SFBAC Board Members
Jonathan Smucker, President
sanfranciscobaypresident@nats.org
San Francisco based tenor Jonathan Smucker serves on the voice faculty at San José State University. He teaches students of all ages, and particularly enjoys working with beginners, aspiring professionals and adult avocational students. His students have attended Oberlin Conservatory, Northwestern University, Manhattan School of Music, St. Olaf and San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and have sung with Opera San José, Pocket Opera and San Francisco Symphony Chorus.
An active soloist, Jonathan has performed more than fifty roles, with specializations in new works and early music. Notable credits include the Witch of Endor in Handel’s Saul (Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale) and Miles in Missy Mazzoli’s Proving Up (Pasadena Opera-West Coast Premiere).
Jonathan is a full time member of the San Francisco Opera Chorus, and sings with American Bach Choir and the Philharmonia Baroque Chorale. He earned his Bachelor’s, Master’s and Postgraduate degrees in voice at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Mary Evelyn Hangley,
Co-Vice President of Programs & Communications Coordinator
A first year Adler Fellow with San Francisco Opera, Mary Evelyn Hangley was praised for her “stunning dynamic range and control”. Soprano Hangley has been featured on the stages of The Glimmerglass Festival, Minnesota Opera, and the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. Most recently, she performed the role of Anna Sørensen in Kevin Put’s Silent Night at The Glimmerglass Festival. During her two years as a Resident Artist with Minnesota Opera, Hangley sang leading roles for the company, including Musetta in La bohème, Woglinde in Das Rheingold, and Contessa Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro. In addition to numerous comprimario roles, Hanley covered Freia in Das Rheingold, Millicent Jordan in the world premiere of Bolcolm’s Dinner at Eight and the title role in Massenet’s Thaïs. She has participated in many of the country’s leading young artist programs, including Minnesota Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival and The Merola Opera Program. While at the Merola Opera Program, Hangley was praised by Opera News for singing “…with considerable allure” when taking over for an ill colleague mid performance of Conrad Susa’s Transformations. In concert, Hanley has sung Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Mozart’s Mass in C minor, Saint-Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio, Schubert’s Mass in C major and will be the soprano soloist in the Verdi Requiem at SUNY Fredonia in Spring 2019.
Dr. Karine St-Pierre, Co-Vice President of Programs
Montreal-born soprano Dr. Karine St-Pierre is an opera singer, voice pedagogue, and researcher whose repertoire spans opera, operetta, art song, and new music.
An avid interpreter of new music, she premiered Matthew de Lacey Davidson’s song cycle Quatre mélodies québécoises in Toronto and has performed with FAWN Opera & New Music. Deeply committed to French and French-Canadian repertoire, she has sung in recitals with the Sausalito Song Society (California), the Canadian Music Centre (Calgary), and the Espace Bernanos (Paris). Her doctoral work produced A Pedagogical Guide to the Interpretation of Nineteenth-Century French Canadian Songs for Voice and Piano, reflecting her commitment to preserving and promoting this repertoire through performance and pedagogy.
On the operatic stage, she has sung Ilia (Idomeneo) with Summer Lyric Opera Theatre; Stella (La Fille du tambour major) with Théâtre lyrique de la Montérégie; Stasi (Die Csárdásfürstin), Anina (La Traviata), Gabrielle (La Vie parisienne), and Bella (Paganini) with Théâtre d’art lyrique de Laval; and Délicia (Madame), Hermia (Barbe-Bleue), and Huguette (Pas sur la bouche) with Productions Belle-Lurette.
A dedicated educator, Dr. St-Pierre has taught voice for the Toronto Chamber Choir and the Canadian Opera Company’s Summer Youth Intensive Program. She has adjudicated for numerous festivals and competitions, including the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Student Auditions (local and regional), the United States International Music Competition, the VOCE Competition, the CCPAS Voice Competition, the Midland Music Festival, and the Orillia Kiwanis Music Festival. She is a founding member of the University of Toronto’s student chapter of NATS, and she is a past president of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of NATS.
Dr. St-Pierre holds a Doctor of Musical Arts and a Master of Music in Voice Performance and Vocal Pedagogy from the University of Toronto, as well as a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from the Université de Montréal. Her honors include awards from Théâtre d’art lyrique de Laval and the Fondation de soutien aux arts de Laval, and a research grant from the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture.
Dr. Josephine Lee, Vice President of Recitals
Dr. YoonGeong (Josephine) Lee is a Korean-born soprano praised by The New York Times for singing “with suave clarity.” A tenure-track member of the Regular Chorus of San Francisco Opera and winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions San Francisco District, she has performed with prestigious ensembles in the United States and South Korea, including the San Francisco Symphony and the Korea National Opera, at venues such as Davies Symphony Hall, Herbst Theatre, Bing Concert Hall, and the Seoul Arts Center. A two-time Tanglewood Music Center Soprano Fellow and recipient of the Grace B. Jackson Prize, she holds Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in Voice from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor of Music degree from Seoul National University. For more information, please visit www.josephineleesoprano.com.
Benjamin Liupaogo, Co-Vice President of Student Auditions
Benjamin Liupaogo is a distinguished Lecturer in Vocal Studies in the Department of Music at Stanford University. A proud Pacific Islander of Samoan heritage, he is an accomplished tenor and collaborative pianist whose career spans opera, concert, choral, and chamber music performances across the United States and Europe.
Benjamin is a sought-after artist and educator with an impressive range of affiliations. He is a tenor with the Grammy Award–winning San Francisco Symphony Chorus (AGMA) and a regular AGMA Extra Chorus member of the San Francisco Opera Chorus. He also sings professionally with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale, Grace Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys, and has performed with ensembles such as American Bach Soloists and Volti.
From 2017 to 2019, Benjamin was a young artist with Madison Opera, where he sang and covered principal roles. He also served as assistant director and vocal coach at Musica nelle Marche, a summer opera program in Urbino, Italy, performing throughout the country from 2017 to 2022.
Benjamin’s expertise extends beyond performance. He is a highly versatile classical musician with experience as a collaborative pianist, vocal coach, répétiteur, church musician, and music director/conductor in opera, musical theatre, and choral music. He has worked with leading institutions including the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, San Francisco State University, University of San Francisco, DePaul University, Roosevelt University, University of Notre Dame, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison Opera, North Park University, and numerous youth choral organizations such as the San Francisco Boys Chorus, Golden Gate Boys Choir and Bellringers, and Pacific Boychoir Academy.
Deeply committed to mentorship and community engagement, Benjamin serves as a board member and Co-Vice President for Student Auditions for the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (SFBAC-NATS), where he also works as a collaborative pianist. He also sits on the board of the Samoan Community Development Center (SCDC), helping to uplift and amplify Pacific Islander voices across the Bay Area.
Benjamin holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from San Francisco State University, a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Roosevelt University, and a Master of Sacred Music from the University of Notre Dame. He earned a Graduate Performance Certificate in Opera from DePaul University and is currently completing his Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice Performance—with a minor in Collaborative Piano—at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Passionate, multifaceted, and deeply rooted in both his cultural heritage and the classical tradition, Benjamin Liupaogo is a vital force in the world of vocal music—one whose artistry and mentorship continue to inspire singers and audiences alike.
Dr. Erin McOmber, Co-Vice President of Auditions
Dr. Erin McOmber earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in voice perfromance from the University of Utah, a Master of Music degree in voice performance and pedagogy from Brigham Young University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree, also in voice performance, from UC San Diego. She has maintained a private voice studio for over twenty years and has been an active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing since 2001. As a singer, Erin has performed numerous operatic roles such as Mimì (La bohème), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), and Blanche de la Force (Dialogues des Carmélites), and has been the soprano soloist for Mendelssohn's Elijah, Mozart's Requiem, Handel's Messiah, Mahler's Symphony No. 4, and more. She spent three years as a member of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square (formerly the Mormon Tabernacle Choir) and is a founding member and conductor of Mayfield Singers, a small mixed chamber choir based in Palo Alto.
Dr. Laura Wiebe, Membership Director
Dr. Laura Wiebe enjoys a multifaceted career as a conductor, singer, and pianist. She currently serves as director of Choral and Vocal Activities at the College of Marin.
Laura's solo engagements as a mezzo-soprano include performances with the Missouri Symphony; the Marshall Philharmonic Orchestra; the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra; and Ensemble: Périphérie. Jazz engagements include performances with the Des Moines Big Band and for the Missouri United Methodist Concert Series in Columbia, Missouri. Her professional choral singing includes the Minnesota Chorale, Magdala in Oxford, England, and the Madison Symphony Chorus.
A certified Dalcroze teacher, Laura has served on the faculties of the Online Conservatory of the National Children's Chorus and Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan.
Laura holds a DMA in Choral Conducting and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa, an MM in Choral Conducting at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a BA in Music from North Park University in Chicago.
Angelique Zuluaga, Recording Secretary
Soprano Angelique Zuluaga has performed opera, oratorio, and chamber music throughout the U.S. and South America and can be found frequently collaborating with composers in new works. Her voice has been described as “free-floating and unfettered” (Bloomington Herald Times), “dark and delicate” (Indy Star), and “exquisite and expressive voice, capable of a wide dynamic range from the most delicate sotto voce pianissimos to full-voiced fortissimo coloratura passages” (Monterey Herald Times). In 2012 she was hailed by Fanfare magazine as a performer of “gusto and finesse”.
Winner of Indiana University's 2006 Latin American Fellowship, she also holds awards, grants and scholarships for her performance, research and concert programming from the Early Music Institute of Indiana University, The Latin American Music Center of Indiana University, Metropolitan Opera Council, Universidad Del Valle National Art Prizes, and the Embassy of Spain.
Ms. Zuluaga began her singing career in Cali, Colombia, South America where she received her Licenciatura en Músicawith Emperatriz Figueroa as her major professor in voice at the Universidad del Valle . Further studies in music led her to the Jacobs School of Music and Early Music Institute at Indiana University where she completed two master degrees in voice performance and early music.
Jacque Wilson Scharlach, Treasurer
sanfranciscobaytreasurer@nats.org
Jacque Wilson Scharlach is hailed as a "passionate singer with beautiful warm tones." She has more than fifteen years of teaching experience including three years spent as a musical theater voice faculty at the University of Southern Maine. She is currently on the voice faculty of San José State University and also maintains an active private vocal studio.
Jacque holds a Master's degree in opera performance from The Boston Conservatory and a Bachelor's degree from California State University, Northridge. She has appeared with numerous orchestras and choruses across the country including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Opera and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. She has performed to great renowned on both coasts in opera and musical theatre. Some of her favorite roles include: Meg Page (Falstaff), Meg (Little Women), Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro), Prince Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), Julie Jordan (Carousel), Sarah Brown (Guys and Dolls), and Pitti Sing (The Mikado). She is currently a full time chorister with San Francisco Opera. She believes in teaching a bel canto technique to all her students whether they are singing classical, musical theatre or jazz.
Alina Ilchuk, Newsletter Editor
Alina Ilchuk is a Ukrainian-American singer, vocal teacher, and volunteer. She has performed throughout Europe, the United States, and Canada. She has been teaching voice both privately and at the collegiate level since 1995 and is an avid supporter of the development of art education in the world. In the early 2000s, she was one of the initiators and instructors for the Sacramento-based Slavic educational branch of Patten University, which helped immigrants from post-Soviet republics obtain higher education in the USA. She is the founder of the Sacramento Academy of Musical Arts, an award-winning school in the region. Many of her students have become professional musicians and graduates of some of the most reputable universities, conservatories, and music programs; numerous students have become winners of respected voice competitions. Alina Ilchuk serves as a jury member for the innovative art platform "Music" in Kyiv, Ukraine, enjoys academic research, and is a regular presenter at scientific conferences and artistic forums. She volunteers for Ukrainian war-orphan children throughout the San Francisco Charity Foundation “Anhelyk" and advocates for the American-Ukrainian Catholic Education Foundation and the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, Ukraine.
Since 2020, she has been a board member of the SFBAC NATS. Alina Ilchuk received her higher education at the Mykola Lysenko National Academy of Music in Lviv, Ukraine, and the California State University, Sacramento, USA.
Megan Beltran, Webmaster
Megan Beltran is an independent studio voice teacher based in Palo Alto and a professor of Applied Voice and Lyric Diction at West Valley College. With over two decades of teaching experience, she integrates current voice science with her own performance experience to foster healthy, sustainable singing and artistic growth in her students.
Megan holds degrees from UCLA and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, has completed post-baccalaureate work at Northwestern University, and was awarded a Certificate in Vocology from NYU. Her pedagogical expertise is informed by a performing and teaching career spanning regional opera, professional choral ensembles, collegiate instruction, and private studio teaching. Her performance credits include appearances with Opera Santa Barbara, the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Boston Lyric Opera, the Carmel Bach Festival, and Ashlawn Opera, as well as recitals from Boston to Copenhagen.
As a board member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), Megan is committed to advancing student-centered pedagogy and empowering singers and educators alike.