About NJ Choral Consortium
Incorporated in 2010, New Jersey Choral Consortium is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization run by volunteers. More than 45 choruses from all over New Jersey are NJ Choral Consortium members. We welcome new members from choral groups statewide, as well as related organizations and interested individuals who are not in a member chorus. NJ Choral Consortium was honored to receive the Outstanding Arts Advocate Award of 2015 from Morris Arts for our work in sharing resources and encouraging collaboration among choruses.
Meet Our Board
Susan Metz, President
Susan Metz has been singing alto with Monmouth Civic Chorus since 1984, and with Princeton Pro Musica since 2016. She’s retired after 22 years with the NJ Department of Human Services and 15 years as Marketing Manager on the Monmouth Civic Chorus board. Her friends call her Sue, and she would like all choral music lovers to be her friends. president@njchoralconsortium.org
Marina Alexander, Vice President
Marina Alexander conducts The Arcadian Chorale, which she founded in 1993, plus the Richmond Choral Society on Staten Island, NY since 1995. She teaches Conducting and Music History at the College of Staten Island-CUNY, and has been a long-term board member and past President of NJCC. Marina is also a composer, and has led a wide variety of workshops on choral repertory, ensemble techniques, and organizational best practices. www.marinaalexander.com
Jeremy Lees, Treasurer
Jeremy Lees holds a Masters of Music from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He also holds an M. Div. and MSW, and is currently providing psychotherapy in private practice. He has performed numerous solo vocal recitals and operatic roles, and been a featured soloist with several New Jersey choruses, including All Saints Episcopal Church in Bay Head, Concordia Chorale, Monmouth Civic Chorus, New Jersey Chamber Singers, Ocean County College Community Choir, and the Shrewsbury Chorale, where he is a member. treasurer@njchoralconsortium.org
Fiona Smith-Sutherland, Secretary
Fiona Smith Sutherland is Music Director of the Shrewsbury Chorale. She also serves as the full-time Director of Traditional Music at Tower Hill Presbyterian Church in Red Bank, and as the staff accompanist and assistant director for the Lakeside Choraliers in Montvale, NJ. Fiona is also the Organist and Choirmaster at Christ Episcopal Church in Shrewsbury, and sings with Monmouth Civic Chorus. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master of Music degrees at Westminster Choir College, studying Choral Conducting with Joseph Flummerfelt, Andrew Megill, and James Jordan, organ with Eugene Roan, and voice with Lois Laverty and Dan Pratt. Throughout her career, she has served at churches throughout New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, teaching choristers of all ages and leading choirs on tours.
Eric Schwarz, Member At Large
Eric Schwarz has sung with the Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus since 2013, and with Rise Up Chorus since it began in 2017. He directed a version of the musical “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” in 2017. He is a librarian by trade and lives in South Plainfield
Elayne Grossman, Member At Large
Dr. Elayne Robinson Grossman teaches voice and piano lessons at Allegra School of Music and Arts. She served for 22 years as conductor and musical director of New York City’s Rottenberg Chorale (1977-1999). She is editor and transcriber of Sephardic songs from Yugoslavia in The Flory Jagoda Songbook, TARA Publications. Dr. Grossman taught woodwind instruments at the Abrams Hebrew Academy in Yardley, Pennsylvania, where she was Director of the Instrumental Music Program until her retirement.
Please help us support choral music in New Jersey!
If you prefer to mail a check, please print and enclose our membership/donation form.
We are grateful for your donation in any amount. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Dues are not considered donations.
New Jersey Choral Consortium is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, Federal Employer ID # 272106353. Records of our past tax returns filed with the Internal Revenue Service may be viewed online.
New Jersey Choral Consortium is exempt from registering with the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, Division of Consumer Affairs, Charities Registration Section, because we receive less than $10,000 in annual contributions.
