Worcester Children’s Chorus (WCC) was founded in 2008 as a program of The Master Singers of Worcester by co-directors Jennifer Kane and Malcolm Halliday. A partnership was also formed at that time between the WCC and Assumption University, making WCC a choir “in residence” at the University campus where WCC enjoyed holding rehearsals and performing for over a decade. Today, WCC calls the Joy of Music program campus home in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Worcester.
Worcester Children’s Chorus has performed with many area ensembles, including: The Master Singers of Worcester, The Assabet Valley Mastersingers, The Salisbury Singers, the Thayer Symphony Orchestra, the Worcester Youth Orchestra, and the Worcester Chorus. Members of the chorus have also performed on three occasions at Carnegie Hall in NYC, participated in the International Children’s Chorus Festival at Canterbury Cathedral and London, England, as well as the Crescent City Choral Festival in New Orleans. In 2016, the WCC was featured at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, where they performed the Star Spangled Banner before tens of thousands.
Artistic Director
Associate Artistic Director
After 15 wonderful years at Assumption University,Worcester Children’s Chorus relocated! WCC and JOMP have formed an incredible partnership, and both organizations are thrilled for the possibilities that come from living under one roof.
WCC and Music Worcester have continued a wonderful partnership for quite sometime, providing musical, performance, and growth opportunities for both organizations.
The Organization for Nonprofit Excellence (ONE Worcester) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with an eight-year history of providing consulting and coaching to Worcester-area nonprofits free of charge. Formerly Jericho Road Worcester, this organization provides nonprofits with expert consulting in the areas of marketing, fundraising, strategic planning, governance, human resources, and board development. Thanks to ONE Worcester for contributing to the creation of our new website in 2021!
WCC and WYO have a wonderful partnership, from the stage to the classroom. Both organizations align in their mission to build community and confidence throughout the Greater Worcester area through music education. It certainly isn’t a Holiday season without the WYO Family Holiday Pops, that’s for sure!
Artistic Director
Pamela Mindell has worked with a number of children’s choirs, including the Litchfield County Children’s Choir in CT and the Paradise City Children’s Choir, in Northampton, MA, which she founded in 2001.
In addition to her work with WCC, Pamela is also Music Director of the Cambridge Community Chorus. She has served on the faculties of Smith College, Clark University, and College of the Holy Cross. Under her direction, the Holy Cross choirs traveled to Italy and Spain, as well as throughout the Northeastern United States, singing in such venues as Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome and Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. Other performance highlights include a concert of Sacred Latin American music with renowned soprano Dawn Upshaw, and Osvaldo Golijov’s Pasion segun San Marco, as part of the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center. Pamela served as Artistic Director of the Hotchkiss Summer Portals Vocal Chamber Program (CT) for high school singers for ten years.
Prior to her college teaching, Pamela spent a year in Sydney, Australia, conducting and singing professionally. As a soprano, Pamela has performed in several recitals with mezzo-soprano Justina Golden. She has sung with The Boston Secession and Emmanuel Music in Boston. Pamela received her doctorate in Choral Conducting from Yale University, where she studied with Marguerite Brooks and David Connell. She holds a master’s degree in Music Education with Kodàly Certification from The Hartt School as well as a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Princeton University.
Executive Director
Chris Wychorski assumed the role of Executive Director in January 2024, leveraging two years of extensive experience as both President of the Board and Managing Director. Before her leadership roles, Chris’s journey with the organization began in 2014 when she started as a dedicated volunteer and was subsequently elected to the Board.
Her commitment to the cause led to her election as Vice President in August 2017, where she spearheaded initiatives in volunteer recruitment, data collection, and systems analysis. In 2021, Chris was elected President, taking the baton and the helm of the organization from the long-time and unwavering President, Philip Montgomery, during a crucial period marked by rebranding, post-pandemic rebuilding, significantly increased fundraising, and ambitious growth and expansion efforts.
Beyond her leadership roles, Chris has a personal connection to the organization as her daughter, Vivienne, enjoyed seven years of extraordinary experiences with the choir before graduating high school. This connection adds a unique dimension to Chris’s dedication and understanding of the organization’s impact.
Educated at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Chris holds a Bachelor of Science degree and over two decades of accumulative experience within the non-profit sector. Her multifaceted journey from volunteer to Executive Director reflects a deep-rooted passion for the organization’s mission and a proven track record of transformative leadership.
Program Assistant
Susie Cabral serves as a board member and Chair of the Marketing Committee for WCC. Her daughter Katia has been singing with the chorus for over five years.
Susie works in technology marketing and owns her own consulting practice. Seen as a savvy Silicon Valley marketing leader with 15-year proven track record of delivering inventive marketing, creating high performing teams and consistently achieving results. Susie is involved in many local events and charities organizations. Passionate about advocacy for child causes as well as with dachshund rescues. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, International Business and Marketing from the University of San Francisco.
Treasurer
DeMisty D. Bellinger-Delfeld has an MFA in creative writing from Southampton College and a PhD in English from the University of Nebraska. She teaches creative writing at Fitchburg State University and serves as first violinist in the Fitchburg State University Community Orchestra. She serves as poetry editor at Porcupine Literary and Malarkey Books. DeMisty is also a writer whose work has appeared in many journals and anthologies, including The Best Small Fictions: 2019. Her chapbook of poems Rubbing Elbows is now available and her full-length poetry collection, Peculiar Heritage, is forthcoming with Mason Jar Press.
Chris is a Partner at Strategic Benefit Advisors, an employee benefits consulting firm based on Southborough, MA. He resides in Northborough with his wife Cindy and four children, who all enjoy making music in its many forms.
Chris grew up in a musical family and received instruction in classical piano and organ throughout his childhood years and in college. His father was an accomplished violinist and choir singer, his mother an organist.
Hernando is a tech leader with 25+ years of experience in the software industry, skilled in product management, design, and software development. He earned his MS in Computer Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Bachelor of Science from Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.
Hernando’s daughter has been with WCC for 5 years. He shares with her a deep love for music and especially for singing. His goal with WCC is to promote and help the organization serve its purpose of educating and promoting music to the children of our community.
