Sara leads an artistic staff of eight, conducts Fresca, Amore, and Ensemble, and oversees the education and artistic programs of the organization. She has experience teaching choral and general music at the elementary, middle, high school, and college levels in Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, and Washington.

Along with her work in public school music programs, she has directed adult and children's church choirs and a choir at a maximum-security women's prison. Sara enjoys choral music-making from both sides of the podium; for four years she was a member of the Dale Warland Singers in Minnesota, one of the country's finest professional a cappella choirs. Since coming to the Northwest, she has sung with Seattle Pro Musica, Opus 7, the St. James Cathedral Choir, and Urban Baroque in Portland, Oregon.

As a clinician, Sara has recently served as guest conductor for the Women's Choir Festival at Western Washington University and for the Seattle Public Schools Elementary Choirs Festival. For two years, Sara was the Elementary Choirs Repertoire and Standards chair on the board of the Washington State American Choral Directors Association as; she serves on the board of directors of the recently formed Greater Seattle Choral Consortium.

Beth Ann Bonnecroy joined the Northwest Girlchoir staff in 2000 and conducts the Vivace choir. Beth Ann's foundation as a singer and extensive experience as a voice teacher shape her priorities in conducting. In the choirs she conducts, she emphasizes healthy singing and development of singers' personal vocal technique, which contribute to the free, beautiful sound her choirs achieve. Beth Ann is a frequent recitalist in the Seattle area. She has also sung with the Seattle Opera Chorus, Opera by the Sound, and Lyric Opera Theatre of Tempe, AZ. A life-long church musician, Beth Ann has conducted church choirs and handbell choirs of all ages and is currently a member of the music staff of Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church in Seattle. Beth Ann, along with colleague and former Northwest Girlchoir Artistic Director, Rebecca Rottsolk, co-conducts Mirinesse Women's Choir. Mirinesse had the high honor of singing at the American Choral Directors Association national convention in 2009. Beth Ann holds degrees from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN and Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ.

During nine years as a professional public school educator, Darcy, a Washington native, taught every age group in the Lake Washington School District and nearly every type of music class, including guitar, general music, orchestra, keyboard, and choir. She is highly sought after as a clinician for local choral festivals and as an adjudicator for Solo Ensemble Festivals. Darcy has mentored student teachers, college students, and colleagues in choral curriculum building and classroom techniques. Along with directing various district honor choirs, she also established and coordinated the annual LWSD Tenor Bass Institute which promotes young male camaraderie through singing. Darcy received Kirkland Junior High's Golden Acorn Award for outstanding educator in 2008 and most recently received the 2009 Outstanding Educator of the Year Award from the Kirkland Rotary Club. Darcy is a singer and the alto section leader in the two select groups of Seattle Pro Musica under the direction of Karen P. Thomas. Darcy also works as a professional choral singer, recording for movie previews, movie, and video game soundtracks.

Julia Sarewitz is a proud Northwest Girlchoir alumna, having sung in all of the choirs from Prep Choir through Ensemble. She owes the success of her life and career in music to the choral directors of NWGC (including Rebecca Rottsolk), whose passion for choral music inspired her to pursue a Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree at the University of Oregon.  During her studies at the U of O, Julia sang with every choir, including the international award-winning Chamber Choir; she was thrilled to have the opportunity to sing at the Berlin Konzerthaus for the premier of José Maria Sánchez-Verdú’s Nosferatu.  Julia also received a Graduate Teaching Fellowship, during which time she taught undergraduate Music Education courses and received a license to teach both elementary general and choral music.  Julia has directed youth choirs at Saint James Cathedral and Epiphany School.  Currently, she is the Music Specialist at Giddens School in Seattle, where she teaches Pre School through Fifth grades, directs the Giddens Choir, and teaches a West African drum ensemble. Julia is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, the Oregon Music Educators Association, and the Music Educators National Conference, for whom she was Secretary of the Board of her collegiate chapter.

Lesley Rippee is thrilled and proud to be a part of the staff at Northwest Girlchoir.  Lesley has worked as a music specialist in several Western Washington school districts and at two Seattle area private schools.  Her interest in early childhood music education began when she became a parent and a licensed Kindermusik educator and started a small teaching studio in her home. This special focus ultimately led her to her current teaching position at Perkins Preschool.  In addition to her work with children, Lesley has worked in churches as a choir director and cantor.  She is an accomplished singer, having earned a Master of Music degree in voice performance from Western Washington University.  Locally, Lesley has performed with The Esoterics as well as the Seattle Opera Chorus. 

Andrew enjoys playing for all seven divisions of Northwest Girlchoir, but is primarily responsible for accompanying Amabile, Amore, and Ensemble. He is also utilized for his skills as a vocal coach, leader of sectional rehearsals, foreign language specialist, and arranger, creating unique musical experiences for Northwest Girlchoir choristers of all ages. Andrew has joined the choir on concert and tour appearances at major venues throughout the United States, Canada, and Australia. This summer, he will join the Amore choir in Iceland, Finland, and Estonia. Also active administratively, Andrew manages the choir's tours, concert venues, and music library. Cultivating his interest in the vocal arts by singing in and directing choirs, directing musicals and operas, and accompanying a wide variety of ensembles and soloists, he is active as a pianist and educator. Andrew began his professional operatic directing career in his native Napa, California, producing zarzuela (Spanish operetta) at the Jarvis Conservatory for four seasons. He is in demand as an operatic and musical theater director in the United States and abroad, recently directing a production of Puccini's La bohème for the Teatro Bramante (Urbania, Italy) and the world premiere of Seattle-based composer Gloria Swisher's opera Poker Alice. Andrew also serves as Director of Choirs at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Lynnwood, WA.

Annie Brooks is a magna cum laude graduate of Western Washington University, where she received her Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance. Since winning the WWU's concerto competition as a freshman, Brooks was awarded every major scholarship available to piano students, including the 2009-2010 Presser Scholarship and 1st prize in the Bellingham Music Club competition. And the end of senior year, Brooks was one of only seven other WWU students named as Presidential Scholars of their respective colleges. Now living in Seattle with her husband, David, Annie is also an avid chamber musician and eagerly partakes in new musical endeavors! She most recently earned the top prize at the MTNA Steinway and Sons Young Artist state competition.

Jurate Audejaitiene earned a B.M.A. from the Lithuanian Academy of Music. She began a music career at Gymnasium of Performing Arts in Kaunas, Lithuania as an accompanist and piano teacher. In 1993, she moved to Seattle with her husband Remi. She joined the Music Teachers National Association, opened a private piano studio, and worked as freelance accompanist and was the pianist at Episcopal Church of Resurrection in Bellevue. She subsequently received her Masters of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Washington. Jurate continues to teach piano and is delighted to join Northwest Girlchoir this year as an accompanist.

Dan Bridge is the NWGC Interim Executive Director. A native Seattleite, he attended Garfield High School, the University of Washington (Germanics and Microbiology) and Hebrew Union College. In 2008, he retired from close to 20 years as Executive Director, Hillel, Foundation for Jewish Campus Life at the University of Washington. Since then, he has served as consultant or interim with College Access Now, Somali Community Services Coalition, Senior Services of King County, and the Student Conservation Association. His blended family consists of seven grown children, one foster son, and two daughters-in-law. He likes to run and bike, takes voice lessons, and travels with his psychotherapist wife, Simcha Shtull. In 2004, Dan co-translated The Animals’ Letter Against Humanity, a 9th century Sufi tale (Fons Vitae Press 2004).