Soloists and Featured Artists

Valley Chamber Chorale
The St. Croix Valley Chamber Chorale is a unique artistic organization dedicated to providing classical, contemporary, jazz, and sacred vocal performances of the highest caliber. Our programs consistently reflect the rich cultural heritage of the St. Croix Valley while exploring and examining, through music, ethnic diversity represented throughout the Twin Cities area. The Chorale is widely regarded as one of the leading arts organizations in Washington County and the St. Croix Valley.

Carol Carver, founder and Artistic Director of the Valley Chamber Chorale is at home in the many facets of choral music. Carol spends her days as choral development editor for Augsburg Fortress Publishers, Minneapolis, MN, works part-time as traditional worship coordinator and choral director at Trinity Lutheran Church, Stillwater, MN, and part-time with the Valley Chamber Chorale. Carol has studied choral and church music at Augustana College, Rock Island, IL, the Hochshule fur Musik in Frankfurt, Germany, and graduate school at the University of Minnesota. Many summers have been spent studying with many of the world's finest conductors, including David Willcocks, Jon Washburn, John Rutter and Eric Ericsson.

Lynn Trapp, Organist  
Dr. Lynn Trapp has had a distinguished career as concert organist, conductor, composer and liturgist. Through his many performances and clinician work for regional and national music conventions, conducting engagements in the U.S. and abroad, and publications of organ and choral music with six major publishers, he has become well-known as a leader in church music.

A national competition winner at the organ, he is a recording artist and clinician for World Library Publications, Chicago, IL as a member of the Liturgical Organists Consortium. He serves as Director of Worship & Music, Organist, at St. Olaf Catholic Church in downtown Minneapolis. Presently he is recording the first CD on the 67-rank Lively-Fulcher organ at St. Olaf Church, Recital in the City.

Dr. Trapp is the winner of numerous awards including the prestigious National Presser Foundation Award and the international Spirit and Truth Award from the University of Notre Dame for his contribution to the field of liturgical music. He was recently commissioned by St. Patrick's Cathedral, NYC, to compose a major organ which he will premiere there in October, 2005. He is co-director of the annual liturgical music conference at St. John's University, Collegeville, MN and is artistic director of Cracovia Cantat, an international choral festival in Krakow, Poland. He holds degrees from Southern Illinois University (BM), University of Notre Dame (MM), and University of Kansas (DMA).

Dr. Trapp has served as adjunct faculty member for North Central University in Minnneapolis, and presently as organ instructor for St. Olaf College/Luther Seminary, St. Paul.

Joe graduated in 2005 from the International Baccalaureate program at Robbinsdale Cooper High School where he participated in Symphonic Band, Concert Choir and drama. Joe was awarded the Semper Fidelis Award, given annually to the schoolÕs outstanding Senior musician, and was selected to play in the University of Minnesota High School Honor Band.

Joe studied with local oboist Julie Madura for eight years, with former Minnesota Orchestra co-principal oboist, Marilyn Zupnik, for two years, and with John Snow since 2004. Joe has performed in master classes with Ms. Zupnik as well as with Minnesota Orchestra co-principal oboist, Basil Reeve, and Mark Weiger, Professor of Oboe at the University of Iowa. Joe also has studied piano for eight years.

Joe was a member of Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (GTCYS) for six years, the last three of which were spent playing oboe and English horn with the top orchestra. In April of 2004, Joe was a winner in GTCYS' annual Young Soloists Concerto Competition and subsequently performed the opening movement of the Mozart oboe concerto at Ted Mann Concert Hall. During the summer of 2005, Joe had the opportunity to perform as a soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra as one of three finalists in the senior division of the Minnesota Idol competition sponsored by the Minnesota Orchestra.

In addition to music, Joe's interests include acting, golf, reading and politics.

Lisa Habeck, Soprano  
Soprano Lisa Habeck has sung and toured with numerous ensembles, including the New York Renaissance vocal ensemble Pomerium and Opera New England. Locally she has appeared as soloist with The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, The Plymouth Music Series (now VocalEssence), Philomusica, The Lyra Concert, the Minnesota Chorale, The Rose Ensemble for Early Music, Virgin Ground, Ensemble 392, and Minstrelsy! Lisa sang many roles with Ex Machina baroque opera and is featured on Minstrelsy!’s recording "A Bit O’ the Beggar and Tunes O’ the Isles."

Kate Berning-Alfred, Clarinetist
Kate Berning-Alfred is a freelance clarinetist in the greater Twin Cities area, as well as an instructor of the clarinet at the Music Studios of Jan Erickson. She holds a Master of Music degree from Ithaca College and her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Connecticut, where she studied with Michael Galv·n and Curt Blood, respectively.

Currently Acting Principal Clarinet of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, Kate has played Associate Principal Clarinet for this group since 1998. She also performs with the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra, and Duluth Ballet Orchestra. Kate is a founding member of the chamber group Trio Lula and also performs on the Thursday Morning Musical series. She has worked with orchestras including the Cleveland Pops, the Ohio Chamber Orchestra, the Akron Symphony, and the Wheeling Symphony.

Ms. Berning-Alfred won the Solo Competition for the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra in 2004 and the University of Connecticut Concerto Competition. She has also attended the prestigious National Repertory Orchestra Summer Festival.

David Milne, Saxophonist
is Associate Professor of Music at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, where he has taught since 1990. At UW-River Falls, David teaches Applied Woodwinds - Saxophone and Flute, directs the UW-River Falls Jazz Ensemble, and teaches courses in Jazz History, American Music, Jazz Improvisation, and Woodwind Performance. Milne is a native of Rochester, New York. He earned a B.A. in Music and Communications at Indiana University, a M.M. in Woodwind Performance/Jazz Studies at Indiana University, and a D.M.A. in Performance and Literature/Saxophone at the Eastman School of Music.

David Milne performs as a guest artist in concerts and workshops with arts schools, public schools, and colleges in the U.S. and Europe. He is an annual guest artist since 1996 at the Frei Kunst Schule Summer Jazz Workshop in Berlin, Germany.

Milne has also taught at the Center for Arts & Education in Norwich, England, the Eastman School of Music, Indiana University, MacPhail Center for the Arts, the University of Wisconsin-Arts & Education Center Summer Jazz Ensemble and Concert Band Workshops, and as Artist-in Residence at the University of Wisconsin-Arts & Education Center.

As a saxophonist based in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, David regularly performs in the jazz, classical and new music idioms. His compositions are published by Really Good Music, LLC, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and by BIT Musikverlag, Berlin, Germany. David Milne is a Selmer Company Artist-Clinician. His performances and educational appearances are supported in part by the Selmer Company.

Gordon Johnson,Bassist  
Gordon Johnson is Acoustic Bassist, Electric Bassist and a Music Producer. He was recently awarded the 2004 Minnesota Music Awards "Bassist Of The Year". After graduating Eastman School of Music in 1974, Johnson has been involved with a broad range of musical evdevors including touring with such names as Maynard Ferguson, Chuck Mangione, Peter Ostroushko  and many others.

He has lead the Gordan Johnson Trio for years performing regularly and having produced several recordings. His music production has included jingles, scores and industrial film music for many multi-national companies. He has performed as guest artist, musician or producer / arranger notation on tens of recordings with nationally know artists.

Joe Pulice, Drummer  
Joe Pulice holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education and a Master of Music degree in Percussion from the University of Minnesota. As a jazz drummer and show player, he has been an active, in-demand drummer/percussionist in the Twin Cities since 1980. In 1979, Joe won The Northern Midwest Regional Louie Bellson/Slingerland Drum Contest. In 1986, he toured with Woody Herman and his Thundering Herd during Woody's 50th Anniversary Tour. He has won two Minnesota Jazz Music Awards - one for Best Jazz Vibist and one as a member of world-renowned drummer Eric Kamau Gravatt's group "Kamanari". Joe has worked with such jazz greats as Stan Getz, Slide Hampton, David Liebman and Jack McDuff. As a show player, he has performed with many artists, including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Harry Connick Jr.