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.

Heidi Pierce, Accompanist

Heidi Pierce developed her musicianship from an early age under the guidance of her parents, both accomplished musicians and educators. She earned a degree in Music Education and later completed a Master of Arts in Teaching from Grand Canyon University, with piano as her instrument.

For ten years, Heidi served on the music faculty at Riverdale High School in Portland, Oregon, where she taught Choir, Band, and Music Theory. Alongside her teaching career, Heidi maintained an active performance life as a collaborative pianist and accompanist, working regularly with vocalists, instrumentalists, choirs, ensembles, studio musicians and a variety of recording projects. She also served as the Keyboardist for Central Lutheran Church in downtown Portland.

Heidi is a highly skilled music reader and arranger, with extensive experience creating custom arrangements and adaptations for choirs and ensembles. She is especially valued for her ability to step into new repertoire quickly, support performers with confidence and sensitivity, and navigate complex scores with ease. Heidi’s musical voice is rooted in expressive, rhythmically alive performance, with a particular love for Gospel Jazz.

In June 2025, Heidi and her family relocated to Prescott, Arizona, where she now serves as Director of Music Ministries at Prescott United Methodist Church. Outside of her professional work, Heidi enjoys life in Prescott with her husband and their three-year-old son: a family bound together by a shared love of music and deep commitment to faith and community.

Board Officers
Don Brenneman, President
Roger Olson,
Vice-President
Linda Hoover, Treasurer
Diane Gesell, Secretary

Prescott Chorale Organization
& Board of Directors

Organization Members
Dennis Houser, Artistic Director
Emily Spencer, Assistant Conductor
Matthew Owen, Accompanist

Board Directors
Craig Burns, Director
John Euson, Director
Kay Wood-Houser
Alice Jurian, Director
Larry Levenson, Director
Marcia Lyman, Director

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