BOARD & STAFF
This internationally acclaimed children’s choir has impressed audiences with the best of choral music, both sacred and secular, since its founding in 1991 by Grammy Award winning composer and keyboardist Paul Halley.
Board of Directors
Heather Thomson - President
Kathy Weiser - Vice President
Rebecca Bottari - Secretary
Stephen Ivain - Treasurer
Heather Baker
Martin Dodd
Claire Kelly
Patricia Nevin
David Rogers
Sabrina Roper
Behind the Voices
Dr. Gabriel Löfvall
Artistic Director
GABRIEL LÖFVALL, Artistic Director, is a conductor, pianist and tenor who grew up listening to the sounds of the tango in his native Argentina. Born in the city of Mendoza, he graduated from the National University of Cuyo and sang with the Boys’ Choir there, as a youth, under Marcelo Coltro. He studied piano with Dora De Marinis.
Gabriel moved to the U.S. in 1997, where he attended the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford, and received a Masters of Music in piano performance under Luiz de Moura Castro, and later, a Masters and Doctorate in Choral Conducting, under Dr. Edward Bolkovac. Gabriel has taken his music to many different corners of the world: Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, England, Portugal, Spain, Hungary, and the U.S. With flutist Gonzalo Cortes, he formed Duo del Sur, a chamber music ensemble mostly devoted to the research and dissemination of South American contemporary music. He co-directs the vocal ensemble Vallis Musicae, a community chorus that meets regularly for seasonal performances and international tours.
Gabriel was the assistant conductor for The Main Street Singers of New Britain. He currently serves as the Director of Music for St. Patrick-St. Anthony Church in downtown Hartford, and recently obtained a Doctorate in Musical Arts from the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford with Dr. Edward Bolkovac.
Andrew Skinner
Junior Choir Director
ANDREW SKINNER grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, the son of a church musician and a teacher. Andrew majored in music education at Gordon College in Wenham, MA, where he studied French horn as his primary instrument. He was admitted to the Boston Conservatory thereafter for a master’s degree in horn performance, but decided to pursue teaching rather than return as a student. He still teaches horn lessons privately, and plays whenever he can.
Andrew has been teaching choral music in the public schools for ten years, first in Chelsea, MA, growing a regionally successful choral program from the ground up before moving to Connecticut in 2017. Andrew now directs the choral program at Torrington Middle School in addition to roles as music director for theater productions in Torrington and neighboring communities. Though choral music remains a passion, he always delights in any opportunity to get back to his roots and work with instrumental ensembles.
Mr. Skinner completed a master’s degree in performance technology from Southern Utah University in 2022. He and his wife are expecting their third child in November 2022.
Roberta Verbyla
Angels in Training Director
Roberta Verbyla taught elementary vocal music for the Bristol Public School system for 37
years where she helped direct and co-conducted the district wide honors choir. In 2017, she
was adjunct professor in Music Education at University of Hartford Hartt School of Music.
Retired from public school teaching, she serves as choral accompanist for schools and choirs throughout the Farmington Valley. She is the former Assistant Director for Main Street Children’s Choir, and is Associate Director of the Bristol Chorale. She is very happy to be working with Chorus Angelicus. She lives with her husband in Farmington and in her spare time studies and teaches Italian.
Collaborative Pianists
Elizabeth Allyn
Senior Choir Collaborative Pianist
Elizabeth recently retired from forty years of service in the public-school system and is pleased to be associated once again with Chorus Angelicus. She is the Minster of Music for the Church of Christ Congregational (UCC), Norfolk, having followed Gabriel's tenure there. She worked for many years with the late Ruth Lansche, in her private voice studio and at The Hotchkiss School. She is honored to be serving as accompanist, with Gabriel, for the senior choir. These young voices and their devotion to our choirs are an important beacon of hope and beauty in today's society.
Sandra Simpson-Kleisner
Junior Choir Collaborative Pianist
Sandra Simpson-Kleisner has been active in the area as a music teacher, pianist, accompanist and voice coach. She has been musical director at the Roxbury Congregational Church since 1999. She has performed solo and chamber music concerts at the Gunn Library and other venues. She is presently teaching private piano at the Montessori school in Washington and at the Roxbury Church. She is enjoying being an accompanist for Chorus Angelicus and the Kent Singers. She also finds time to study the works of Bach, Beethoven, Faure, Mendelssohn, Mozart—to name a few, and taking care of her dog, Lady.
Rebecca Wallace
Angels in Training Choir Collaborative Pianist
A native of Litchfield County, Beckie has been singing and playing the piano for as long as she can remember. Following her graduation from Shenandoah Conservatory with a degree in Choral Music Education, Beckie ran the choral music program at Daniel Hand High School in Madison, CT. While there, she and her 100+ member choir won national competitions sponsored by Disney and Busch Gardens.
Beckie then composed and produced an album of original songs and performed throughout Nashville at such venues as the Bluebird Cafe. Beckie has been active in local theater as a music director and piano accompanist. She teaches private voice and piano lessons and runs her own photography business. Beckie and her husband Chris have three daughters. Beckie is thrilled to share her love of music with Chorus Angelicus and the Angels In Training.