Brook Carter Larson

Director

Brook Carter Larson is currently the Artistic Director of the Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix. Since taking the podium with Orpheus, the group has more than tripled in size. Before joining Orpheus, Larson taught Choral Music Education classes at Arizona State University for six years. During his time at ASU, Dr. Larson founded and directed two choirs, the Sun Devil Singers and the ASU Men's Chorus. In addition to directing choir, Larson taught Choral Methods, supervised student teachers, and coordinated field experience for music education majors. Before hit time at ASU, Larson taught at the middle and high school levels.


Larson received a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from Arizona State University. He also holds degrees from Bowling Green State University (Ohio) and Moorhead State University (Minnesota). Larson's mentor teachers at these institutions include R. D. Mathey, Paul Sahuc, David Stocker, and George Umberson. Upon completion of his doctoral studies, Dr. Larson also had the great honor of studying privately with the late Doug McEwen, emeritus professor of Arizona State University.

Recently, Larson has conducted the Cantaremos Boys Honor Choir, Arizona Music Educators Association Junior High School All-State Choir, the Greater Phoenix Honor Choir, Tucson's inaugural Boys to Men Festival, Regional Honor Choirs throughout Arizona, and was a Co-conductor with Charles Bruffy (Artistic Director of the Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Chorale) of the Phoenix-area Boys to Men Festival which featured Chanticleer.  Dr. Larson was the Repertoire & Standards Chair for Male Choirs for the Arizona chapter of the American Choral Directors Association for eight years. Larson’s edition of A New Commandment by Thomas Tallis was published by Walton Music in 2010.  His active research includes vocal physiology and its relation to choral warm-ups, the application of analysis (specifically, Schenkerian) toward performance, sight-singing and ear training pedagogy, and several choral arrangements. Larson directs the Chancel Choir at St. Peter Lutheran Church (Mesa) and has also taught choir and theory at Scottsdale Community College.  He lives in Mesa with his wonderful wife, Laura, and their daughter, Gemma.

Ron Rhode

Accompanist

Orpheus is pleased to have the vast talent of our accompanist, Mr. Ron Rhode.

A native of Illinois, Ron began his musical career studying piano and quickly advanced to classical pipe organ. His first theatre organ job was playing for roller skating rinks. In 1973, Ron moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to begin what would be a long association with Organ Stop Pizza restaurants in Mesa. There, he held the Featured Organist position for over 10 years!

He also has been the Featured Organist for the Silent Sunday Series at the Orpheum Theatre since its inception in May of 1999.

Mr. Rhode's educational achievements include a Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education from Arizona State University and Master of Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University. He is currently Media Specialist at Roosevelt Elementary in Mesa, Arizona. He also is the organist for the Church of the Beatitudes, U.C.C., in Phoenix, Arizona.

Although busy with his teaching career, he maintains an active concert and recording career. He performs professionally across the United States, Canada, England, and Australia and is a favorite at American Theatre Organ Society national and regional conventions. He also has more than twenty recordings to his credit.

As of 2005, Ron Rhode is beginning his 33rd year as one of the most popular theatre organists in the country. His recordings have received "Top Rating 10/10" from CD Review Magazine, and he was awarded "Theatre Organist Of The Year - 1989" by the American Theatre Organ Society. Additionally, he has the distinct honor of playing virtually every major theatre organ installation in the world.

We are proud to have Mr. Rhode and his musicianship as part of the Orpheus family.

Carric Smolnik

Assistant Conductor

Carric Smolnik is currently the Assistant Conductor of the Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix and the Conductor for the Arizona Deseret Choir. He holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from Arizona State University, where he served as the Conductor of the ASU Men’s Chorus, the Assistant Conductor of ASU Chamber Singers and Choral Union, and as a collaborative pianist for vocal and instrumental students at ASU. He also holds a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting and a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance, both from Brigham Young University. While at BYU, Carric Smolnik directed and assisted several auditioned choirs and served as the Conductor and Artistic Director of Impressions, his own chamber choir. Carric Smolnik loves collaboration, finding fulfillment in his work as a conductor and a collaborative pianist.