DIVERSITY: THE VOICES OF SARASOTA
Christopher Romeo
Artistic Director
Christopher Romeo has been making music ever since the sixth grade. Finding his voice at the University of South Florida, Chris received his Master of Music for Vocal Performance. He has performed extensively with the St Petersburg Opera company since Madame Butterfly in 2010, along with Tampa Opera and New Century Opera in multiple productions each year. He is Artistic Director of Klassika® a quartet that has performed their own special brand of Classical Crossover music in the U.S., Ireland and South Africa. Music, in general, was such a huge influence on Chris that he went back to school to obtain a degree in Music Therapy at St. Mary’s of the Woods College in 2017 in order to help people through the power of music.
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Other organizations where Romeo has performed are The Venice Symphony, Una Voce Gay Mens Chorus, Tampa Lyric Opera Co., St. Joseph Music Makers, Key Chorale of Sarasota and St. Mary Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church. He has also been the Director of the choral ensemble and bell choir at Temple Terrace Presbyterian Church and provided vocal instruction utilizing the Bel Canto Technique preparing students for biannual concerts and auditions. Then there’s the other gigs with Thrift Store Revolution, The Party Hats and Operatinis where the music ranges from reggae, punk, disco and beach music to acapella performances.
Bruce Ensinger
Accompanist
Bruce L. Ensinger received an AB in Music Education from West Liberty State College and an MM in Music History and Literature from Ohio University. He has done graduate work at West Virginia University, Westminster Choir College, Duquesne University, Princeton University and the University of Zürich, Switzerland.
Bruce worked as a music specialist in West Virginia for 41 years. Choirs under his direction have performed with the Wheeling Symphony, Pittsburgh Ballet, West Liberty State College Choirs, and in master classes at Ohio University which was chosen as an honor choir by WVMEA. While in WV, he was organist/director of music at the Sistersville Presbyterian Church and an adjunct professor of music at West Virginia Northern Community College. Bruce has served on the music committee for the Diocese of Wheeling/Charleston, the Executive Board of the WVACDA, the WV All-State Children’s Chorus Board and received the Ashland Oil Golden Apple Award for excellence in education.
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He spent 5 weeks researching the music of Costa Rica on a Fulbright Scholarship and spent a week in Vienna, Austria studying conducting with members of the Vienna Boys’ Choir faculty.
Our Staff
Melanie Paul
Asst. Choral Director
Director Glimmer
Melanie Paul holds a BA of Music Education from Keene State College and a Master's in Integrated Arts from Plymouth State University, both in NH. She has taught elementary music for over 30 years. During her career, she has collaborated with Artist in Residence programs, developed music curriculum, and conducted numerous choral, musical and dramatic performances, working with students of all ages.
George Drummond
Director OUTFront
Since 1984 as the Founding Director of the Baltimore Men's Chorus, George has been devoted to the gay choral movement. In 1997, with his husband John Sorbo and others, he founded the Gulf Coast Men's Chorus, now called Diversity. George holds degrees in Music and Counseling from Johns Hopkins University.
Tim Burnaman
Music Support Staff
Since moving to Florida from Louisiana in 1990, Tim has been a piano accompanist for the University of South Florida School of Dance and the Pinellas County Center for the Arts. He is currently the accompanist for the Unitarian Universal Church of St Petersburg and One City Chorus. Tim is the Pianist/Choir Director at the Jewish Congregation of Venice. His "day job" is to travel Tampa Bay and Sarasota County providing musical enrichment programs at Senior Communities.
