world fits perfectly into the Boychoir model and she is excited to be a part of the program!

Shiloh Roby is a native of Staunton, Virginia. He studied organ with Stephen Cooksey and J. Thomas Mitts and percussion with Eugenia Burkett at Shenandoah University, where he earned dual bachelor degrees in music and business. He graduated magna cum laude. He completed a master’s degree at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, where he studied music theory with Kip Wile and Thomas Benjamin. He also studied organ with Donald Sutherland and held one of the two fellowships in ear-training.

In 2007, he departed for the United Kingdom, where he served as organ scholar at Truro Cathedral in Cornwall. This was followed by a year of serving as organ scholar at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the national cathedral of Ireland. Shiloh returned to the United States in 2009 to accept a position as director of music at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Holliston, Massachusetts. He moved to Cincinnati in December 2010, to join the staff of Christ Church Cathedral.

Sara Tobe is currently working in the Cincinnati area as an accompanist, organist, choral director, and music engraver. In addition to accompanying the Cincinnati Boychoir Ambassadors, she is the Assistant Director of the Thomas More University Choirs. Ms. Tobe also works as a supply organist/accompanist at various churches in the area and is a freelance music engraver.

Ms. Tobe grew up in Egypt, OH, where she took her first church organist position at the age of 12 as Director of Music at St. Joseph’s Catholic Parish. She went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree at Bowling Green State University in 2013, where she studied organ with Dr. Vernon Wolcott and piano with Dr. Robert Satterlee. She then moved across the country to Tucson, AZ, where she received a Master of Music degree from The University of Arizona in 2017, studying organ with Dr. Pamela Decker. She also served as Director of Music at First United Methodist Church of Tucson. After winning 2nd place in the Strader Organ Competition, Ms. Tobe returned to Ohio in 2017, where she completed partial doctoral studies in organ with Dr. Michael Unger. During her studies she served as organ scholar at Christ Church Cathedral.

In her small amounts of spare time, she keeps herself busy training for triathlons, reading, traveling, and spending time with her family. She is thrilled to be a new member of the Cincinnati Boychoir family this year and is excited to see what the future holds!

Spencer Zembrodt is a conductor, composter, and percussionist. Most recently, he was Assistant Conductor of the Shippensburg Symphony Festival during the summers of 2014-2018. The festival frequently engaged world-class artists such as Steven Hough, Joshua Bell, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Simone Lamsma. He was also Assistant Conductor for the Orchard Park Symphony Orchestra during its 2017 season, and has worked with the Seven Hills Sinfonietta in Cincinnati, Ohio. Zembrodt’s compositions are represented by Washington Street Publishing.

Katie MacDonald has been making music since she first picked up a violin at age eight, and she sang in her first choir at age twelve. She brings her love for the arts, community, travel, and education to the Cincinnati Boychoir, along with two decades of small business experience in the for-profit sector, in industries ranging from real estate to corporate learning & development.

She’s a lifelong learner who remains active in the local arts community, and regularly travels and volunteers both domestically and internationally, and holds the convicted belief that exposure to the world through music, travel and service learning pushes us all to become better, more informed, global citizens.

Katie has been a singer member of Young Professionals Choral Collective (YPCC) since 2013 and has served on its board since its inception. She was co-founder of Live to 9, a summer music series in Cedar Falls, Iowa that will be celebrating their 12th anniversary this summer. She has served on various boards and committees, and you’ll occasionally find her playing in the pit orchestra for several local community theater groups.

Heather Lally has been involved with the Cincinnati Boychoir since 2004 when her oldest son, Sean, joined the Training Choir. Since then, she has served the Boychoir in a multitude of capacities including ticket sales, hospitality, Silent Auction Chair, New Parent Liaison, tour chaperone, parent representative to the board, and concert manager. Both of her boys sang with the Boychoir for more than six years each.

Heather holds a bachelors degree in Elementary Education from the University of Dayton as well as a masters degree in Early Childhood Special Education from the University of Iowa. She taught piano lessons for eighteen years in her home.

Stacey Devlin joined the Cincinnati Boychoir staff in July 2019 shortly after her son, Ryan, graduated from high school and left the Boychoir holding the honor of it's longest running singer (10 years!)

Stacey's professional background includes years of experience in accounting and financial management roles, including senior manager, financial consultant and Chief Financial Officer. Coupled with her experience as a long-running Boychoir parent, Stacey is an extremely valuable member of the Boychoir's core staff.