Staff

Gabrielle “GG” Pierle is a conductor and educator. GG completed her Master of Music in Choral Conducting at Missouri State University and holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Murray State University. GG was the choral director at West Anchorage High School in Anchorage, Alaska for 6 years where she received the Exceptional Teacher Award in 2018 and 2022. In 2022, West Anchorage High School was awarded the NFHS Performing Arts School of Excellence. She is currently the choral director at Rockwood Summit High School.

GG was Interim Artistic Director and Conductor of the Alaska Chamber Singers (2021-2022). Additionally, GG sang with the Alaska Chamber Singers for five seasons and was frequently heard as a soloist in various concerts including Mozart’s Requiem, Faure’s Requiem, Bach’s Magnificat, Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, and others.

GG assisted and performed with Missouri State choral ensembles at the 2023 National ACDA Conference, 2023 NCCO Conference, 2023 MMEA Conference, toured Canada, South Korea, Chile, Argentina, and South Africa. GG is currently a principal soprano with the Bach Society of St. Louis.

GG enjoys hiking with her two dogs, Archer and Jojo, and traveling with her husband, Sam.

Shannon Purcell is so excited to join the Crescendo team as the director of Cantando. Mrs. Purcell is a K-5 music teacher at Kratz elementary in the Ritenour school district and also conducts summer children’s choirs with the No-Name Chorale in Belleville, IL. Mrs. Purcell holds a bachelor’s degree from Missouri State Univeristy in K-12 vocal music education. She is also a certified level 1 teacher in both Kodaly and Orff music teaching philosophies. Alongside her teaching, Mrs. Purcell also sings with professional choruses in the St. Louis area. When she’s not making music, you can catch Mrs. Purcell outside hiking, running, or riding her bike. You might even see one of her cats in her backpack!

Brian Komo is very honored to be a part of the Crescendo Staff! Coming from a
musical family, music has been a huge part of his life. Following his father’s footsteps,
Brian has been playing piano for 13 years and has performed throughout Missouri and
Illinois. Brian is a recent Culver-Stockton (2020-2024) graduate where he earned a
Bachelor’s Degree in Music Technology. While he attended Culver-Stockton Brian
composed many works for Piano, Brass Quintet, and Logic X Pro.
Brian is currently the Vocal Piano Accompanist for the Meramec Valley R3
School District as well as the piano accompanist for Dayspring Baptist Church.
Furthermore, Brian is also a private piano teacher at Palen Music Center O’Fallon and
The Washington Music Academy.
Growing up in Union, Missouri, Brian enjoys writing music, playing video games,
traveling, and practicing piano!

Curtis has been associated with Crescendo in a variety of roles since his oldest child joined the organization in 2000. Both of his children are KCC alums. Curtis has been a member of various Crescendo committees and served on the Parent Board. He has filled a number of volunteer roles from stuffing envelopes to ushering concerts. He has helped plan and produce concerts, national and international choir tours and has chaperoned several tours. He has been the “official” photographer for Crescendo since 2004. His current position involves working with and reporting to the Administrative Board, working closely with the Artistic Staff and Artistic Director, pursuing grant and other funding opportunities and promoting Crescendo in the community. Curtis has had a lifelong love of singing and was a member of several singing ensembles in college. He also participated in stage performances in high school and this contact form college appearing in several plays and musicals. In addition to Crescendo, Curtis has served on boards and committees in the community for such organizations such as the Kirkwood School District and the St. Louis Civil War Round Table.  He also coached and managed youth sports teams while his children were growing up. Curtis has worked for Washington University Medical School since 1987.

Beth Curtiss is excited to be directing Carolers this year! She currently teaches in Fort Zumwalt, where her classes and extracurricular ensembles over the past several years have included K-5 general music, 6-8 adaptive general music, handbells, and choir. She holds a K-12 vocal music teaching certificate from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, a master’s degree in music education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a bachelor’s degree in music from Bryn Mawr College. She is also fully certified in both Orff-Schulwerk and Kodaly. Beth is an active volunteer in her Kirkwood congregation’s music program, as a member of the vocal choir, acting director of the handbell choir, and occasional soprano soloist & recorder player. In her spare time she likes to cook, read, travel, spend time with friends & family, and spoil her cat absolutely rotten.

Bonnie Wilson is a church musician and collaborative pianist in the St. Louis area.  She discovered a love of accompanying early in life, as a member of the Parker Road Elementary School choir, under the direction of Elizabeth Hutcherson-Rucks.  Her life as a church musician was first cultivated by the congregation of Church of the Master UCC and its music director Priscilla Metzger.  She studied piano with Polly Goodwin and Mary Mottl, organ with Jule Hostetter, and further learned the art of accompanying in the voice studio of Dr. Susan McMane and with conductor Stephen Morton.  Bonnie holds bachelor’s degrees in music and economics from Saint Louis University and a PhD in economics from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  In her role as an economist, she is a public choice scholar and former Associate Professor of Economics at Saint Louis University.

Anna Brummell is thrilled to join the Crescendo team! Anna is a Kirkwood native and has been singing in choir since she was eight years old. She currently teaches at McKinley High School in St. Louis, MO. Anna earned her bachelor’s degree in K-12 vocal music education from Missouri State University (2019-2023), where she sang in the Missouri State Chorale, Women’s Chorus, and Choral Union. She served as an assistant section leader, social chair, and recruitment chair of the Missouri State Chorale and as chairperson of the choral studies grand committee. She has performed at the 2021 International Tolosa Choral Contest, 2023 National ACDA Conference, and 2023 MMEA Conference; been a part of commercially recorded albums Easter 1906 (2022), The Song We Sing (2022), Fever Dreams (2024), and Radiance Untethered: The Choral Music of John Wykoff (2024); and toured Spain, South Africa, Canada, and France. Anna is a member of the Missouri Choral Directors Association, the National Association for Music Education, and the International Federation for Choral Musicians. She sings with the St. Louis Chamber Chorus, and enjoys trail running, cooking, exploring the outdoors, and (occasionally) West Coast Swing dance!

Kevin Nicoletti currently serves as Teaching Artist Coordinator for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis where he gets to travel to classrooms all over the area and help students write, produce, and perform their own original operas. Prior to this position, he spent 11 years teaching vocal music at the middle and high school level which included many triumphs and accolades. He completed his undergraduate work at Washington University in St. Louis where he served as assistant director of the Concert Choir and music director of the Stereotypes, a nationally recognized all-male a cappella group. He has also earned a Master of Music Education degree through Central Methodist University. An avid composer, he is passionate about writing and arranging choral music and has had several pieces that have been published. Additionally, he has served as an accompanist for local choirs for nearly 20 years. He is thrilled to be returning to Crescendo as an accompanist for Concert Choir after having served as director of Cantando for 2 years.

Kurt has been an increasingly avid supporter of Crescendo since his daughter joined Choristers in 2007. Now an ambassador, she’s had such a wonderful experience he wants to do all he can to see other children get the same opportunity. An active singer during his school days and a lifelong lover of all musical forms, he’s currently content listening to others. Kurt has worked as a software engineer at McDonnell Douglas – now Boeing – for 30 years and keeps busy with his wife Julie, their daughter Amanda and their extended families, all fortunate enough to live close to the Kirkwood area.

Dr. Beverly Fears, has been active with Crescendo in a variety of roles since her eldest child joined KCC in the fall of 2000. She is the mother of two KCC alumni and has served on the Parent Board and various committees. She has the pleasure of traveling on numerous tours with KCC including Austria & Germany, England, Hawaii, China, Italy and Ireland. Dr. Fears is a Clinical Specialist for Advanced Bionics, LLC. Bev is a life long musician and she has a passion for KCC that is unmatched. She joined the Crescendo board in February of 2012.

Brett is a KCC alum full of fond memories of his time performing with the concert choir as near as the Kirkwood Community Center and as far as Norway!  He has spent the last 13 years as an elementary school teacher in the Ladue School District. In his down time, he finds joy in playing guitar, indulging in sports of all kinds, and spending time with his beautiful wife and remarkable three kids.

Vinnie is a retired Parkway educator who is an advocate of the arts for children. In her education career Vinnie has been a classroom teacher and curriculum coordinator, as well as Barretts Elementary School Principal for 23 years. She has enjoyed being on the Crescendo board since 2008 and has served as both Parent & Volunteer Coordinator during that time.