Staff
Brett Karlin - Artistic Director Email
Leading performances praised as “intense, richly detailed…polished and well-crafted” (Miami Herald), “finely nuanced and expressive” (South Florida Classical Review), and “integrating choral and instrumental sonorities with clarity and impact” (Palm Beach Arts Paper), Brett Karlin is quickly establishing himself as a dynamic conductor of choral-orchestral masterworks. Having worked with a wide variety of ensembles, Karlin is a passionate performer of large-scale symphonic masterpieces, while equally at home with historically informed performances of distinctive Baroque repertoire.
As the artistic director and conductor of the Master Chorale of South Florida, Karlin leads 120 singers through choral-orchestral masterworks and prepares the choir for collaborative performances with other artists and ensembles, including The Cleveland Orchestra and Andrea Bocelli. This season, he leads Master Chorale of South Florida, orchestra, and guest artists through classical monoliths—Duruflé’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, and Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem—as well as lighter fare for a program featuring selections from Broadway musicals. Karlin is also the music director of the Broward Symphony Orchestra, a musical institution celebrating over 50 years of vibrant, inspiring performances of the symphonic repertoire. The 2017-18 Season will include four concert series featuring a diverse amount of repertoire from Handel and Vivaldi to Tchaikovsky and Sibelius. In addition to these appointments, Karlin has maintained guest conducting engagements with a variety of choral and orchestral ensembles, including The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay and The Symphonia, held the position of chorus master for Florida Grand Opera, and mentored the next generation of classical musicians as the artistic director of Florida’s Singing Sons, an internationally renowned, award-winning youth choir. In 2009, he became the assistant conductor for Seraphic Fire, where he assisted with that ensemble’s critically-acclaimed and 2012 Grammy-nominated CD, “A Seraphic Fire Christmas.” Karlin also served as assistant chorus master and singer for the Professional Choral Institute's recording of the London version of Brahms' Ein Deutches Requiem, which received a 2012 Grammy nomination for "Best Choral Performance." Karlin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Voice from Florida State University and Master of Music from University of South Florida. An avid lover of music from the Baroque era and historically informed performance (HIP), Karlin can be found tuning harpsichords and listening to J.S. Bach when not working with ensembles. |
Dr. Robert Summer - Founder & Music Director Emeritus
Dr. Robert Summer, founder and music director emeritus of The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay. Dr. Summer has prepared many choruses for conductors including Irwin Hoffman, Jahja Ling, Julius Rudel, Sir David Willcocks, Sir Neville Marriner, and Robert Shaw. The Master Chorale and USF Chamber Singers were invited by Shaw to participate in performances and a recording on Telarc Records of the Mahler Symphony No. 8 with the Atlanta Symphony and Chorus in 1991.
Dr. Summer has been a guest conductor of The Florida Orchestra on a regular basis, having conducted performances of Orff’s Carmina Burana, Verdi’s Requiem, the Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem, Bach’s Mass in B Minor, and other major choral/orchestral masterworks. In 1990 he had a Carnegie Hall debut conducting the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra and several choirs from throughout the United States in Schubert’s Mass in G Major. The Master Chorale and the USF Chamber Singers under his direction, joined Sir David Willcocks and The London Bach Choir in June 1996 for a performance of the Berlioz Requiem in Westminster Cathedral, London, as well as in a concert of American and English music at King’s College Chapel in Cambridge. |
Matthew David Clear - Assistant Conductor Email
Matthew David Clear is the Director of Choral Activities and Music Department Chairperson at Pinellas County Center for the Arts where he directs the school’s choral ensembles, sponsors the Tri-M Music Honor Society, and teaches classes in vocal techniques. He also serves as Director of Traditional Worship Music and the Arts at First Presbyterian Church, St. Petersburg where he directs the choir program and coordinates the annual concert series. Mr. Clear is the Florida Vocal Association District 9-Pinellas County Chairperson.
Matthew earned his undergraduate degree in Music Education from Malone University and completed his Master of Music Education degree with an emphasis in choral conducting at Florida State University. Mr. Clear was the 2020 Secondary Pinellas County Music Education Association Teacher of the Year and 2021 Pinellas All-County Mixed Chorus Clinician. In February 2022, the Pinellas County Center for the Arts Women’s Chorale under the direction of Mr. Clear will perform at the American Choral Directors Association Southern Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Matthew earned his undergraduate degree in Music Education from Malone University and completed his Master of Music Education degree with an emphasis in choral conducting at Florida State University. Mr. Clear was the 2020 Secondary Pinellas County Music Education Association Teacher of the Year and 2021 Pinellas All-County Mixed Chorus Clinician. In February 2022, the Pinellas County Center for the Arts Women’s Chorale under the direction of Mr. Clear will perform at the American Choral Directors Association Southern Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Dr. Rodney Shores - Principal Accompanist
Originally from Greensboro, NC, Rodney Shores is the Principal Accompanist for The Master Chorale, a music educator, performer, choral conductor, clinician, and lecturer who also specializes in the history of Christian worship and liturgy. With more than 28 years of teaching experience at the elementary, middle/high-school, and university levels, he currently serves as Lecturer in Music and Instructor of Voice at the University of Tampa (UT), where he also conducts the University Concert Chorus. Rodney also conducts Serata, an advanced high-school men’s chorus, as part of Tampa Bay’s Lumina Youth Choirs.
Rodney holds the Master of Music degree and the advanced graduate certificate in piano performance and pedagogy from the University of South Florida, where he also completed all coursework for a master’s degree in choral conducting. He holds a doctorate in historical and applied liturgics from the Webber Institute for Worship Studies.
Rodney holds the Master of Music degree and the advanced graduate certificate in piano performance and pedagogy from the University of South Florida, where he also completed all coursework for a master’s degree in choral conducting. He holds a doctorate in historical and applied liturgics from the Webber Institute for Worship Studies.
Carlton Kilpatrick - Educational Outreach Director Email
Carlton Kilpatrick, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor of Music in Vocal Music Education at the University of Louisiana Monroe. He teaches undergraduate and graduate coursework in music education and conducts Bayou La Belle, an upper-voice ensemble and Warhawk Singers, a lower-voice ensemble. A native of Florida, Dr. Kilpatrick taught high school chorus in the public schools in Lake City, FL and Altamonte Springs, FL for 15 years. In 2010, his choir was invited to perform for the Florida Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). He was recognized as the Florida Music Education Association’s Secondary Music Educator of the Year in 2018. He received his Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Florida and Master of Music in Choral Conducting and Ph.D. in Music Education from the Florida State University. Prior academic appointments include Vanderbilt University.
Dr. Kilpatrick is an active conductor, clinician, and adjudicator. His research has been published in The Choral Journal and Update: Applications of Research in Music Education. His research interests include nonverbal communication in conducting and teaching, inclusive practices in music education, and LGBTQIA+ issues in music education. He has presented sessions for music educators throughout the Southeastern United States. He is in demand as a curriculum specialist having served as the Instructional Design Editor on Jason Max Ferdinand’s Teaching With Heart and in the development and production of two units of educational videos for The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay Digital Youth Initiative.
During his teaching career in Florida, Dr. Kilpatrick was engaged in leadership roles with the Florida Music Education Association (FMEA) and Florida Vocal Association (FVA), including services as President of FVA (2016-2017). He continues to be involved in the leadership of the ACDA’s Southern Region as the Performing Choir Chair-elect for the upcoming 2022 conference in Raleigh. Prior leadership roles in the Southern Region include the Application and Ads Chair for the 2020 conference in Mobile, the Honor Choir Chair for the 2016 conference in Chattanooga and the 2014 conference in Jacksonville. He served as the coordinator of the National ACDA High School Honor Choir at the 2017 conference in Minneapolis. He served as the Secretary of the Florida chapter of ACDA from 2008-2015.
Dr. Kilpatrick holds memberships in NAfME, ACDA, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
Dr. Kilpatrick is an active conductor, clinician, and adjudicator. His research has been published in The Choral Journal and Update: Applications of Research in Music Education. His research interests include nonverbal communication in conducting and teaching, inclusive practices in music education, and LGBTQIA+ issues in music education. He has presented sessions for music educators throughout the Southeastern United States. He is in demand as a curriculum specialist having served as the Instructional Design Editor on Jason Max Ferdinand’s Teaching With Heart and in the development and production of two units of educational videos for The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay Digital Youth Initiative.
During his teaching career in Florida, Dr. Kilpatrick was engaged in leadership roles with the Florida Music Education Association (FMEA) and Florida Vocal Association (FVA), including services as President of FVA (2016-2017). He continues to be involved in the leadership of the ACDA’s Southern Region as the Performing Choir Chair-elect for the upcoming 2022 conference in Raleigh. Prior leadership roles in the Southern Region include the Application and Ads Chair for the 2020 conference in Mobile, the Honor Choir Chair for the 2016 conference in Chattanooga and the 2014 conference in Jacksonville. He served as the coordinator of the National ACDA High School Honor Choir at the 2017 conference in Minneapolis. He served as the Secretary of the Florida chapter of ACDA from 2008-2015.
Dr. Kilpatrick holds memberships in NAfME, ACDA, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
M. Nicole Davis - Educational Outreach Assistant
M. Nicole Davis is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Music Education-Choral Conducting at Florida State
University. Over the years, Nicole has directed church ensembles, participated in community theatre,
arranged pop a capella choral music, and developed a music literacy curriculum for secondary choral
classrooms that she hopes to publish in the next couple of years. Her experiences with diverse people
groups continue to inform her research, service, and performance. Miss Davis has been the Artistic
Director and Conductor of Thomasville Singers since 2015. Before returning for her Ph.D., Nicole
served as Choral Director at Thomas County Central High School in Thomasville, GA (2013-2018).
Davis earned her Bachelor's Degree from Pensacola Christian College in Music Education and
Master's Degrees in Music Education from both Pensacola Christian College and Florida State
University.
University. Over the years, Nicole has directed church ensembles, participated in community theatre,
arranged pop a capella choral music, and developed a music literacy curriculum for secondary choral
classrooms that she hopes to publish in the next couple of years. Her experiences with diverse people
groups continue to inform her research, service, and performance. Miss Davis has been the Artistic
Director and Conductor of Thomasville Singers since 2015. Before returning for her Ph.D., Nicole
served as Choral Director at Thomas County Central High School in Thomasville, GA (2013-2018).
Davis earned her Bachelor's Degree from Pensacola Christian College in Music Education and
Master's Degrees in Music Education from both Pensacola Christian College and Florida State
University.
Jesalin Gonzalez - Educational Outreach Assistant
Jesalin Gonzalez is a senior Choral Music Education major at Florida State University. She has studied conducting with Kevin Fenton and Michael Hanawalt and voice with Sahoko Timpone. She has served as the President of the FSU Gospel Choir, Vice President of University Singers, and has participated in other choral ensembles throughout the College of Music. She is an active member of the student chapters of ACDA and NAfME and works in the College of Music Admissions office as an admission assistant.
She attended Lake Brantley High School and participated in chorus, drama, volleyball, and peer service clubs. Her vocal solo was selected for the FVA State Honors Recital in 2018. Jesalin is excited for her internship in the Fall of 2021 and hopes to pursue a career as a high school choral director.
She attended Lake Brantley High School and participated in chorus, drama, volleyball, and peer service clubs. Her vocal solo was selected for the FVA State Honors Recital in 2018. Jesalin is excited for her internship in the Fall of 2021 and hopes to pursue a career as a high school choral director.
Deah McReynolds - Education & Outreach Conductor Email
Deah McReynolds holds a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting and Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from the University of South Florida. Deah is Artistic Director for Lumina Youth Choirs. This diversified program of vocal arts sustains six choirs of boys and girls, grades K-12, which perform locally, nationally and internationally in choral festival, concert and competition settings. She is Conductor of Lumina Stele & Voci de Lumina. While presenting concert tours in Ireland and Canada, both choirs were honored to give performances at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal, and Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré in Quebec. In 2018, she conducted the combined Lumina Youth Choirs in their debut performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
An active adjudicator and clinician, Deah regularly works with high school, middle school, and elementary school choirs, ensembles & solo musicians across the state of Florida. In addition to her work with young singers, Mrs. McReynolds is
Outreach and Education Conductor for the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, bringing in-class workshops and formal concert experiences to over 1000 elementary students in both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties each year. While attending USF, she conducted the USF Chamber Singers, Collegium and Collegiate choirs.
Mrs. McReynolds is also adjunct Artist Faculty at The University of Tampa, currently teaching Studio Voice. An active performer, Deah has had the pleasure
of singing with celebrated Broadway performers Kristin Chenoweth, Susan Egan, Allie Mauzey and Kyle Dean Massey. She has been a featured soloist with the Florida Orchestra in performances of Video Games RePlay and performed as soloist twice for The Orchestra Sings educational outreach concerts, also with the Florida Orchestra. She is an active member of The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay and has enjoyed singing as a soloist and with various ensembles throughout the Tampa Bay area for more than 25 years.
An active adjudicator and clinician, Deah regularly works with high school, middle school, and elementary school choirs, ensembles & solo musicians across the state of Florida. In addition to her work with young singers, Mrs. McReynolds is
Outreach and Education Conductor for the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, bringing in-class workshops and formal concert experiences to over 1000 elementary students in both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties each year. While attending USF, she conducted the USF Chamber Singers, Collegium and Collegiate choirs.
Mrs. McReynolds is also adjunct Artist Faculty at The University of Tampa, currently teaching Studio Voice. An active performer, Deah has had the pleasure
of singing with celebrated Broadway performers Kristin Chenoweth, Susan Egan, Allie Mauzey and Kyle Dean Massey. She has been a featured soloist with the Florida Orchestra in performances of Video Games RePlay and performed as soloist twice for The Orchestra Sings educational outreach concerts, also with the Florida Orchestra. She is an active member of The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay and has enjoyed singing as a soloist and with various ensembles throughout the Tampa Bay area for more than 25 years.
Kara Dwyer - Managing Director Email
Kara Dwyer is the Managing Director and joined the Chorale's staff in 2005. Kara oversees all administrative functions of the Chorale's operations.
Kara is originally from Liberty, Maine. She received her Graduate Certificate in Non Profit Management from the University of Tampa in 2009, and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with concentrations in Management and International Business from the University of Maine - Orono in 2005. She also attended Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia in partial fulfillment of her international concentration. With over 18 years of non-profit arts administrative experience, Kara occasionally consults on matters of nonprofit arts management, has been a grant panelist for the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs and the Arts Council of Hillsborough County, and has previously served as the Director of Operations for Gulf Coast Youth Choirs (now Lumina Youth Choirs), Marketing Coordinator for the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, and the Assistant Office Manager for the Maine Center for the Arts (now the Collins Center for the Arts).
Kara has been singing in various choirs for over 25 years, including the Mount View Chamber Singers, the University of Maine Singers, University of Maine Oratorio Society, the Collegiate Chorale at the University of Maine, The Richard Zielinski Singers, Con Amore, Ensemble Mir, USF Collegium Choir, the Forest Hills Singers, and currently sings with The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay.
Kara is originally from Liberty, Maine. She received her Graduate Certificate in Non Profit Management from the University of Tampa in 2009, and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with concentrations in Management and International Business from the University of Maine - Orono in 2005. She also attended Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia in partial fulfillment of her international concentration. With over 18 years of non-profit arts administrative experience, Kara occasionally consults on matters of nonprofit arts management, has been a grant panelist for the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs and the Arts Council of Hillsborough County, and has previously served as the Director of Operations for Gulf Coast Youth Choirs (now Lumina Youth Choirs), Marketing Coordinator for the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, and the Assistant Office Manager for the Maine Center for the Arts (now the Collins Center for the Arts).
Kara has been singing in various choirs for over 25 years, including the Mount View Chamber Singers, the University of Maine Singers, University of Maine Oratorio Society, the Collegiate Chorale at the University of Maine, The Richard Zielinski Singers, Con Amore, Ensemble Mir, USF Collegium Choir, the Forest Hills Singers, and currently sings with The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay.
Tom Barker - Development Director Email
Tom Barker is the Development Director and joined our team in November, 2016. Tom brings over 25 years of executive planning, administration, communications and marketing experience in the nonprofit sector. He is a graduate of Purdue University in social sciences and has completed many hours of nonprofit financial and leadership training. Tom has served in both board and staff positions for the Tidewater YMCA and Downtown Development Council in Norfolk, VA, the Carolina Voices Chorus, Mayor's Development Council, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, Goodwill Industries in Charlotte, NC, and the Tampa Bay Business Guild. He also served as a facilitator in the University of New Hampshire's Constructive Change strategic planning program helping many local nonprofit organizations with long term strategic plans. Prior to this appointment Tom was executive director for Una Voce: The Florida Men's Chorale, implementing development and leadership programs, supporting capacity-building grant projects, and providing administrative coordination for the chorus.
Jason Burke - Project Manager Email
Jason Burke is the Project Manager for The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay.
As a performer, Jason has appeared across the country in the national tour of The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber as a principal vocalist. Other theatrical highlights include productions of Phantom, Moon Over Buffalo, Tommy, My Fair Lady, Damn Yankees, She Loves Me, The Music Man, Jesus Christ Superstar, I Shall Not Be Moved, the opera McTeague, Rose-Marie, and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue at the Kennedy Center. Additionally, Jason has performed with the New York City Opera in Acis & Galatea and I Capuletti e I Montecchi and the musical Sweeney Todd with the New York Philharmonic.
In March 2010, Jason was a finalist in the American Traditions Vocal Competition in Savannah, GA.
Jason has had the opportunity to sing with several orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, the American Symphony Orchestra, The Cincinnati Pops, the Indianapolis Pops, the Detroit Pops, the Florida Orchestra and the Bloomington Pops. Special concerts included the premiere of Fantasia 2000 at Carnegie Hall and Beethoven's Symphony No.9 on the eve of the millennium. A frequent soloist throughout the Bay and with Master Chorale, in past seasons Jason has performed inMessiah, Rutter's Mass for the Children, Schubert's Mass in G, as well as the annual musical theatre benefit concerts at the Largo Cultural Center.
Recordings include: Sweeney Todd: LIVE, Die Liebe Der Danae (Telarc), Rose-Marie (cast-album), Puttin' On the Ritz (soloist), The Magical Music of Disney (additional vocal arrangements), The Music Man (Grammy-nominated), The Stephen Paulus Christmas Album, American Voices v1, v2, & v3 and several Master Chorale recordings.
Jason is currently on the faculty of St. Petersburg College as Professor of Musical Theatre & Voice and is also faculty for their Summer Vocal Institute, leading the Opera workshop class.
He is also active as a Music Director and has music directed Hair, Rocky Horror Show, Sweeney Todd, Sugar Babies, Evita, H2$, Fiddler on the Roof, The King & I, I Shall Not Be Moved, along with several cabarets and revues.
Jason holds an MM and a BS in Voice from Indiana University School of Music.
As a performer, Jason has appeared across the country in the national tour of The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber as a principal vocalist. Other theatrical highlights include productions of Phantom, Moon Over Buffalo, Tommy, My Fair Lady, Damn Yankees, She Loves Me, The Music Man, Jesus Christ Superstar, I Shall Not Be Moved, the opera McTeague, Rose-Marie, and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue at the Kennedy Center. Additionally, Jason has performed with the New York City Opera in Acis & Galatea and I Capuletti e I Montecchi and the musical Sweeney Todd with the New York Philharmonic.
In March 2010, Jason was a finalist in the American Traditions Vocal Competition in Savannah, GA.
Jason has had the opportunity to sing with several orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, the American Symphony Orchestra, The Cincinnati Pops, the Indianapolis Pops, the Detroit Pops, the Florida Orchestra and the Bloomington Pops. Special concerts included the premiere of Fantasia 2000 at Carnegie Hall and Beethoven's Symphony No.9 on the eve of the millennium. A frequent soloist throughout the Bay and with Master Chorale, in past seasons Jason has performed inMessiah, Rutter's Mass for the Children, Schubert's Mass in G, as well as the annual musical theatre benefit concerts at the Largo Cultural Center.
Recordings include: Sweeney Todd: LIVE, Die Liebe Der Danae (Telarc), Rose-Marie (cast-album), Puttin' On the Ritz (soloist), The Magical Music of Disney (additional vocal arrangements), The Music Man (Grammy-nominated), The Stephen Paulus Christmas Album, American Voices v1, v2, & v3 and several Master Chorale recordings.
Jason is currently on the faculty of St. Petersburg College as Professor of Musical Theatre & Voice and is also faculty for their Summer Vocal Institute, leading the Opera workshop class.
He is also active as a Music Director and has music directed Hair, Rocky Horror Show, Sweeney Todd, Sugar Babies, Evita, H2$, Fiddler on the Roof, The King & I, I Shall Not Be Moved, along with several cabarets and revues.
Jason holds an MM and a BS in Voice from Indiana University School of Music.
