
ABOUT THE LUX MEA CHOIR
The Lux Mea Choir is a Manhattan-based ensembles focused on strengthening our community through music. Lux Mea translates to "my light" in Latin. Each of us has light within us that is magnified when we work together, and that greater light in turn enhances the impact we can have for good. This season we hope our light will shine with yours.
We have big dreams of what music can do in our community, and we would love for you be a part of that. Our goal is to give people a place to sing regardless of background or experience level. Our members range from professional musicians to people for whom Lux Mea is their first organized singing opportunity. If you are interested in adding your voice to ours or supporting us in other ways, please email info@luxmea.org.

ABOUT SONUS
Sonus is a Manhattan-based tenor-bass choir dedicated to building community through the power of choral singing. As the sibling ensemble to the established Lux Mea Treble Choir, Sonus shares the same belief that music has the power to connect people, strengthen communities, and bring out the best in one another.The name Sonus is Latin for "sound," reflecting the rich, resonant voices that come together to create something greater than any individual singer could achieve alone. Whether you're a seasoned performer or returning to singing after years away,
Sonus welcomes tenors and basses of all backgrounds and experience levels who are eager to make meaningful music in a supportive and inspiring environment.Together with Lux Mea, Sonus is helping to build a vibrant choral community in New York City where everyone has a place to sing, grow, and belong.

KAITLIN SIMONSON
Kaitlin Simonson is the founder and Artistic Director of Lux Mea Choirs. She teaches music at The Brearley School in Manhattan. Kaitlin relocated to New York eight years ago after teaching choir at Canarelli Middle School in Las Vegas, NV. Under her direction, the six choirs performed throughout the southwest earning superior ratings at festivals and competitions. As an Senior Associate Conductor for the GRAMMY Award Winning National Children's Chorus in Manhattan, Kaitlin works with the senior division students ages 10-18. She is trained in the Kodàly Method, an experience based pedagogy method that efficiently instils excellent musicianship in singers of all ages. Kaitlin has been a guest conductor of honor choirs in New York, Nevada, and Arizona. Her rapport with students, and focus on the human connection through music make her rehearsals unforgettable.
As a classically trained soprano, Kaitlin has performed as a soloist with the Southern Nevada Symphony Orchestra and the San Diego Pro Arte Voices. She is an experienced choral singer praised for her sight reading abilities, preparation and collegiality. Kaitlin holds a Masters Degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she studied with Dr. Linda Lister. In addition, she holds a B.M.E. in Choral Music Education cum laude from Northern Arizona University where she studied with Dr. Edith Copley and Dr. Ryan Holder. Kaitlin has completed three years of coursework in the Kodàly Methodology with Susan Brumfield at Portland State University.

SHAVON LLOYD
While maintaining an active career as a baritone, music educator, conductor, and award-winning composer, Shavon Lloyd (b. 1997) has been praised as an “uber-talented” (Times Herald Record) artist. In demand as a guest conductor and clinician, he works with ensembles nationwide while performing musical theatre and opera across the United States and Europe. His growing catalog of commissioned works with professional choirs reflects an evolving artistic voice, alongside a deep commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in K–12 music education.
Since earning his Bachelor of Music in Music Education from SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music, Lloyd has become a sought-after guest conductor across New York State, working with honors ensembles at all levels. He taught high school chorus and worked in K–12 schools in Washington Heights, cultivating inclusive, student-centered programs. An active contributor to NYSSMA’s BEDR and Composition/Songwriting Committees, he is also a frequent presenter on culturally relevant pedagogy and student empowerment.
As a composer, Lloyd gained early recognition with multiple competition wins, including the Manhattan Choral Ensemble’s New Music for New York and a national award for So Breaks the Sun. He has since received commissions from ensembles such as the Washington Master Chorale, Orpheus Chamber Singers, and Santa Fe Desert Chorale, with performances spanning the U.S. and internationally. So Breaks the Sun appears as the title track on the debut album of the Quava Vocal Group in Johannesburg.
Lloyd earned his Master of Music in Vocal Performance from The Juilliard School in 2024. His performance career includes operatic and musical theatre roles, appearances with leading ensembles, a European debut in Geneva, and a Carnegie Hall debut with The Cecilia Chorus of New York. A prizewinner in several competitions, he is also a Novick Career Grant recipient and currently serves as Senior Associate Conductor and Artistic Coordinator for the National Children’s Chorus.
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Meet the Choir

Alto
Addison Landsburg
Addison Landsburg (she/her) is happy to be singing again after a seven year hiatus from choir. When she is not catching up on the never ending onslaught of television or convincing friends to accompany her to the AMC, she can often be found humming. This is her first season with LuxMea. She is so grateful to this community for giving her the freedom to practice singing again.

Alto
Alyssa Brown
Alyssa Joy Brown (she/her) is a PhD student in the department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology at Columbia University. She is interested in understanding ecosystem resilience to novel disturbance regimes, which she is currently undertaking by studying tropical rainforest response to hurricanes in Puerto Rico. Alyssa does not view science and art as being dichotomous finding that music stretches her brain intellectually just as much as science does creatively. She is grateful to be part of the Lux Mea community.

Soprano
Amanda Savino
Amanda Savino (she/her) is a social work student and mental health coach specializing in religious trauma. Having spent her whole life singing in church and college choirs, she was looking for the perfect vocal home and found it in Lux Mea in 2023. She spends most of her time between Brooklyn and the Rockaways, where the ocean is her happy place.

Alto
Anna Dunlavey
Anna Dunlavey (she/her) is an English teacher from outside Washington, DC. She grew up singing in school choirs, playing violin, and attending concerts for her dad’s Irish rock band. She is so happy to be singing in Lux Mea! You can often find her swimming, biking, reading, doing trivia, or playing mandolin at traditional Irish sessions.

Alto
Anna Mazina
Anna Mazina has been singing with Lux Mea since the very beginning. She is a scientist from Moscow, a grandmother, a teacher, and she loves to garden.

Alto
Caitlin Plovnick
Caitlin Plovnick (she/her) is a medical librarian and occasional cartoonist. She has always loved singing and is thrilled to be part of the choral community of Lux Mea!

Soprano
Christina Gaudino
Christina Gaudino is very happy to be a new member of Lux Mea choir! She sang in the Queen's Chorale as a student at Rutgers University. She currently works in the United Nations community. In her free time, Christina loves reading, writing, editing, and caring for her plants.

Alto
Denise Abner
Denise Abner (she/her) is very happy to have joined the choir this spring. Denise studied flute performance at The Eastman School of Music and has been a music educator for many years. She is currently teaching instrumental and general music at the Leffell School in Westchester. Singing in Lux Mea provides a creative and musical outlet in a wonderful community. Denise has raised three children with her husband and now as empty nesters they enjoy life with a small Havanese dog named Rosie.

Alto
Elisabeth Abell
Elisabeth Abell (she/her) is grateful for the choral community of Lux Mea! When she’s not working as a nonprofit coordinator, she enjoys biking in Central Park and working on art projects.

Soprano
Hannah Moloshok
Hannah Moloshok is so excited to be singing her first season with Lux Mea! When she's not singing choral music or opera she works as a public relations account executive and spends her free time training for triathlons and baking.

Soprano
Jordan Smithson
Jordan Smithson (she/her) is a writer and graduate student who moved to New York City in 2024. She has been singing her entire life and is thrilled to be back on stage for her first season with Lux Mea. In her free time, you can find her reading in the park and trying new cafes and bakeries with her friends.

Soprano
Julia Napolitano
Julia Napolitano (she/her) is a biomedical engineer. She started singing as a kid with her two younger sisters, and is so excited to continue pursuing her love of music with such talented, passionate people. She is the Treasurer for Lux Mea. In her spare time, she likes doing crosswords, caring for her plants, and collecting sea glass at the beach.

Alto
Juliana Brassfield
Juliana Brassfield (she/her) is a fifth grade science teacher at an all girls school in Manhattan. She grew up in Texas singing in school and church choirs. She is grateful to have found Lux Mea shortly after moving to New York a year ago, as it has reignited her love of music and performing.

Soprano
Madeleine Chow
Madeleine Chow (she/her) joined the choir this fall. Her background in music comprises playing the cello since age ten and signing in her all-female choir in high school. She has been working at law firms since her graduation from Middlebury College in 2021 and has a degree in English literature. Madeleine is excited to return to music as a creative outlet.

Soprano
Madilyn Bass
Madi (she/her) has lived in New York on and off for 10 years. She currently works in operations at a fintech company. This is her first season with Lux Mea, where she is thankful for the new found community. In her spare time, you can find her doing yoga and walking her dog Flo in the park.

Soprano
Megan Villa
Megan Villa (she/her) is excited to join Lux Mea this season after a long hiatus from choir. When she’s not working at the American Museum of Natural History, Megan can be found diving into a good book, catching a Broadway show, or hanging out with her dog, Poppy.

Soprano
Miranda Gibson
Miranda (she/her) is so so excited to be singing with Lux Mea again this year! After taking time off to travel, she is back in the city working in legal support. When she is not singing, she can be found reading, walking through Prospect Park, or planning dinner parties with her friends.

Alto
Naeha Ganesan
Naeha Ganesan (she/her) moved to NYC a year ago after growing up in Northern Virginia! Currently, she works at NBC Universal as a Content Acquisition Finance Analyst. I have been singing my whole life and was in an a capella group at the University of Virginia. I’m very excited to be part of Lux Mea!

Soprano
Nancy Neiditz
Nancy Neiditz is a pediatric P.T. and Feldenkrais Practitioner who works with infants and toddlers. She discovered singing 22 years ago, and has been playing catch-up to learn all that she didn't as a child. She has an extensive dance background and speaks a bunch of languages.

Soprano
Nicole Helregel
Nicole Helregel (she/her) is an academic librarian at New York University. She sang with Lux Mea during their first season and is overjoyed to be back this year. She can often be found baking, reading, doing crossword puzzles, and walking through Central Park.

Alto
Nora Greenberg
Nora Greenberg (she/her) is so excited to be joining Lux Mea this year. She has been singing in choirs her whole life, and wanted to return to the community after taking a few years off after college. She is currently a working actor hoping to be on Broadway one day! When not at choir you can find her going on picnics in Central Park, cooking new recipes and making candles for her loved ones.

Soprano
Stephanie Blumenstock
Stephanie Blumenstock (she/her) is a French Dual Language teacher originally from Long Island. She grew up singing in choral ensembles and is thrilled to be singing her first season with Lux Mea. In her free time, she enjoys reading, running, baking, and doing crossword puzzles.

Alto
Thea Piltzecker
Thea Piltzecker (she/her) is a documentary filmmaker and the president of Lux Mea. A former member of Miami Sound Choir, she is happy to be singing in her hometown. This is Thea’s third season with Lux Mea.

Alto
Theo Lakhdhir
Theo Lakhdhir (he/him) is a copy editor and fact-checker. He has been singing along to soundtracks for as long as he can remember, and grew up performing in youth choirs, summer vocal programs, and his college's all-treble a cappella group. When he's not busy spotting typos or singing in the shower, he enjoys writing science fiction and fantasy stories, dancing in his room, and taking long walks in nature. This is his third year with Lux Mea.

Soprano
Veronica Walton
Veronica Walton (she/her) is excited to be returning to Lux Mea for her third year! A New Jersey resident but NYC frequenter, she currently works as an elementary reading specialist, sings and plays bass in an indie rock cover band, and recently published a children’s book, “Phoebe the Mighty Mermaid.”

Soprano
Zoe Becker
Zoe Becker (she/her) is a native app and web designer. She loves singing immensely and, after singing all throughout high school and college, is thrilled to be with Lux Mea this season. In her off time she likes to read, write, and hug her dog, Honey.






