Staff & Board of Directors
Dennis Houser, Artistic Director
Dennis Houser: A Life in Choral Music
As music careers go, Dennis Houser’s journey has been steady and impactful. His solo career began at the age of eight in a Methodist church in Montebello, California. After early musical experiences, his formal training began in junior college and continued with his earning both a bachelors and a masters degree in music from Chapman University with a focus on choral performance.
Dennis devoted 15 years to conducting and training choirs at the middle school, high school, and junior college levels. His talents also led him to conduct the Orange County Master Chorale and perform with esteemed ensembles such as the Pacific Chorale, Opera Pacific, the Pacific Symphony, and numerous other Southern California chorales.
In 2011, Dennis and his wife Kay moved to Prescott, Arizona, where he began the final and perhaps most passionate phase of his career. In Prescott, he has directed the Yavapai College Master Chorale, led music at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, and founded the Prescott Chorale, which he directed for 10 successful seasons. His contributions also include directing church choirs for more than 61 years and leading multiple performance tours with both the Prescott Chorale and the Pacific Chorale.
Dennis often says he has three great loves in his life: his wife Kay, his Heavenly Father, and, of course, choral music.
Emily Spencer, Assistant Conductor
Emily’s most recent conducting experiences include directing the Master Chorale and Women’s Chorale at Yavapai College. Emily also co-founded and directed the Tri-State Choral Society, bringing together singers from Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa. Prior to that, Emily directed the Women’s Chorale at the University of Iowa, where she received her Masters Degree in Choral Conducting and Pedagogy. Emily has also directed numerous church choirs on local and regional levels for over twenty years.
Emily received her Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Brigham Young University and has also remained active as a concert soloist. Locally, she’s been a soloist with the Arizona Philharmonic, Quartz, Camerata, Prescott Chorale, and Yavapai College Master Chorale. Other concert soloist highlights in Arizona, Utah, Maryland, and throughout the Midwest include J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion and Magnificat, Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and Mass in Time of War, Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Vesperae solennes de confessore, Beethoven’s Mass in C Major, Brahms’ Neue Liebeslieder, and Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living. She was the recipient of a scholarship to study with Lyric Opera of Chicago coach Timothy Shaindlin and also studied with Jamie Johns, Associate Musical Director of The Phantom of the Opera National Tour. Emily also loves singing as a choral artist and has enjoyed being a section Principal with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and singing under the batons of such greats as Nicholas McGegan, Andreas Delfs, Doc Severinsen, Mack Wilberg, Anton Armstrong, and Weston Noble.
Emily resides in Prescott with her husband Warren and their five children.
Matthew Owen, Accompanist
Matt is a native of Arizona having grown up in Yuma. He has studied music before accepting a position as worship leader where he served for many years. In addition to piano, Matthew also sings and plays acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, bass and drums. His musical mentors include Chopin, Elton John, Billy Joel and several other prominent musicians.
He and his wife have two adult daughters and a teenage son.
Don Brenneman, President
Roger Olson,
Vice-President
Linda Hoover, Treasurer
Diane Gesell, Secretary
Prescott Chorale Organization
& Board of Directors
Dennis Houser, Artistic Director
Emily Spencer, Assistant Conductor
Matthew Owen, Accompanist
Craig Burns, Director
John Euson, Director
Kay Wood-Houser
Alice Jurian, Director
Larry Levenson, Director
Marcia Lyman, Director
You can make a difference
Support the Prescott Chorale and help bring incredible vocal music to our community!