Music Director & Conductor

Originally from Chicago, IL, Emma (she/her) is a conductor, composer, and singer with a passion for connecting musicians of different backgrounds and experiences through choral music. Emma is a founding member of Triad: Boston’s Choral Collective, an organization made up of singers, composers, and conductors who share artistic responsibility and perform new music. Today, she sings, conducts, and composes with C4: the Choral Composer/Conductor Collective in NYC, the choir after which Triad was modeled. She has most recently served as Choral Instructor at King School in Stamford, CT, as well as Pre-K-8 Music Instructor at Horizons, Norwalk Community College, assistant conductor of Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Children’s Chorus for its 2020 production of Tchaikovsky’s Queen of Spades, and conductor at Chicago Sinai Congregation.

Emma’s compositions have been performed by Triad: Boston’s Choral Collective, Westminster Chapel Choir, Tufts Chamber Singers, and other college, synagogue, and church choirs from Boston to Los Angeles. She has been commissioned by California School of the Arts and Chicago Sinai Congregation. As a vocalist, she has performed both solo and ensemble work in the Midwest and on the East Coast, including with St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Wilton, CT, St. James Cathedral Choir of Chicago, Philadelphia Symphonic Choir, and Princeton Society of Musical Amateurs. Emma grew up singing with the Chicago Children’s Choir, an organization born out of the Civil Rights Movement, dedicated to creating a better world through connecting singers of different backgrounds and experiences to create music. This worldview has shaped her as a musician today.

Emma holds a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Tufts University in Medford, MA.

Accompanist, Pianist, Organist

Shea Velloso is an organist from central New Jersey and is thrilled to be back performing with Philomusica. He is a graduate of Mason Gross School of the Arts where he earned his bachelor's degree in organ performance. Shea's teachers have included Antonius Bittmann, Mark Trautman, and Paul Hoffman. He has pursued post-graduation studies with critically acclaimed organists Paul-Martin Maki and Gordon Turk. In 2004, Mr. Velloso was the recipient of The Elizabeth W. Durham Award for Excellence in Performance. He has performed recitals throughout the Tri-State area and in New England. He has appeared in concert on the national public radio show "Pipedreams" and on Metuchen Television.

As Minister of Music at Faith Lutheran Church in New Providence, NJ he is the organist, director of the church's three choirs, and coordinates the concert series. Shea previously served as Director of Music at the United Methodist Church at Milltown, and the Presbyterian Church of Jamesburg. He is also a past Dean of the American Guild of Organists: Middlesex Chapter.

Richard Fried, President
Louise Hyland, Vice President
Heather Woll, Treasurer
Maria Gavilanes, Secretary
Steven Heckel, Member-at-Large
Jerry LaBrie, Member-at-Large
Joyce Richardson, Member-at-Large
Lorraine Yoch-Lear, Member-at-Large