Will Adams
Executive Director

Will graduated from University of Colorado Denver with a BS in Finance and minor in Operations Management and began a lengthy and successful career with U.S. Bank. After 16 years, the last 4 as a Senior Vice President and Director of Regional Contact Center Operations, will retired from the bank in late 2006 to focus full-time on his volunteer work as board chair of RMAA and as the lead of the newly-forming Mosaic Youth Chorus.

Under Will's leadership as board chair, Rocky Mountain Arts Association quadrupled in size and outreach, from one chorus to four. Will lead the board through its first formal strategic planning process in 2006 with JVA Consulting, LLC, and a three year plan was adopted by the board which has been on schedule and significant in accomplishments. Also in 2006 Will guided the organization through a significant organizational structure change and alignment to better position RMAA as a stable organization in an increasingly competitive Colorado nonprofit environment.

In 2008, Will firmly planted himself in the nonprofit world when we assumed the full time position as Executive Director of RMAA.

Kendall Bridges
Artistic Director, Mosaic Youth Chorus

Kendall V. Bridges is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado, with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education. He brings to Mosaic Youth Chorus over 12 years of vocal music instruction within the public school system with the Denver Public Schools, Pittsburg (CA) Unified School District and Adams County School District 14. He also served as Minister of Music at Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church in Oakland, CA. His previous experiences have included serving as assistant conductor for various concerts and a guest appearance with the Community College of Aurora.

He is currently active in the tenor section of the Colorado Chorale, and prior to returning to Colorado, sang tenor and served on the Board of directors for the Oakland Symphony Chorus.

Gabrielle Dietrich
Assistant Director, Denver Gay Men’s Chorus

Gabrielle Dietrich obtained her M.M. in choral conducting at the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2005. Upon graduation, she was awarded a year-long fellowship by the Hungarian Scholarship Board for study and research in Kecskemét, Hungary, where she completed coursework for a General Diploma in methodology from the Zoltán Kodály Pedagogical Institute of Music. Gabrielle currently serves as the Director of Music at Christ Lutheran Church in Highlands Ranch and teaches an active studio of private voice and musicianship students.

Joy Jenkins
Assistant Director, Denver Women’s Chorus and Director, Take Note!

Joy holds a Master's Degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Kansas. After moving to Denver, she joined the Denver Women's Chorus in the spring of 2002. Joy became the Director of DWC's small ensemble, Take Note!, in the fall of 2002 and became the Assistant Director of DWC in the spring of 2005. Joy is also the assistant Choir Director at Christ Church United Methodist and sings with the Women's Ensemble "Safonia."

Rick Miller
Principal Accompanist, Denver Gay Men's Chorus and Out Loud: The Colorado Springs Men’s Chorus

Rick Miller is a founding member of the Denver Gay Men's Chorus, singing as a First Tenor. He has held the position of Principal Accompanist for the past 16 years, and continues to sing with the chorus on occasion. This is also Rick's second season as accompanist for Out Loud: The Colorado Springs Men's Chorus, including playing for Out Loud's inaugural concert.

Rick has a degree in composition and has arranged and composed for several local performing groups. He plays several instruments and at various times has played in orchestras and wind ensembles as well as being a church organist. In addition to his musical activities he has volunteered for the past 12 years as a news anchor for Colorado Out Spoken.

Wendy Nestrud
Principal Accompanist, Mosaic Youth Chorus

This is Wendy's first season with Mosaic. After studying and working a short time in nursing, she pursued her musical ambitions and graduated from Metropolitan State College of Denver in 2001 with a Bachelor's Degree in Musical Performance. She teaches privately in her home, collaborates with other musicians, and has accompanied at other local schools.

Lara Jean O'Connor
Principal Accompanist, Denver Women's Chorus
Principal Accompanist, Out Loud: The Colorado Springs Men's Chorus

Lara Jean holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education and Oboe Performance from Dana College in Blair, Nebraska. After post-graduate work at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, she returned to Denver to pursue her music career. In addition to accompanying the Denver Women's Chorus, Lara Jean is an accompanist at Metropolitan State College of Denver and the Colorado Children's Chorale.

Ben Riggs
Artistic Director, Denver Gay Men's Chorus

Ben Riggs is the Director of Worship & Program Ministries at Christ Church United Methodist in Denver. Before arriving at Christ Church in 2003, Ben was the full-time Director of Music at Denver's Wellshire Presbyterian Church. From 2002-2007, Ben served as an adjunct faculty member at Denver's Iliff School of Theology, where he directed the Iliff Choir, assisted in planning community worship, and co-taught the Ritual & Worship class. An active performer, he sings regularly with the St. Martin's Chamber Choir, Denver's only fully professional chorus. At present, Ben is completing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Literature and Performance at the University of Colorado.

Mark Zwilling
Artistic Director, Denver Women's Chorus
Artistic Director, Out Loud: The Colorado Springs Men’s Chorus

Mark's educational and professional background in music is extensive. Currently, he is the Director of Music (overseeing eighteen choirs!) at St. Andrew United Methodist church in Highlands Ranch. Mark is in his seventh year as the Artistic Director of the Denver Women's Chorus and first with Out Loud: The Colorado Springs Men's Chorus. Mark is also the staff accompanist for the Colorado Academy. Prior to coming to Denver, Mark worked with Tim Seelig and the Women's Chorus of Dallas on several special projects, and he was the Director of Worship for the Cathedral of Hope, the largest Metropolitan Community Church in the world. Mark is an actively performing pianist and private voice teacher as well. His talents have led him throughout the country where he has worked with individuals such as the former Phantom of the Opera star Michael Crawford, and he has performed under the auspices of the National Endowment for the Arts. Mark holds three undergraduate and master's degrees in music, including graduating with honors from DePaul University in Chicago.