Artistic Director
In addition to an expanding conducting career, Jeremy continues to sing weekly and is the Associate Director of The Compline Choir at Saint Mark’s Cathedral. He is also a Festival Co-Chair for the Greater Seattle Choral Consortium’s biennial festival, Seattle Sings!
Jeremy lives in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle with his husband Jeffrey Ricco, who also sings in many of his choirs.
Associate Director
Ailisa Newhall’s life adventure has taken her both around the world and deep into the rich culture of the Pacific Northwest through diverse music projects, collaborations, performances, and studies. Her gift for building community and nurturing lifelong musical growth inspires connection and resilience. As a performer, director, composer, and advocate for mental health through expression in the arts, she cultivates community, builds inclusive projects, and uses music to create a space for belonging.
Ailisa studied choral conducting, vocal performance, piano performance, and music education at the Milhaud Conservatory, Western Washington University, and the University of Washington. She holds a National Board Teaching Certificate and has earned two Grammy nominations for her work in music education. Her musical career encompasses a variety of roles – from directing community, youth, and liturgical choirs to performing as a session and video game soundtrack musician, with contributions to dozens of albums and games worldwide.
Ailisa was a co-leader of the Women in Music Collective and produced a 14-artist compilation album described by the South Seattle Emerald as “The Brand New Lilith Fair: Women in Music Collective’s Compilation Album Puts Female Artists First.” She has launched numerous multigenerational community music programs, including a successful summer concert series, an eastside community choir, a music school, a recording studio, and a series of workshops exploring music and instruments from cultures around the world. In addition to her artistic work, Ailisa is also an experienced nonprofit consultant, a board leader (Magi Ensemble, American Choral Directors Association, Washington Music Educators Association), and a sought-after clinician.
Driven by her continued passion for community-building and lifelong musical growth, Ailisa is currently pursuing her Master of Business Administration to better support arts nonprofits in organizing, growing, thriving, and fully realizing their mission and vision. She is inspired by the history, stories, dedication, and love within the Choir of the Sound family. Grateful and humbled by the community’s spirit, she approaches her role with equal enthusiasm for learning from its members as she does for leading them.
Collaborative Pianist
A lifelong musician, Kyle Hanks holds a BMus in composition from Western Washington University and has built a vibrant career in the Pacific Northwest as a composer, arranger, organist, and pianist. His talent and versatility light up every performance. Currently he is the organist/pianist at Bothell United Methodist Church, playing for rehearsals and worship services.
Kyle says “When thinking about working with Choir of the Sound, I am excited to make music with new friends and to grow in musicianship, and I am excited to see what unique experiences are in store. I am very happy to have the opportunity to work with a group that has a positive impact on their community, and I look forward to doing all I can to uplift the choir and further its vision.”
History
Choir of the Sound was founded in 1977 by Robert Metzger as the Shoreline Community College Chorale, and assumed its present name in 1980. After Metzger’s retirement in 2004, the Choir of the Sound baton was taken up by Judy Filibeck, and the choir took on increasingly challenging work at a high musical level, focusing on blend, precision, and demanding literature. In spring 2011, Choir of the Sound welcomed Jeremy Matheis as Conductor and Artistic Director.
For more than three decades, Choir of the Sound has been bringing music to the Puget Sound area as well as abroad. In addition to its regular season of Holiday, Winter, and Spring performances, the choir is frequently heard at local arts festivals, on board the Argosy Christmas Ship Festival and singing the National Anthem at sporting events. Choir of the Sound has frequently collaborated with other groups throughout its history, including The King’s Singers, The Brothers Four, Rockapella, Choral Sounds Northwest, Seattle Jewish Chorale, Total Experience Gospel Choir, Cascade Symphony, and Thalia Symphony Orchestra. The choir has toured Europe on several occasions and has performed at the world-renowned Carnegie Hall. The choir has also been fortunate to premiere new works, including the Pacific Northwest premiere of “In the Shadows of the Forest”, a suite for steel drum band and choir by local composer Gary Gibson, as well as works by composers-in-residence Jeff Crull, Anne Fordham and Derek Tilton.
Today, Choir of the Sound focuses extensively on community outreach, particularly on engaging the next generation of choral singers, and previously gave out two college scholarships every year (prior to the pandemic) to local high school chorus members. The choir continues to grow and expand its skills and repertoire, cementing its reputation as one of the premier choral ensembles in the Puget Sound region.