MEET OUR STAFF
Elise Naccarato | Managing Director
As Chorus Niagara's former Associate Conductor, Elise Naccarato, is thrilled to start her new journey as Managing Director with an organization she loves and cares for deeply. She is conductor who is in innovative, dynamic and a vocal advocate for women in the arts. She is the Artistic and Executive Director of Myriad Ensemble and pursuing an MBA in Innovation Leadership and Human Resource Management. In 2021, Elise was the recipient of the St. Catharines Emerging Artist Award, and short listed for the Halton Women of Distinction as a pandemic innovator.
Amanda Nelli|CNCC Artistic Director
Amanda Nelli is a distinguished children’s choir conductor and elementary music educator with more than 15 years of dedication and experience. She has been recognized with numerous awards, including the St. Catharines Arts in Education Award, the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce Women in Business (Cultural Arts) Award, and was nominated for the prestigious Leslie Bell Award for Choral Conducting. Her Chorus Niagara Children’s Choir (CNCC) Concert Choir won the gold award at the national competition MusicFest Canada in 2018.
Amanda is entering her eleventh season as the Artistic Director of the CNCC. Under her leadership, the CNCC has become a dynamic organization with four choirs for children and youth ages 3-18. They have had the honour of performing with international artists such as Measha Brueggergosman and Pavlo Simtikidis. The CNCC enjoy many performances with accomplished groups such as Chorus Niagara, the Niagara Symphony Orchestra and Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts. The CNCC Chamber Choir was invited to perform a cameo concert at the prestigious Podium national choral festival in May 2020.
As the Music Specialist at Fern Hill Private School in Oakville, Amanda designed and implemented a Music Program for Preschool to Grade 8 students with a focus on music literacy, choral singing, performance, and Orff pedagogy. She is the music director and producer for their annual staged musicals. Her accomplished Fern Hill Chorus have performed at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts.
Jessica Cowan| Collaborative Pianist
Jessica Cowan earned her Bachelor of Music (Piano) at Brock University in 2007 and her Bachelor of Education in 2009. Since then, she has taught piano, accompanied and performed for various concerts, festival competitions, recitals, rehearsals, weddings, funerals and other events. Jessica was the accompanist and later, director, of the Treblaires Show Choir. Jessica is excited to join Chorus Niagara for her first season as collaborative pianist.
Billy Sadler| Associate Conductor
Billy Sadler has been a performing member of the Niagara music community since 2010. He has performed across Southern Ontario as a member of Chorus Niagara, the Classic Albums Live Choir, rock band Back in the Daze, Celebrating Genesis, Choralis Camerata, and Myriad Ensemble. In 2018, Billy completed his Bachelor of Music (Honours) degree in Vocal Performance at Brock University. During this time, he was a Robert Cooper Choral Scholar with Chorus Niagara in the 2015/2016 and 2018/2019 seasons. In addition to performing, Billy has been teaching voice, drums, piano, and music theory since 2015 and is currently the conductor and director of the Summer Music Academy at Ridley College.