Ton Thé
Your tea? Has it removed your cough?
Fueled by the power of a girl’s voice, Princeton Girlchoir presents extraordinary performances at home and throughout the world, while educating the musician, building confidence, and fostering a life-long love of singing together. Founded in 1989 as an after- school activity for girls interested in choral music, Princeton Girlchoir has grown into the area’s premier training and performance choir for girls, with over 300 choristers participating each year. The organization has seven choirs, comprising girls in 3rd through 12th grade. These choirs present music from a wide array of genres, conductors and composers. While honing their musicianship, choristers begin life-long friendships, enjoy professional performance opportunities, and travel the world.
Princeton Girlchoir has been honored to perform in a wide array of venues for audiences both nationally and internationally. Notable performances include the North American premiere of Tan Dun’s Symphony 1997 with Yo- Yo Ma at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center; multiple appearances at Carnegie Hall; performances for dignitaries such as Hillary Rodham Clinton, Jeb Bush, Rush Holt, and Sandra Day O’Connor; performing the national anthem at several professional sporting events; and appearances at conferences of the American Choral Directors Association, Organization of American Kodály Educators, and NJ Music Educators Association.
Princeton Girlchoir is a program of Westrick Music Academy, home to choirs, music classes, and summer camps for musicians from kindergarten through adulthood.
Quarter Notes
Adhya Abi
Anamitra Abi
Ishani Ambekar
Nola Caracausi
Morrigan Clarke
Ileene Dedhia
Shannon Frantz
Ritika Ganguli
Cassandra Hanstveit
Vanessa Harrison
Miriam John
Yvonne Karagiozova
Anaisha Kundu
Grace Maggipinto
Harshini Mahesh
Syona Manchanda
Varsha Muppalaneni
Anvi Nair
Kailani Nallbani
Sunaya Nayee
Charlotte Persche
Sameera Quddus
Aditi Rasbagh
Niah Rustagi
Nisha Sargunar
Aurna Sen
Elena Sen
Malli Shah
Serena Shah
Sarasa Shinde
Arsheen Siddiqui
Avika Tellis
Manisha Tengshe
Arshia Verma
Julia Walker
Concert Choir
Annika Alden-Siegel
Sakhi Balaji
Bhavna Bangalore
Megan Bommireddy
Rhea Cadambi
Anshu Cherukumilli
Allison Chirik
Elizabeth Chorba
Saana Dharia
Angela Du
Ece Ergin
Julia Ferencz
Katherine Ferencz
Robin Freeman
Sofia Ghani
Treya Ghosh
Annabelle Grayson
Pavana Gujjar
Anjali Harish
Aryianna Johnson
Anna Kaufman
Lauren Kim
Vikhya Kota
Neena Kumar
Sonia Lackey
Marianna LeCompte
Nicole Lee
Sophia Magee
Rachael Mann
Ashmi Mehta
Sara Miller
Emily Nichols
Hansika Nittala
Lois Oppong
Siri Parakoti
Kena Patel
Eva Qin
Sara Quddus
Simran Rath
Savannah Ruiz-Hinson
Emma Salas
Nikita Sargunar
Oishee Sinharay
Mira Sridhar
Shriya Sumanth
Sriteja Thodima
Sowmya Venkatesh
Marjorie Williams
Surbhi Yerramilli
Julia Zhou
PGC Ensemble
Eliana Bice
Emilia Carbajal
Katrina Cariaga
Claudia Charles
Sierra Chow
Sophie Deerberg
Amenah Ghani
Rachel Herway
Sarah Nichols
Anya Nirschl
Ayaka Numata
Muskan Paliwal
Ishana Parmar
Cara Pretto
Anusha Qaisar
Miranda Qing
Aishwarya Rao
Avery Richardson
Abby Scatena
Anushya Shankar
Henna Sharma
Paige Stewart
Sanjana Venkatesh
Julia Weiss
Melanie Zhang
Katrina Cariaga, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South
Claudia Charles, Homeschool
Isabella Crapanzano, Robbinsville High School
Tierney Drake, Pennsbury High School
Amenah Ghani, Montgomery High School
Chloe Kim, Princeton High School
* Ayaka Numata, Princeton High School
Muskan Paliwal, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South
Anusha Qaisar, Robbinsville High School
Aishwarya Rao, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South
* Abigail Reytblat, Homeschool
* Anushya Shankar, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South
* Paige Stewart, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South
Neha Tengshe, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North
* Kyara Torres-Olivares, Princeton High School
Sanjana Venkatesh, Montgomery High School
Susanna Weiss, Stuart Country Day School
* Melanie Zhang, Montgomery High School
* “Lifer” – Chorister since third grade
Click here to learn more about our staff
Lynnel Joy Jenkins (Artistic Director, Concert Choir and Ensemble) is Artistic Director of Westrick Music Academy and Choral Teacher at Timberlane Middle School of the Hopewell Valley Regional School District. At Westrick Music Academy, Dr. Jenkins conducts advanced groups, Princeton Girlchoir Ensemble and Concert Choir. She is a choral educator of international stature, having lectured and conducted choral festivals or music programs in Switzerland, China, Hong Kong, Iceland, and South Africa. Nationally, she has conducted honor choruses for one national, four regional, and several state conferences for American Choral Directors Association, two national conferences for OAKE, and numerous All-State choruses. Jenkins has earned degrees from Westminster Choir College (B.M.), Temple University (M.M.), and University of Arizona (D.M.A.), and at the first two institutions was awarded the Elaine Brown Conducting Award.
Fred Meads (WMA Education Director, Eighth Notes and Quarter Notes) has been director of choirs in public and private schools, churches and at the collegiate level for the past twenty-five years. He currently serves as Director of Children and Youth Choirs at Marble Collegiate Church in New York City. Most recently he was Director of Vocal Studies at the American Boychoir School and served as Artistic Director of the Fort Wayne Children’s Choir in Fort Wayne, IN before moving to New Jersey. He has conducted honor and all-state choirs in Wyoming, Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Nebraska, Ohio and Oklahoma. In 2017 and 2011, he conducted the OAKE National Children’s Honor Choirs. In 2014, he served as guest conductor for the Northwest ACDA Children’s Honor Choir.
Internationally, he traveled to Hong Kong to present choral workshops for music educators. Fred has presented workshops for IMEA, ACDA, OAKE and Westminster Choir College. Each summer he teaches in the Kodaly program at Westminster Choir College. Fred received his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Ithaca College, NY and the Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He completed his Kodály training at Capital University in Columbus, OH.
Pianist Julia Hanna (Collaborative Pianist, Concert Choir) has performed widely in the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas, building an extensive repertoire of solo and chamber music. Currently, she serves as a coach and accompanist at Westminster Choir College. As an accompanist she has also performed and toured with several choirs from the New York area, in which capacity the New York Times has praised her performances as “vivid” and “deft.” In 2018 Julia was honored to be a featured performer in a Philip Glass opera workshop in North Adams, MA.
Stefanie Watson (Collaborative Pianist, Quarter Notes and Ensemble) serves as pianist with Princeton Girlchoir. She also accompanies area choirs, including many state and regional honor choirs and the Hopewell Valley Chorus. Stefanie works at The College of New Jersey as staff pianist, adjunct professor, and music director of the Lyric Theatre program. She is also the music director of Emanuel Lutheran Church in New Brunswick and maintains a private piano studio. Stefanie studied Piano Performance at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (B.A.) and Collaborative Piano at Rutgers University (M.M.)
Mackenzie Miller is a Senior Music Education Major with a concentration in Oboe and English Horn at The College of New Jersey. She plays in the College Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, Pit Orchestra, and String Quartet. Additionally, the Viola is her secondary instrument that she is studying and has been playing for over 10 years. So far, her experiences include playing for the Princeton Girl Choir, Pit in High School Musical Productions, and performing in multiple community bands across the Tri-State area. She will be graduating in May, starting her Master’s in Music Education, and cannot wait to teach in her own classroom setting starting Fall 2022!
Princeton Girlchoir and Westrick Music Academy wishes to thank the following individuals and organizations for making today’s concert possible:
- New Jersey State Council on the Arts
- Discover Jersey Arts
- Princeton Area Community Foundation
- Patriots Theater at the War Memorial: William Nutter, Executive Director
- Briann Dixon Videography, LLC
Board of Directors
Michael Wasden, President
Archana Pradhan, MD, MPH, President-Elect
Mark J. Badros, Treasurer
Daniela M. Phayme, Secretary
Tasneem Hajara
Xiaobing Li
Frederick A. Pettit, Esq.
Eeraj J. Qaisar
Laura Fenster Rothschild, PsyD
Raegan M. Ruiz
Carolyn Sauer
Joan A. Valcin
Jason Vodicka, DMA
Lynnel Joy Jenkins, DMA, Ex Officio
Hilary K. Butler, Ex Officio
Advisory Board
S. Tina Biswas
Carol Burden
Jordan M. Corn
Patricia Cornet
Barbara Burke DiCostanzo
James M. Jordan
Peter F. Kelly, Esq., Legal Advisor
Beth Nichols
Janet H. Perkins
Alice Teti
Jan A. Westrick
Princeton Girlchoir Staff
Lynnel Joy Jenkins, DMA, Artistic Director, Concert Choir and Ensemble
Hilary K. Butler, Executive Director
Fred Meads, Education Director, Eighth Notes and Quarter Notes
Chaequan Anderson, Associate Director, Cantores
Tom Shelton, Associate Director, Semi-Tones
Rachel DiBlasio, Operations Manager
Carolyn Sienicki, Development & Communications Director
Blanca Gonzalez, Office Manager
Kyle Blackburn, Collaborative Pianist
Ryan Brechmacher, Collaborative Pianist
Julia Hanna, Collaborative Pianist
François Suhr, Collaborative Pianist
Stefanie Watson, Collaborative Pianist
Adrian Camano, Concert Choir Conducting Fellow
Leigh Huber, Ensemble Conducting Fellow
Anna Matone, Cantores Conducting Fellow
Maia Finkel, Conducting Fellow
Isabella Crapanzano, Eighth Notes Intern
Leanne Griffiths, Eighth Notes Intern
Abigail Reytblat, Eighth Notes Intern
Henna Sharma, Quarter Notes Intern
Julia Weiss, Quarter Notes Intern
Amenah Ghani, Semi-Tones Intern
Muskan Paliwal, Semi-Tones Intern
Anushya Shankar, Semi-Tones Intern
Devin Embrich, Rehearsal Coordinator
Rosemary Gurak, Rehearsal Coordinator
Please consider making a tax-deductible gift to help keep Princeton Girlchoir singing.
