OUR MUSIC TEAM
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Carol Nike, Director, graduated from Las Cruces High School and has a bachelor's degree in voice performance and a master's in choral conducting, both from New Mexico State University. While living in the United Kingdom and working there in the corporate world for many years, she was also active in church, classical, and theatrical music. Since returning to Las Cruces in 2010, she has conducted the Celestial Sounds women’s chorale until recently and continues to serve as music director at St. James Episcopal Church, in addition to teaching private voice lessons
Jeonai Batista, Assistant Director & Accompanist is a Brazilian tenor and pianist currently pursuing a master’s degree in piano performance at New Mexico State University. There he is also working as a graduate assistant, teaching voice and functional piano. He obtained his bachelor of arts with concentration in voice and piano performance from Mississippi State University in 2019. In 2021, he earned his master’s degree in choral conducting at Louisiana State University. He dreams of returning to Brazil to start a music conservatory for children
Charlotte Johnson, Assistant Accompanist started playing the piano at age four and began accompanying while in junior high school. She was the “orchestra” for many Las cruces Community Theater productions, playing piano arrangements derived from orchestral versions. She also accompanied Voz Vaqueros for several years, as well as a variety of students at NMSU from 1972 to 1998 –including singers, players of trombones, flutes, saxophones and trumpets, and some NMSU productions.