THOMAS ERIK ANGERHOFER
President
Baritone Thomas Erik Angerhofer has been featured in opera, musical theatre, concert, and
recital, throughout North America, Europe, Africa, and the Near East for over 30 years. Some of
his notable performances include Joseph DeRocher in Heggie's Dead Man Walking (named to the
Musical Top 10 in the Rocky Mountain Region), Sulpice in Donizetti's Daughter of the Regiment
(awarded The American Prize for Opera), The Rancher in Locust: The Opera (performed at the
Orthopterists’ Society international convention in Morocco and in conjunction with COP21 in
Glasgow, Scotland), and as a soloist in Orff's Carmina Burana (with choreography by aerial
acrobatic troupe Frequent Flyers). A champion of new music, Erik was featured in the world
premiere of The Blue Fairy by Rob Frankenberry in the summer of 2025 and is currently
working on a premiere of a song cycle by Stanley Hoffman.
Erik has focused his efforts over the past 20 years on training a new generation of artists,
integrating timeless principles with contemporary understanding. His students have gone on to
perform with prestigious opera companies and festivals, including Glyndebourne and other
international houses, on Broadway and in National Tours, including Hadestown, Six, Hamilton,
and Waitress, and at the nation's leading commercial music venues. Erik is the voice area
coordinator at WVU, and has served on the voice faculties at UNA, Xavier, Ithaca, CSU, and
more. He is the president of the Tri-States Chapter of NATS, is a member of the Society of Pi
Kappa Lambda, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, and the American Guild of Musical Artists.
CINDY B. CANDELARIA-PIEVE
Vice-President
Dr. Cindy Candelaria-Pieve, Dr. Cindy Candelaria-Pieve, mezzo-soprano, has been an active
member of the Tri-State Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS)
since relocating to Western Pennsylvania in 2022 and has served as Chapter Vice President since
2023. Dr. Candelaria joined Slippery Rock University in 2022 as Assistant Professor of Voice,
where she teaches applied voice, lyric diction, a variety of vocal technique and pedagogy courses
focused on classical and contemporary commercial vocal styles, as well conducts the University
Chorus. A passionate educator, Dr. Candelaria believes in the versatility of the voice and brings
extensive experience performing and working with singers across Classical, Musical Theatre,
Contemporary Commercial Music, Latin Jazz, Gospel, and Latin American musical traditions.
Dr. Candelaria holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice Performance with a Cognate in Vocal
Pedagogy from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), where she
studied under the mentoring of Prof. Thomas Baresel. At CCM, she taught applied voice to
Musical Theatre, Graduate Conducting majors, and non-major students and served as a teaching
assistant to the Chair of the Voice Department. She also maintained a voice studio at Xavier
University, working with students in Theatre, Musical Theatre, Music Education, and Voice.
A native of Puerto Rico, Dr. Candelaria earned a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Music Education
from the University of Puerto Rico and pursued formal classical vocal training at the Puerto Rico
Conservatory of Music. She later earned a Master of Arts in Vocal Performance from CUNY
Hunter College. Her background as a music educator includes teaching students from pre-
kindergarten through high school in Puerto Rico and New York City.
As a performer, Dr. Candelaria has appeared in opera, concert, and recital settings. Her operatic
roles include Mrs. Coyle in Owen Wingrave, Mrs. Grose in The Turn of the Screw, Mother in
Amahl and the Night Visitors, Cathleen in Riders to the Sea, Gertrude in Hansel and Gretel, and
the premiere of Argos in Argos. She has performed with Ópera de Puerto Rico and collaborated
extensively in opera chorus and chamber music. Her concert work includes performances with
the Baroque chamber ensemble Mezza Di Voce in Puerto Rico, the Music for All Seasons series
in Ohio, and the Museum of the City of New York.
In addition to her work as a singer and teacher, Dr. Candelaria has extensive experience as a
choral conductor, working with ensembles spanning a broad range of ages, voicings, musical
styles, and settings, from children's and youth choirs to treble, adult, community, and church
ensembles.
LINDA COWAN
Treasurer
Linda Cowan holds the Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Indiana University of
Pennsylvania, the Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Indiana State University, and the
Doctor of Musical Arts from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts, where she
studied with Judith Nicosia and Faith Esham.
She has had many opportunities to perform in the genres of opera, musical theater, theater,
oratorio, and the concert hall. Some of her major roles have included the Countess/Marriage of
Figaro, Micaela/Carmen, Ariel in Shakespeare’s Tempest, Bellamy in The Fantasticks, M’lynn in
Steel Magnolias, Baker’s Wife and Witch in Into the Woods, and Domina in A Funny Thing
Happened on the Way to the Forum. Most recently, she appeared on the West Liberty stage in
September as Elsa von Grossenkneuten in the Hilltop Players’ Alumni cast of The Musical
Comedy Murders of 1940, and as Jeanette in Brooke Hills Playhouse’s The Full Monty.
Cowan created Hilltop Opera at WLU and directed performances of Mozart’s The Magic Flute,
Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, Ching’s Speed Dating Tonight!, and Strauss’ Die Fledermaus.
Other directing experience includes the musicals A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the
Forum for Brooke Hills Playhouse, Mame and The ThreePenny Opera. She served as vocal
director for West Liberty productions of Scrooge, Godspell and A Little Night Music. She held
the dual roles of performer/music director for three summers at the ISU SummerStage Cabaret, an
Actors Equity company.
Dr. Cowan made her New York City debut singing the Brahms Requiem at the church of St.
Luke’s in the Fields in Greenwich Village. Other oratorio performances include the Poulenc
Gloria, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Haydn’s Creation, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, the
Durufle, Rutter, and Mozart Requiem, Handel’s Messiah and Dubois’ Seven Last Words of Christ.
Most recently she sang the soprano solo in the fourth movement of Mahler’s Symphony No. 4
with the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra.
At West Liberty, Dr. Cowan teaches private voice, diction, and vocal literature classes. She has
taught at the West Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts. She serves the National Association
of Teachers of Singing as the Membership Coordinator for West Virginia and treasurer of the
NATS Tri-States chapter. She currently performs with Voces Solis, a semiprofessional choral
organization in Pittsburgh.
TIFFANY MEYERS
Secretary
My name is Tiffany Meyers I am a Voice Teacher at Higher Voice Studio in Carnegie PA. For nearly 10 years I have taught students how to find their own voice through technique, repertoire, practice and performance. I received my Graduate Degree in Vocal Performance from WVU in 2022 under the tutelage of Prof. Robert Chafin and my Undergraduate Degree in Vocal Performance with a French minor from Lee University under the tutelage of Prof. Tony Deaton in 2017. I have participated in NATS competitions as both a competitor and adjudicator since 2012. It is my great honor and privilege to finally be helping this amazing association as Secretary of our Tri-State NATS Chapter.
Tiffany is also active in the Pittsburgh area as a performer where she has performed with The Pittsburgh Savoyards, The Bach Choir of Pittsburgh, Little Lake Theater, and Trinity Episcopal Cathedral Choir, as well as holds the position of Assistant Worship Director and Children’s Ministry Coordinator at Christian Bible Fellowship in Washington, PA.
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HILERIE KLEIN RENSI
Auditions Coordinator
Hilerie Klein Rensi is a voice educator, performer, teacher mentor, and founder of Higher Voice Studio in Pittsburgh, and has spent more than 30 years helping singers develop healthy, expressive, and authentic voices across classical, musical theatre, and contemporary commercial styles.
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A graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, Hilerie earned her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music and her Master of Music through Binghamton University and Tri-Cities Opera. Her professional performance background spans opera, operetta, musical theatre, and contemporary styles, giving her a uniquely broad perspective on the technical and artistic demands facing today’s singers.
In 2026, Hilerie joined the faculty of Interlochen Center for the Arts, working with young artists in contemporary music, pop/rock performance, and musical theatre. She is also a National NATS Student Auditions adjudicator and has served as a mentor through the NATS National Mentoring Collaborative.
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Hilerie is the founder and owner of Higher Voice Studio, a multi-teacher music school serving approximately 300 students each week. In addition to her work with singers, she is passionate about teacher development and vocal pedagogy, particularly the intersection of evidence-informed voice training, artistic identity, and the practical demands of performance.
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Her students have been accepted to many of the nation’s leading music and theatre programs, including The Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music, Eastman School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, Berklee College of Music, University of Southern California, Oklahoma City University, Belmont University, Cleveland Institute of Music, and Interlochen Center for the Arts, as well as prestigious summer programs including the Aspen Music Festival, Glimmerglass Festival, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and ArtsBridge.
A longtime member and former President of the Tri-State Chapter of NATS, Hilerie currently serves as the chapter’s Auditions Coordinator and remains committed to creating meaningful educational and performance opportunities for singers and voice teachers throughout the region.
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AMANDA LI
Social Media
Amanda Wai-Yin Li is Assistant Professor of Voice at West Virginia University, where she teaches applied voice, opera workshop, and lyric diction. Originally from Hong Kong, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music from The Chinese University of Hong Kong before pursuing graduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music and Royal Holloway, University of London. She later earned the Doctor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.
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An active performer, Dr. Li has appeared in opera, recital, and concert engagements throughout Asia, Europe, and North America. Career highlights include Bao Chai in Bright Sheng's Dream of the Red Chamber, Sieglinde and Gerhilde in Wagner's Die Walküre, and contemporary music performances with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to her performance career, she has extensive experience as a music director, vocal coach, clinician, and masterclass instructor, working with singers of all ages and levels.
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Dr. Li's research interests include diction and singer training, culturally informed approaches to voice pedagogy, and the experiences of students from Confucian Heritage Cultures in higher education. She is a member of NATS, NAfME, and ISME. As Social Media Manager for the chapter, she enjoys helping connect voice teachers and students through communication, collaboration, and professional engagement.