President
Currently retired from managing companies’ real estate portfolios and facilities in Europe, I am excited to be part of this new, growing organization as a member of the Board. My background is in business and finance as well as a love of music and live theatrical performances. Personally, I very much enjoy traveling North America in our RV as well as hiking, watching sports, brewing craft beer and working on my 1976 MGB.
Mezzo-soprano, Nicole Asel, serves as an Assistant Professor of Voice at Colorado State University where she teaches Voice and Vocal Pedagogy. She holds degrees from The University of Colorado at Boulder (DMA), the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (MM), and Ithaca College (BM). A 2010 Regional Met Competition finalist, Dr. Asel has sung roles with regional opera companies in the US and in Europe. She has previously been on faculty at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and Sam Houston State University. Dr. Asel is an active recitalist and proponent of new American art song and opera.
Dr. Koenigberg has been a national finalist in the Metropolitan Opera auditions, a finalist in the San Francisco Opera competition, the Eleanor Lieber Awards, and the Young Patronesses of the Opera Competition in Miami. She has sung with Opera Colorado, Skylight Opera, Ohio Light Opera, Chicago Pocket Opera, New England Lyric Light Opera, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Arapahoe Philharmonic, and the Longmont Symphony Orchestra. While an Assistant Professor of Music at Mississippi State University, Koenigberg performed regularly with the Meridian Symphony. She has served as an artist-in-residence at the Denver School of the Arts and is currently a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and is a regular adductor and clinician in the Denver Region.
Dr. Koenigberg’s students have gone on to perform in many national and international performing venues including Glimmerglass Opera Festival, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, I sing Beijing, Central City Opera, National NATS Competition, and American Idol top 12.
John Seesholtz, dramatic baritone, is currently a resident artist with Denver Art Song Project. His most recent operatic performances include “Madama Butterfly” (Sharpless) “Florencia en el Amazonas” (Alvaro), Verdi’s “Otello” (Iago), “Faust” (Valentin), “Candide” (Pangloss), “Così fan tutte” (Guglielmo), “Pagliacci” (Sylvio), Verdi’s “Falstaff” (Ford) and “Gianni Schicchi” (title role). He has been contracted to perform a recital series with the Denver Art Song Project in 2019 entitled, “Immigrant Voices”, and Verdi’s “Macbeth” (title role) in 2020.
Seesholtz holds vocal performance and pedagogy degrees from University of Michigan (MM), University of Texas at San Antonio (BM) and the University of North Texas (DMA).
Del'Shawn Taylor is an internationally award-winning baritone and composer, pianist, educator, author, and arts equity advocate. When he isn't composing or performing, he is either binge-watching a new series on Netflix with his wife, Chanel and their puppy Malachi, spending time with his beloved family or traveling around the country or Europe. He is an avid arts activist within his community serving on different boards and committees to ensure that marginalized communities have access to the transformative power of the arts. He recently released his first children's book "Do You Know What Makes a Man,"in his series Believe It! Achieve it! that seeks to empower Black youth and is preparing for a national virtual book tour. His favorite quote is, "Have courage and be kind." He works in partner management at Guild Education in Denver, Colorado.