Matthew Phelps, Minister of Music
Minister of Music Matthew Phelps joins The Reformed Church of Bronxville from Cincinnati, where he served as Music Director of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Church. During his years at St. Aloysius, he grew all facets of the Music Ministry Program to include masterworks with Choir and orchestra, 2 organ renovations, and a concert series. While serving at St. Aloysius, Mr. Phelps was the founder and artistic director of Women in Song, a community women’s choir that specialized in classical and romantic treble repertoire and served on the faculty of Xavier University where he was a lecturer, choral conductor, and organ recitalist. While in Cincinnati, he served as accompanist of the Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati and an assistant conductor with the Cincinnati Boychoir. He received degrees from Wright State University and the College-Conservatory of Music in piano and choral conducting respectively. He also holds an associate certificate from the American Guild of Organists. The American Choral Director's Association recognized his efforts as a conductor when he was invited as a Semi-Finalist for their Young Conductor Competition in 2001. He has studied conducting with Earl Rivers and Stephen Coker and has participated in master classes with Harry Christophers and the legendary Dale Warland. He has studied organ with Reverend John Neely, Thomas Miles, and Jerry Taylor.
Mr. Phelps served as Chorus Master of the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra from 2002-2004 where he prepared performances of Orff's Carmina Burana, Verdi's Othello, and Schoenberg's Survivor from Warsaw. Mr. Phelps also led the chorus in a concert of sacred music throughout the ages, including a world premiere by Cincinnati composer Peter Morabito. While at the College-Conservatory of Music, Mr. Phelps served as principal accompanist for the choral department, principal accompanist to the Musical Theater Department, and also music director of the Studio Theater in the fall of 2002 where he conducted the regional premiere of Promenade. Mr. Phelps made his country music debut conducting the WGUC Radio Singers for country singer Jo Dee Messina's Holiday Concert at the Taft Theatre in 2002.
As an organist, Mr. Phelps has received opportunities to play in some of Cincinnati’s most prestigious venues including recitals at St. Boniface in Northside, Xavier University, and Christ Church Cathedral downtown. Regionally, he has played at Kettering Seventh Day Adventist, Westminster Presbyterian Church in Dayton, Ohio, and the Historic Hook and Hastings organ at St. John Catholic Church in West Chester. Nationally, he has played at St. Paul’s in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and is playing in Palm Springs, Florida, as part of the MSJ Artist Series in January of 2009. Mr. Phelps has toured as an organist and conductor with the Dayton Philharmonic Chorus and the Xavier University Concert Choir.
Eugene Lavery, B.Mus (Hons)
Organist Eugene Lavery is currently Associate Director of Music/Organist at The Reformed Church, Bronxville, New York, and a Masters student at The Juilliard School, New York, where he studies with Professor Paul Jacobs.
Born in New Zealand, Mr. Lavery received his Bachelor of Music Degree with First Class Honors from the University of Auckland, where he studied with Dr. John Wells. Mr. Lavery also studied conducting with Associate Professor Karen Grylls and Harpsichord with James Tibbles as part of his Bachelor of Music Degree.
Prior to moving to the United States of America, Mr. Lavery served as Assistant Organist at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland, New Zealand where he recorded and launched his debut solo organ CD, Joie. Mr. Lavery served as organist for many high profile services at Holy Trinity Cathedral including the National Tsunami Memorial Service (January 2005) broadcast live on Radio New Zealand, and the First Eucharist of Christmas (December 2005) broadcast live on Television New Zealand.
In June 2006, Mr. Lavery won the New Zealand Association of Organists' National Organ Competition held in Wellington, New Zealand. Mr. Lavery has given recitals in many notable venues including St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York; St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, Australia; and St. Paul's Cathedral, Wellington, New Zealand. Notable performances in the coming year include the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, New York; St. Bartholomew's Church, New York, and Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral.
Mr. Lavery has also participated in master classes with Andreas Meisner, John Wellingham, Christopher Herrick, Colin Walsh, Robert Houssart, Clyde Holloway, and Dame Gillian Weir.
Nell Macdonald
Nell Macdonald has been the Youth and Children’s Choir Director at The Reformed Church in Bronxville since the Fall of 2007. Nell arrived directly from Pleasantville Presbyterian Church where for ten years she was the Soprano Soloist and Director of Children and Youth Choirs. She is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Sing We Enchanted, a vocal ensemble that performs in the Metropolitan area, and she was formerly an Associate Conductor with the Children’s Aid Society Chorus in Manhattan. Nell maintains a separate career in opera, and oratorio, and has performed many new chamber and orchestral works here in the U.S. and abroad. She also teaches voice and piano privately at the Academy of Music Arts; a school she co-founded, where she is also the Program Director. She lives in Ossining with her husband, David, who is a composer and professor at The Manhattan School of Music.
Lee Corbett
Lee Corbett has been the Handbell Director at The Reformed Church since 1986 and directs six handbell choirs. Children begin ringing bells in the sixth grade and continue through high school. There are two adult choirs, the Concert Ringers, many of whom have rung together for twenty-two years, and an intermediate choir, which welcomes new ringers. Lee studied at the New England Conservatory of Music and has had an active piano studio for forty-four years. Please call Lee at 337-6776 #128, or e-mail her at lee@reformedchurch.org, if you are interested in handbells.
