FOUNDER & DIRECTOR
Staff
Stephen Roddy
Stephen Roddy is the Founder & Director of the Houston Children’s Chorus. This auditioned group of children represents the very finest of Houston’s young musicians. They are frequently called upon to represent Houston at local and worldwide civic and cultural events, including 32 performances for the President of the United States. They perform more than 40 concerts each year to an approximate audience of 750,000 people. The Chorus is regularly featured with the Houston Symphony and sang as back-up vocals to Josh Groban during the pre-game ceremonies of the Super Bowl in 2004. In 2008, the Children’s Chorus performed concerts in the major concert halls of Beijing and Shanghai as part of the 2008 Olympics cultural arts festival. In 2010, the Chorus performed with full orchestra at Carnegie Hall in the premiere of “Heartsongs,” a major composition on the poetry of Mattie Stepanek and commissioned by Houston Children’s Chorus.
An accomplished pianist, organist and conductor, Mr. Roddy has conducted state honor choir festivals in Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Arkansas, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Texas. A recent concert involved 1,500 singers and a 100-piece orchestra at Our Lady of Angels Cathedral in Los Angeles. He is in demand as a children’s music recording specialist and has directed or produced recordings for Silver-Burdett Ginn Music textbooks, Shawnee Press, Lifeway, Fred Bock Music Company, Warner Bros. Music, Blue Bell Ice Cream, Gerber Baby Foods and United Way.
Mr. Roddy is a native of Dayton, Ohio, and is a graduate of Auburn University and Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth.
ALUMNUS & CHOREOGRAPHER
JULIA KROHN MECHLING
Julia is a graduate of the Houston Children’s Chorus, H.S.P.V.A., and she attended Boston Conservatory. She has been featured in Broadway touring productions, Pre-Broadway workshops, Off-Broadway, 11 productions with TUTS (including a leading role in “Elf” in December, 2019), 5 productions with Alley Theater, and numerous regional theater productions. She was awarded the Presidential Scholar in the Arts and NFAA. She is married to Charlie Mechling of “Straight No Chaser” fame. She is the proud mom of Hayden and Ely. Her parents are the royalty of Houston theater, Charles & Chesley Santoro Krohn. Chesley Krohn was the Children’s Chorus’ very first choreographer! Julia snuck into membership in the Chorus when she was in the 3rd grade, when the requirement was 4th grade or older. She was the first kid to graduate after being in the Chorus for 6 years! While in the Chorus, Julia sang a solo for President & Mrs. George H.W. Bush at the very first “Celebration of Reading”. She was also featured as a soloist with the Children’s Chorus and the Houston Symphony Christmas Pops. We are SO excited to have (the grown up) Julia as our choreographer!
ALUMNUS, REHEARSAL ASSISTANT & BOARD CHAIR
AMY ZOLKOSKI CANN
Amy Zolkoski Cann has been a part of the Houston Children’s Chorus family in various capacities since 1990, when she joined as a Chorus member at 8 years old. During the past 35 years, Amy has also served as a rehearsal assistant, apprentice choir director, assistant director, marketing/public relations intern, volunteer and board member. Amy currently serves as President of the Chorus Board of Directors and volunteers her time as a rehearsal assistant.
Building upon the early love of music developed through her participation in the Chorus, Amy earned a Bachelor of Music in Choral Music Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from The University of Texas at Austin, receiving a prestigious UT Austin George H. Mitchell Co-Op Student Award for Academic Excellence in 2004 for her work with the Houston Children’s Chorus and underprivileged children in Ajijic, Mexico. As a 2007 graduate of South Texas College of Law Houston, Amy has practiced oil and gas law in Houston for the past 18 years. She lives in Houston with her husband, Taylor, and their three children, Henry, Emma and Frances. She is devoted to the accessibility of arts education for all children and furthering the success of the Houston Children’s Chorus. In true full circle fashion, Amy is most thrilled that two of her children, Henry and Emma, are now old enough to participate in this great Chorus legacy.
OFFICE MANAGER
ALNEISA SLAUGHTER
Alneisa Slaughter is originally from Queens Village, NY and moved to Houston with her family in 1995. She is extremely passionate about her family life, and loves to volunteer at her children’s schools. She is a Dance & Basketball Mom to her eldest children who are in the 11th and 7th grade, while her youngest is a member of our Preparatory Choir. She enjoys bike riding, reading a good book, and spending quality time with family & friends. Alneisa has a background in Business Administration and is in charge of managing our HCC office. Alneisa worked for Girl Scouts of San Jacinto for several years and is no stranger to commitment within an organization. She currently resides in Cypress, TX with her four children: Autumn, Alaina, Braylon and Alanah. Alneisa is a Certified Notary Public.
ALUMNUS, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
JENNY ISAMINGER
Jenny was a member of the Houston Children’s Chorus for 5 years, returning for many after as a Rehearsal Assistant and Choreographer. She studied at the University of North Texas and has been in the Marketing & Social Media space since 2011. She is an Alto who plays piano, loves musical theater, and has performed with Houston’s AD Players. Currently, she lives in Katy with her husband Grant, children Ellie & Jack, and two very crazy Brittany Spaniels named Rocky & Margo. She helps the Chorus with Marketing, Social Media & Communications.
REHEARSAL ASSISTANT
KATHY COUCH
Kathy Couch has been a Houston Children’s Chorus supporter for almost 25 years and a Rehearsal Assistant for 15 years. She previously was on the board of directors for the Beaumont Civic Opera and the Beaumont Community Players where she also enjoyed performing with these groups. In Houston, she’s sung with the Houston Masterworks Chorus and performed numerous shows with the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston.
Currently, she sings in the Grace Presbyterian Chancel Choir and has been a chemist with Shell Oil – Projects & Technology for almost 35 years. She is serving as Vice President on the Houston Children’s Chorus Board.
ALUMNUS, REHEARSAL ASSISTANT & OFFICE INTERN
JULIAN FANG
Julian currently attends Bridgeland High School and joined the Chorus in 3rd grade. He was a part of the Galveston project each year and went abroad to Taiwan with the Chorus. He plans to study Music Theory in 12th grade to do something related to music in college and the future. In addition to choir, Julian can also play the piano and would like to eventually start composing his own music. HCC is so happy to have another volunteer from the Fang family for the Chorus!
CONCERT ACCOMPANIST
BRYAN ANDERSON
Bryan Anderson enjoys a versatile career as a concert organist, church musician, and musical collaborator. The Diapason, which named Bryan to its “20 under 30” Class of 2017, called him “brilliant, yet quiet and unassuming.” In June 2019, Bryan won the Firmin Swinnen Second Prize at the Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition. He has been broadcast on American Public Media’s “Pipedreams.”Having performed at national conventions of the American Guild of Organists and the Organ Historical Society, Bryan’s reputation as a sensitive and facile musician is well-established.
In the field of choral and church music, Bryan is employed as Director of Music at St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church and School in Houston, TX, and teaches choirs of adults and children in the parish and school. He previously held positions at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Houston; Wells Cathedral in Somerset, England; and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and Tenth Presbyterian Church, both in Philadelphia. In the larger Houston music scene, Bryan is the accompanist for the Houston Masterworks Chorus and regularly performs with the Houston Children’s Chorus. A lover of chamber music and collaboration, he makes a habit of presenting recitals with various ensemble elements.
Bryan received his Master’s Degree in organ performance from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in May 2018, where he studied with Ken Cowan. Bryan’s undergraduate work was completed at the Curtis Institute of Music, resulting in his Bachelor’s Degree in organ with Alan Morrison. He received an Artist Diploma in harpsichord (studying with Leon Schelhase). Previous teachers were Jeannine Morrison, in piano, and Sarah Martin, in organ. Bryan won Third Place in the 2021 Canadian International Organ Competition — one of the most prestigious organ competitions in the world.