Mendelssohn
Glee Club of NYC

education Long Island University (Brooklyn campus) 

profession collections, U.S. Treasury Department (retired) 

why I sing I love it. I was in a folk group and glee club in high school and college. I’m especially fond of the American Songbook. 

favorite composer Verdi  

favorite opera, musical Aida, Jersey Boys 

favorite group Duprees 

regular reading, viewing, listening New York Post, Kings Courier, PBS, 1950s-60s music stations 

favorite visual artist Van Gogh 

favorite movie Casablanca 

favorite TV show Law and Order (original series) 

best pizza Famous Joe's and Bleecker Street Pizza (West Village) 

favorite team Mets 

favorite comedian or comic actor George Carlin 

person I admire Abraham Lincoln 

pastime going to dinner and a movie with my family 

favorite museum, outdoor space New York Transit Museum; Central Park, Prospect Park, Roosevelt Island 

volunteer work tour guide, Big Apple Greeters; tour assistant, Ellis Island 

last book read The Orphan Master by Jean Zimmerman 

Education: Stony Brook University, Pace University

Profession: investment strategist, political analyst, policy analyst

Why I sing: I have music in my head and on my mind all of the time.

Favorite composer: Beethoven

Favorite opera, musical: Turandot, Guys and Dolls

favorite performer/group Beatles

Performance attended recently: Melody Gardot

Regular reading, viewing, listening: Washington Post, MSNBC, PBS; listen to all types of music via cable

Favorite visual artist: Picasso

Favorite movie: Casablanca

Favorite TV show: Mad Men

Best pizza, sushi: Felice 83, Sushi Seki (Upper East Side)

Favorite team: Knicks

Favorite comedian or comic actor: Robin Williams

Person I admire: Christopher Hitchens

Pastime: politics, writing (including humorous song lyrics to existing melodies), swimming, bicycling, hiking, being a smarta**

Favorite museum, outdoor space: Met; Fort Tryon Park

last book read The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of Their Lost World by Steve Brusatte; The Story of Life in 25 Fossils: Tales of Intrepid Fossil Hunters and the Wonders of Evolution by Donald Prothero

Education: Princeton University, University of Virginia (Darden)

Military service: Army Reserve (21 years); Vietnam, active duty; lieutenant colonel, retired

Profession: real estate finance (retired)

Why I sing: It’s therapeutic – it relaxes and soothes me

Favorite composer: Dvořák

Favorite opera, musical: Rusalka, South Pacific

Favorite performer/group: Dave Brubeck Quartet, Bill Evans, Beatles, Judy Collins, Elton John

Music purchased recently :Bill Evans, Ahmad Jamal

Favorite author; Ron Chernow, Lee Child, David McCullough

Last book read: The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made by Walter Isaacson and Evan Thomas

Regular reading, listening: Wall Street Journal, New York Times, WQXR

Favorite visual artist: Monet, Rodin

Favorite movie: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Sorrow and the Pity

Favorite TV show: M*A*S*H

Best pizza, sushi: Sal & Carmine, Miyako (Upper West Side)

Favorite team: Yankees, Giants

Favorite comedian or comic actor: Robin Williams

Person I admire: Benjamin Franklin

Pastime: golf, tennis, bridge

Favorite museum, outdoor space: AMNH; my roof garden

Education: Computer Processing Institute

Profession: desktop technician

Why I sing: It’s in my blood!

Favorite composer: Beethoven

Favorite musical: The Fantasticks

Favorite performer/group :Stevie Wonder, Prince, George Benson, The Manhattan Transfer, Patti Austin, Diane Schuur, Ann Hampton Callaway;
Earth, Wind & Fire

Performance attended recently: Ann Hampton Callaway

Favorite author: James Baldwin

Last book read: A Promised Land by Barack Obama

Regular viewing, listening: Eyewitness News; Urban View (SiriusXM)

Favorite visual artist: Basquiat

Favorite movie: American Pop

Favorite TV show: The Flintstones

Best pizza: Famous Famiglia 96th (Upper West Side)

Favorite team: Giants

Favorite comedian or comic actor: Richard Pryor

Person I admire: Bill Russell

Pastime: writing music

Favorite museum: AMNH

Education: Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn

Military service: Army Corps of Engineers (combat engineer), first lieutenant profession materials management

Why I sing: I’m continuing a family tradition – my mother and sister were in choruses. I started singing as a teenager and have not stopped.

Favorite composer: Mozart, Mendelssohn

Favorite opera, musical: Madama Butterfly, South Pacific

favorite performer/group Beatles, Moody Blues, Charles Aznavour, Nina Simone, Yo Yo Ma

Performance attended recently: Toby Keith

Favorite author; Clive Cussler

Last book read: The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson

Regular viewing, listening: MSNBC, WQXR

Favorite visual artist: Michelangelo, Picasso

Favorite movie: Gone with the Wind

Favorite TV show: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Monk

Best pizza, sushi: Rizzo’s (Astoria), Ko (Upper East Side)

Favorite team Yankees

Favorite comedian or comic acto:r Mel Brooks, Benny Hill

Person I admire :Winston Churchill

Pastime: picking up litter in Central Park, swimming in saltwater pool

Favorite museum, outdoor space: Met; Central Park

Volunteer work: secretary, Vietnam Veterans of America (Manhattan chapter)

Education: Clarkson University, Hunter College, Empire State College, City College of New York, Fordham University

Profession musician: (founding member, Blue Öyster Cult); play and tour with Blue Coupe, the Bouchard Brothers, the Dictators, and Robert Gordon; high school music teacher (retired)

Why I sing I sing: to express myself in a universal language and as a form of meditation. I also love it.

Favorite composer: Beethoven

Favorite opera, musical: Turandot, Hamilton, Kinky Boots

favorite performer/group Dave Brubeck Quartet, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Ventures, Beach Boys, Beatles, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Metallica, Steely Dan

Performance attended recently: Foo Fighters

Favorite author: Stephen King

Last book read: Unrequited Infatuations: A Memoir by Steven Van Zandt

Regular reading, viewing, listening: Rolling Stone, PBS; Marc Maron, Mary Spender, Band Geeks, Home Skoolin’ (podcasts/vlogs); NPR, WQXR

Favorite visual artist: Seurat

Favorite movie: The Apartment

Favorite TV show: Breaking Bad

Best pizza: Famous Famiglia 96th (Upper West Side)

Favorite team: Mets

Favorite comedian or comic actor: Chris Rock

Person I admire: Barack Obama

Pastime: running

Favorite museum, outdoor space: Met; Central Park

Volunteer work: New York Road Runners events; United Federation of Teachers

Education: Harvard College, Columbia University School of Law

Profession: regulatory consultant, teacher of food law; food and drug lawyer (retired)

Why I sing: I love “harmonizing” with my fellow singers – in both senses of the word: creating wonderful music amplifies feelings of friendship and camaraderie.

Favorite performer/group: Wynton Marsalis, Philadelphia Orchestra, Beatles, Alicia de Larrocha

Favorite author: John Steinbeck, Thomas Mann

Regular reading, viewing, listening: New Yorker, MSNBC, NPR

Favorite visual artist: Van Gogh

Favorite movie: Citizen Kane, 2001: A Space Odyssey

Favorite TV show: Law and Order (original series)

Performance attended recently: Norah Jones

Last book read: Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight

Best pizza:  Venice Restaurant (Ridgefield, Connecticut)

Favorite composer: Mozart, Florence Price

Favorite opera, musical: Die Meistersinger, West Side Story, The Music Man

Favorite team: Giants

Favorite comedian or comic actor: George Carlin, Amy Schumer

Person I admire: Dr. Anthony Fauci, Winston Churchill, Harriet Beecher Stowe

Pastime: playing guitar, reading

favorite museum, outdoor space: MoMA; Kent Falls State Park (Connecticut)

Volunteer work: board member and speaker, Food and Drug Law Institute

Education: Cornell University

Profession: manager (workshop for people with intellectual disabilities)

Why I sing: It makes me feel connected to the universe.

Favorite composer: Mozart

Favorite opera, musical: The Magic Flute, The Sound of Music

Favorite performer/group: Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Eagles

Performance attended recently: Roger McGuinn

Favorite author/last book read: The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny

Regular listening: Fresh Air, Selected Shorts (NPR), WQXR

Favorite visual artist: Monet

Favorite movie; Casablanca

Favorite TV show: Vera

Best pizza: Angelo’s (Midtown East)

Favorite spectator: sport tennis

Favorite comedian or comic actor: Red Skelton

Person I admire: John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr.

Pastime: New York Times “Crossword”

Favorite museum, outdoor space :Frick; Roosevelt Island

Volunteer work: feeding homeless people (St. John’s Memorial Episcopal Church in New Jersey)

Education: Baruch College, Long Island University (Brooklyn campus)

Profession: comptroller

Why I sing: It brings me joy.

Favorite composer: Mozart, Handel, Fauré

Favorite opera, musical: Carmen, Hamilton, 110 in the Shade

Favorite performer: Mandy Patinkin

Last book read Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging by Afua Hirsch

Regular reading, viewing: New York Times, HG network, MSNBC 12

Favorite visual artist: Sargent

Favorite movie: The Sound of Music

Person I admire: Winston Churchill

Pastime: painting, gardening

favorite museum, outdoor space: Met; New York Botanical Garden

Volunteer work: taught reading to learning-disabled adults

Education: University of California (Berkeley)

Profession: software analyst, program management

Why I sing Making music together, and especially singing, always lifts the spirit and evokes the sublime.

Favorite composer: Bach, Handel, Haydn, Vivaldi

Favorite opera, musical: The Magic Flute, West Side Story, Jesus Christ Superstar

Favorite performer/group Beatles, Zombies, The Who, George Jones, Louis Jordan, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Carole King, Radiohead

Performances attended recently: Resurrection Symphony (Mahler), American Utopia (David Byrne)

Favorite author: George Eliot, J. R .R. Tolkien

Last book read A Time of Gifts: On Foot to Constantinople: from the Hook of Holland to the Middle Danube by Patrick Leigh Fermor

Regular listening WNYC, In Our Time (BBC Radio 4)

Favorite visual artist my brothers Peter and Jonathan; Michelangelo, Rembrandt

Favorite movie Lord of the Rings

Favorite TV show Only Murders in the Building

Favorite comedian or comic actor Monty Python, Marx Brothers, Larry David

Person I admire my wife; Beyoncé

Pastime skiing, outdoor activities

Favorite museum Frick

Volunteer work co-op board president; backup cook, St. Michael's Saturday Kitchen

Profession: manufacturer’s representative

Education: Brandeis University

Why I sing: Singing is instant happiness. It gives me hope and courage and connects me to the musical world.

Favorite composer: Bach

Favorite opera, musical: Don Giovanni, Guys and Dolls

Favorite performer/group: Glenn Gould, John Coltrane, Jackson Brown, Les Brown and His Band of Renown, Otis Redding, Leonard Cohen

Performance attended recently, music purchased: War (live), Oshima Brothers (Dark Nights Golden Days)

Favorite author: Herman Melville

Last book read: Historic Black Brooklyn: 400 Years of Struggle and Hope by Brian Merlis and Clarence Taylor

Regular reading, viewing, listening: New York Times, New Yorker, Mother Jones, Atlantic, BBC TV, NPR, WNYC, WFUV, WQXR

Favorite visual artist: Calder

Favorite movie: Pennies from Heaven (1981 version)

Favorite TV show: The Wire

Best pizza, sushi: Denino’s (Staten Island) and dessert across the street at Ralph’s Italian Ices; Kouzan (upper West Side)

Favorite team: Mets, New York Rangers, Giants

Favorite comedian or comic actor: Charlie Chaplin

person I admire: Martin Luther King Jr., Barack Obama, Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela, King David

Pastime: golf, archival research in art and design

Favorite museum, outdoor space: Whitney; Highline

Volunteer work: Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America

Education: Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey City University

Profession: math teacher, piano technician, musician, mental health worker, program aide (working with high school students)

Why I sing: I love the male choral sound – as a toddler I listened to Fred Waring on the radio and TV (he featured a men’s chorus with his orchestra). My mother said I sang before I talked.

Favorite composer: Beethoven, Bach, Brahms

Favorite opera, musical: La Bohème, Les Misérables, Anything Goes, West Side Story

Favorite performer: Nat King Cole

Favorite autho:r Kahlil Gibran

Last book read: algebra and geometry texts

Regular reading, viewing: RV magazines, MSNBC

Favorite movie: It's a Wonderful Life, Gone with the Wind, On Borrowed Time

Favorite TV show: All in the Family, Blue Bloods, Jeopardy!

Favorite team: Yankees, Mets, Giants

Favorite comedian or comic actor: George Burns

Person I admire: Richard Rodgers

Pastime: motorhome camping, conducting, bicycling

Performance attended recently: Ocean Grove Choir Festival

volunteer work: Partnership for the Homeless; crisis intervention hotline counselor

Education: City College of New York, Brown University

Profession:  opera singer, product manager, project manager, programmer/tech manager, high school physics teacher

Why I sing: Love of opera led me to singing (after having played the clarinet). Music is central to my life

Favorite Composer: Wagner

favorite opera, musical:  Die Meistersinger, West Side Story

favorite performer/group: Beatles, Ella Fitzgerald, David Oistrakh

Performance attended recently: Metropolitan Opera (Rake’s Progress)

Favorite author: Fyodor Dostoevsky

Regular reading, viewing, listening: New York Times, Guardian, MSNBC, WQXR 3

Favorite visual artist: Nolde

Favorite movie: On the Waterfront

Favorite TV show: Seinfeld

Best pizza: Patsy’s (East Harlem)

Last book read: Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout
Favorite spectator sport: golf

Favorite comedian or comic actor: George Burns, Danny Kaye

Person I admire: Louis Armstrong

Pastime: cooking, travel

Favorite museum, outdoor space: Neue Galerie; Central Park

education Brooklyn College, Baruch College 

profession conductor, singer, vocal coach, high school math teacher, IT professional, performing arts manager 

why I conduct I delight in the synergy I share with the singers and in the emotions expressed in the melody, harmony, and lyrics. I love the sound of a chorus. Conducting makes me feel alive. 

favorite classical composer Brahms, Mozart, Verdi 

favorite opera, musical La Bohème, The Magic Flute, Les Misérables, West Side Story, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers 

favorite performer/group Beatles, Karen Carpenter, Luciano Pavarotti, Kelly Clarkson, Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga, Alexandra Beliakovich 

performances attended recently Inspire (chamber chorus); Metropolitan Opera (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk) 

favorite author John Steinbeck, John Barth, Charles Dickens 

last book read Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show by Jonathan Karl 

regular viewing, listening TCM, CNN, MSNBC, PBS, WQXR 

favorite visual artist Renoir, Monet, Rodin 

favorite movie The Godfather (I, II), My Cousin Vinny, The Shawshank Redemption, Amadeus, Dirty Dancing 

favorite TV show Breaking Bad, Fawlty Towers, The Odd Couple, Blue Bloods, Monk 

best pizza, sushi Freddie & Pepper’s, Miyako (Upper West Side) 

favorite team, spectator sport Mets, Yankees, tennis 

favorite comedian or comic actor Kevin Kline, Stephen Colbert, Lewis Black, Rodney Dangerfield 

person I admire Benjamin Franklin, Sonia Sotomayor, Frederick Douglass, Fred Rodgers, Volodymyr Zelenskyy 

pastime watching movies, cooking 

favorite museum, outdoor space Frick, West Side Community Garden (W. 89th Street) 

volunteer work co-op board member 

education Middlebury College, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism 

profession senior vice president, chief communications officer (clinical laboratory) 

why I sing I love harmonizing and blending with other voices. There’s something about singing in an ensemble that’s just great for my soul

favorite composer Rachmaninoff
favorite opera, musical Turandot, Sweeney Todd 

favorite performer/group Bill Evans; Earth, Wind & Fire 

favorite author Tom Wolfe 

regular reading, listening New York Times, Wall Street Journal, WKCR 

favorite visual artist Pissarro 

performance attended recently, music purchased Ron Carter Trio (live); Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band (Novus Series '70) 

last book read Chapman Piloting & Seamanship (69th edition) 

favorite movie Dr. Strangelove 

favorite TV show The West Wing 

best pizza Roberta’s (Bushwick) 

favorite team Mets 

favorite comedian or comic actor Larry David 

person I admire Winston Churchill 

pastime listening to music, going to concerts, skiing, bicycling, boating, kayaking 

favorite museum, outdoor space Met; Central Park, Highline 

volunteer work food pantry, Newark; homeless shelter (Breaking Ground) 

education Long Island University (Brooklyn campus) 

profession collections, U.S. Treasury Department (retired) 

why I sing I love it. I was in a folk group and glee club in high school and college. I’m especially fond of the American Songbook. 

favorite composer Verdi  

favorite opera, musical Aida, Jersey Boys 

favorite group Duprees 

regular reading, viewing, listening New York Post, Kings Courier, PBS, 1950s-60s music stations 

favorite visual artist Van Gogh 

favorite movie Casablanca 

 bLaw and Order (original series) 

best pizza Famous Joe's and Bleecker Street Pizza (West Village) 

favorite team Mets 

last book read The Orphan Master by Jean Zimmerman 

favorite comedian or comic actor George Carlin 

person I admire Abraham Lincoln 

pastime going to dinner and a movie with my family 

favorite museum, outdoor space New York Transit Museum; Central Park, Prospect Park, Roosevelt Island 

volunteer work tour guide, Big Apple Greeters; tour assistant, Ellis Island 

Education: Lehman College, Pacific College of Health and Science

Profession: student (master’s program in acupuncture)

Why I sing: It makes me ecstatic. Nothing compares to making a joyful noise with others. The harmonic blending of voices feels like a sonic hug and always makes my day 1,000 times better.

Favorite composer: Mozart, Handel

Favorite musical: Little Shop of Horrors, Into the Woods

Favorite performer/group: Lake Street Dive, La Santa Cecilia, Whitney Houston, Catherine Russell

Favorite autho:r Paulo Cuelho

last book read: The Dawn of Yangchen by F. C. Yee

Regular viewing, listening: Gaia TV (YouTube), Tiny Desk concerts (NPR)

Favorite visual artist: Caravaggio

Favorite movie: Matilda, Jumanji

Favorite TV show: Avatar: The Last Airbender

Best pizza: Two Boots (East Village), Fumo (Harlem)

Performance attended recently: El Caribefunk

Favorite comedian or comic actor: Joan Rivers (and our conductor Gene Wisoff)

Person I admire: Don Miguel Ruiz, Eckhart Tolle, Joe Dispenza

Pastime: learning Italian and other languages

Favorite museum, outdoor space: AMNH; Central Park, Highline

Education :Yale University, Harvard Law School

Unfortunately our beloved Richard passed away before our most recent concert. Rest in Peace Brother.

Education: Manhattan College, Purdue University

Military service: Air Force ROTC

Profession: computer scientist (retired)

Favorite composer: Mozart

Favorite opera, musical: Aida, H.M.S. Pinafore, Man of La Mancha, Carousel, South Pacific

Favorite performer/group: Rolling Stones, Roy Orbison, Frank Sinatra

Performance attended recently: Andrea Bocelli

Favorite autho:r Connie Willis (science fiction)

Last book read: Tom Jones by Henry Fielding

Regular listening: Siriusly Sinatra, Willie's Roadhouse, 60s Gold (SiriusXM)

Favorite visual artist: Michelangelo

Favorite movie: Casablanca

Favorite TV show: Keeping Up Appearances

Favorite team, spectator: sport Mets, golf

Favorite comedian or comic actor: Mel Brooks

Person I admire: Jesus Christ, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr.

Pastime: bass fishing

Favorite museum: MoMA, AMNH

Volunteer work: control subject, U.S. POINTER Study (Alzheimer's Association)

Why I sing: When I took voice lessons a while back, I discovered I’m a bass, not a tenor. At that point, singing became much more gratifying and has since become an avocation