CSCC Directors

Mr. Brad Peterson
Conductor Summit Ensemble, Artistic Coordinator and Co-Founder

Mr. Peterson attended the University of Northern Colorado, where he earned his B.A. in Music Education and a Masters of Arts in Choral Literature and Conducting. He retired from Colorado Springs School District 11 after 30 years of public school teaching: eight years at Irving Junior High School and 22 years at Mitchell High School as Choral Conductor/Music Chair. Mr. Peterson has served as an adjudicator and clinician throughout the state of Colorado and in Nebraska. Mr. Peterson has served as chairman of the Colorado All State Choirs, received honorable mention as Teacher of the Year, and was the first winner of the Governor’s Award for Excellence; in 2001 he was honored with the Distinguished Arts Educator Award. He now serves as an All State judge for the State of Colorado. Under his direction, the Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale Summit Ensemble, now in its Fifteenth season, has performed throughout the community, the state of Colorado, at Carnegie Hall in New York, at St. Olaf College in Minneapolis, and in Chicago. Internationally, they have toured three times to Japan, and during the summer of 2005 they toured Scotland, Wales and England. Mr. Peterson also conducts the Colorado Springs community choir, Soli Deo Gloria, winner of the 2002 Colorado Springs Music Awards "Best in Classical Choral Performance" award. Mr. Peterson has performed professionally with Abendmusik and the Denver Cherry Creek Chorale. He also has toured Europe with William Hall’s California Master Chorale and the Colorado Ambassadors of Music.

Mr. Robert H. Crowder Jr. Director Emeritus,
Co-Founder of the Colorado Springs Children's Chorale

In addition to directing the Pikes Peak Singers, Mr. Crowder teaches at William J. Palmer High School in Colorado Springs, where he serves as Vocal Music Director. Mr. Crowder received a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from the University of Southern Colorado, where he studied with Kent Holliday. He earned a Master of Music degree from Arizona State University, having studied with Douglas R. McEwen, former Assistant Director of the Roger Wagner Chorale. Mr. Crowder is the recipient of the 2004-2005 Crystal Apple Award recognizing excellence in education in Colorado Springs, and the Arts, Business, & Education Distinguished Teacher Award. Under Mr. Crowder’s musical leadership, the Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale has earned a reputation as one of the leading children’s choirs in the United States. Under Mr. Crowder’s musical direction, the Pikes Peak Singers received a Gold Medal in the 1993 Golden Gate International Children’s Choir Festival in Piedmont, California, and First Place in the Children’s Choir Division of the 1994 International Kathaumixw in Powell River, British Columbia, and first place in the Prague International Festival in 2000. In 1998, the Pikes Peak Singers were featured at the American Guild of Organists National Convention, where they premiered Mr. Crowder’s Setting of Five Poems by William Blake.

Ms. Lori Bammesberger
Conductor Pikes Peak Singers

Now in her ninth season with the Children’s Chorale, Lori grew up in Colorado Springs. She graduated from Doherty High School, and received a Bachelor’s degree in music education from Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas and a Master’s in voice performance/opera from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. Lori has performed with Opera Theatre of the Rockies, the Colorado Opera Festival, Colorado Vocal Arts Ensemble and Fort Worth Opera. She maintains a private voice studio in Colorado Springs and is a clinician for many choirs in the Pikes Peak Region. She has also taught music in the Widefield school district. Lori very much enjoys working with the young voices of the Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale, discovering the potential hidden within each young person!

Mrs. Lynn Branford
Conductor Springs Singers

Mrs. Lynn Branford attended the University of Northern Colorado, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education. She retired from Colorado Springs School District 11 after 37 years of public teaching: six years at Heath Junior High School in Greeley, 23 years at Sabin Junior/Middle School in Colorado Springs and 8 years at Doherty High School. Lynn’s Sabin Chamber Singers performed at CMEA on four different occasions. In 1998, Lynn accepted the position of Director of Choirs at Thomas B. Doherty High School where she was also the Department Chair of the Performing Arts Department. Her Doherty High School Odyssey Chamber Singers performed at CMEA in 2001 and 2006 and at Lincoln Center in New York City in April 2003. The Springs Singers of the Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale, which Lynn conducted from 1991 to 2000, performed at CMEA in 1994. In 2006 Lynn re-joined the Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale as the accompanist for the Springs Singers, and is now thrilled to be back in the conductor position for this group!

Lynn was president of the Colorado American Choral Directors Association from 2000 – 2003 and is a member of ACDA, MENC, CMEA and the International Thespian Society. Mrs. Branford also serves Colorado as a choral clinician, adjudicator, director of Honor Choirs and All-State Choir judge. In 1985, she had the honor of being Colorado Teacher of the Year from Colorado Springs and has been included in Who’ Who Among America’s Teachers on six separate occasions.

Mrs. Joan Kuemmerle
Conductor Sunrise Singers

Although this is Joan's first year as a director for the Children's Chorale, this is actually Joan’s fourth year as a member of the Children’s Chorale staff. Her first three seasons were as one of our amazing accompanists . She earned an AA from Cotty College and a BME with choral emphasis from Eastern New Mexico University, where she continued to keep busy with a variety of accompanying. She has taught K-12 music, band and choir in New Mexico, and was the accompanist for the Young Artist Chorale in San Antonio for 5 years. Joan has accompanied many groups, starting while she was in 7th grade playing for high school choirs, musicals and jazz bands. By the time she reached high school herself she was busy playing for a variety of choirs, vocal and instrumental soloists, church choirs and musicals. Joan and her family live in Peyton, Colorado. She has four daughters in the Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale.

CSCC DIRECTORS