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Director & Accompanist
Our Director
Kerry Fradley, who has been artistic director and conductor of the North Florida Women’s Chorale since 2006, is an active choral conductor in the community where she is founder and director of the St. Augustine Youth Chorus and former director of the Flagler College Singers. Fradley, who has a Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance and Choral Conducting from Georgia State University, has a keen interest in researching, promoting, and performing the beautiful choral music written especially for treble voices. She is on the board of the First Coast Opera and the St. Augustine Community Chorus and is active in those organizations. In her free time, she also enjoys tennis, art museums, travel, and her 12 grandchildren Mrs. Fradley was honored in March 2015 in St. Augustine, FL, with the ROWITA award which stands for "Recognizing Outstanding Women in the Arts".
Collaborative Accompanist
Kathleen Vande Berg, collaborative accompanist, is delighted to be working with the talented women of the NFWC. She was a music educator/chorus director in schools in New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Georgia before moving to St. Augustine in 2003 and also had an active career as a church organist and choir director. Ms. Vande Berg is currently the organist/choir director at St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church and the director of the St. Augustine Chamber Singers. Kathleen is a recipient of the ROWITA Award and also was knighted by the Minorcan Easter Society for her service to the community.
Discover North Florida Women's Chorale's Music World
History
The North Florida Women's Chorale was founded in 1992 by Dr. M.J. Palmer, director of the UNF Choral Department, as an auditioned organization for the purpose of promoting the performance of music written for women's voices.
Since its founding in 1992, the North Florida Women’s Chorale has attracted talent from the Jacksonville, Beaches and St. Augustine areas. Musicians with diverse professional backgrounds, including public relations, medicine, sales and education have all graced our ranks. Its 20 year history has seen 5 conductors: Dr. M. J. Palmer (1992-1998), Dr. Carl Peters, (1998-2002), Joel Colsant (2002-2004), Dr. Ted Mathews (2004-2006), and Kerry Fradley, (from 2006).
For the 20th Anniversary Celebration Concert on April 27, 2013, the Chorale presented the premiere performance of “Listening”, based on the poem by Amy Lowell, Pulitzer prize-winning poet. The original commissioned piece by Dawn Sonntag, for the occasion of our 20thAnniversary Season, was premiered at the Community Presbyterian Church in Atlantic Beach, followed by a Reception honoring our past, with 4 out of 5 former Music Directors present!
The Women's Chorale has made several concert tours in the U.S including Washington D. C in 2010, Chicago with noted conductor Rollo Dilworth and Atlanta and most recently to Dublin Ireland!.
- 2024 - Dublin, Ireland
- 2022 - New York, New York
- 2015 - Summerville S.C.
- 2013 - Biltmore Estate, Asheville, N.C.
- 2013 - St. Matthias Episcopal Church, Asheville, N.C.
- 2010 - Washington, D.C.
- 2007– Performed Jacksonville Community Choral Festival.
- 2006– Chicago Musical Workshop Tour with notable music composer and conductor Rollo Dilworth.
- 2002- Cathedral Basilica in St. Augustine for the organ fund benefit.