Christine Noel, DMA.   Founder and Artistic Director. Conductor, High School Honor Choir and Lyric Chorus (Lincoln)
Christine Noel co-founded the RI Children's Chorus in August, 2003. High teaching standards, musical excellence, and her love for mentoring youth provided the foundation for its development into an award-winning children's chorus, which now comprises seven performance ensembles, serving children ages 7-18 years. Dr. Noel has conducted RICC at the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) conventions in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Providence, and at the 2009 conference of the National Association for Music Education.  She will conduct RICC in the opening concert of the 2024 ACDA conference in Providence. In addition to her work with the RI Children's Chorus, Dr. Noel is the Artistic Director of the Providence Singers. Each December she conducts the Rhode Island Philharmonic and the Singers in Handel’s Messiah. With extensive experience as a conductor of major choral-orchestral works, she has led the Providence Singers through commissions, world premieres, and a commercial recording (Requiem for the Living by Dan Forrest available on Apple Music, Amazon, and Spotify).

Dr. Noel is an active guest conductor, festival clinician and adjudicator. She has served on the music faculty and as Director of Choral Activities at Clark University (MA). She has also served as Musical Director at Trinity Repertory Company. She received a Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from Boston University. Fluent in Italian, she completed the superior level of Italian studies at the University of Florence and served as Assistant Conductor and vocal coach for Italian choirs, Animae Voces and Coro Polifonico di Caricentro di Firenze. Dr. Noel holds an undergraduate degree in Music Education from RI College, where she was the recipient of a Ridgway Shinn Fellowship for study at the Kodály Institute of Music in Kecskemét, Hungary.

Joyce Wolfe, Founder and Executive Director

Joyce Wolfe co-founded the Rhode Island Children’s Chorus with Christine Noel in 2003. As Executive Director of RICC, she oversees the  many, varied administrative needs of the organization. Over the past twenty years, Ms. Wolfe has grown the Rhode Island Children’s Chorus to its current enrollment of over 250 students across RI and Massachusetts. A graduate of the University of Rhode Island, Ms. Wolfe has had a lengthy career in education as a teacher in Cranston and Woonsocket schools. For many years she was a partner/manager of the Village Realtors agency of Chepachet. She is a longtime member of the Providence Singers and the Carillon Women's Chorus. Having impacted the lives of over 2,000 students and their families, the Rhode Island Children’s Chorus is grateful to Ms. Wolfe for all she has given and continues to offer our organization.

Emma Pacheco, Conductor, Training Chorus (East Providence), Training Chorus (Lincoln)

Emma Pacheco has been an avid choral singer for most of her life. She is a proud member of the Providence Singers, entering her fifth season in the ensemble. Emma earned a Bachelor of Music in Education from Rhode Island College and currently serves as the band and chorus director at Webster Middle School (MA). Emma has been a trombone player since middle school and is an active member of the Narragansett Bay Symphony Community Orchestra. Working with the students of the Rhode Island Children’s Chorus brings an incredible amount of joy to Emma’s life.

Jennifer Armstrong, Conductor, Lyric Chorus (East Greenwich)
Jennifer Armstrong currently serves as the Chorus Director at Barrington Middle School where she teaches chorus, guitar and general music classes.  Jennifer earned a dual Master's Degree in Music Education and Choral Conducting Performance from the University of Rhode Island and a Bachelor's Degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Connecticut.  With her love of teaching Ms. Armstrong has coached many young and adult voices around Rhode Island including serving as the Assistant Conductor of the Chorus of Westerly in 2012 and Children's voice instructor.  She has mentored many musical theatre students and served as music director for Cole Middle School, the Lawn School in Jamestown Rhode Island and personal coach to Miss Rhode Island candidates and winners. As an advocate for Music Education Ms. Armstrong and Students won second place in the Lowell Mason Nation Competition for Music Advocacy through producing, creating and composing an original choral piece with her Cole Middle School Chorus.  Ms. Armstrong currently resides in South County Rhode Island and serves on the school board in Narragansett.

Angela Mitsuma, co-conductor of the Training Chorus (East Greenwich location)

Angela Mitsuma graduated with a B.A. in Music Education with an English minor from Providence College, where she studied voice and classical guitar. There, she earned the Highest in Major Award and the Reverend Leo S. Cannon, O.P. Award for excellent musicianship. Since joining as a student, this will be Angela’s seventh year with the RI Children's Chorus and her fourth with the Providence Singers. When she’s not in choir or playing guitar, Angela performs as a professional cantor for the St. Francis and St. Dominic parishes in Swansea, MA. Angela also has a love for the sciences and has conducted pandemic management work for the Philippines and Parkinson's disease research through the Austriaco lab. She hopes to one day combine her interests and classroom experience to conduct neuromusical research to advocate for music education. Angela is thrilled to join the RICC teaching staff, co-conducting the East Greenwich Training Chorus with Shaylyn White and Dr. Noel.

Shaylyn White, co-instructor of the Training Chorus (East Greenwich)
Shaylyn White is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Music Education at Rhode Island College. Shaylyn has been involved in many choral ensembles and is incredibly passionate about music education! In high school, she was a dedicated member of her school choral program and also served as President for her school's chapter of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Tri-M Music Honor Society. Shaylyn joined the RI Children’s Chorus as a high school student and has enjoyed performances with the RICC Honor and Chamber Choir ensembles. As an RICC Junior Staff member, Shaylyn assisted younger students in the Training Chorus. Shaylyn is a proud member of the Providence Singers where she sings as a Soprano. Shaylyn is absolutely thrilled to continue mentoring students as a Senior Staff member for RICC and as co-instructor of the Training Chorus in East Greenwich. She strives to become the best music educator she can possibly be.

Dawn Chung, Pianist (High School Honor Choir)
A native of Taiwan, Ms. Chung Dawn Chung was introduced to classical music at an early age. After receiving a degree in Music Education, she became a music teacher. She taught music classes and directed choirs in public schools, while doing free-lance performing and maintaining her private piano studio. 

In search of self-discovery and expansion, Dawn left her hometown of Taipei, Taiwan, and came to the United States. While studying at the Berklee College of Music, she immersed herself in a completely new and exciting culture and environment. Later, she continued her music education at the University of Rhode Island and received a Master’s Degree in Music Performance. Dawn serves as Music Director at First Baptist Church of North Kingstown, and teaches piano at the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School. Both positions she has held since 2003.  She also works as a free-lance accompanist and pianist, performing with chamber groups, jazz bands, and for dances and theater productions. 

Curiosity and an adventurous mind have brought Dawn many unique life experiences. She devotes herself to self-development as a lifelong journey. She loves to inspire and be inspired. One of her passions is to help people see the divinity and power within themselves. She recently became a certified life coach, which allows her to serve people better, empower them to reach their higher potential, and live a fulfilling life.

Dr. Frances Murphy, pianist (East Providence)

A pianist and singer, Frances Murphy began her musical journey at a very young age in her church in the Philippines. She completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees in piano and music education at the University of the Philippines. She served as music coordinator at the renowned Philippine High School for the Arts, where she was a teacher and mentor to some of the finest musicians in the country. From there, Frances attended the Rudi E. Scheidt School Music at the University of Memphis to complete her Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) in Collaborative Piano.

Upon completion of her studies in Memphis, Dr. Murphy moved to New York City to pursue her passions of piano, voice, and teaching music. While serving as Director of Performing Arts at Kids in the Game, Dr. Murphy created and designed music and dance programs for the youth of New York City.

As a teacher, Dr. Murphy has always believed that she must be a learner first. She believes in “Nemo dat quod non habet”, meaning you cannot give what you don’t have. A lover of learning, she continues to strive to improve herself, and gives it back to her students and her community. She is currently the music teacher at Nuestro Mundo Public Charter School in Providence. When she’s not teaching or performing, she loves spending time with her family, and is an avid runner. She successfully completed the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon, and will be running NYC again in 2023 and 2024.

Susan Fortin, Pianist (Lincoln)

Susan Fortin joined RICC as staff pianist in 2022. She holds a Bachelors degree in Choral/General Music Education from Iowa State University and a Master’s degree in Piano Performance/ Accompanying and Chamber Music from Northwestern University.

Mrs. Fortin is an active musician as accompanist, teacher, director and performer in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.  She is also Music Director at St. Aidan’s Parish in Cumberland, RI.  She and her husband, Phil, have produced three CDs of sacred contemporary and acoustic music. Some of their works are published under Simply Liturgical Music.

Robert Couture, Pianist (Lincoln)

Robert Couture has served as the choral director at North Attleboro High School (MA) for 15 years. He began piano studies in the third grade and now accompanies his daughter’s weekly Rhode Island Children’s Chorus rehearsals. Mr. Couture holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in music and education from McGill University in Montreal and Rhode Island College, respectively. He is an esteemed music educator, and the RICC staff and students are grateful for his expertise and collaboration.

Jonathan Audette, Pianist (East Greenwich)

Jonathan Audette is the Choral Director at Wickford Middle School in North Kingstown. Previously, he taught for two years in the Cranston Public School System, and was the Staff Accompanist for five years at the Moses Brown School in Providence. In demand as a collaborative pianist in our region, he holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and a Master of Music in Music Education from the University of Rhode Island. Jonathan has previously music directed for Newport Children's Theater and regularly accompanies school theater productions, concerts, and recitals. In addition, he maintains a private piano studio, and performs regularly as a keyboardist for The Sultans, a wedding and private events band.

Lisa Nguyễn, Pianist (East Greenwich)
Lisa Nguyễn currently studies at the University of Rhode Island with Manabu Takasawa, majoring in Piano Performance. Lisa most recently had the honor of being the recipient of the Kingston Chamber Music Festival Scholarship Award 2023 and performed at the Van Cliburn Hall during the Piano Texas Festival this past summer. Since transferring to URI last year, she has been thankful for the tight-knit musician community and for her inspiring classmates. 

      Other notable achievements include being one of the recipient of The Chaminade Scholarship Festival 2023, 1st Prize (Grand Prize Finalist) of the Young Soloist International Competition 2022, 1st Prize at the The New York International Classical Music Competition 2022, Second Prize Winner Grand Prize Virtuoso Competition 2022, Honorable Mention Award at the USA —Classical Music International Competition 2022, Semi-Finalist of Music International Grand Prix Competition, Semi-Finalist of King’s Peak International Music Competition, Special Mention Award Medici International Music Competition 2022,  and two times recipient of Susan Cunningham Campbell Endowed Scholarship 2020, 2021. 

Tony Lian, Pianist (East Providence)

Tony Lian is a junior at Brown University, studying applied mathematics - economics. He began playing the piano at age 5, and was enrolled at Shanghai Conservatory of Music at age 10. Since his time at Brown, he has accompanied several chamber groups, played as a soloist in different recitals, and participated in Brown's Annual Concerto Competition.

When he moved from China to the U.S. 6 years ago, he came to realize that music started to play a very important role in his life. It helped him overcome the cultural barriers and allowed him to connect with others. In his words, “music has given me so much, and I am very excited to join the RI Children Chorus, using the power of music to bridge hearts and minds, and to foster a sense of unity and understanding among young voices."

Cat Monfette, Senior Staff Teaching Assistant (Lincoln, East Providence, and East Greenwich)

Cat Monfette has been a part of the RICC family for 20 years—since its very first year. She joined as a 7th grader in 2003. A soprano of highest quality, Cat ranked first in Rhode Island All-State Chorus all four years of high school and was selected to perform as soprano soloist for the All-Eastern Chorus Festival. Cat began serving as an RICC mentor in high school and became a senior staff member in her early 20s. She enjoys working with all age groups and aims to cultivate a positive environment for our students. Cat has performed at ACDA conventions in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Providence with RICC. She joined the Providence Singers in 2014 as a Fassett Fellow, and continues to enjoy many collaborative performances as chorus member and soprano soloist.

Maija Spence, Senior Staff (East Providence)
Maija Spence is currently a student at Rhode Island College, majoring in Music Education. Maija has been involved in the RICC choirs since 2017, starting out in the Lyric Chorus and working her way up through the High School Honor Choir and Chamber Chorus. She was involved in select vocal groups dating back to her middle school years including Chamber Chorus in both middle and high school, ACDA's All-Eastern in 2022, Rhode Island All-State's Mixed and Treble groups between the years of 2017-2022 and RICC's own Chamber Chorus' Carnegie Hall performance. She is proud to be a current member of the Providence Singers as a Soprano and of the Carillon Women's Chorus as an Alto. Maija is elated to continue with RICC as a senior staff member of the Training Chorus. 

Emilee Eastman, Senior Staff Teaching Assistant (Lincoln)

Emilee Eastman joined RICC as a child in 2006. She graduated from Lincoln High School and American University in Washington DC, singing soprano in her college chorus and other groups in the DC area. Emilee is a nationally-ranked fencer and enjoys rock climbing. She is employed at Fidelity Investments as a Senior Associate in Social Media. Emilee is thrilled to return to the RICC family.

Nathaniel Nichols, Bass Section Leader
Nathaniel Nichols, Bass Section Leader for the High School Honor Choir, was a member of the RI Children's Chorus from third to twelfth grade, and it is his pleasure to return for his third year as a staff member. He is in his fourth year at the University of Rhode Island with a quadruple major in philosophy, German, computer science and art. He also chants regularly at the Church of the Annunciation (Cranston) and is a current member of the Providence Singers. 

Alexia Williams, AEI Consultant

Alexia Williams began her journey with the Rhode Island Children’s Chorus 18 years ago as a young member of the chorus. She remained a member through the end of her senior year of high school, participating in all levels of the chorus and mentoring the youngest students. Alexia attended the University of Rhode Island, graduating with a dual degree in Elementary Education and Sociology. Alexia was awarded a Fulbright Grant and relocated to Logroño, Spain to work as an English Language teacher. While there, she conducted research on the efficacy of Special Education services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. Upon return to RI, Alexia completed her graduate degree in Special Education at RI College. For three years she served as a K-2 Special Education teacher at Action Based Enterprises in Woonsocket, RI. She is now pursuing her Ed.S in Educational Administration and Policy at George Washington University while serving on the Board and as AEI consultant for the Rhode Island Children’s Chorus.

Sonnie Kpangbai, Staff Assistant

Sonnie earned her B.A/English Literature/Elementary Education and a Masters in Educational Leadership & Supervision (M.Ed) from Rhode Island College. She is currently the English Language teacher (ELA)  at the French American School of Rhode Island. Sonnie is a highly regarded individual with excellent interpersonal and analytical skills. She has more than eleven years of professional teaching, mentoring, counseling, volunteering, and working experience in Non-profit organizations, Charter, Independent, and Public Schools. Sonnie is originally from Liberia. She is driven by a passion to create avenues for students to achieve success on their academic journey. She has assisted with the Rhode Island Children’s Chorus for four years and is appreciated by parents and staff for her kindness, compassion, and joy.