Staff
Clara Dorst
Artistic Director
Clara Dorst is an energetic, joyful music educator who has been with ECC since 2023. She graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in Music Education, and holds Kodàly certification from the Organization of American Kodàly Educators.
Clara is a general music teacher in the Seattle Public School district. In this role, she has founded an after-school choir, taken students to elementary choral festivals, and conducted a variety of concerts and musicals.
Clara’s teaching style and passion for music education is rooted in an understanding of music as a universal language, and in the belief that children have an innate ability to make and engage with music. Clara fosters a welcoming and safe environment in which her students can confidently grow as young musicians.
Apart from singing, Clara enjoys spending time with friends and family, going to concerts, exploring Seattle, reading, and baking.
Bryan Fiehler
Staff Instructor
Bryan has a MA in Conducting and a bachelor’s degree in Music Education, both from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, near where he grew up. Before coming to Seattle, he taught early elementary students in the School District of Philadelphia and also spent time living, teaching, and making music in Germany.
Since moving to Seattle in 2015, Bryan has served as the Director of Choral Activities for Renton High School and as the Performing Arts Chair at Westside School. Currently, Bryan works at Epiphany Parish, a progressive Episcopal church in Seattle, as both a staff singer and AV director. He also conducts Illumni Chorale, a tenor and bass choir made up of professional and talented volunteer singers. Bryan has sung professionally in choirs across the US, Asia, and Europe. His favorite role, however, is husband to his wonderful wife Katie and “dog dad” to their two shih tzus, Dobby and Arya.
Kathleen Payne Smith
Choir Manager
Kathleen holds a Bachelor of Music from Shenandoah Conservatory and a Master of Music from the University of Washington. A lifelong singer and music enthusiast, she is passionate about nurturing creativity and confidence in young performers.
She lives in Burien with her husband, child, and their very large golden doodle. Outside of music, she enjoys homeschooling, baking, sewing, and renovating their old house one project at a time.
Julianna Grabowski
Collaborative Pianist
Julianna Grabowski is a conductor, music educator, soprano and pianist from Syracuse, New York. Her passion for teaching and performing has led her to obtain two Bachelor of Music degrees from the State University of New York at Fredonia in Music Education and Vocal Performance, studying both voice and piano. She earned a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Duquesne University, where she also served as the Graduate Assistant to Duquesne’s Choral Department.
As a professional soprano, Julianna was a Young Artist with Finger Lakes Opera, and has performed with professional groups including the Western New York Chamber Orchestra, Lake Junaluska Singers in North Carolina, and The Dukes Music in Pittsburgh. She has also worked as a collaborative pianist at public schools and universities across the states of New York and Pennsylvania. Her recent work includes the positions of Conductor, Private Voice Instructor, and Accompanist with the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, and the Director of Children’s Music Ministries at Brick Presbyterian Church in New York City. Julianna is currently pursuing a doctorate in choral conducting at the University of Washington.
Board of Directors
Kathleen Lonergan
President
Kathleen has served as ECC’s President since 2019. To this role, she brings a lifelong love of music and over two decades of nonprofit board experience. Kathleen has an MS in Management from the University of Illinois and holds coaching certifications in both change management and marketing. Her professional background is in training, brand storytelling, and project management.
Kathleen is passionate about ECC’s mission to bring accessible, inclusive choral music education to as many children as possible in our community. She believes in the power of choral singing to build confidence, resilience, respect, and self-discipline; to create enduring friendships; and to uplift others by increasing joy, appreciation, and positivity in our world.
Kathleen’s two daughters have sung in ECC for a combined total of 21 years. Her oldest sang with ECC all the way from kindergarten to high school graduation! Kathleen played the violin and sang in choir as a child and young adult, and now enjoys singing loudly when driving alone.
Ingrid Grosz
Vice President
Ingrid is a native of New York State, happily transplanted in Seattle, where she works as an Occupational Therapist at Swedish Medical Center.
Ingrid played the flute all through her childhood. She developed a great appreciation for music from her parents, who brought her to every opera or ballet they could, and from her husband, an avid fan of all genres of music. Naturally, bringing music into her home was very important. Her daughter has been a part of ECC since pre-K, where she has flourished into a passionate performer. Ingrid became a board member in 2021.
Jill Amsberry
Secretary
Jill grew up in rural Iowa in a musical family. She participated in band and vocal groups throughout high school and beyond. She was thrilled to find ECC to pass on quality musical education to her two kids. In her free time, Jill enjoys sewing and working to improve her piano-playing skills.
Julianna Rook
Treasurer
Julianna was born and raised in Kent, Washington, about 20 miles south of Seattle. She moved to West Seattle in 2013, with her now husband and two bonus children. Julianna graduated from the University of Washington and has been working in accounting for 20 years.
Juliana participated in a plethora of music groups growing up. She is thrilled to have found ECC for her daughter, who is always singing and performing.
In her spare time, Juliana enjoys cooking and baking. She never misses an opportunity to dine outside and loves walks near any salted body of water.
Arianne Wallace
Programming Support Chair
Arianne (Ari) Wallace is a Seattle native who sang in the Northwest Girlchoir (NWGC) from age 7 through high school, and later served two terms on the NWGC Board of Directors. Ari minored in music at the University of Puget Sound, where she sang in the Adelphian Concert Choir. She has been singing with Mirinesse Women’s Choir since 2006.
Ari was happy to find Endolyne Children’s Choir for her children. ECC’s mission fits her long-standing dedication to music education and singing. 2025 will mark her daughter’s 8th year in ECC.
Ari is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice. She enjoys going to concerts, hiking to waterfalls, photography, volleyball, and football.
Bonny Giardina
Fundraising Chair
“Mom, I want to SING!” With those words from her daughter, Bonny found the enriching world of ECC. Originally from Pennsylvania, where she developed her love for a four-season state and her passion for the performing arts, Bonny grew up dancing classical ballet and then spent more than a decade developing and working on documentaries and feature films. She moved into culinary arts, where her creations could be made in hours instead of years, and helped build a series of hands-on cooking schools on the west coast, where she has lived since college.
Her daughter is now an enthusiastic member of the choir, and Bonny joined the board to support ECC’s mission to create community through singing. She and her family love being a part of ECC’s vibrant society, a place where forging connections and nurturing individuals go hand in hand. She believes in the power of performing arts to bring people together, and is dedicated to creating opportunities for every kid to experience their own voice, one song at a time.
Alexis Toma
Member at Large
Alexis is an employment attorney. Born and raised in Phoenix, she started playing piano in second grade and then moved on to brass and woodwind instruments. She has lived in Seattle for over 15 years, nearly all of it in West Seattle. Alexis is thrilled that her elementary school daughter loves choir and enjoys witnessing the friendships that develop among choir pals
Our Staff/Board holiday party – December 2023
Join our committed, enthusiastic, fun team of volunteers! Grow your leadership skills and help ensure ECC’s continued success and stability. No prior Board experience required.
Open positions:
- Event Chair
- Membership Chair
- Marketing Chair
- email Board president Kathleen Lonergan to learn more about these exciting opportunities.