Soprano
Teresa Andrews grew up in Idaho in a musical household. She played violin, piano and sang in choirs throughout her youth. She began private classical vocal instruction in her college years and sang in college and church choirs. Teresa lives in Shingle Springs with her husband and three children. She enjoys being a homeschool teacher, working a small farm, running an occasional marathon, and passing her passion for music on to her children.
Cindy Cockerell has been performing with Cantare since 2012. Her experience includes local musical theater and church groups for over 20 years. She and her husband have three children and six grandchildren. Her interests include health, fitness and science.
Patrice Gran joined in 2023, Her musical background includes performing in college and church choirs, country/rock bands, and the First Baptist Stockton Choir and Praise team. She and her husband just moved to the area and love living in the foothills!
Bev Houston is a retired General Music Teacher, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Westmont College in Santa Barbara. She grew up singing, studying piano and playing the saxophone. After spending the last 25 years as an accompanist, she is thrilled to be singing again. She lives in El Dorado Hills with her son and his wife and two granddaughters.
Linda Ford Hughes, a retired schoolteacher, has been singing in choral groups since elementary school. She joined Cantare in 2010. She and husband, Floyd, are active in the Placerville Church of the Nazarene and enjoy traveling.
Deborah Jackson Lum joined Cantare in 2024 after a relocation from Southeast Michigan to El Dorado Hills with her best friend (a.k.a. spouse). She is a classically trained soprano with broad experience in chorale music, musical theater and opera. Deb is also an avid quilter with a focus on free form scrap piecing. She cherishes the beauty of the natural world and finds joy in outdoor adventures, preferably with family and friends.
Rachel Lum lives in Placerville with her partner and pups and joined Cantare in 2022. She is a classically trained soprano with a wide international performance background, including choirs, a cappella, musical theater, chamber music, and operatic productions. Rachel spends her free time surrounded by trees, music and laughter.
Carrie Penaloza joined Cantare in 2015. Born in Napa, residing many years outside California, she returned to Shingle Springs in 2010, and currently resides in Lodi. Involved since childhood in choruses, church choirs and community chorales, she also participates in Folsom Lake College’s Falcon’s Choir and vocal ensembles. Her formal musical training includes FLC's Vocal program and private voice lessons. She has two wonderful grown children, as well as two demanding cats. Singing, music and dance of all genres, languages, travel, and reading are her passions.
Alto
Jessica Dickens lives in Pollock Pines with her husband and son. Jessica began singing at age 12 and has performed with many choral groups, including the Sunnyvale Valley Chorale, Valley Choral Society and UC Davis University Chorus. She enjoys true-crime books, crossword puzzles and making people laugh.
Ann Hoyt, alto, grew up in San Jose where, in addition to singing in high school, college, and church choirs, she sang in the Santa Clara Chorale. She and her husband and four sons relocated to El Dorado Hills in 1999. They now have three grandsons who live locally. Ann recently retired after 42 years as a dental hygienist.
A fifth generation Californian who grew up in Sacramento, Judy Hunt-Brown was introduced to music as a third grader when she began piano lessons. She studied piano until high school when an interest in choir and acapella chorus became her musical focus. In college she majored in music with an emphasis in piano and the intention of
becoming an elementary school teacher. After eight years in the classroom, she
became an elementary school principal. She retired after 39 rewarding years in the
profession. Retirement brought the opportunity to return to music. Judy joined
Cantare in 2016 . She sings both alto and soprano as needed. Judy and her
husband have lived in El Dorado Hills for thirty years.
Kathy Keleshian grew up California and the Bay Area. She now lives in Shingle
Springs. Her family includes husband, Phil, daughter, son, and seven wonderful grandchildren who live in the area. She worked in education and is retired. She sang in high school, college and church choirs in addition to Cantare.
Natalia J. Martynenko grew up in Brazil where she studied classical piano and voice. She came to America in the 80's, taught private music lessons and later worked as a music teacher in public schools for 10 years. She loves to perform in weddings and special events and sing a cappella in her church choir. She also enjoys singing in different languages like Portuguese in Bossa Nova style!
Ruth O’Shea moved from South Carolina to Shingle Springs with her husband in 1986. A Registered Nurse with a Master’s Degree in Nursing from Emory University, retired and serves as a Faith Community Nurse at the Church of the Nazarene. Ruth joined Cantare in 1994 and is President of the corporation.
Donna Trevino born in Kansas, raised in Sacramento vacationed at Sly Park often. She and husband, Ed, consider this area just about as close to perfect as a location can get and moved here in 1980 to raise their two boys. She teaches at El Dorado High.
Tenor
Dean Bullert is new to singing and new to Cantare. As a lifelong learner, he took voice classes at Folsom Lake College from Cantare Director Pechenova and found his singing voice at 70 years old! He enjoys the harmonies and the opportunity to learn from everyone in the group. He plays guitar and relishes any chance to sing.
Dr. Douglas Rose served as a department chair and professor of choral music in several institutions in a career spanning more than 30 years. He has also sung with professional choirs in Canada and the United States. Having just moved to California (with his wife Linda and son Nathan) he is pleased to have found Cantare as a place to share his love for choral singing.
Curtis Sanders played musical instruments in high school and rediscovered the joy of performing music many years later. He has since sung and played musical instruments in several community groups. Curtis began per-forming choral music with the Folsom Lake College Choir in 2017. He hopes to expand his knowledge and ability to play different instruments.
Bass
Paul Hoagland is new to Cantare in 2022. Paul has been singing all his life, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music, and has led both instrumental and vocal music in school, community and church organizations. Paul currently directs the choir at Foothills United Methodist Church in Rescue, CA.
Stanley Price learned to sing in mid-life with the Gold Rush Chorus, Placerville. He sang with the SCSO for 10 years under Donald Kendrick. His musical tastes are "omnivorous”, and his favorite music is "live music". Cantare needs Stanley because of a severe beard shortage.