John McElliott, countertenor, is a concert artist manager. As the president of Karen McFarlane Artists, Inc., he manages the North American engagements of more than thirty concert organists and six choirs from the United States and Europe. He holds bachelors degrees in voice and organ performance from the University of Akron, and was a choral scholar at Winchester Cathedral in England for one year. Mr. McElliott has performed with many ensembles in the Northeast Ohio area including Apollo’s Fire and the Cleveland Orchestra. He is also a soloist at the Church of the Covenant. A versatile vocalist, he sings alto, tenor, and baritone parts in Quire Cleveland.

Ann K. Mullin, mezzo-soprano, is senior program officer at The George Gund Foundation, where she oversees the foundation’s grantmaking strategy for education. She came to this position from the Cleveland Foundation, where she served as program officer for education and program associate for arts and culture; and before that from Montessori Development Partnerships, a nonprofit organization serving the Cleveland and national Montessori community. Ann is a native of Cleveland, and received her Bachelor of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan and her Master of Business Administration from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. She is a chorus singer with Apollo’s Fire: the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra and is also trained in multicultural intergroup relations and conflict resolution. Ann resides in Cleveland with her husband, Doug Vanneste, a Montessori teacher at Urban Community School, and their four young children.

Debra Nagy has been called a “musical polymath” (San Francisco Classical Voice) for her accomplished performances as a singer and historical wind player. As one of the country’s top baroque oboists, Debra frequently performs with Apollo’s Fire (among other ensembles on both coasts), is the founder and director of Cleveland-based chamber ensemble Les Délices, and is a member of Ciaramella. She has also appeared as a guest multi-instrumentalist and singer with such groups as the Newberry Consort, Piffaro, Baroque Northwest, and Blue Heron Renaissance Choir. Debra has recorded for the Capstone, Bright Angel, Naxos, Hänssler, Chandos, and ATMA labels and her live performances have been featured on CBC Radio Canada, Klara (Belgium), NPR’s Performance Today, WQXR New York, WKSU Kent, and WGBH Boston. Debra currently teaches in the Early Music Program and conducts the Collegium Musicum at Case Western Reserve University, where she earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree. Please visit her personal website for more information.

Mezzo-soprano Beverly Simmons is a singer, arts administrator, and graphic designer. Born in Denver, she earned a doctorate in early music at Stanford University, and moved to Cleveland in 1978. Her career includes stints as a Case Western Reserve University music professor, WCLV radio announcer, international artist manager, executive director, and mother of two. She has sung with Apollo’s Fire since its inception; founded the CWRU Early Music Singers, which she directed for 21 years; sang with the Cleveland Opera Chorus and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Senior Choir; and also sings at Temple Tifereth-Israel. Dr. Simmons is founder/manager of the concert series Chapel, Court & Countryside: Early Music at Harkness and marketing director for Quire Cleveland. She is also half of the cabaret duo, Rent-a-Yenta, about which an admirer said, “I’ve seen worse on Broadway!”