Dedicated to the study and performance of classical and contemporary choral music
Seth Velez / Director • Carol Walker / Accompanist
About Choral Art Society of New Jersey
Choral Art Society of New Jersey is a group of avocational singers dedicated to the study and performance of great choral masterpieces, performing works spanning many centuries and styles. Most of the major oratorios, cantatas, and masses of the master composers have been presented during its first 60 years. The group’s diverse repertoire includes Mozart's Requiem, Beethoven's Ode to Joy, John Rutter's Requiem and Mass of the Children, Bob Chilcott's Circlesong, and Martines' Dixit Dominus.
The chorus is a nonprofit, dues-paying organization. Rehearsals are held on Tuesdays from 7:30 - 10:00 pm from September to May in the Chapel at The Presbyterian Church in Westfield. Prospective singers are welcome to join us as we pursue our mission of learning and presenting the finest choral music.
Our Rehearsal Space
We meet in the Chapel of the Presbyterian Church in Westfield, located at 140 Mountain Avenue.
History
Originally known as The Suburban Symphony Chorus, CAS of NJ began in 1962 under the direction of Peter Sozio. The following year, Evelyn Bleeke became director, serving the organization in that role for a remarkable 32 years until her retirement in 1995. It was early in her tenure that the chorus formed as an independent organization under its present name.
Evelyn Bleeke was followed by Thomas Booth, Kathleen Healy-Wedsworth, and then James S. Little. In 2012, as the group entered its second half-century of singing, Dr. Martin Sędek was appointed music director, serving for 12 years. He was followed by Dr. John Wilson. Choral Art Society was thrilled to welcome Seth Velez as music director beginning in February 2025.
Since its formation in the 1960s, the group has earned the accolades of the public and critics alike. It continues to grow in membership, fostering an intergenerational creative community for musicians of all backgrounds.
Director
Seth Velez is an accomplished singer, conductor, and music educator. Alongside his work with the Choral Art Society, he currently holds teaching and conducting positions at the Montclair State University Cali School of Music and runs a private voice studio in New York City and beyond. As a performer and conductor his recent collaborations have included work with the New Jersey Symphony, The New York Philharmonic and MetLiveArts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
As a conductor, Seth works with singers of all ages and ability levels from collegiate, community, and professional ensembles. He currently serves as faculty assistant conductor of the Montclair State University Chorale, most recently aiding and preparing them for three performances of Mozart's Requiem with the New Jersey Symphony and Maestra Xian Zhang. Previously, Seth has conducted and assisted with the Dessoff Choirs, Syracuse University Choirs, and an assortment of community and semi-professional ensembles in Los Angeles. Seth also works as a freelance conductor, recently serving as the assistant conductor for MetLiveArts’ world premiere of Terrance McKnight’s Handel: Made in America.
Seth has performed extensively as a chorister and soloist around the United States and internationally. He has competed with choirs in the 2015 and 2023 International Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales; the 2017 Florilege Vocal de Tours in France; and the 15th Interntionaler Kammerchor-Wettwerb in Germany. His international performances also include Mass by invitation at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Within the U.S., Seth has performed both at the 2023 Conference of the American Choral Directors Association and the 2015 Conference of the National Collegiate Choir Organization. Seth’s solo background encompasses both classical and musical theatre styles, with featured solos on tours around the U.S. and in South Korea. Seth was a recent finalist in the 2023 international “Voice of Musical Theatre” competition in Llangollen, Wales.
Seth’s educational career includes work with college and high school students alongside lifelong learners, having held instructional positions at Syracuse University, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, and Azusa Pacific University teaching sight-singing, aural skills, music theory, voice, and conducting. He currently works as a professor of music theory and aural skills at the Montclair State University Cali School of Music. Seth also has a flourishing private voice studio which serves clients of all ages, within all singing genres, and at all levels of ability. As a researcher, Seth primarily studies the flexibility and versatility of the human voice, with recent presentations on the differences in vocal production and technique necessary to seamlessly move between solo classical, choral, and musical theatre vocal styles.
Seth holds both a Master of Music in choral conducting and a Master of Music in voice pedagogy from Syracuse University and holds a Bachelor of Music Performance from Azusa Pacific University. Professionally, Seth is an inducted member of Pi Kappa Lambda and has active memberships with the American Choral Directors association and the National Association of Teachers of Singing.
Accompanist
Carol Walker enjoyed a busy career as a high school choral teacher for 32 years before retiring in 2008. During her teaching career, she was the accompanist and conductor of several New Jersey county, regional, and all-state choruses. Carol brought high school choral groups to perform at Radio City Music Hall as well as in venues around Europe. In 2003 she received the Passaic County Governor’s Award as Teacher of the Year.
While teaching, Carol was also an active participant in state organizations. She was the choral division chairperson for the North Jersey School Music Association for 10 years, and she served on the NJ All-State Choral Procedures Executive Board for three years.
Since her retirement as a public school teacher, Carol has continued her active association with various high schools and related organizations in
northern New Jersey, serving as accompanist, music director, and choral director. She has also been in demand as music director for dozens of amateur and professional theater groups, including summer stock and dinner theaters in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut. In 2007, she joined the staff of the NJ-based Masterwork Chorus, where she has served as pianist and was more recently appointed as assistant director. For many years she has served as choir director and organist for churches in New Jersey and New York.
Carol graduated summa cum laude from Montclair State with a degree in music education, majoring in piano, voice, and harp. In the past 25 years, Carol has branched out from her classical training, pursuing folk music interests with her Appalachian mountain dulcimer and Celtic harp. To date, she has written and published 12 dulcimer instructional books, recorded five CDs, and produced one DVD with Homespun Music.
As a dulcimer teacher and performer, Carol is in demand at annual music festivals across the United States. She is a three-time recipient of the Top Five Finalists Award at the National Mountain Dulcimer Championship. Carol is founder and director of the New York Dulcimer Orchestra, based in the lower Hudson Valley.
For more about Carol, her published works, and recordings, please visit her website: Music Lady Carol website.