Music Archive

About the artists:

Karen Roberts holds two degrees in vocal performance from the University of Michigan and the University of Maryland.  Her singing career includes performances with the Detroit, Saginaw, Ann Arbor and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras, and at venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Interlochen Center for the Performing Arts, Brevard Music Center, and Ann Arbor’s Festival of New Works 

Karen served several years on the faculty of the University of Michigan’s All State Program at Interlochen National Music Camp and maintains a private voice studio in Brighton, Michigan.   

 Karen is an active soloist in the Metro-Detroit area, and, last year, conducted The Child of the Promise, a musical to benefit Love INC of Livingston County.   This summer, she returns to Interlochen to assist one of its new programs, the adult choir camp, led by Dr. Jerry Blackstone.  She resides in Brighton with her husband, Steve, and their two daughters, Caroline and Julianne.

Paula Moore studied piano with Dr. David P. Appleby at Eastern Illinois University.  Since then, she has taught privately and accompanied choirs and soloists.  In the recent past, she was the accompanist for the Brighton High School choir program as well as the Livingston County Women’s Chorus.  A resident of Brighton for the past 18 years, she currently teaches piano privately in her home and accompanies occasionally.  Paula’s greatest joy, however, is found in her role of “Grammy” to her four wonderful grand children..

Patti Marshall-Doane holds a B.S. in Education degree with certification in English and vocal music from Central Michigan University, and two Master’s Degrees: Reading and Humanities. She has recently retired after spending 29 wonderful years teaching students of all ages and abilities to love literature, reading and writing.  In addition to her love for teaching, Patti has always had a passion for music, and she has been singing and studying the voice since her father inspired her love of music at a very young age.  For most of her adult career, she fed her musical passion as a soloist and by singing in professional, church and community choirs.
In 1992 Patti discovered the joyous rewards found in choral conducting after joining the Livingston County Chorale family of choirs and where Dr. Marilyn S. Jones appointed her to the positions of Assistant Director for the Chorale and the Director of the LCC Ensemble. In 1998 Patti became the first Director of the Women’s Chorus and later the select ensemble, Ladies First.  She has been conducting these wonderfully dedicated singers for the past 15 years.  Patti is thrilled to be sharing a part of Karen’s recital today.

Darlene Kuperus is versatile musician.  She is a pianist, organist, conductor and church musician.  She was the Minister of Music at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Livonia from 1992 – 1997.    It was there that she became friends and musical colleagues of Karen Roberts and Holly Clemans (musicians on tonight’s program).

Darlene has been the Minister of Music for the First Presbyterian Church of Northville since 1997.  She oversees a full choir program at the church, plans all worship service music and liturgy, coordinates a Fine Arts Concert Series, in addition to her duties as organist.  She earned a Bachelor’s degree from Calvin College, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  A Master’s degree and Doctor of Musical Arts degree were earned at the University of Michigan.  Her degree work is in Church Music and Organ.  She has served various denominations including Lutheran (ELCA and Missouri Synod), Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Christian Reformed.  She taught Music History at William Tyndale College in Farmington Hills for 8 years until it closed in 2002.

Dr. Mark V. Flegg is a full-time independent professional trumpeter and educator based in Southeast Michigan.  Since moving to Michigan in 1995, he has performed with many ensembles in the area, including the Detroit Symphony, Michigan Opera Theater, Ann Arbor Symphony, Toledo Symphony, Kalamazoo Symphony, Lansing Symphony,  Michigan Sinfoniette, Michigan Chamber Orchestra, Windsor Symphony, and many others.

He is the Principal Trumpet with the Flint Symphony and Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra, and is a founding member of the Great Lakes Brass, contracting and performing in numerous local venues throughout the Detroit area and beyond.  Dr. Flegg has performed with summer festival orchestras throughout the United States, including the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, the National Orchestal Institute, and the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. In addition to his performing activities, Dr. Flegg is on the music faculty at both Wayne State University and Saginaw Valley State University, and maintains an active teaching practice in Farmington Hills. He has served as a trumpet and brass clinician for several area organizations, including the Farmington Public Schools, Livonia Youth Philharmonic, and Oakland Youth Symphony.  He holds a B. Mus. from New England Conservatory of Music, a M.Mus. from Arizona State University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from Michigan State University.

Holly Clemens, teacher at Concordia University and director of the Concordia Flute Camp, is an active recitalist, chamber and orchestral musician.  She performs with the Mosaic Chamber Ensemble, Flute Fusion, and Detroit area orchestras.  She has been a member of the Plymouth,  MI and Arlington, VA Symphonies, the Minnesota opera Orchestra and Composers’ Forum, and chamber ensembles in Washington D.C. and Minneapolis/ St. Paul.

Ms. Clemens maintains a private teaching studio, and is an active adjudicator and clinician.  She holds a B.Mus. in Music Education from Hartt School of Music, an equivalency degree in Music Therapy from Western Michigan University, and a M.Mus. in Flute Performance from the University of Michigan.

Debbie Ash was born on Long Island, New York.  She received her B.A. from Olivet College with a double major in flute performance and English. She then earned her master’s and doctorate degrees in flute performance from The University of Michigan.  In her professional career, Debbie has been an orchestral flutist for 35 years. She has taught flute at the University of Windsor School of Music as well as private flute lessons for 40 years. Debbie was also director of the Westminster handbell choirs for nineteen years. She is involved in many musical performances with The International Flute Orchestra, SEMFA Flute Choir, Westside Trio, Flute Fusion and, of course, often performing at Westminster. In addition, she also conducts the Dexter Classical Winds. Debbie spends her time practicing, but also finds time to draw, sew, crochet, bead and write poetry.

The International Flute Orchestra (composed of professional flutists from USA, Canada, and elsewhere) travels to a different country each year. With this group, she has toured Greece, Chile, Poland, Belgium, Holland and Turkey, giving four concerts in ten days. This year the group is scheduled to go to Croatia.

Stephen E. Roberts is in his twenty-third year as Director of Bands at Ann Arbor Huron High School, and is completing his twenty-sixth year as a music educator.  His responsibilities are to conduct and maintain the Huron Varsity Band, Concert Band, Symphony Band, Jazz Band, and Rhythm Rat Marching Band.  Mr. Roberts and the Symphony Band have been selected twice to perform in Hill Auditorium for the Midwestern Conference On School Vocal and Instrumental Music (1995, 2000) and have also performed and received high honors at festivals in Toronto, Virginia Beach, Washington D.C., San Antonio, Boston, Anaheim, and the Magic Kingdom in Orlando and Anaheim.  In 1996, Mr. Roberts’ and the Symphony Band performed at Carnegie Hall as part of Mid-America Productions Ensemble Debut Series.  In addition, the Huron High School Music Department has been honored five times by the Grammy Foundation and received a Grammy Gold Signature School award in 2003.

Roberts has served in various offices of the MSBOA. He has been honored twice by his colleagues in District 12 as “Teacher of the Year” in 1995 and 2000.  He has been honored numerous times in Outstanding Young Men of America, Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and was honored by being chosen as Michigan’s “Director Who Makes a Difference” in the School Band and Orchestra magazine.  Roberts is also a member of the American School Band Directors Association (ASBDA).

Prior to teaching in Ann Arbor, Mr. Roberts was Director of Bands of the Oxford Area Community Schools in Oxford, Michigan from 1987-1990.  He received his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music Degrees from the University of Michigan in 1984 and 1986.  He has served as Director of the Schoolcraft College Wind Ensemble, Assistant Director of the Ann Arbor Summer Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Director of the Ann Arbor Concert Band, Director of the University of Michigan Campus Band, and Assistant Director and Drum Major of the Michigan Marching Band.  Mr. Roberts also stays active on his instrument as a trombonist in the Solid Brass Quintet and the nostalgic rock band Motion.  Roberts’ life is made complete with the love and support of his wife Karen.  They love spending time with their two daughters Caroline (14) and Julianne (12).