Tracia Barbieri (conductor/alto) enjoys exposing her students, audiences, and performers to a wide breadth of music, including what they don’t even know exists inside them! Over these past three decades she has taught college Music Appreciation classes, private voice and piano, handbell and church choirs, and of course founded the Vocal Art Ensemble. She feels blessed to have such a unique opportunity to join creative artistry, camaraderie, and music-making in what is now a family chorus. For fun, she works with plants, teaches aqua aerobics, travels with her wife, watches her grandson, and attempts to golf.
Sang Byun (bass) joined VAE’s bass section in 2017 and enjoys being part of a close-knit group where every voice matters and the director can shape performances with subtle nuance. Outside of singing, he works in tech, coaches the high school robotics team, and stays active through golf, cycling, mountain biking, and running.
Steve Burns (bass) collected degrees in Anthropology and Electrical Engineering, and worked on test instruments and medical devices for most of his career. His first deep exposure to exquisite vocal music was when his two children sang in the Davis Madrigal choir, and he slowly became a choral member himself. Trying new instruments intrigues him, and he’s collected some percussion bits and a harmonica. The cello also calls to him, but that dream hasn’t been realized yet.
Tazlina Deslinger (mezzo) joined VAE after graduating college and realizing that she truly missed choral singing, which she did to various degrees for most of her pre-college life. After attending VAE’s Ir-“ish” concert, she is very excited to join in making such lovely music. Outside of choir, she works as a water resources engineer and is an avid seamstress, backpacker, and collector of hobbies.
Isabelle Henry (mezzo) grew up in Belgium and later moved to the United States to pursue graduate studies. She works in a plant genetics lab at UC Davis, plays recorders of various sizes, and enjoys photographing her daughters’ sporting events. She also loves traveling with her wife, conductor Tracia Barbieri. Isabelle treasures the intimate nature of singing with VAE — the close connections with her fellow singers both on and off stage — and delights in the chance to contribute instrumentally, whether with wonderful collaborators, or by experimenting with new instruments inspired by the themes of each show.
Lori Leong (alto) works as the diagnostic laboratory manager for Foundation Plant Services at UC Davis. She enjoys traveling, reading, going to shows at local theaters and the Mondavi Center, and she is working on learning to love running. She joined VAE in 2008 as one of the founding members of the choir, and has been in every season since.
Pat Moore-Pickett (alto) has always been a harmonizer, from caroling as a Girl Scout, to church choir to community choruses; from a capella Eastern European music, to Threshold singing at bedside. In VAE she loves the blend of tight harmonies, the real friendships, musical variety, and a creativity process with room for humor!
Cliff Ohmart (tenor) is a retired pest management expert who worked with growers of orchards and vineyards in developing sustainable farming programs for them. He played the clarinet and tenor sax in Junior High and High School and sang in choral groups from Junior High through College. He began singing again when he joined VAE in 2008. He enjoys camping, hiking, golf, and eating good food and drinking nice wine.
Bryan Plude (Baritone) has always found time to sing in the community, even throughout college and careers in the United States Navy, engineering, and ministry. In retirement, he makes singing the priority. Bryan enjoys the high level of singing in VAE and expanding his vocal skills.
Alice Pederson (soprano) enjoys memorizing and striving to perfect each piece we sing, ably assisted by her maltipoo, Charlie. When not rehearsing, Alice and Charlie enjoy taking long walks on the greenbelt and learning new tricks. Until their unicycle juggling act is perfected, they’ll continue to work in the Office of Compliance and Policy at UC Davis.
Mijke Rhemtulla (soprano) is a professor of psychological methods at UC Davis. In her free time she plays piano and board games, and makes piñatas and halloween costumes for her kids. She’s loved choral singing since joining her first choir in elementary school, and is thrilled to be singing again after a very long hiatus.
Rithik Ranganathan (baritenor) text is coming soon
Jia-Min Rosendale (soprano) is a local music educator, accompanist and music director. She spends much of her time teaching piano and voice, accompanying choirs and working at local theaters, especially the Woodland Opera House. Fun fact: Jia-Min is a newly certified and licensed EMT and is looking forward to starting a second career in EMS.
Val Syverson (tenor) is a paleontologist who specializes in paleoecology and digital collections, currently teaching at UC Davis. He got into choral singing as a teen by becoming an early music fan, took a long break starting in grad school, became a tenor belatedly at age 35, and started singing again in 2023. In VAE he enjoys the eclectic repertoire, camaraderie, and high standards of musicianship.
Jeremy Wright (Baritenor) was drawn to VAE in Spring 2017 because of its excellent blend, the interactions between choir members, and the acting displayed on stage. Over the past decade Jeremy has delivered thousands upon thousands of newspapers for the Davis Enterprise, and is now a scout for the Mind Institute. He also dabbles in various sports, playwriting, creating card games, and composing musical spoofs.
Want to be on this page? Come audition for VAE by contacting TraciaBarbieri@gmail.com.
The Vocal Art Ensemble 