Artistic & Administrative Staff

Gregory Ristow is associate professor of conducting and director of vocal ensembles at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. Prior to joining the Oberlin faculty, he served in similar roles at the DePauw University School of Music and the Rochester Institute of Technology. For sixteen years, he taught on the faculty of the Interlochen Arts Camp, where he conducted the Interlochen Singers and World Youth Honor Choir. He has sung professionally with Quire Cleveland, Cleveland Chamber Choir, Mercury Baroque and the Houston Chamber Choir and conducted professionally as artistic director of Encore Vocal Arts in Indianapolis, and as a guest conductor with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Voices: A Professional Chamber Choir (Rochester, NY), Foundation for Modern Music (Houston, TX), and the Gregory Kunde Chorale (Rochester, NY). He is active internationally as a teacher of Dalcroze Eurhythmics, a method of music education that teaches music through movement. He holds degrees from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and the Eastman School of Music.

Noted for the richness of her voice, and “clear, focused sound” (ClevelandClassical), mezzo-soprano Kira McGirr performs repertoire spanning from the Baroque to contemporary. Ms. McGirr has been featured as soloist in Elgar’s Sea Pictures; Handel’s Messiah; Mozart’s Requiem and Coronation Mass; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Mass in C Major, Op. 86; Britten’s Ceremony of Carols and Rejoice in the Lamb; and Corigliano’s Fern Hill among many other works. Highlights for the 2025/26 season include solo debuts with the Cleveland Chamber Symphony (Strout Letters of Correspondence), Lexington Bach Festival (Bach Magnificat), Heights Chamber Orchestra (Larsen Raspberry Island Dreaming), The Cleveland Women’s Orchestra (Elgar Sea Pictures) and the Musical Theater Project (Nettie in Carousel) , and return solo engagements with Cleveland Repertory Orchestra (Tilson Thomas From the Diary of Anne Frank), and Perrysburg Symphony Orchestra (Patriotic Pops). She is a frequent collaborator with Local4Music in their series featuring the work of living female and female-identifying composers.

Ms. McGirr has been involved in arts and higher education administration for over a decade, including previous positions with Oberlin College & Conservatory in their Alumni Relations Division, and as Executive Director for The Singers’ Club of Cleveland. She sings with Apollo’s Fire Baroque Orchestra, the Cleveland Chamber Choir, Trinity Cathedral Choir, and Schola Cantorum Lorain. She holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Oberlin College & Conservatory of Music. kiramcgirrmezzo.com

Rayna Brooks, mezzo-soprano, is the current director of choirs and vocal music at Lakewood High School in Lakewood, OH. She received a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and a Bachelor of Music Education from the Conservatory of Music at Baldwin Wallace University and a Masters in Music Education from Case Western Reserve University. Noted as “dramatically formidable, vocally splendid,” Brooks has been featured as the alto soloist in several choral works including Mozart’s Regina Coeli, Trois Chansons de Charles d’Orléans by Debussy, The Little Match Girl Passion by David Lang, and Handel’s Messiah. Rayna is currently a choir member and wedding soloist at the Old Stone Church in Cleveland, Ohio and enjoys singing around the Cleveland area wherever and whenever she can!

Jelani Watkins is the Division Head of Hawken Middle School. He is an experienced music educator, formerly serving as the Department Chair for Performing Arts for Grades Preschool through 12 at Hawken School, the Director of Middle School Choral Activities at Hawken and Haynes Bridge Middle School, Interim Director of the Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Choruses, and the Founding Board President for the Creative Spaces Cultural Arts non-profit arts organization.

Jelani received a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Morehouse College under the direction of Dr. David Morrow, a Master of Music in Choral Conducting at Georgia State University under the direction of Dr. Deanna Joseph, and a Post-Baccalaureate certificate in Music Education at Cleveland State under the direction of Dr. Heather Russell. He has performed as a music conductor, bass vocalist, and piano accompanist internationally with the Cleveland Chamber Choir, Georgia State University Singers, and the Morehouse College Glee Club.

When Jelani is not working as an administrator or performing on stage, he enjoys spending time with his wife Taylor and newborn daughter Nora. In partnership with several organizations including the Lake Erie Swimming Board of Directors, Jelani remains dedicated to furthering his educational capabilities, combining skills in athletic training, administration, and music performance to structure an innovative style of teaching and learning in Ohio.

Peter Wright is a conductor, singer, and voice teacher in Northeast Ohio and a Cleveland native. He is the Artistic Director for Choral Arts Cleveland which is in its 50th season, and Assistant Conductor and tenor in Cleveland Chamber Choir. Mr. Wright performs widely as a soloist and ensemble member and maintains a private voice studio. He is also a trained Latinist who specializes in translating Latin text for choral music.

Connor Prusha is an experienced fundraiser and development professional, bringing several years of dedicated work in the nonprofit sector. He is committed to the arts and the CCC’s mission that choral music is a vehicle for good in the world that should be accessible and welcoming to all.

Connor received his Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and a music minor from Baldwin Wallace University. He is grateful to have had the counsel and direction of incredible musical educators like Drs. Marc Weagraff and Dirk Garner during his time at BW. Connor went on to earn a Master of Public Administration from Bowling Green State University, focused on nonprofit administration, fundraising, and marketing.

Connor currently serves as Development Officer for United Methodist Communications, the communications agency of The United Methodist Church. He has overhauled the organization’s donor appeal and stewardship processes, resulting in record-breaking fundraising campaigns that have seen the highest number of new donors acquired and current donors retained in years. Connor is incredibly passionate about getting to know the stories of those who give. He loves helping people identify their passions and pair them with missional opportunities to create world-changing impact.

Connor is married to the love of his life, Leah, and they live on the West Side with their adorable pup Luna. They are active in their local church and look forward to future service opportunities. Connor is a major history buff, Cleveland sports fan (Go Guards!), and food connoisseur. He and Leah enjoy the outdoors, and you can find them on a nice long walk most evenings. Connor is excited to get to know the CCC community and help Northeast Ohio discover that it is all about much more than music.

Arts administrator and trumpeter Roy Fuccio currently serves as the Director of Ensemble Operations at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where his work helps cultivate a robust student education in skills on and off the stage. In this role, he oversees the personnel, operations, and artistic administration of nine instrumental and choral ensembles.

Outside of his work at Oberlin, Roy’s career in music administration has included production, operations, and education based roles at the Aspen Music Festival and School, Eastern Music Festival, ENCORE Chamber Music Institute, and the California Youth Symphony.

In addition to his administrative work, Roy maintains a private trumpet studio and performance schedule. With an affinity for playing new music, he has been a repeat guest performer on Oberlin faculty recitals and has written about and presented talks on composing music for the trumpet.

Roy received his bachelor’s degree in trumpet performance from Oberlin College & Conservatory where he also studied arts administration and leadership. When he is not working, he enjoys being outdoors, hosting trivia, and spending time with his family, friends, and cat Sylvester.