Leadership

Anima’s staff is composed of both full time and part time employees, all dedicated to making the Anima experience the best it can be for our young choristers, their families and our audiences. The music staff, under the direction of Emily Ellsworth, chooses music, provides music instruction, conducts rehearsals and performances and all other aspects of the music program. The administrative staff, under the direction of Priscilla Smith, cares for the business of the chorus, including arranging for rehearsal space, managing the finances, marketing, communications with families and all other administrative concerns.

Music Staff

Emily Ellsworth-Artistic Director, Touring Chorus Conductor
Ms. Ellsworth has been Artistic Director of Anima since 1996. She has prepared the Chorus for performances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of Mahler's symphonies No. 8 and No. 3 with Christoph Eschenbach, Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms with Sir Georg Solti, and Mahler's Symphony No. 3 with Claudio Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic. She has conducted the young singers in performances with Julia Roberts, Garth Brooks, Dennis DeYoung, Chicago area orchestras, featured broadcasts on WFMT, five CD recordings, and appearances at national conventions for Chorus America (2004 & 2005) and the American Choral Director's Association (1999 & 2003) as well as concert tours of Italy, Australia/New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, mainland China and South Africa.

Ms. Ellsworth has served on the Music Panel for the National Endowment for the Arts, received the YWCA's Outstanding Leader for Arts and Culture Award for DuPage County (1999), and is in demand both nationally and internationally as a guest clinician.. She is also the editor of the Opera Workshop series for Boosey and Hawkes Publishing.

Ms. Ellsworth has over 20 years of teaching experience, having served on the music faculties of the College of DuPage, St. Andrews College in North Carolina, and the University of Southern California. She has also served on the music faculty of Doreen Rao's Choral Music Experience Institute for Choral Teacher Education since 1988. Ms. Ellsworth holds a Bachelor's degree with Special Departmental Honors from Macalester College under Dr. Dale Warland and a Master of Music degree in Vocal Arts with Honors from the University of Southern California. She also holds the Artist/Teacher diploma from the Choral Music Experience Institute.
 

William Buhr-Principal Accompanist
Enjoying a national reputation as an accompanist, chamber musician, adjudicator and clinician, William Buhr's work as a collaborative pianist has taken him to performing engagements in over thirty countries on six continents. Equally at home on the stages of the world's most prestigious concert halls or in the world of musical theater, Mr. Buhr's musical partnerships are numerous and richly varied. He has served on the accompanying staff of the Chicago Symphony Chorus at the invitation of founder/director Margaret Hillis, and has accompanied James Levine, Michael Tilson Thomas, Yo-Yo Ma, June Anderson, Berndt Weikl and others at the Ravinia Festival. He has also worked with Stephen Sondheim, Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald and Michael Cerveris in the Ravinia Festival productions of Sunday In The Park With George and Anyone Can Whistle.

Holding degrees from the University of Illinois and DePaul University, Mr. Buhr has appeared in many international festivals as well as numerous national and regional conventions of major musical and educational organizations. He is a voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, and holds membership in many other professional organizations. Mr. Buhr has served on the faculty of the Choral Music Experience Institute for Choral Teacher Education with Doreen Rao since its inception in 1986, and has played for the national touring companies of numerous Broadway musicals including Showboat, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, and The Phantom of the Opera. He has served as the Associate Director and accompanist of the New Classic Singers, the resident professional choral ensemble at the College of DuPage, since 1986, and has enjoyed an association with Anima - Young Singers of Greater Chicago since 1984.
 

William Gordon-Concert Chorus Conductor
Bill Gordon currently teaches middle school music and choir at The Joseph Sears School in Kenilworth, Illinois. Bill earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, and his master’s degree in voice performance from Roosevelt University. Prior to Sears, he has held teaching posts in Aurora, and was the founder/director of the Interfaith Children’s Choir of Irving Park. Bill was recently named the 2009 award recipient for Excellence in Teaching from the North Suburban Special Education Division. In the conducting arena, Bill conducted the “Boys Only” workshop for Anima in 2007, and has also been the guest conductor for the South Suburban Choral Festival. He most recently prepared a children’s choir for a production of Carmina Burana with the New Trier Symphony Orchestra and Concert Choir. As a performer, Mr. Gordon has appeared with Light Opera Works, Seagle Colony, Sarasota Opera, DuPage Opera Theatre, Savoy-Aires, Bowen Park Opera, Bailiwick Theatre and the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Chicago. As a choral singer, Bill has sung with the Chicago Symphony Chorus, Grant Park Symphony Chorus and the New Classic Singers. An avid tennis player, Bill resides in Rogers Park with his wife, daughter, dog and cat.
 

Marcia Smits-Concert Ensemble Accompanist
Marcia Smits received a B.A. in Education from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She studied piano and organ with Irma Wylie, Carl Sennema, Alyce Lantinga and John Hamersma. Prior to moving to Illinois, she taught school, accompanied children's choirs and served as church organist and director of handbell choirs in western Michigan. Mrs. Smits lives in Wheaton with her husband and is the proud mother of Chad, Colleen, Carl and Carmen and grandmother of Holland, Griffin, Kayla and Cassie. Currently, Mrs. Smits is Choir Accompanist at Elgin High School and Streamwood High School and organist at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church. She has been with Anima since 1991.
 

Hannah Bingham-Treble Ensemble and Prep Choir Conductor
Hannah Bingham received her Bachelor of Music Education degree with honors from Cedarville University, where she was named “Outstanding Future Music Educator”. Ms. Bingham received her Master of Music Education degree from VanderCook College of Music. She has experience teaching kindergarten through twelfth grade choral and general music in both public and private schools. Ms. Bingham has taught in Covington, Kentucky, Bensenville, Illinois, Naperville, Illinois, and most recently in Boston, Massachusetts with Boston City Singers. She resides with her husband and sons in Aurora, where she teaches piano and voice lessons from her home-based studio.
 

Janel Greaves-Treble Ensemble Accompanist
Janel Greaves began her piano studies through the Yamaha program in Japan where she lived most of her life until she returned to the United States to study at Wheaton College. She graduated from Wheaton College with a Bachelor of Arts in Music in 2000. While there, she gained accompanying experience with individual instrumentalists and vocalists and with the Wheaton College Chapel Choir.

Mrs. Greaves currently teaches private piano lessons out of her home to students of all ages. She has accompanied both instrumentalists and vocalists in area competitions and also plays for weddings, receptions, and other events. She loves working with children, and in addition to playing for the Treble Chorus, she has been involved in many different kids clubs through her church and other organizations. She and her husband Keith live in Winfield.
 

Mona Jethmalani-Anima Kid Singers Instructor
Mona Jethmalani has been with Anima since 2004. She is a graduate of Benedictine University earning her degree in music education. She sang with Elgin's premier choral ensemble Heartland Voices for four years and has appeared frequently with DuPage Opera Theatre. She currently sings with the New Classic Singers of Glen Ellyn and is the choral director at Dundee Middle School in Dundee, IL where she directs 5 choirs and the annual musical. She is also a private vocal instructor at Benet Academy in Lisle teaching students from high school to adult.

As a musician, she has performed all over Chicago including Taste of Chicago, WGN-TV, FOX-TV, Chicago World Music Fest, Steppenwolf Theatre, Park West and Hothouse Center for International Performance. Her professional affiliations include National Association for Music Education, American Choral Directors Association and National Association of Teachers of Singing. Ms. 'J' has recently completed her master's degree in music education from Vandercook College of Music..
 

Grace Schwanda- Anima Kid Singers Instructor
Grace Schwanda is an educator who has worked with students from pre-school to senior citizens.  She is a published composer and writer and has spent many years learning about children and their music abilities.  Her studies at Montclair State University in New Jersey and Manhattan School of Music have prepared her to be eclectic in her approach to teaching music with and emphasis on Orff, Kodaly, and Dalcroze. 
Grace is also a certified physical education teacher who is always moving, singing, dancing, playing and enjoying music in as many modalities as possible.   In her free time you can see her training soccer referees for the Wheaton Park District.

Ron Korbitz- Anima Kid Singers Instructor
Ron Korbitz received Bachelor and Master of Music Education degrees from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago. He spent several years performing with local Chicago theater groups at The Royal Castle Dinner Theater and Captain Dick’s Voyage, where he was also the musical director. He has performed as a solo artist and chamber musician in Chicago and the suburbs, and has also worked in the popular music world with groups like The Sound Connection and The Frank Pellico Orchestra. Ron is a collaborating author for the children’s book “Mr. Everybody’s Recorder Book” published by Myles Music and contributing writer to the American String Teachers Association Journal. Mr. Korbitz has served on faculties at The Hinsdale Center for the Arts, Moraine Valley College and School District 117. He has also adjudicated for the Illinois Grade School Music Association and the American String Teachers Association. Currently, he is on faculty at Brookdale School in Naperville, where he teaches K-5 general music and directs the chorus, choir chimes ensembles and guitar ensembles.

Administrative Staff

Priscilla Smith-Executive Director
Ms. Smith has worked for Anima in various capacities for 22 years, and as Executive Director since 2005.
Ms. Smith is responsible for managing all administrative, promotional, performance, and developmental requirements for Anima. She brings to the Chorus over 30 years of corporate management experience, with an extensive background in communication, negotiation, statistical analysis, organization, marketing and media relations. She is also a management consultant providing services to businesses in the western suburbs.

Ms. Smith also loans her expertise to a number of non-profits, from the arts to homeless shelters and considers the work both necessary and highly rewarding. Ms. Smith holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with honors from Elmhurst College.

Nondi Orazi-Development Manager

Leslie Morgan-Program Administrator

April Stosur-Business Manager