Carolyn M. Mawby is Emeritus Faculty at the University of Michigan-Flint, where she was one of the founding faculty members of the Music Department. In that capacity, she founded the University Chorale, the University Chamber Singers and the Summer Academy of Music.

She is the recipient of the A. Raymond Roth Award in recognition of "Exemplary contributions to Music Education in the Flint Community", the Maynard Klein Award in recognition of "Artistic excellence and a lifetime of leadership in the field of choral music", and the Michigan Music Educators Association "Outstanding Administrator" Award. The University of Michigan-Flint Chamber Singers under Miss Mawby's direction were selected to perform on American Choral Directors Association and Michigan Music Educators conventions on several occasions.

Before coming to the University of Michigan-Flint, Miss Mawby taught choral music at Grand Blanc High School. While there, her high school groups were invited performers at Midwest Music Conferences on numerous occasions. The Grand Blanc High School Chamber Singers were selected as the Outstanding Small Ensemble in the state of Michigan.

Miss Mawby earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Michigan State University and a Master of Music History and Literature degree from Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts.

Mary Nieuwenhuis, Associate Conductor, was the director of choral/vocal studies as well as the Freshman Music Theory professor at Mott Community College for 25 years. She started singing with the Carolyn Mawby Chorale several years ago and states that it has been an enlightening experience and feels as if she's taking free graduate courses each Tuesday evening.

She previously taught at Carman Ainsworth School District and Flushing Community Schools. She has been a musical director for the New Vic Supper Theater, Flint Community Players, and Clio Cast and Crew. She has participated in the Kenneth Jewell Chorale in Detroit, the Flint Festival Chorus, and Flint Arts Chorale.

Her undergraduate work was done at Central Michigan University where she was the recipient of the Phi Mu Alpha award and the Powers Music Award. Her graduate work was done at University of Denver, concentrating on music education and choral studies. Some of her biggest influences in the choral music field came from her experiences at the National Music Camp and Interlochen Arts Academy from which she graduated High School.

She feels it is a once in a lifetime privilege to conduct the Carolyn Mawby Chorale and thanks all of the singers for their dedication to making beautiful music every Tuesday in preparation for the concerts.

Dr. Matthew Thompson, Associate Conductor / Piano, is a Lecturer of Music at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theater, and Dance. There, his duties in the voice area include teaching An Introduction to Lyric Diction and IPA, coaching graduate vocal students, and beginning an opera outreach program. Also a collaborative pianist for the Wind, Brass, and Percussion departments, he performs numerous recitals with both undergraduate and gradute instrumental students every semester.

Matthew’s graduate degrees are from the University of Michigan, where he studied with Martin Katz. As a doctoral candidate, he was the first collaborative pianist to earn a Rackham Research Grant for the preparation of his lecture recital on American Popular Song Accompanying. UM projects include: Albert Herring, L’incoronazione di Poppea, Pajama Game, and Ragtime. His undergraduate degree, with Highest Honors and Highest Distinction, comes from the University of North Carolina where he completed an honors thesis, The Russian School of Piano in America: the piano pedagogy of Rosina Lhevinne.

Recent summer work has been at Belvoir Terrace, a performing arts camp in Lenox, MA, where Matthew is a musical director, and both a piano and voice teacher. Matthew has also been an apprentice coach at the Merola Opera Program (2007) and Wolf Trap (2009), where he coached Cenerentola, Così fan tutte, Hin und Zurück, and Gallentry.

Matthew can be heard on a 2011 recording from Detroit’s BrassJar label: La Trompette a Renouvelé, with Ann Arbor trumpeter David Ammer. Also, his YouTube channel, MattT7000, has numerous vocal and instrumental performances with well over 100,000 views. Especially treasured are those with his mentor, Martin Katz, and his partner, Vince Yi.

Active in the community, Matthew is pianist and guest conductor with the Carolyn Mawby Chorale in Flint, Michigan. His work with the chorale can be heard on their YouTube channel, cmchorale. He recently has served as an artistic coordinator for the annual Flint Festival of Choirs as well, and this year is excited to invite Paul Rardin to be guest clinician.

Carolyn Mawby, Conductor

Mary Nieuwenhuis, Associate Conductor

Dr. Matthew Thompson, Pianist / Associate Conductor

The singers who make up the Carolyn Mawby Chorale come from all walks of life. They are teachers, lawyers, superintendents, pharmacists, medical personnel, computer technologists, accountants, engineers, preachers, and travel agents. They are moms, dads, retirees, and most of all they are in love with the experience of singing! They come together once a week for two hours to make music for themselves and for the hundreds of people who come to hear them.

bold = Board Member
   **   = Section Leader