Under the leadership of Artistic Director and founding Conductor Wishart Bell, the company has become a major artistic and educational influence in the community. Through its Basically Baroque Concert Series, Vesper Chorale and Orchestra perform collaborative concerts of historic and contemporary literature with singers from colleges, universities, public schools, and local parishes. These singers receive specific vocal and stylistic education while preparing for professional level performances. The Vesper Chorale Young Singer Development Program invites gifted high school singers and string players to practice and perform beside professional musicians.

The choir’s educational programming has been recognized with awards form the Elnora Stickley Foundation, Indiana Arts Council, the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County, and the Josephson Music Trust. In 2008, in commemoration of the organization’s 15th Anniversary, Musical Arts Indiana Inc. received a citation from the Mayor of South Bend for its contribution to arts education in the community.

Wishart Bell leads Vesper Chorale into its 20^th season, and its incarnation as Musical Arts Indiana Inc. His commitment to excellence, inspiration, and education has driven the development of this 20-year story.

From 1996 to 2000, he and Vesper Chorale led annual educational workshops focused on regional church choirs. With Vesper Chorale he worked with choirs at Culver Academies in decade-long series of educational rehearsals and concerts. The Vesper Chorale Basically Baroque Concert series, launched in 1998, created Vesper Chamber Orchestra to rehearse and perform oratorio with college music departments, providing a significant experience for both the school and Vesper Chorale.

The same educational determination led to the founding of the Children's Choir of Michiana, now in its 9^th season.

The Diverse Journeys Concert Series engages Vesper Chorale with ethnic groups, hoping to inspire young musicians to engage in music. Through this series, Musical Arts Indiana has forged relationships with African American, Jewish, and Latino communities, leading to World or Regional Premiers of such works as Muniz's Stabat Mater, McCollough's Holocaust Cantata: Songs from the Camps, Ramirez's Navidad Nuestra and Missa Criolla, plus several works by Robert Morris, our guest composer for the Unity Through the Arts concert in this season.

Bell's research has focused on the unification of instrumental and vocal techniques in Baroque performance practice as it applies to repertoire for chorus and orchestra, in particular the music of Handel and Bach. His published essays, academic presentations, and professional activities additionally demonstrate his dedication to developing a love of singing young voices as well as his passion for church music, and its capacity to provide vehicles of worship.He continues to direct music at First United Methodist Church in South Bend, as well as Cantus Cathedralis (Cathedral Singers) at St. Matthew Cathedral. He will continue his role as Repertory and Standards Chair for Community Choirs for the Central Division of ACDA. He remains active as a clinician for adult and children's choirs.

Wishart holds the degrees Master of Music in Piano and Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from The American Conservatory of Music, in Chicago. He has also taken advanced study in vocal pedagogy with Richard Miller at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

Jenna Grisham

As a graduate of Indiana State University's Music Business Program, Jenna has taken advantage of numerous career opportunities, enabling her to experience the music industry in various professional capacities throughout the country and abroad.

During her time at Indiana State University, Jenna served as Administrative Assistant for ISU's Music Business Programs, Executive Secretary/Treasurer for Terre Haute Children's Choir, as well as Administrator for the Mid-States Marching Band Contest. Her training then continued while working for central Indiana's predominant school music dealer, Paige's Music, out of Indianapolis, Indiana.

She later assisted the Development Department at Interlochen Center for the Arts near Traverse City, Michigan. Upon graduation, Jenna was hired into the Trade Show Sales Department at NAMM (International Music Products Association) near San Diego, California. She later accepted an Institutional Marketing Manager position with The Woodwind & Brasswind and returned back to the Michiana area. Jenna studies and performs various styles of vocal music including choral, classical, theater and jazz.

Her portfolio includes numerous solo and ensemble awards (district & state), music/theatre camps (Interlochen Center for the Arts, University of Michigan, Ball State University, and Indiana State University), main character roles in many different stage productions, performances at Carnegie Hall and Walt Disney World, as well as participation in the first sister-institution cultural exchange at the Shenyang Conservatory of Music in Shenyang, China.

Jenna currently sings with Vesper Chorale and has been Executive Director for Musical Arts Indiana since January 2013.

Patricia Doyle

Ms. Doyle’s has 33 years experience in community arts organizations including music, dance, and theater both in volunteer (President, Board of Directors) and paid positions (Executive Director). She has produced classical, jazz, and pop festivals in California and Indiana. She is skilled in grant writing, development, and marketing.

She received a Bachelor of Music degree from St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana in 1969, a Bachelor of Music Therapy degree from the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas in 1973, and a Certificate of Arts Administration (1997) from the University of California-Irvine.

Beverly Butler

Beverly Butler has been accompanying Vesper Chorale since 2003. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bethel College in Mishawaka, and a Master of Music degree from Indiana University at South Bend. Beverly is an Adjunct Piano Instructor at St. Mary's College, where she teaches private piano and does vocal and instrumental accompanying.

Beverly has also accompanied St. Mary's Women's Choir in concerts and on several tours, including a 2005 trip to Los Angeles to perform at the National Convention of the American Choral Directors Association. She has accompanied Suzuki String programs, enjoys playing in the Morrow Piano Trio, and has served as church organist in area churches. She currently serves as Choir Accompanist and Substitute Organist at Christ the King Lutheran Church in South Bend. 

Vicky Warkentien

Vicky Tan Warkentien combines the academic rigors of her discipline with the practical experience of church music ministry. She currently is Assistant Professor of Music at Bethel College, Indiana, and serves as the Director of Music Ministries at the First Presbyterian Church in Michigan City, Indiana.

Through the years, Dr. Warkentien has appeared as lecturer in Chinese Church music ministry through out Chinese Christian communities in North America, New Zealand, Australia and Asia. Dr. Warkentien was the choral director for San Francisco Chinese Children's Choir from 1984-87, touring Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Since 1990, she has served as the choral director for annual Summer Children Music Camp in Rochester, NY and Toronto, Ontario.

Sharon Yant

Sharon Yant has dedicated her life to her family, raising four children, and volunteering. Her commitment to children led to the daycare world, in which she worked through her own company, as well as in the employ of others, and teaching pre-kindergarten.

Sharon also co-chairs the Trinity School Christmas Bazaar, volunteers at the First United Methodist Church Soup Kitchen, and teaches Sunday School. She has had children in Children’s Choir of Michiana for three years.

Cindy Berryman

A child development specialist, Cindy Berryman has taught locally since 1993 in a variety of schools, most recently at Monroe Primary Center with the South Bend School Corporation.

Additionally, she has is a guest lecturer in music education methods at St. Mary's College. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from Ball State University and is a licensed Orff-Schulwerk specialist, trained at Anderson University.

She has completed additional coursework in instrumental and vocal technique at Vandercook College of Music in Chicago. Cindy joined the Children's Choir of Michiana in 2011.

Trudy McManama

South Bend has been home for Trudy after moving here from Connecticut more than thirty-five years ago.

Trudy brings years of experience with adults and children as a teacher, school psychologist, and adjunct at IUSB.

This activity made possible, in part, by the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County, the Indiana Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.