MasterVoices Announces Appointment of New Co-Chairs of the Board of Directors

MasterVoices announces the appointment of two new Co-Chairs of its Board of Directors, Jewelle Bickford and Deborah Stiles, to succeed its former Co-Chairs, Susan Baker and George Grumbach.

"Susan Baker and I are thrilled that Jewelle Bickford and Deborah Stiles have been elected as the new Co-Chairs of MasterVoices," said Mr. Grumbach, "and that MasterVoices will be in the hands of such capable Board leaders. Our new Co-Chairs have distinguished and complementary careers. Deborah Stiles brings her skills as a lawyer and university executive, together with her avocation as a choral singer with MasterVoices and other groups. Jewelle Bickford is a leader in the financial world as an investment banker and wealth advisor. Both bring experience as non-profit board members. They are old friends and will make a great team to collaborate with Ted Sperling to lead MasterVoices and our Board into our 75th anniversary and beyond."

"The Collegiate Chorale-now MasterVoices-has been an important part of my life since 2006 when I joined the chorus as a singer and became a Board member as well," said Ms. Stiles. "Being part of this organization musically has brought me great joy over the years. I am honored to have been chosen to lead it with my long-time friend, Jewelle Bickford. Jewelle and I and the rest of the organization have much to be excited about: we have a new name, a promising new partnership with City Center and Ted Sperling's vision for the future of MasterVoices." Jewelle Bickford added that "MasterVoices has had a distinguished history and has a bright future. It will be a pleasure to help MasterVoices realize its ambitious new plans."

Jewelle Bickford joined Evercore Wealth Management in 2013 as a Partner and Wealth Advisor, where she focuses on family governance, impact investing and women's financial issues. Before that she served as a senior strategist at GenSpring Family Offices and until 2009, as a global partner at Rothschild Group. Ms. Bickford has served on many non-profit Boards, including Women for Women International, the Women's Center and the Trisha Brown Dance Company. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Committee of 200. Having attended Randolph-Macon Women's College, she received a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College.

Deborah Stiles has been since 2004 the Vice President of Research Operations at Columbia University, where she has overall responsibility for managing the administration of research at the University. Previous to that, she was a corporate partner at Debevoise & Plimpton, a major international law firm. She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the Dean's Council of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. She received a B.A. from Harvard and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

MasterVoices is continuing The Collegiate Chorale's preeminent reputation for its performances of the traditional choral repertoire, rarely heard operas in concert, unusual music theatre pieces and commissioned works. The chorus has worked with the great luminaries of the music world, singing under conductors such as James Levine, Alan Gilbert, Zubin Mehta and Riccardo Muti. MasterVoices has performed in recent seasons with renowned vocal artists, including Stephanie Blythe, Victoria Clark, Bryn Terfel, Thomas Hampson and Deborah Voigt. Highlights of recent seasons have included Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele, David Lang's battle hymns, Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy) with Eric Idle and the U.S. premiere of Kurt Weill's The Road of Promise. MasterVoices is committed to fostering the talents of the next generation of artists and audiences through its Side-by-Side mentoring program, student masterclasses, Faith Geier Artist Initiative and most recently with the launch of Bridges, its outreach program creating new works in collaboration with communities throughout New York City. For more information, visit mastervoices.org. Connect with MasterVoices on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@mastervoicesny).