Meet Matthew Frable, The STCPA and Chorale Director!

Matthew Frable, Artistic Director of the San Tan Chorale, possesses 27 years of choral directing experience, including first and secondary educational settings, community choirs, music programs for several congregations, and musical drama productions. Following a childhood filled with music, his educational emphasis led him to bachelor degrees in both Music Therapy and Music Education and later a Masters of Sacred Music from Trinity Lutheran Seminary. A keyboard instrumentalist of merit, Matthew has achieved the status of Colleague with the American Guild of Organists.

In addition to directing the San Tan Chorale and the Fountain Hills Community Choir, he is the Director of Music Ministry at Christ’s Greenfield Lutheran Church in Gilbert.

Serving as the Fine Arts Department Chair at Seton Catholic High School, and in addition to classroom teaching, Matthew directs a full season of drama productions with casts ranging from a select few to over sixty enthusiastic youths. He has also coordinated many choral festivals and performances of choral masterworks that have included chamber ensemble accompaniment. Matthew considers a career highlight to be the rapid growth and musical achievement of San Tan Chorale and is eager to develop future creative endeavors within the San Tan Community Performing Arts organization to encompass orchestral and dramatic pursuits. His family includes wife, Betty, and their three children.

Meet Carol Eisenbise - Assistant Director

Serving as Assistant Director and Treasurer of the San Tan Chorale is Carol Eisenbise.  Carol was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.  She attended Lebanon Valley College where she was a music major.  She accompanied several community choruses and theatre groups in and around the Lehigh Valley.  Carol majored in special education and she currently teaches students with emotional disabilities at Mesquite High School in Gilbert and is Treasurer of the Council for Exceptional Children.

Katherine Shields, conductor, is Adjunct faculty at Chandler-Gilbert Community College and a member of the Arizona Opera Orchestra. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) and the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from Arizona State University (Tempe) where she was inducted into Pi Kappa Lambda.

Katherine began her study of conducting as a high school student in Winnetka, IL. She has worked with youth orchestras in Phoenix and Orlando (FL) and has adjudicated Solo & Ensemble Festival, Regional Orchestra and All-State Orchestra auditions in both states. She has been clinician for Tempe District Honor Orchestra and presented a session entitled “Boot Camp for Band Directors” at the Arizona Music Educators Association annual conference. For the Arizona Department of Education Katherine presented a three-day workshop on “Literacy through Music” for students at Tsaile School on the Navajo Reservation. She has conducted at ASU High School Invitational Strings
Day and Virtuoso Violas Day. Katherine has conducted the Western State College (Gunnison, CO) College/Community Orchestra and is a former Orchestra Director for Tempe Unified High School District.

An avid chamber musician, Katherine is a member of ensembles Seventh Roadrunner and Quartet Sabaku, a group on the Teaching Artists Roster of the Arizona Commission on the Arts. Katherine is faculty for the West Valley Youth Orchestra’s “Chamber Music Camp,” the “Fall Colors Chamber Music Workshop” in Silverton, CO and is Director of the Chamber Music Workshop of Chaparral MusicFest in Prescott.

Katherine’s articles have been published in “The Leading Tone,” the newsletter of the Regional Orchestra Players’ Association (ROPA) and online at AZOOMA.com and Scribd.com. She is a former member of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, The Phoenix Symphony, Florida Symphony Orchestra, and the Chicago String Ensemble. Katherine resides in the East Valley with her family of humans, canines, and assorted musical instruments.

Meet Brett Bottesch - Director of the San Tan Players

We are delighted to have Brett Bottesch's talents as a director and an award winning producer and videographer join us as San Tan Players brings to stage its second theatrical endeavor. Brett began producing corporate theater in the late 90s and opened his own production company in 2004. In 2007 he accepted a Senior Producer position from FOX Television to produce a show for the local Arizona market. Brett won his first Silver Telly Award in 2008 for a short film titled "Subject Six" and in early 2010 he worked as the Director of Photography for a short film titled "Deviation" which was accreted, Best Short Film, at the New York International Film Festival. Today Brett continues his production career with a local Arizona company and volunteers his time and considerable skills to directing the theatrical branch of San Tan Community Performing Arts.

Meet Bonnie Werner, Accompanist for the San Tan Chorale!

Bonnie Werner, accompanist for San Tan Chorale, has lifelong experience studying and performing classical music. She completed her keyboard studies in piano and pipe organ at Arizona State University. In addition, she studied flute performance with Frank Bowen at the University of New Mexico and with Marcel Moyse during summer seminars in Vermont. She has also enjoyed harpsichord studies at San Francisco Early Music Society workshops. Ms. Werner performs as a free-lance musician around the Valley, accompanying on piano for instrumental recitals, musical productions, and various choirs, including work as a contract organist. She also is a registered nurse working in health education, and lives in Ahwatukee with her family and pets.