Prometheus Bios
Paul Crabb, Prometheus Artistic Director and Conductor
R. Paul Crabb is Artistic Director of the professional vocal ensemble, PROMETHEUS and Professor Emeritus at the University of Missouri where served as Director of Choral Activities and Chair of Graduate Choral Conducting. His ensembles have sung at state, regional and national conventions, and traveled extensively in Asia, Europe, and Australia. Crabb has served as assistant conductor at the Russian-American symposium at the Moscow Conservatory and as a visiting professor in England, Austria, Sweden,Taiwan, and Poland. He was the first American Visiting Choral Professor at the Liszt Academy of Music (Budapest), and first American lecturer at the Choral Department at the University of Vienna’s Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst. Since 2012 Crabb has served as a faculty member at Laudate Dominum and REJOICE in Vienna. As an orchestral conductor, Crabb was resident conductor for the Dante Music and Arts Festival in Nagoya, Japan, and regularly conducted at the Conservatory of Domenico Cimarosa in Italy.
Crabb’s travels facilitated opportunities for students. In December 2017, he organized seminars and performances for graduate students in Italy, culminating at the newly restored Gesualdo Castle. His sabbatical semester conducting/lecturing in Sweden resulted in collaborative concerts for University Singers in Malmö, Lund, Piteå, Stockholm and Tallinn, Estonia in May 2018. In 2019 conducted again in Vienna, before additional conducting workshops in Slovenia and Italy. Regretfully, the pandemic resulted in canceled lectures and tours scheduled for Inner Mongolia and Cuba. Crabb was recently accepted to the Fulbright Specialist Program Roster and will be a Visiting Professor during the 2025 academic year.
Crabb’s teaching awards include: Allen Teaching Award (Truman State University), the Missouri Professor of the Year, and William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence.
Emily Edgington Andrews, Prometheus Assistant Conductor
Emily Edgington Andrews is a dynamic force in Columbia’s musical landscape, dedicated to nurturing artistic excellence across all levels of musical development. As Director of Choral Activities at Columbia College, she leads the choral program, teaches core music courses, and spearheads music department recruitment initiatives.
Edgington Andrews has served as Artistic Director of Choral Arts Alliance of Missouri (CAAM) since 2013, when she also founded Columbia Youth Choirs, expanding access to choral education throughout the region. Her artistic leadership extends to her role as Assistant Conductor of Prometheus: An American Vocal Consort. For nearly two decades, she has directed the music program at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Columbia, where she conducts a thriving mixed ensemble of volunteer and professional musicians.
She has been recognized for her significant contributions to the arts and education in Columbia. In 2018, she was honored with Columbia’s Inaugural Progress for the Arts award, celebrating her vision of using music as a vehicle for positive social change, representation, and building bridges between diverse communities. Her work with CAAM exemplifies her commitment to inclusivity, accessibility, and excellence in music education. Most recently, in 2024, Andrews received the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Service at Columbia College, further affirming her dedication to enriching countless lives through the arts.
A sought-after clinician and adjudicator, she maintains active membership in the American Choral Directors Association, Missouri Choral Directors Association, and National Association for Music Education. She holds degrees from Truman State University (B.A., M.A.) and the University of Missouri (M.M.). Emily is a Ph.D. candidate in Music Education at the University of Missouri. Her research interests include investigating gender disparity in collegiate and professional choral ensembles and creating inclusive classroom spaces.
An enthusiastic collaborator, Andrews actively engages with Columbia’s vibrant arts community. Her approach to artistic programming spans from the obvious to the outside-the-box, consistently seeking fresh ways to connect audiences with diverse artistic experiences.
SINGERS
Joshua Chism, Tenor
Joshua Chism is an Associate Professor and the Director of Choral Activities at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, OK. There Joshua advises music students; teaches private voice, Diction, and Vocal Pedagogy courses; and conducts the OBU Chorale and Bisonette Glee Club. Joshua is the Conductor and Artistic Director for Chorale Coeur d’Alene, a 100-voice regional choral arts society based in Idaho. Founded in 2001, Chorale CdA’s mission is to promote excellence in choral artistry, engage the local community through creative collaboration initiatives, and support music education through targeted programming. He also serves as the Minister of Music at Meadowood Baptist Church where he conducts the adult worship choir and orchestra. He has served as director and minister of music in churches since Fall 2012.
Joshua holds a PhD in Music Education with an emphasis in Conducting and Choral Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma in Norman (2022). He earned an MM in Choral Conducting from the University of Missouri–Columbia, graduating in 2019. Joshua holds Bachelor of Music Education degree and a Bachelor of Music Composition degree from Missouri State University in Springfield, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2010. Additionally, he holds Kodály Level I, II, and III certification.
His research interests include the impact of service-learning internships, music assessment, MUED curriculum content, and community music. Joshua has recently presented research at the Collegiate Musicological Society, NAfME, ACDA, and SMTE conferences. In his spare time, Joshua likes to compose, travel, garden, eat sushi, and play board games. Joshua, his wife Natalie, and their young children (Jacob and Hannah) reside in Shawnee, OK. For more information, visit www.joshuachism.com.
Jonathan Crader, Bass-Baritone
Jonathan Crader, bass-baritone, is from Columbia, Missouri. During his formal study of vocal music at the University of Missouri-Columbia under Professor Kyle Stegall and Dr. Steven Baker Jepson he performed in Show-Me Opera’s productions of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro (Bartolo) and Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Bottom), as well as several excerpt roles from Donizetti’s La fille du regiment, Mozart’s Clemenza di Tito, Nicolai’s Merry Wives of Windsor, and Britten’s Albert Herring. He has since joined Landlocked Opera Company’s productions of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro (Antonio – Cover), Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore (Dulcamara – Cover), and the premiere of Felix Jarrar’s Pompadour Porcelain (Madame de Pompadour). He has performed frequently in the realm of musical theatre, appearing as Professor Callahan in Legally Blonde: The Musical and Edna Turnblad in Hairspray, among other roles. Jonathan has worked regularly in first-rate choral ensembles such as MU’s University Singers and CAAM’s Premiere Vocal Artists for several years and sings often in a choral setting.
Katherine Crawford, Mezzo-Soprano
Katherine Crawford holds a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri–Kansas City and a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from St. Olaf College, where she sang in the St. Olaf Choir under the direction of Dr. Anton Armstrong. She is an alto section leader in the Trinity Choir at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral, KCMO, and a member of the GRAMMY®️ Award–winning Kansas City Chorale.
Frank Fleschner, Tenor
Tenor Frank Fleschner is an accomplished choral musician having just began his twentieth season with the Grammy Award-winning Kansas City Chorale. His tenure with the Chorale has afforded him the opportunity to work closely with and debut works by several prominent composers such as Mark Hayes, René Clausen, and Eric Whitacre. As a soloist, Frank has appeared in Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Johannes-Passion (Evangelist), Mendelssohn’s Elijah and is the featured tenor soloist on the Kansas City Chorale’s Grammy Award-winning recording of Rachmaninoff’s All Night Vigil. Frank graduated from Truman State University and currently resides in Kansas City with his wife, Lindsey, and sings at Asbury United Methodist Church in Prairie Village, KS.
Ernest Harrison, Tenor
Dr. Ernest Harrison is a poet, musician, and teacher, committed to and specializing in the intersection of music and social justice. He is a proud graduate of Tuskegee University (Bachelor’s in English Liberal Arts, 2010), Auburn University (Bachelor’s in Vocal Performance, 2014), and University of Missouri (Master’s in Choral Conducting, 2016), with voice and choral mentorship from Drs. Rosephanye and William Powell and Dr. R. Paul Crabb. Ernest concluded his Doctoral studies in Choral Music at the University of Southern California in 2023, where he studied under Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe, Dr. Nick Strimple, Dr. Tram Sparks, and Dr. Cristian Grases.
Ernest has been the Music Director and Head of Education and Outreach of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles since 2019. Having previously taught at the University of Southern California, Pepperdine University, and Loyola Marymount University, in 2023 Ernest accepted a position as an assistant professor of Ethnomusicology at Cal state Polytechnic Pomona. Ernest became a member of the international Grammy Award winning choral ensemble, Conspirare, in 2019. He was an associate conductor for the Grammy Award-winning National Children’s Chorus (2017-2022) and conductor of the Pasadena Conservatory of Music’s Cantare Chamber Choir (2019-2022). As professor, conductor, and community leader, Ernest leans on his unique knowledge of Music of the African Diaspora, including spirituals, gospel, R&B, Jazz, blues, rock & roll, and hip hop, and his dedication to the intersections of music making, community building, and activism to advocate for equity and inclusion in choral classroom, on the concert stage, and in the world. No matter the setting, his capacity to love guides his leadership and his music making.
Christine Jarquio, Mezzo-Soprano
A force in the local music community for almost two decades, Christine Jarquio (she/her) is a sought after collaborative artist from choral to musical theatre, and pianist to conductor. She is the Director of Vocal Arts at Columbia Independent School and also serves as Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. These platforms, especially in tandem, allow for the uplifting and spreading awareness of lived experiences in order to nurture more compassion in this world. Christine is a strong proponent of being an active musician both in and outside of the classroom. Singing in Prometheus since its second season is always a highlight of her year. She also co-founded and is the Executive Director of Vox Nova (www.voxnovacomo.org), another professional choir whose mission is to provide free performances of high quality choral music with thoughtful and informative programming to the local community. Outside of music and teaching, Christine loves to travel with her husband, Jay; run on the beautiful Columbia trails; and cook and eat any and all varieties of delicious food. In the fall of 2025, Christine will be pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education with a Choral Conducting emphasis at the University of Missouri.
Lindsey Lang, Soprano
Soprano Lindsey Lang is noted for her bold interpretations of early music with a “tone [of] pure, radiant sunshine.” She has appeared as a soloist with modern and period orchestras nation-wide and has sung in main-stage events for early music festivals in Berkley, Bloomington, New Brunswick, New York, and Quito, Ecuador. She frequently performs locally as a guest artist with the Bach Aria Soloists and the Kansas City Baroque Consortium. Lindsey is also an avid choral singer, and in addition to singing with Prometheus, she currently sings with the Kansas City Chorale under the direction of Charles Bruffy, with whom she has recorded several commercial albums, won two Best Choral Album Grammys, and is a featured soloist on the Grammy-winning CD “Life and Breath.” Lindsey graduated with a Master’s Degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Missouri in 2008 and then studied for two years at the Early Music Institute at Indiana University. She currently resides in Kansas City with her singer husband and fellow Promethean Frank and is the Music Director at Asbury United Methodist Church and maintains an active performing career.
Anna Mandina, Soprano
Hailed as a “true Puccini Lyric Soprano” by Opera News, Italian-American Soprano, Anna Mandina, has been making a name for herself in the opera world for the past decade. Anna recently performed the role of Countess Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro and Susannah Polk in Susannah with Opera Fort Collins. Ms. Mandina has often worked with Sarasota Opera, making her mainstage debut in 2019 singing 13 performances of Liù in the company’s Diamond Anniversary production of Turandot. Anna was hailed as “impressive” and “heart-rending” as Liù by Opera News, having conveyed “all that is sweet and good with a robust soprano voice that can float a high B-flat as she sung of Calaf’s smile.” Over the past decade, Anna has regularly performed with Opera Maine, Opera Company of Middlebury, Sarasota Opera, Opera Fort Collins, and Landlocked Opera.
Anna holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a Master of Music degree in Opera Performance from The Boston Conservatory.
Recently, Anna has had wonderful career opportunities in her college hometown of Columbia, Missouri. In October 2024, she made her debut with the Choral Arts Alliance of Missouri and the Columbia Chorale as the soprano soloist in Haydn’s The Creation under the baton of R. Paul Crabb. In January 2025, Anna returned to the MU School of Music as an Adjunct Instructor of Voice.
A.J. Murgo, Tenor
A.J. Murgo is a tenor and choral conductor from Bristol, Rhode Island,currently based in Kirksville, Missouri. A.J. graduated from Boston Conservatory with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, where he studied with the late, renowned baritone Robert Honeysucker. While at conservatory, he was an ensemble member in productions of Stravinsky’s “The Rake’s Progress” and Jake Heggie’s “Dead Man Walking”, a frequent musical contributor in numerous Boston churches, and held a volunteer position within the Boston City Singers organization. After graduation, A.J. relocated to St. Louis, where he began a Master of Arts in Music at Webster University. During his time in St. Louis, his engagements included a position with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Chorus, a baritone section leader position at Second Presbyterian Church, and a tenor section leader position at Emmanuel Episcopal Church. At Webster University, A.J. delighted audiences as Alfredo in Verdi’s “La traviata”, and Roméo in Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette”. He was also granted the role of assistant conductor to the University’s Chamber Singers in the final year of his studies. From 2024-2025, A.J. was a member of the VOCES8 US Scholars.
Alyssa Nance, Soprano
Alyssa Nance has been praised as a soprano with “unbridled dexterity (Kansas City Star) and a “marvelous, soaring tone” (KC Metropolis). Favorite opera roles include Tink Enraught (The Last American Hammer) with Opera Grand Rapids, Gretel (Hӓnsel und Gretel) with Opera Omaha, Littler Daughter (Proving Up) with the Ad Astra Music Festival, Jemmy (Guillaume Tell) with Wichita Grand Opera, Pamina (Die Zauberflöte) with The South Dakota Symphony, and Musetta (La bohème) with Opera180.
Her concert soloist engagements include Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony, Mozart’s Requiem, Poulenc’s Gloria, Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, and Vivaldi’s Gloria. As a choral musician, she is on the rosters of Conspirare, The Crossing, Spire Chamber Ensemble, The Missouri Choral Artists, Prometheus, and The Kansas City Chorale.
Alyssa was a district winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Born and raised in Sioux Falls, SD, she completed a Bachelor of Arts in Music at Augustana University and a Master of Music in Voice at The University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance. Visit alyssatoepfersoprano.com for more information.
Christina Ray, Mezzo-Soprano
Praised for her “velvety mezzo” (OperaWire), Christina Ray is equally at home on the operatic, concert, and musical theatre stages. Ms. Ray has sung professionally with Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Overland Park Orchestra, The Missouri Symphony, Lawrence Opera Theatre, Opera Kansas, and Manhattan Concert Productions. In 2016 she was a recipient of an Encouragement Award at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, in the Little Rock, AR district. As an active choral singer, Ms. Ray is a current member of Vox Nova and Prometheus.
Ms. Ray is the Founding General Director of boutique opera company, Landlocked Opera. Landlocked Opera makes opera accessible to our community by celebrating historic operas while championing new works, ideas, and artists. Believing strongly in breaking down barriers and opera stereotypes, Landlocked Opera’s motto is “Opera for All.” www.landlockedopera.org
Ms. Ray is an Instructor of Voice and Co-Director of the Show-Me Opera at MU. She was recently selected for the highly competitive 2024 NATS Intern Program and recognized as a 2024 NATS Emerging Leader. In 2023, she co-created Classically Untrained Voice Collective, a community of voice professionals committed to offering continuing educational opportunities in voice cross-training. Ms. Ray also serves as treasurer for Mid-MO NATS.
www.christinarayvoice.com
Catherine Sandstedt, Soprano
With a diverse background in music, coloratura soprano Catherine Sandstedt has performed in operas, musicals, oratorios, chamber works, and solo recitals. Some of her favorite performances include Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites (Blanche), Debussy’s Impressions de Pelléas (Mélisande), Mozart’s Il re pastore (Elisa) and Le Nozze di Figaro (Susanna), as well as many works by Handel, some including Rinaldo (Almirena), Tu fedel? Tu costante?, Messiah (soprano soloist), and Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno (Bellezza). In addition, her passion for choral work has led her to sing in many professional ensembles, including NYC’s Marble Collegiate Choir, as well as Columbia-based groups Vox Nova and Prometheus.
Dr. Sandstedt holds degrees from NY’s Stony Brook University (Doctorate of Musical Arts and Master of Music in vocal performance) where she began her studies with soprano Brenda Harris, as well as the University of Missouri-Columbia (Bachelor of Music in voice and viola performance) where she studied with Ann Harrell and Leslie Perna. Dr. Sandstedt now teaches at Columbia College as an Assistant Professor of Music, teaching applied voice lessons, music theory, aural skills, and other voice related courses. For more information, please visit:
https://www.catherinesandstedtsoprano.com
Clara Smith, Soprano
Clara Smith is an avid musician performing both as a vocalist and conductor around the world. She received her undergraduate degree in vocal music education from Missouri State University where she had the opportunity to travel as a chorister quite extensively both domestically and internationally. She recently received her Masters in Choral Conducting from the University of Missouri and plans to pursue her DMA in Choral Conducting. She now serves as an adjunct professor in Music Theory and History at Columbia College as well as the director of Columbia Youth Choirs’ treble choir, Bella Voce. Clara was recently selected as one of twelve members of the Voces8 scholars program. She has performed as a soloist for a wide variety of repertoire and venues including a United States presidential inauguration. Clara is thrilled to perform under the direction of Dr. R. Paul Crabb alongside such talented musicians.
Maxwell Trochlil, Tenor
Maxwell Trochlil is a renowned tenor hailing from Willmar, Minnesota. He earned his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Music Education from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, and furthered his education with a Master of Sacred Music from the University of Notre Dame. He has captivated audiences with solo performances in both opera and concert repertoire. Notable roles include Nero in Monteverdi’s “L’incoronazione di Poppea,” Miles in Missy Mazzoli’s “Proving Up,” and the disciple Simon in the world premiere of René Clausen’s “The Passion of Jesus Christ.” As a choral singer, he has been a vocal fellow at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival and Berkshire Choral International, as well as performing with professional ensembles such as Consortium Carissimi and the Voces8 Foundation.
Jeremy Wagner, Bass
Jeremy Wagner is a promising and engaging music educator, with a Master’s of Music in Choral Conducting at the University of Missouri. At the institution, Wagner was able to work alongside and learn directly from mentors, Dr. R. Paul Crabb, Dr. Wendy Sims, and Dr. Brandon Boyd. Wagner has been serving as the Director of Choral Activities at Missouri Valley College, preparing choirs as well as teaching several curricular courses such as Music Appreciation, and Jazz, Pop, and Rock. Wagner also worked individually with students as the applied lessons professor. Additionally, Wagner has been granted opportunities to work with established local educators, including Lee’s Summit North’s George Peng and Jonathan Krinke, Dr. Rika Heruth, Christine Nichols, and Emily Edgington Andrews. Through his participation within the community, Wagner has established himself as a talented conductor, educator, and performer around Missouri. These accolades, in conjunction with his focused work ethic, led to Wagner being named the Director of Music Ministry at several churches, most recently Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbia. He also works as the Adult Choirs Coordinator for the Choral Arts Alliance of Missouri, showing his proficiency in administrative duties. Wagner currently performs in a semi-professional chamber ensemble, Vox Nova, who celebrated their first Missouri Music Educators Association performance in 2018 and won the Ernst Bacon American Prize in 2019.
Samuel Wright, Baritone
Samuel Wright, Baritone, is a versatile vocalist with a performance history in operatic, concert, and choral repertoire. As an operatic performer, Wright has taken the stage with companies such as Opera in the Ozarks, Union Avenue Opera, and Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre. Some highlight performances include Count Almaviva in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Germont in Verdi’s La Traviata, The titular role in Verdi’s Falstaff, and the titular role in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. As a concert soloist, Wright has previously performed with such ensembles as The Missouri Symphony, Columbia Civic Orchestra, Jefferson City Symphony Orchestra, and the Napa Valley College Chorale. Most recently, Wright performed as the baritone soloist in the Choral Arts Alliance of Missouri’s production of Orff’s Carmina Burana. Other major solo performances include in Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. Originally from Saint Louis, MO, Samuel studied music at the University of Missouri. As a chorister, Wright performs with both Prometheus and the Saint Louis Symphony Chorus.