The 2021-2022 season marks Timothy Hankewich’s 16th year as Music Director of Orchestra Iowa. Hankewich, who is popular with audiences and critics alike, has earned an outstanding reputation as a maestro whose classical artistry is as inspiring as his personality is engaging. Recent guest appearances have included performances with the Jacksonville, Victoria, and Hamilton Symphonies as well as a tour throughout the Czech Republic and Slovakia with the Moravian Philharmonic and the Slovak State Orchestra. In September of 2014, Orchestra Iowa under Maestro Hankewich’s direction released its first ever commercial recording featuring composer Michael Daugherty’s American Gothic.

While in Iowa, Maestro Hankewich led his organization through a catastrophic flood in 2008 and raised it to new heights of artistic accomplishment and financial security. He helped restore its damaged performance venue, aided in the reconstruction of its offices, and helped implement a new successful business model allowing the orchestra to grow. Because of these achievements, he has been asked to advise boards of directors of other orchestras on how to achieve meaningful artistic and financial health in the wake of a crisis.

Prior to his position with Orchestra Iowa, Mr. Hankewich served as the Resident Conductor of the Kansas City Symphony for seven years. He has held additional staff conducting positions with the Oregon Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, and the Evansville Philharmonic. Winner of the prestigious Aspen Conducting Award in 1997, Hankewich has enjoyed appearing often as a guest conductor, leading such organizations as Orchestra London, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, as well as the Windsor, Santa Rosa, Indianapolis, Oregon and China Broadcasting Symphony Orchestras.

Timothy Hankewich is a native of Dawson Creek, British Columbia and is married to his wife Jill, a pharmacist. He graduated from the University of Alberta, earning his Bachelor of Music degree with honors in piano performance under Professor Alexandra Munn, and a Master’s degree in choral conducting under the direction of Dr. Leonard Ratzlaff. He received his doctorate in instrumental and opera conducting from Indiana University, where his primary teachers were Imre Palló and Thomas Baldner. His studies have also included summers in Vienna and Aspen where he worked under the tutelage of Maestros David Zinman, Bruno Weill, Yuri Temirkanov, Robert Spano, Michael Stern, Murray Sidlin, Julius Rudel, James DePreist, and James Conlon.

Brian is the Founder and Artistic Director of Revival Theatre Company. During the past 10 years he has directed more than 30 stage productions, earning him high praise for his dynamic and richly layered productions. The Gazette wrote, “Impeccable director Brian Glick allows fine actors with killer voices to explore the themes with equal parts sass and class.” In recent seasons, Brian has directed the midwest premiere of Dogfight and staged the Iowa premieres of White Christmas, Violet and Grey Gardens.  Brian has developed musical pieces in non-traditional spaces, creating intimate and contemporary experiences for the actors and the audience. As a freelance director, Brian has worked on operas, musicals, and plays. Brian produced and directed Side Show as a fundraiser for Families Helping Families and Baby for The Young Parents Network. Most recent credits include: Jim McDonough’s Holiday Grande tour, Victor/Victoria, Parade In Concert, Evita, and Funny Girl with RTC, Amy at the Opus, working with Orchestra Iowa on A Sondheim Cabaret, working on La Boehme, Carmen, Don Giovanni and La Traviata with the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre. Brian spent nine seasons with Starlighters Theatre as resident director – Forever Plaid, Oliver, Some Enchanted Evening, Last Five Years, My Way, Scrooge, City of Angels, Anything Goes and Honk. The Music Man with Theatre Cedar Rapids & Orchestra Iowa (Collaboration Award Winner) and multiple concerts and fundraisers. Brian has also worked with the Cedar Rapids Follies as a designer and stage manager.   In 2015, Brian was honored to work with The New York Drama League, where he worked with Tony nominated Director, Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Opal with Broadway composer and lyricist Robert Lindsey-Nassif, Academy and First Stage teacher with the Omaha Playhouse. Brian’s strong leadership and vision has caught the attention of industry professionals across the region. When Brian is not directing, he is working as an adjudicator with the Iowa High School Musical Theatre Awards and regularly speaks to area theatre programs. Contact: bglick@revivaltheatrecompany.com

Since his arrival from Texas in 2008, Cameron Sullenberger has been living and working in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area where he has quickly forged a reputation for musical excellence. Performers and students of every age are inspired by his unique and engaging style as a director and teacher.He has been affiliated with numerous recording projects, national broadcasts and musical theater productions in his varied musical career. He is in demand as a singer, pianist, accompanist, adjudicator, musical director, and choral clinician. He is regarded as a leader in the field of choral music at the middle school level where his choirs have been consistently awarded for their superior performances. His love and passion for musical theatre emerged as a young performer and then into adulthood as he performed extensively in musicals and was also involved as a piano conductor for countless shows. He holds a Bachelor’s of Music Education degree with honors in piano and voice from the University of North Texas and a Master of Music Education degree from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, Illinois. Locally, he has had the opportunity to musically direct Theater Cedar Rapid’s production of Meet Me in St. Louis and was also the director for The Music Man in Concert in partnership with Orchestra Iowa at the Paramount last fall. The last two Christmas seasons has had him busily preparing the singers for Jim McDonaugh’s Holiday Grande. He has also had the chance to musically direct Baby mounted at Dowes Theatre at Coe College, Opal at CSPS, Urinetown at Kennedy High School, and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown at Harding Middle School. While on the board and acting as Musical Director for Revival Theatre Company, he is also serving in the same capacity at Noelridge Christian Church where he maintains a private vocal studio. He is thrilled for what lies ahead for RTC and wishes to thank all the board members, patrons, performers, supporters and audience members for their unwavering support of this new and exciting venture that is sure to add to the vibrancy and energy of an ever thriving arts community. Contact: csullenberger@revivaltheatrecompany.com

is a Des Moines-based choreographer whose work has been featured across Iowa. Megan’s recent choreography includes Oklahoma! and Chaplin for Revival Theatre Company; Hello, Dolly! for Theatre Cedar Rapids, Cabaret, Godspell, Disney’s Newsies (BroadwayWorld Award and Cloris Leachman Excellence in Theatre Award: Best Choreography), Elf the Musical and Billy Elliot at the Des Moines Playhouse; and Adore Us! Line, Fun Home, and Company at Iowa Stage Theatre Company. In addition to her work with area theatres, she has choreographed productions for Simpson College, Iowa State University, DMACC, and many more.

Megan frequently works as a Director/Choreographer. Some of her past productions include Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre’s Bring it On (Cloris Award: Best Choreography, Cloris Nominations: Best Direction, Best Musical); The Des Moines Playhouse’s A Chorus Line and Disney’s Freaky Friday; Noce’s Tick, Tick . . . Boom! and Murder Ballad; The Bridges of Madison County and Ordinary Days at Tallgrass Theatre Company; and numerous productions with Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre.

Megan is the Director of Marketing and Public Relations at the Des Moines Symphony and teaches various dance styles at both Drake University and the School of Classical Ballet and Dance.

Elena Shaddow is thrilled to be making her debut at Brucemore and with Orchestra Iowa! An accomplished concert artist, Elena has sung on stages all over the world including The Royal Albert Hall in London with the Royal Philharmonic under the baton of Mr. David Charles Abell, and Carnegie Hall in New York City with the Orchestra of Saint Luke’s under the baton of Kimberly Gribsby. She has also sung the role of Marian Paroo in The Music Man in Concert with the Pacific Symphony and Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady in Concert with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and North Carolina Symphony through UIAPresents. Other symphony appearances include the Newport Symphony in Newport, Oregon, the Rochester Symphony Orchestra in Rochester, New York, and The Albany Symphony in Albany, NY. On Broadway, Elena has performed and starred in 8 Broadway shows. These shows and roles include Ottilie in The Visit, Anne in La Cage aux Folles, Bridges, The Woman in White, Fiddler… , Nine, Sweet Smell…, and Les Miserables. She has also starred in two Broadway National tours, playing Anna in the Lincoln Center tour of The King and I and Clara in The Light in the Piazza. Her theatre career began while still a student at NYU, at age 19 when she starred as Kathie in the famed operetta The Student Prince at North Shore Music Theatre. She has been performing ever since, and some of her favorite theater roles include: Mary in Mary Poppins, Mother in A Christmas Story, Maria in The Sound of Music, and Lili in Carnival!. Elena has also appeared in several television shows and films including NCIS: New Orleans, Conviction, Person of Interest, The Intern, Time After Time, and she portrayed Sister Sophia in NBC’s Sound of Music Live! She is thrilled to be performing in person again after spending over a year singing from her living room on her Instagram TV channel, @elenashaddowofficial. Elena is also an accomplished voice teacher, with a degree in Music from NYU. She teaches both in person in New York City and New Jersey, and Virtually over Zoom. Her students hail from all corners of the USA including Hawaii, Oregon, California, Ohio, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Florida, and even across the pond in England. She is the mother of two amazing children, Addie and Liam, and is married to Michael Harrington, a Cedar Rapids native, Executive Director of TheaterworksUSA, and a fellow lifelong devotee to the arts. Visit her website, elenashaddow.net, for updates!

Now a resident of New York and Los Angeles, Christopher maintains a strong sense of Iowa pride for his hometown of Cedar Rapids.

A former student of Cedar Rapids native, Karla Goettel, one of his earliest gigs was the role of Captain Walker in Theater Cedar Rapids’ acclaimed production of The Who’s Tommy! opposite Broadway star, Megan Reinking. He participated in many other productions, concerts and competitions throughout his time in Iowa where he attended Coolidge Elementary, Taft Middle School and Jefferson High School ‘99. His tenure at Jefferson took him to Pasadena, CA to march in the Rose Parade as a drum major with the “Band of Blue” and to Nashville with the showchoir “Westside Delegation” to win the title of Grand Champions at the National Showstoppers Competition to name a few.

Christopher had the honor of being a guest performer at Brucemore’s “Cabaret in the Courtyard” a few summers ago premiering his cabaret “Some Enchanted Evening.”

Christopher left Cedar Rapids to pursue studies in singing at Arizona State University, California State University, Long Beach and the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

His travels have taken him across the United States, Canada and Europe where he has performed in numerous Broadway shows, concerts and operas. The advantage to being part of a Broadway tour is that they often come through Des Moines! Two years ago he was seen in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sequel to The Phantom of the Opera: Love Never Dies. Before that, he toured through Des Moines with the National Broadway Tour of Evita to glowing reviews for his portrayal of the tango singer “Augustin Magaldi.” Prior Broadway Tours include South Pacific, which toured over 50 cities and whose Lincoln Center revival won 7 Tony Awards. He reprised his role as Lieutenant Cable in this same production at the Ogunquit Playhouse and earned “Best Actor” by the Broadway World Boston Awards.

As a solo artist, Christopher has sung with Glimmerglass Opera, Lyric Opera San Diego, The Mark Morris Dance Group and Opera Pacific. He has been featured at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, NYC’s Town Hall, The Toronto Symphony, The Boston Pops, The Houston Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Grand Rapids Symphony, The New Mexico Philharmonic, The Modesto and Omaha Symphonies, The Tanglewood Music Festival conducted by James Levine and The Castleton Music Festival conducted by Lorin Maazel.

Christopher balances his performing career with his position as Director of Operations at Burkestone Estate in Hudson, NY.

For More: www.johnstonechristopher.com

A native of Mississippi and a crossover artist of both opera and musical theater, Ezekiel Andrew enjoys a career of both excitement and versatility. Last seen in Cedar Rapids in Revival Theatre Company’s production of Ragtime. He is most grateful to have performed in some of the major regional theaters across the country, with aspirations to one day, soon, be on the Broadway stages in New York City. Some of his favorite roles include Coalhouse Walker Jr. (Theatre Under the Stars), The Beast, Beauty and the Beast (Syracuse Stage) Jim, Big River (Utah Shakespeare Festival).

Ezekiel also enjoys being active as a concert artist, most often creating his own programs and opportunities as he travels from theater to theater.

With a heart for youth and arts education, Ezekiel enjoys giving back to the community by going to high schools and colleges, holding masterclasses and talkbacks to inspire the next generation of artists. “I am very fortunate to be doing the thing that I love the most, touching the hearts and lives of people. It is my joy, it is my passion. It is my mission to do more than entertain you, but to impact you. I am grateful to my parents (who stand with me and support me every step of the way) Mr. Patton Rice (my teacher and friend who has been with me since the very beginning of this music journey), MSA for the opportunity to give back to the place that gave me all that I have today, the love of my heart, Jordan Kress, and my many friends and supporters around the world who have lifted me up along the way. Thank you and God bless.” #invictus

She made her Carnegie Hall debut in May 2018 as a featured performer in “All the Way: The Music of Jimmy Van Heusen” produced by the Mabel Mercer Foundation. Amy has worked with numerous Tony and Grammy award-winning artists, such as Faith Prince, Christine Ebersole, Jason Robert Brown, and Billy Stritch, music director for Liza Minnelli and Tony Bennett.

Recently appeared as Laurey in Revival Theatre Company’s Oklahoma! Broadway revival of Bye Bye Birdie. Other theatre credits include Minnie Fay in Hello, Dolly! at the Goodspeed Opera House, Amaryllis in the National tour of The Music Man. Catherine can be seen as “Young Trish” in the Marvel Netflix Original series Jessica Jones. Other tv credits: The Loudest Voice in the Room (Showtime), Elementary (CBS), Blue Bloods (CBS). She won the Best Actress award at the New York Winter Film Festival for her work in the independent feature film Cheerleader which is now streaming on Amazon.

Brandon Burkhardt is thrilled to perform for the first time with Revival Theatre Company and Orchestra Iowa! He has performed in over 40 productions in Iowa, Chicago, Wisconsin, New York, Canada, England, Scotland, and Wales, including international tours in a new musical adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Recent roles include Billy Cane/Bright Star at Brucemore this summer with Theatre Cedar Rapids, Race/Newsies, Beast/Beauty and the Beast, Terry/Side Show, Soldier/Sunday in the Park with George, Tony/West Side Story, Jean Valjean/Les Mis, Scarecrow/Wizard of Oz, Courier/1776, Robertson Ay/Mary Poppins, Tony/You Can’t Take It with You, and Giuseppe Naccarelli in The Light in the Piazza. He is currently majoring in Vocal Performance, Music Education, and Theatre at the University of Iowa, where he is also the trumpet section leader for the Hawkeye Marching Band. He is grateful for this wonderful opportunity to perform with Brucemorchestra!

Loralee Songer, mezzo-soprano, is an active recitalist, opera and oratorio performer, and conductor. Her performing and academic career has taken her to North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

A champion of art song, Loralee’s recital work has led to working with some of today’s most prolific coaches and composers, including Jake Heggie, John Musto, Libby Larsen, William Bolcom, Margo Garrett, Graham Johnson, and Martin Katz. Loralee participated in the summer program SongFest for two consecutive years and was named a 2013 Stern Fellow. In 2014, Loralee was a vocal fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center where she worked with such luminaries as Dawn Upshaw, John Harbison, and the late Phyllis Curtin. Her performances have been featured and reviewed in both the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times. She made her Carnegie Hall solo recital debut in 2019.

Recent opera and musical theatre performances include the role of Mércèdes in Sempre Opera’s production of Carmen in South Africa (2018), Flora in La Traviata with Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre (2016), Hannah Chaplin in the regional premiere of Chaplin with Revival Theatre Company (2019), Margaret Johnson in Taylor University’s production of The Light in the Piazza (2020), Marian Paroo in The Music Man (2020) and Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music (2021), both with Muncie Civic Theatre.

Competitively, Loralee has been recognized for her vocal prowess, most recently being named the winner of The American Prize in Vocal Performance in Art Song & Oratorio (2021).

A full-time music department faculty member at Taylor University in Upland, IN, Loralee teaches voice and conducting. She holds the Doctor of Arts degree in Vocal Performance from Ball State University.