BIOGRAPHIES OF THE CHORUS OF WESTERLY DIRECTORS

ANDREW HOWELL
The Marion and Bill Palm Music Director 
of the Chorus of Westerly
Appointed 2012
 

Andrew Howell, conductor and organist, is the Marion and Bill Palm
Music Director of the Chorus of Westerly. Additionally, he is the 

organist and choirmaster of Christ Church, Episcopal, in Westerly. 

Previously, he served as music director of the Mystic Congregational

Church in Mystic, CT and, during the summer months at the Watch Hill Chapel. 

Mr. Howell received his Bachelor of Music in music education and a Master of Music in choral conducting and organ performance from the University of Rhode Island. His primary conducting teachers have been George Kent, Mark Conley, Ann Danis, and Richard Coffey. Andrew was a member of the faculty at the University of Rhode Island, where he conducted the University Chorus and taught Ear Training and Sight Singing, as well as Music Appreciation.

 

Since his appointment as Music Director of The Chorus of Westerly in 2012, Mr. Howell has overseen the expansion of the children’s program to include a series of ensembles that are tailored to the age and ability level of each child, designed to help them develop their music literacy and musicianship to become independent and confident musicians. As music director, he has conducted the Chorus of Westerly in over two dozen major works throughout New England as well as abroad as part of three international concert tours: 2014 to Central Europe, 2017 to Germany, and 2024 to France and England. In Westerly, he has led the Chorus in world and regional premieres of new music and commissions, as well as deepening the core of masterwork repertoire that is the bread and butter of the Chorus's reputation.

Beyond the Chorus, Mr. Howell has worked with a number of choral organizations and churches in Rhode Island and Connecticut – as Music Director of the Stonington Choral Society, Organist and Choir Director of the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John in Providence, RI, Organist for the Anglican Singers, and most recently, Organist and Choirmaster at St. James Episcopal Church in New London, CT. In addition to his work as conductor and church musician, Mr. Howell has played organ recitals at numerous churches in Rhode Island and Connecticut, and from 2004 to 2011 worked as a harpsichord technician, tuner, and primary voicer for Zuckermann Harpsichords International in Stonington, CT.
 

He lives in neighboring Pawcatuck, Connecticut, with his family.

RYAN SAUNDERS
The Douglas & Eugenia Rayner Executive Director

of the Chorus of Westerly
Appointed 2009

Ryan Saunders was appointed executive director of the Chorus of Westerly

in May 2009. As a child, Ryan grew up in nearby Pawcatuck, CT, and sang in

the Chorus from 1986 to 1996.

Prior to his current professional tenure with the Chorus of Westerly, Ryan

was manager of events and public relations for Tufts University's

Department of Music. During his nine years at Tufts, Ryan helped open the university's (then brand new) Granoff Music Center and managed its nearly 150 events and concerts annually. In 2009, Ryan was the recipient of the Tufts Change Agent Award for creating new opportunities for innovation at Tufts in the Granoff Music Center.

As executive director of the Chorus of Westerly, Ryan has helmed several major projects including the organization's first-ever music director search in 2012. In 2014, Ryan led 227 people on the Chorus's first international tour in 19 years. Recent projects include the production of a one-hour documentary, the organization's first-ever recording project, the Kent Hall Restoration Project, the tour for the Chorus to Germany in July 2017, and the 2024 tour for the Chorus to France and England.

A firm believer in community partnerships and the arts as an economic driver, Ryan was a key part of the coalition responsible for the passage of Rhode Island's $35-million Cultural Facilities Bond in November. The passage of this unprecedented program awarded to the Chorus of Westerly $1,054,200 for renovation work on their organization home, the George Kent Performance Hall. Locally, Ryan also co-founded the Westerly Regional Arts Partnership, a new arts collaborative created to promote and support the Westerly region's creative sector.

In addition to his work with the Chorus, Ryan is also a visiting professor in the music department at Wheaton College (Norton, Massachusetts) teaching arts administration, serves on the  Finance Committee of the professional vocal ensemble, Lorelei, is an alumni Class Gift Chair for Wheaton College, and is a manager, equipment director, and volunteer for the Little North Attleboro Baseball League. In January 2015, Ryan was appointed a fellow in the inaugural cohort of the new EmcArts national program, Arts Leaders as Cultural Innovators.

Ryan holds degrees from Boston University and Wheaton College, Massachusetts. He resides with his family in Massachusetts and commutes daily to Westerly.