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Jon C. PetersonDirectorJon C. Peterson, D.M.A. is now in his 13th year as Director of the All-Ohio State Fair Youth Choir. Dr. Peterson serves as Director of Music Ministries at First Congregational Church of Hudson (FCCH), where he oversees a growing program that includes six adult ensembles in addition to several musical opportunities for youth and children. In 2025 he was elected to the Hudson School Board while also being named Artistic Director of Hudson Community Choruses, coming from a three-year tenure with the Master Singers Chorale of Northeast Ohio. Prior to coming to FCCH in the fall of 2020, Dr. Peterson served as Associate Professor of Music at Malone University and, previously, as Assistant Professor of Music at Bluffton University. He received doctoral and master degrees in choral conducting with a doctoral minor in historical musicology from The University of Arizona and Southern Methodist University, respectively. He graduated from Austin College with an undergraduate degree in vocal performance. Previously, he served on the music faculty at Bluffton University and as artistic director of The Magpie Consort, a Columbus-based chamber chorus. His vast experiences in choral conducting, performance and music ministry have provided him the opportunity to work with such ensembles as the Canton Symphony, Arkansas Symphony, and Dallas Symphony Chorus among others. Away from music, Dr. Peterson enjoys cycling, cooking and spending time with his wife, Karen, and two sons – Ian and Henry.
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Edward P. GallagherDirector of operationsEd Gallagher is in his 11th year on the staff serving as Director of Operations for both the AOSFYC and All-Ohio State Fair Band. Mr. Gallagher was a 4-year member of the AOSFB has been on the Band staff for 39 years having served in several roles. He received his degree in music therapy from Cleveland State University and received his Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Currently, he is President & CEO at Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood - previously serving as Vice President of Education. He is part of the Leadership Cleveland Class of 2026, and serves on the Board of Directors for CreativeOhio and the Cleveland Arts Education Consortium, and is past president of the Association of Ohio Music Therapists. He received the 2015 Director’s Service Award from the AOSFYC, 2023 Service Award from the Association of Ohio Music Therapists, 2007 Service Award from the Great Lakes Region of the American Music Therapy Association and was inducted into The Ohio State Fair Hall of Fame in 2007. He and his wife Lisa, a 26-year member of the AOSFB staff, are parents of Megan who serves on the staff of the AOSFB and AOSFYC.
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Music Staff
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Cynthia Snyder RamsdellAssistant Music Director / Collaborative PianistCynthia Snyder Ramsdell returns for an 12th year on the staff serving as Assistant Music Director and Collaborative Pianist. She is a passionate teacher who has given private music instruction in piano and voice to students of all ages and stages for 31 years. A professor at Heidelberg University, she teaches group piano instruction and major and non major piano lessons and serves as the choral accompanist. She is also the collaborative pianist at Fremont Ross High School and is a freelance pianist in the Tiffin area. She formerly served as the Assistant Director of Music at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Findlay, Ohio. She received her Bachelor and Master degrees in music education from Bowling Green State University where she studied piano with distinguished teaching professor Virginia Marks. She is married to Dr. Greg Ramsdell and is the proud parent of four wonderful adult children and a lazy cat.
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Betsy HarbenCollaborative PianistBetsy Harben is excited to return for a 5th year on the AOSFYC as a collaborative pianist. Mrs. Harben has a Bachelor's degree in vocal performance from DePauw University and a Masters of Music Education from Bowling Green State University. She has been a public-school music teacher for 30 years in Defiance and Fulton counties and has spent the last year substitute teaching In Ashtabula County. She plays frequently for churches, musicals, large group choir, and solo and ensemble events. Mrs. Harben continues the family tradition as her husband Chris was a member of AOSFB in '86 and '87 as were her stepdaughters Cara and Cami Harben while their son Carson Wenger was a member of the AOSFYC in 2021.
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JACOB KOCHPERCUSSION COORDINATORReturning for his 2nd year, Jacob Koch is a percussionist, composer, and educator who maintains a passion for sharing musical experiences through performance, composition, and collaboration. Jacob is currently a member of the Contemporary Music D.M.A. Cohort at Bowling Green State University where he teaches applied percussion, coaches percussion ensemble, and assists with general music classes. He has performed with the Firelands Symphony Orchestra, the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Chamber Choir, and the Toledo Choral Society. Jacob’s solo and chamber music performances have been heard throughout the U.S. and abroad in places such as the Center for Mallet Percussion Research in Kutztown, PA, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville (Nief-Norf), the Conservatorio Superior de Música in Valencia, Spain, and the Plaça Mayor in Lliria, Spain, a UNESCO designated City of Music.
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Audrey LAMBertconducting staff
Audrey Lambert is in her 8th year with the AOSFYC, serving on the conducting staff. Mrs. Lambert graduated from Kent State University in 2016 with a degree in Music Education, and in 2021 from Messiah University with a Master’s of Music in Choral Conducting. Currently, she directs six choirs at St. Marys City Schools for grades 6-12. Her students have consistently participated in Honors Choirs, Solo and Ensemble, Large Group Adjudicated Event, and OMEA All-State Choir. Additionally, Mrs. Lambert is a private voice and piano teacher, and serves as the Assistant Director for her school’s musicals.
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Darius McBrideConducting staffDarius McBride is a 12-year member of the AOSFYC team serving on the Conducting Staff and leading the tenors. Mr. McBride, who hails from Rochester, NY, is a graduate of Malone University in Canton where he majored in Music Education. He served as the 7-12 Choir Director at Fostoria Junior/Senior High School for 4 years, as well as taught vocal and beginner piano lessons in the Toledo area. Mr. McBride currently resides in Westerville, OH where he serves as the 9-12 Choir Director and IB Music Theory teacher at Westerville South High School. He still teaches private vocal and beginner piano lessons.
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CJ capenCollaborative pianistCJ Capen returns for a second year on the staff as a Collaborative Pianist. Mr. Capen is musical coordinator and accompanist in the department of Theatre & Film at Bowling Green State University where he serves as pianist and music director for the department. In addition, he holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Music from UNC Greensboro, and is a member of NAfME, ACDA, and NPM. He has been staff accompanist & vocal coach for Berlin Opera Academy, Chicago Summer Opera, Elon University, Interlochen Center for the Arts, and American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. He has served as keyboard artist for Georgetown Chorale, Vienna Chorale Society, and the semi-professional choir, Voce Chamber Singers from 2013-2023. He toured China with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra flutist Lauren Sileo in 2014, has given chamber music lecture recitals for GMU’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in 2010, 2012, and 2014, and has given benefit concerts in recent years to include: St Veronica's Patriot Day Concert, Reston Drop-In Center, Cornerstone, Maryknoll Society, S.O.M.E's 40th Anniversary Celebration, All Saints Church, as well as the St Thomas More Cathedral Recital Series.
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Dr. Greg Ramsdellconducting staffGreg Ramsdell, D.M.A returns for a 8th year as an AOSFYC staff as a member of the Conducting Staff leading the Basses. Dr. Ramsdell serves as Director of the Heidelberg University School of Music and Theatre. In addition, he serves as the director of Choral Activities and Professor of Music Education. In these capacities, he conducts the Concert Choir, the Chamber Singers, and the University-Community Chorus, and teaches courses in conducting and secondary choral methods. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in music education from Bowling Green State University and his doctorate in choral conducting from the University of Kansas. An active music educator, he taught junior high and high school choral programs in Greenville, Pa. as well as at the collegiate level at Westminster College and the University of Central Arkansas. During the spring of 2018, Dr. Ramsdell received Heidelberg’s prestigious Ream-Paradiso Distinguished Teaching Award, and in the spring of 2021, the student body recognized him with a Faculty Member of the Year Award. Under Dr. Ramsdell’s direction, the Concert Choir has presented yearly domestic tours, and in the spring of 2019, the choir undertook an international tour that included performances in Budapest; Brno, and Prague. In 2022, the Concert Choir was honored to perform at the Ohio Music Educators Association’s annual professional development conference. Greg was named the recipient of Heidelberg’s Jane Frost-Kalnow Professorship in the Humanities in the spring of 2023.
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olivia wakefieldCOLLABORATIVE PIANISTOlivia Wakefield returns for a 3rd year on the staff of AOSFYC as a collaborative pianist. Ms. Wakefield holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Xavier University and is a middle school choir director and general music teacher for the Northwest Local School District in Cincinnati. In addition to teaching, she has performed as a collaborative pianist with choirs, wind ensembles, and soloists, and plays regularly at Ashland Avenue Baptist Church,
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Operations Staff
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Colton ConleyOperations staffColton Conley (Bass II, ‘15) is now in his 11th year as a member of the Operations Staff. He is a graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in Early Childhood Education and attended River Valley High School in Marion. Mr. Conley is in his 4th year serving as a kindergarten teacher with the North Union Local School District in Richwood, Ohio.
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courtney coxOperations staffCourtney Cox (Soprano, ‘17, ‘19-‘20) is returning to the operations staff for her 5th year. She currently teaches K-5 music at Tallmadge Elementary School in Lancaster, Ohio. She is a graduate of Ohio University with a degree in Choral Music Education and a minor in Choral Conducting. Courtney has also completed her first two levels of Orff-Schulwerk Certification. During her time at Ohio University, she performed with the Marching 110, Choral Union, Bella Voce, and University Singers.
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Megan Gallagher CreightonSocial Media CoordinatorMegan Gallagher Creighton returns for her 7th year as Social Media Coordinator. An All-Ohio State Fair Band member for 6 years (Flag ’11-’12, Trumpet, ’13-’16), she serves as the Social Media Coordinator and on the Operations Staff for the AOSFB. She is a graduate of Baldwin Wallace University where she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Arts Management and Entrepreneurship while also minoring in Dance. Currently, she works at Holy Family School in Parma as a Music Educator as well as Social Media/Marketing Specialist and is a coach for their dance team and choreographs the school musicals. She and her husband, Alex, were married in June of 2025. She is a graduate of Magnificat High School where she was presented with the John Philip Sousa Award.
Cody KemperOperations StaffCody Kemper (Baritone, '14-'17) is excited to be back for a 8th year with the Youth Choir Operations Staff. During his four years as a singer in the AOSFYC, he was active in many leadership positions. This included serving in the Honor Guard, as a Choral Assistant, Opus Assistant, and Dorm Assistant. He also sang with the Scarlet Singers. Cody graduated with his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Cincinnati. He is actively involved in his nursing career by serving on various hospital committees and is an active member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. He practices in a Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) and a Vascular Thoracic Surgery Unit. He enjoys singing in his local choir and staying active with various sports throughout the year.
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Christopher NethersHealth & Safety DirectorChristopher Nethers is the Choir’s Director of Health & Safety and returns for his 35th year with the AOSFYC. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Muskingum University and has been teaching music in the Licking Valley Local Schools for 25 years. Mr. Nethers is a general music teacher for grades K-5 at Licking Valley Elementary School and previously taught vocal and general music for grades 7-12. His work in public safety has him serving Madison Twp. as an Emergency Medical Technician / Firefighter; a lifeguard and Red Cross Instructor of CPR, First-Aid, Lifeguard and Water Safety, for the City of Heath. He serves as a NOAA severe weather spotter and is a member of the Ohio Crisis Response Team. Mr. Nethers was inducted into the Ohio State Fair Hall of Fame in 2011 and was awarded the All-Ohio State Fair Youth Choir’s Distinguished Service Award in 2005. He and his wife reside in Newark, with their three daughters - including Ellie and Alex who have been members of the Choir.
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Karen R. PetersonOperations StaffKaren Peterson is now in her 13th year as a volunteer on the Operations Staff. She currently works full time as an acute care Physical Therapist at Aultman Health Foundation in Canton, OH. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, VA and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree from Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA. Karen currently serves on the board of Deacons at Christ Presbyterian Church of Canton and is involved with the children’s and young family’s ministries. She enjoys hiking, biking and reading and is the proud mom of Ian and Henry.
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Brian SkidmoreAdministrative Assistant6
Brian Skidmore is in his 25th year on the staff, serving as Administrative Assistant. He received his bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Mount Union, a master’s in education from Marygrove College, and was ordained a Stephen’s Minister through Cal State. Mr. Skidmore taught in various public schools for 39 years and retired from the Alliance City School District in 2025. He served on the staff from 1979-1992 (under Glenville Thomas and Charles Snyder) and returned with Dr. Peterson in 2014. He was inducted into the Ohio State Fair Hall of Fame in 2025, performed with the Youth Choir on the 1979 European Tour, in the 1980 Rose Bowl Parade, and received the AOSFYC Alumni Presidential Award in 2013. He and his wife Joan, also an AOSFYC staff member, are proud parents of Choir alumnus and former staff member, Nicholas (Bass, ‘12-’13 / Jr. Staff '14-'15) and Bryce who passed away in 2013. |
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Joan SkidmoreOperations StaffJoan Skidmore is in her 12th year as a member of the Operations Staff. She received her undergraduate degree from Muskingum College and Master’s in Education from Marygrove College. She taught for 40 years before retiring in the Alliance City School District. She now serves as a math tutor for Alliance Elementary School. She and her husband Brian have two sons - Nicholas (Bass, '12-'13 / Jr. Staff '14-'15) who is the Director of Media for Athletics at Marist College and lives with his wife, Meredith, in Poughkeepsee, NY. and their son, Bryce, who passed away, at the age of 9, in October of 2013 in an accident. She has come to love the AOSFYC through her family and their excitement of being part of the organization.
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Equipment Staff
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Eric EvansEquipment MANAGEREric Evans (Tenor, '17-'20) returns for a 5th year. He is a recent graduate of Heidelberg University from the school of music and theater as a popular music major with a focus in Vocal music. During his four years in the AOSFYC he sang with Scarlet Singers for two years and spent one year on Riser Crew. He has also been working as a part-time instrument repair apprentice at a local repair shop. He and his fiancée, Lauren, will be married this September!
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Emmanuelle jordanEquipment STaffEmma Jordan returns to the AOSFYC for her 2nd year on the equipment staff. She was a member of the All-Ohio State Fair Band (French Horn '15-'16). Emma graduated from Heidelberg University with a degree in music education and has completed her fifth year of teaching. She is currently teaching at West Elk Junior High and High School in Howard, KS, where she teaches 6-12 band, 7-12 choir, and high school music theory.
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karissa frischeSound coordinatorKarissa Frische is in her 5th year on the staff as Sound Coordinator, part of the Equipment Staff. She is the current 7th-12th grade Choir director at Loudonville High School in Loudonville, OH. She is a 2022 graduate of Capital University with a Bachelor of Music in Dual Music Education. While at Capital, she was an active member of Chapel Choir, Wind Symphony, and Capital’s Tuba and Euphonium Ensemble. She is also a member of the Ohio Music Educators Association and the Ohio Choral Directors Association. Throughout college, she has been involved with operating audio and video equipment for multiple live events that include concerts, recording studio sessions, and live worship. She is a graduate of Memorial High School in St. Marys, where she was also active in choir, show choir, band, and marching band.
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