Marjorie Vandervoort, now in her 20th year as Music Director, brings the experience of a lifelong involvement with music to the position. Growing up in Ridgewood, she studied piano with Howard Kasschau and Florence Monell Marble. Vandervoort has appeared as a solo soprano in recital and as a guest artist with groups in New York, New Jersey and elsewhere, as well as on educational recordings.
Ms. Vandervoort currently serves as assistant conductor of Ars Musica. She has been associate conductor of the Rockland Camerata, guest conductor of Harmony Basket Chorus (a choir of Japanese women), as well as director of church choirs.
A resident of Closter, New Jersey, Ms. Vandervoort runs her own art and custom framing business, The Mirage Portfolio. She and her husband Robert have 3 daughters, with grandchildren and great-grandchildren completing the family.
Susan LaFever, Pianist
Music Director of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Eastchester, NY, Susan LaFever has been a collaborative pianist and vocal coach for over twenty years. Ms. LaFever received a Bachelor of Music Performance in French Horn and Piano at UnionCollege in Lincoln, NE and while earning her Master of Music in Horn Performance at the University of Nebraska was awarded a full teaching assistantship to serve as pianist in the vocal and instrumental studios. Besides being pianist with The Ridgewood Choral and The Lakeside Choraliers, she is an academic specialist in Choral Accompanying at KeanUniversity. She has accompanied Broadway stars and members of the NY Philharmonic in concert and was conductor/pianist for the Northeast tour of Scrooge, The Musical. For the past few years, she has been one of the accompanists at MontclairStateUniversity where she has accompanied lessons, played opera rehearsals and performed recitals.
