Mindi Barker, section leader, is an accomplished musician, with emphases in choral singing and piano composition. She began composing music at age twelve, and as a teenager she composed religious music that was sung in numerous locations in Salt Lake County. She sang in her high school madrigal choir, All-State Choir and was in a performing group that helped kids stay away from drugs and alcohol. She sang in the We Also Sing! choirs under the direction of Merrilee Webb and has soloed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle, St. George Tabernacle, and Eccles Theater. She has been an elementary school music teacher, piano teacher, organist, and choral director. Mindi loves playing pickleball and enjoys every moment with her husband, six children, and two sons-in law.
Kari Dick holds a Bachelor of Science in English Composition, and she loves choral music’s ability to elevate the expressive power of already magnificent texts. She sang with choirs at Brigham Young University and was a member of the Salt Lake Symphonic Choir and the Salt Lake Choral Artists. She has performed as a soloist with the Evanston Civic Orchestra and Chorus. Kari grew up in a musical family and still enjoys singing with her siblings more than just about anything else. When she’s not singing, she can usually be found traveling, reading, writing, hiking, or watching classic movies.
Miranda Evans has a Bachelor’s Degree in Choral Music Education and graduated from BYU in 2019. While at BYU, she was actively involved in the choral program and took voice lessons, occasionally teaching voice lessons, as well. She began conducting the A Voice for Good Choir, an auditioned community-based choir in Provo, Utah, and was their music director for four years before moving to St. George. She’s very excited to be part of the St. George Chamber Singers and to continue in this next musical adventure. While choirs are her main passion, Miranda also plays the flute and a bit of the trumpet and clarinet. She and her husband, Sam, met in the marching band at BYU, where she played the piccolo.
Julie Grygla began playing the piano at age 7 and soon added the violin and organ to her repertoire. Initially a piano major in college, she shifted her focus to teaching English but remained deeply involved in music, particularly as an accompanist. Julie, who had no formal voice training, discovered her love for singing early in life and cherishes the years she spent in Concert Choir at SDSU as an undergraduate and BYU as a faculty member. After relocating to St. George, she briefly resumed piano studies before prioritizing her six children’s musical pursuits. Now, Julie enjoys guiding their piano and vocal studies while singing with the St. George Chamber Singers alongside her husband, David.
Rachel Holman is an active vocalist, dance performer, and educator in the St. George community. She received her BS in Dance and Health Education from Southern Utah University and her MFA in Choreography and Performance in Dance from the University of Arizona. She is currently the artistic director for the Red Rock Dance Festival and choreographer and principal dancer for the St. George Dance Company. She has been the lead understudy and dancer in the Broadway Tour of Footloose and A Chorus Line (Cassie). Her love for choral music developed when she was a member and soloist in the Utah Valley Children’s Choir.
Melissa McArthur Kesterson grew up studying violin and voice. She received her formal vocal training primarily with Jon Kim. Memorable musical moments include the opportunities to solo in the Historic Salt Lake Tabernacle, to solo for several years in Handel’s Messiah with the Southwest Symphony, and to conduct several youth choirs as well as the St. George Institute Choir. She has been singing with the St. George Chamber Singers from the beginning, taking a few seasons off to pursue her other love: teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ as a seminary teacher. She is grateful for the support she receives from her husband, Brock, and their six children.
Kaylee Mason grew up at the piano, where she developed a love of classical music at a young age and studied with the late Lynn Dean. This love led her to the world of choral music, and she began accompanying and singing during her high school years under Norman Lister. At Brigham Young University, she minored in music, sang in the BYU Women’s Chorus, and furthered her private piano study. She spent seven years teaching piano; has accompanied many church and local choirs, congregations, and soloists; and now sings with the St. George Chamber Singers. She loves running, baking, and houseplants and currently works as a copy editor. Kaylee lives with her husband and four children in Washington.