Staff
Artistic Staff
David Thomas – Artistic Director
Ken Selden – Orchestra Director
Ann Christensen – Concert Master
Jennie Peterson – Assistant Choir Director
Board of Directors
Ken Hollenzer – Executive Director
Kristi Crusan – Treasurer
Mark Deason – Technology
Operational Staff
Brad Goodwin – Producer
Amy Updike – Wardrobe
Keith Biggs – Public Relations
Artistic Director
Dr. David Thomas
David M. Thomas enjoys a strong reputation throughout the Pacific Northwest as a conductor who fuses technique and artistry to provide a compelling and transformative musical experience.
Dr. Thomas excels as a choral musician through his unwavering commitment to healthy vocal production in the choir. Influenced early on by the beautiful soprano voice of his mother, Beverly Thomas, and her work building a thriving children’s and youth choral academy, Dr. Thomas spent much of his childhood years engrossed in the art of singing. As a teen, he took quickly to conducting, found early success leading his peers in rehearsal and, soon thereafter, conducting in performance, laying a strong foundation for his future education and career path. Earning an undergraduate degree in vocal performance (Brigham Young University) provided the confidence and skill necessary to elicit healthy, energetic singing from choristers.
Dr. Thomas attributes much of his success as a conductor and pedagogue to his years of study and performance with Dr. Ronald Staheli. Valery Uspensky, Stanislav Legkov and Mack Wilberg also played key roles in his development as a musician. Dr. Thomas (baritone) has performed as a soloist in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s well-known weekly television broadcast, and on the Mariinsky Theatre stage, and has prepared choirs or collaborated as a guest conductor with many prestigious ensembles including the Oregon Repertory Singers and the Newport Symphony Orchestra.
After earning additional degrees in Russian language (BA) and choral conducting (MM) at Brigham Young University, Dr. Thomas received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire in St. Petersburg Russia. He has continually integrated Russian music in his performance and research, providing performance coaching for ensembles and soloists, and presenting scholarly work at national and regional level professional conferences. Artistic Director of the Portland Choir & Orchestra since 2007, Dr. Thomas pursues his greatest passion (teaching) via a robust private studio and is highly sought after as a clinician and adjudicator.
Orchestra Director
Portland Choir and Orchestra is pleased to announce that Ken Selden, Professor and Director of Orchestral Studies at Portland State University, has accepted the position of Orchestra Director.
Dr. Selden has held the position of Director of Orchestral Studies at PSU since 2006. Under his direction, the PSU Orchestra has received three awards in Adventurous Programming from ASCAP and the League of American Orchestras. In addition to annual ballet and opera productions, the orchestra has hosted guest artists Manuel Barrueco, China Forbes, Matt Haimovitz, Anna Polonsky, Awadagin Pratt, and Orli Shaham.
Since arriving in Portland, Dr. Selden has appeared as guest conductor of the Oregon, Vancouver, Newport, and Eugene Symphonies, as well as the Salem Chamber Orchestra, Third Angle, Fear No Music, and Portland Youth Philharmonic. His two recordings of Mahler and Debussy arrangements with the Martingale Ensemble have been released on MSR Classics.
Dr. Selden made his professional debut with the National Arts Center Orchestra of Canada at the invitation of Pinchas Zuckerman, and subsequently appeared with orchestras of Denver, Baltimore, Minnesota, and North Carolina, and at music festivals in the United States, Romania, and Switzerland. He has also conducted the Moscow Chamber Orchestra at the David Oistrakh Festival in Estonia and orchestras in Finland, Italy, and Belgium.
Prior to his appointment at PSU, Dr. Selden led a series of performances as assistant conductor of the Brooklyn Philharmonic and the Eos Orchestra. While in New York, he also conducted the Juilliard Pre-College Orchestras and the New Jersey Youth Symphony, and served as music director of orchestras at Brooklyn College and Columbia University.
Dr. Selden is a graduate of New England Conservatory, Indiana University and Peabody Conservatory. His teachers include violinists James Buswell and Yuval Yaron, and conductors Gustav Meier and Markand Thakar. He participated in conducting masterclasses with Neeme Jarvi, Jorma Panula, and Yuri Temirkanov, and attended the National Conducting Institute at the Kennedy Center, where he studied with Leonard Slatkin and conducted the National Symphony. Dr. Selden has worked with composers Pierre Boulez, John Cage, and Tan Dun, and has conducted world premieres of music by Peter Lieberson, Michael Nyman, and Stephen Paulus.
Regarding his appointment as Orchestra Director for PCO, Dr. Selden said, “I’m thrilled to join the artistic staff of the Portland Choir and Orchestra as the organization celebrates its twentieth year and looks to the future. PCO has a unique place in the Portland community and I look forward to working with David and the PCO staff and musicians to continue bringing great music to our audiences.”
Dr. Selden will conduct his premier concert for Portland Choir and Orchestra on December 20, 2025, PCO’s annual Christmas concert at the Newmark Theater.
Concert Master
When critics use words like “brilliant performances” and “virtuoso playing”, you’ve got to know that hearing violinist Ann Christensen play amounts to a musical celebration, whether she is performing as a recitalist, chamber musician, or concerto soloist.
Ann’s international appearances include over 60 solo recitals in China, Nepal, Korea, Mongolia, Taiwan and New Zealand with duo partner pianist Lisa Bergman. “Everywhere they went, they charmed their audiences with their warmth, talent and humor” reported the Chinese Consulate in Guangzhou. Their recording American Music from Jazz, Broadway and Hollywood, produced in conjunction with their appointment as U.S. State Department Artistic Ambassadors, was received with critical recognition, touting Ann’s virtuoso playing as “making the crossover from classical to jazz sound easy.” (The Oregonian).
As concertmaster for the Oregon Repertory Singers orchestra, Ann recorded John Corigliano’s Fern Hill, and Libby Larsen’s Mass for the Earth, both on the KOCH International Classics Label. She has also recorded on the Hanssler Classic Executive Series as a member of the Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra, and has been heard on NPR’s Performance Today in concert at the Olympic Chamber Music Festival. Orchestral experience includes performances with the Oregon Symphony, the Opera Company of Boston, the Portland (Maine) Symphony, and the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston, as well with the Grand Teton, Peter Britt, Graz, and Oregon Bach festival orchestras.
Ann served for 8 years on the faculty of Lewis & Clark College where, demonstrating her versatility, she taught individual violin performance, coached chamber music, string pedagogy and conducted the Lewis & Clark/Reed College orchestra. She has also taught master classes at the Shanghai Conservatory, and the Sichuan Conservatory, both in China, Chonnan National University in Korea, and Victoria University in New Zealand. She also taught at the Olympic Music Festival’s Chamber Music Institute, and Humboldt State University’s Sequoia Chamber Music Institute.
Ann earned an Artist Diploma from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, where she studied with noted violinist Kathleen Winkler. She was a winner of the conservatory’s concerto competition, and upon graduation, was awarded the Louis and Annette Kaufman violin prize. She was then accepted into the studio of famed violinist Miriam Fried at the Indiana University School of Music and earned a Master of Violin Performance degree. Ann is based in Portland, Oregon, and loves to garden and hike in the fabulously beautiful northwest. With Covid-19, Ann has now taken up running.
If you missed Ann’s fabulous performance of Vivaldi’s Winter from our concert in 2018, please watch the YouTube recording.
ASSISTANT Choir Director
Jennie Peterson
Jennie Peterson received her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education with a secondary education choral emphasis from Brigham Young University in 2007. She has had a passion for choral music from a very young age and has enjoyed participating in and directing various choirs throughout her life. Jennie is currently a stay-at-home mother of four children. In her spare time, she loves to bake and read. Jennie has been part of the Portland Choir and Orchestra since 2010. She enjoyed acting as the soprano Section Leader at that time, and she is currently thrilled to be the Assistant Choir Director.
Executive Director
Ken received a BA in Environmental Science from Eisenhower College located in Seneca Falls, New York. Ken then migrated to Madison, Wisconsin to receive an MS in Water Resources Management. Ken dedicated thirty-two years in environmental protection serving in various professional assignments in the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. During this time, Ken was responsible for drafting environmental policy still in place today.
Ken’s love of music began as a youth when he sang in his kindergarten class. He soon joined his elementary school and church youth choirs while also learning to play the violin. Finding a real sense of joy through music, Ken continued to sing and play in the orchestra during his Junior high and Senior high school years. During Ken’s college years, he chose to focus on choral work. While in college, Ken was asked to sing the role of Peter Abelard, a musical score prepared for a potential Broadway show. After moving to Madison, Ken auditioned for and sang with the Madrigal Choir under the direction of Samuel Jones. He also starred in the lead role of Frederic in Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera, The Pirates of Penzance. Upon moving to Portland, Oregon in 2007, Ken auditioned for and joined the Portland (Ensign) Choir, under the direction of David Thomas. Ken and his wife, Sally, served a two year mission for their church in Cambodia between 2013 and 2015. Apart from those two years, Ken has sung with the Portland Choir on a continuous basis.
Spare time is limited but Ken enjoys traveling, walking – especially along Oregon’s coast – and recording significant moments through photography. He also loves to write and is the author of several publications.
Treasurer
Majoring in Music Dance Theatre at Brigham Young University (BYU), Kristi performed with the celebrated BYU Young Ambassadors and University Singers. She starred in main stage operas and music theatre productions and performed at prestigious venues such as Sundance, Opryland in Nashville, and internationally in Korea and Russia. Her career also included extensive studio work, with recordings for Deseret Book and commercials for major brands like the US Open and Toyota.
As an accomplished vocal coach, Kristi taught voice at BYU and ran a thriving private voice studio, working with notable artists such as Donny Osmond, Jenny Oaks Baker, Michael McLean, and Steven King.
While pursuing her music career, Kristi graduated cum laude from the University of Utah with a degree in Accounting. She worked in public accounting for six years before marrying her husband, Ben, and taking on the financial management of his growing dental practices and other smaller clients.
Over the past decade, Kristi has balanced her dual passions for music and accounting. She performed in productions of Gypsy and Into the Woods and, in recent years, has joined forces with the impressive Portland Choir and Orchestra, continuing her lifelong commitment to the arts.
In 2024, Kristi stepped in for Tara Janson, who is serving a 2 year mission in Germany.
Technology
Mark Deason has been developing computer systems for over 40 years, most recently network management for very large Internet service providers. Mark also spent many years serving as technology specialist for his church, including sound, video, and computer networks.
Having several friends in the choir, Mark finally overcame the fear of auditioning and joined the choir in 2015 just in time to sing (baritone) in the summer concert with Bill Schonely. As it turned out, help was needed with sound and the website, and after a bit of training from Michael Isaacs and Carl Davis, Mark took on those responsibilities and a few more after they moved on.
Mark’s superpower is the ability to figure out just about anything with a “on” switch, but it is truly a joy meeting weekly and singing with the choir, many more of whom are now counted by Mark as friends.
Producer
Brad Goodwin
After attending a performance of the Portland Choir & Orchestra in 2009 that he described as “Carnegie Hall in Portland,” Brad became a volunteer. He has been involved with every concert since.
He currently produces Portland Choir and Orchestra concerts and supervises a crew of dedicated volunteers who handle production design, sound, lighting, stage management, transportation, decorations, house management, box office, ushering, post-production recordings, and video.
Brad spent four years as the drum major of the Brigham Young University marching band. Professionally he is a software architect at Oracle, a global software company.
Wardrobe
Joining hearts and voices in song has always been a core part of Amy’s soul. Some of her earliest cherished memories were singing around the piano with her 4 sisters and joining her dad while he played and sang old folk ballads on the guitar. In school in Austin, Texas, she proudly professed to be a “choir nerd” as she spent most of her time in the choir room practicing for Show Choir, Chamber Choir and Concert Choir. Throughout her adult years she enjoyed joining many church choirs and ensembles, and loved teaching music to children. Now, she is thrilled to be a part of Portland Choir & Orchestra since 2021, singing second soprano, and surrounded by so much talent.
Public Relations
Keith Biggs received his BA in Political Science from Portland State University and his Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. At age 8, Keith started taking piano lessons from concert pianist Brent Johnston. In middle and high school he added to his musical background by taking up the trombone and singing. He shared his passion for the piano by teaching piano for several years. In college, he learned how to play the organ and now plays the organ and piano for several musical events in the Portland, Oregon region. One of Keith’s biggest musical highlights was being able to play the famous Mormon Tabernacle Organ in August of 2013.
Keith has been involved with the Portland Choir & Orchestra from its beginning in 2005. He has voluntarily served as public relations director for the choir and orchestra and previously as Executive Director for 7 years. In his spare time, he loves to travel, study American history, and act. You may have seen him briefly in a few episodes of Leverage and GRIMM as well as a few local commercials.
Orchestra Director
One of the most highly sought after conductors of the Pacific Northwest, Dr. Edward Higgins has spent his musical career imparting the joys of music as a performer, educator, and conductor.
Dr. Higgins began his versatile performance career with the Spoleto Festival Orchestra in Spoleto, Italy, where he served as Principal Trumpet on such works as the Grammy-winning recording of Samuel Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra. After two seasons Dr. Higgins went on to hold the Principal Trumpet position of the Sacramento Symphony. He achieved comparable accolades in the Midwest as a professional tubist, holding principal positions in the La Crosse Symphony and St. Joseph Symphony Orchestras.
As an active conductor, Dr. Higgins spent 15 years as Director of Bands at Portland State University and a decade serving as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Portland Wind Symphony, founded the Oregon Conductor’s Symposium and has conducted State and Province wide high school honor ensembles throughout the US and Canada. He has also been a featured guest with the Portland Festival Orchestra. Most recently, Dr. Higgins has become the Orchestra Director of the Portland Choir and Orchestra and has taken his baton worldwide — appearing in such diverse locales as New York’s La Guardia School of Music and Art (featured in the 1980 motion picture titled “Fame”), and Seattle’s Rainier Symphony Orchestra and the Conservatory of Music in Guangzhou, China.
Higgins has collaborated on the concert stage with notable artists such as, Glenn Dicterow (Concertmaster, New York Philharmonic), Charles Schlueter (Principal Trumpet Emeritus, Boston Symphony), Ronald Baron (Principal Trombone Emeritus, Boston Symphony), Fred Korman (Principal Oboe, Emeritus, Oregon Symphony) and world-renowned trumpet soloist Carl “Doc” Severinsen.
A published author, his critical edition of Robert Russell Bennett’s Suite of Old American Dances is published by Hal Leonard Publishing Company and serves as the model for the company’s master-works series. Higgins is also the author of Intonation from Both Sides of the Bell, published by Art of Sound Music Publications, Robert Russell Bennett’s Suite of Old American Dances, A Study Guide, published by Hoyt Editions, and Detroit and Motown, The Rise and Fall of Two Giants published by Alias Music Publications.
Dr. Higgins holds a Doctorate in Conducting from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in trumpet performance from the Juilliard School. He recently served as a Professor of Music at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon and Orchestra Conductor of the Portland Choir and Orchestra.