Performance History

Kevin Kozacek, Artistic Director

Kevin Kozacek (Artistic Director) is a native of Colorado, where he attended the University of Northern Colorado. He graduated in 1977 with his Bachelor in Music Education, with a major in choral conducting and minor in musical theater. In 1990, Mr. Kozacek received his Masters in Education from Northern Arizona University. Mr. Kozacek taught public school music in grades K-12, and directed theater and choral groups in churches and communities in Nebraska, Colorado, Texas, England and Arizona. Though directing is his passion, Mr. Kozacek started his musical career singing at age 6, performing Handel's "Come Unto Him, All Ye That Labour". His major roles in musical theater include Paul in "Carnival", Harold Hill in "The Music Man", Lt. Cable in "South Pacific", and Papageno in "The Magic Flute". 14 year's service in the USAF gave Mr. Kozacek the opportunity to "carry music with me all around the world, leading choirs and directing musicals at bases and communities wherever I was stationed". Mr. Kozacek is the founding director of ProMusica Arizona.

Glenn Graca, Orchestra Associate Conductor

Glenn is the principal trumpet player for ProMusica Arizona Orchestra. A native of Chicago, he moved to the Phoenix area with his family in 1966. He has played trumpet professionally for 30 years in several musical genres. In the summer of 1973 he toured Europe with the nationally known "America's Youth in Concert" orchestra, and performed with the orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York City at the end of the tour. In 1980 he and his brother Tom started a musical group of their own called "Sentimental Journey" that played professionally throughout the Phoenix Metro area for 12 years. For the past two years, Mr. Graca directed the Vaudeville Youth Theatre Company and conducted the orchestra for "Once Upon a Mattress" and "The Wizard of Oz." Mr. Graca received his B.S. in Music Education from Grand Canyon University in 1990 and his M. Ed. in Educational Administration from N.A.U. in 1996. He has taught instrumental and vocal music in the public schools for 16 years. He is currently teaching band in the Glendale Elementary School District.

Cathy Woodward, Chorale Associate Director

Cathy is a native of South Dakota. She graduated from the University of South Dakota with a Composite Major in Music, majoring in vocal and instrumental music. Her performance instruments were French horn and voice. She taught in the Black Hills in South Dakota for seven years before moving to Tempe, AZ to begin work on her masters in choral conducting. She taught in Phoenix for a year, moved to Flagstaff to marry her husband Buck, and completed her master's degree at Northern Arizona University, where she has also studied post-graduate conducting with Judy Cloud. Cathy has performed with the Flagstaff Master Chorale, the Flagstaff Community Orchestra, and the Flagstaff Light Opera company, both on stage and in the pit playing horn. She has traveled to Europe with the Master Chorale and sung in numerous cathedrals in Europe. Her teaching experience spans 33 years, and includes high school, junior high and elementary band, choir, guitar and general music. She retired in 2006, bought a second home in Anthem, and is thrilled to be so quickly involved with ProMusica Arizona!

Karen Taylor, Accompanist

Karen Taylor earned a Bachelor of Music degree with an emphasis in piano pedagogy from Brigham Young University in 1987. Mrs. Taylor has been actively involved throughout her life in piano, organ and vocal performance for high school, university, community, church and theater groups throughout the United States. In 2006, she won a national award for music composition. Karen has over 25 years of experience teaching piano and currently operates her own music studio with an enrollment of over 30 students. Last year Karen managed to squeeze into her busy schedule the accompaniment for three high school musicals produced by high schools in the Deer Valley School District. For the last several years, Karen has enjoyed providing organ accompaniment for various choirs performing Handel's Messiah. Mrs. Taylor is a loving mother of six children.

Linda Schwartz, Accompanist

Linda was born in Cleveland, OH. At age five she began her musical career with piano lessons, and at age ten she made her solo debut with the Cleveland Children's Symphony. Linda studied piano for fifteen years with Cleveland's Gertrude Zies Zetzer. She graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in education and a minor in music. For twenty-eight years Linda taught elementary school in Ohio and Illinois, and for over fifty years Linda has taught piano and accompanied solo and ensemble groups. Upon retiring from teaching in June 2001, Linda moved to Anthem, where she continues to teach piano and accompany solos and ensembles. Linda is the proud mother of four and grandmother of nine, and serves as the principal pianist for ProMusica Arizona Chorale and Orchestra.

• Brian Pollock, President
• Shirley Fisk, Vice President
• Patricia Harris Marrs, Secretary
• Lisbeth Weiss, Treasurer
• Connie Campbell Henry, Past President

• Kevin Kozacek, Artistic Director
• Craig Caldwell, Director
• Janet Plummer, Director
• Gail Salameh, Director
• Jack Schwalbach, Director