Who We Are

Here is a sampling of some of our 120+ choristers.

Maggie Tomasiewicz
Soprano 2 . Member since 2006 . Greenwich, CT

I am a Middle School chorus teacher in Norwalk. I’ve been playing piano for twenty years as an accompanist and singer/song writer. I’ve also played the french horn and guitar. GCS has been a great opportunity for me to be involved in classical music again. I sincerely look forward to singing every week, even after a long day at work.

Diane Fuhrer
Alto 2
Jim Fuhrer
Bass 2
Members since 1993
White Plains, NY

Both Diane and Jim, husband and wife, retired in the early ‘90’s and have devoted a good deal of volunteer time to GCS. Diane has been on both the Nominating and Scholarship Committees and Jim recently was Treasurer of the organization. Both had sung in High School and College choruses, and their Church choirs.

Joyce Davis

Alto 2  .  Member since 1995  .  Stamford, CT

I’ve been singing since I’ve been a child, and my Mother and I would play together at church services; she on the piano, and me on the organ. Then I was fortunate enough to meet and marry a singer. I sing with GCS for three reasons: I learn something new at every rehearsal; it gives me exposure to master composers and rising stars; and, it’s fun.

Carolyn Bonheim Soprano 1
Greenwich, CT
Elizabeth Bodek Soprano 2
Stamford, CT
Members since 2006

This Mother/Daughter combination auditioned together, singing a lullaby to Elizabeth’s one year old. Both have always had music in their lives; and Carolyn, for many years, sang with the Grace Notes, a well known women’s a cappella group. “We have always dreamed of singing together, and GCS gave us that chance.”

Bob Luce

Bass 1 . Member  since 1995 . Riverside, CT

I sang in choirs and college musicals, and then went into musical hibernation…until I attended a GCS concert and said to myself, “Why am I sitting here in the audience; I want to be up there with those happy folks.” And now I am. GCS has been a central part of my life. One of the things that I have enjoyed most has been our biennial trips abroad; France, Italy, the UK, Prague/Vienna.

Sarah Carter
Tenor 1 . Member since 2003 . Greenwich, CT

I joined after taking a 25-year hiatus from choral singing to raise three daughters. I now live part-time in California, and …it is a testament to my love of GCS that I make it back for rehearsal every Tuesday. I am a familiar sight on American Airlines, sitting there with my music, CD player and headset...tapping and humming away.

Mike Fonseca
Bass 1 . Member since 2006 . Fairfield, CT

I work in sports management for CAA Sports in Manhattan. I began singing in High School, and have participated in various choirs over the years; but none as challenging and rewarding as GCS. I enjoy the music, and I think that Maestro Mueller is great director and teacher. He’s really helped improve my skills.

Lee Paine
Alto 2 . Member since 1967 . Riverside, CT

Imagine being a member this long (gasp)! I joined when Louie White was the conductor; and was on the committee that chose Dick Vogt, who led us for twenty five years. Even though I’m now a church soloist, I’ve stayed with GCS because every year the group gets better…offering a challenging choral experience that can’t be matched in Fairfield County.

Allan Ruchman
Bass 1 . Member since 2003 . Cos Cob, CT

After singing in High School and College, and not for a while after, I missed the thrill of making music. GCS gave me that thrill back, and rehearsals have become an island of serenity for me. It’s a friendly group of people who work very hard under the excellent leadership of Paul Mueller, our conductor.

Barbara Laman
Soprano 2 . Member since 2005 . Greenwich, CT

I’m a fifteen-year resident of Greenwich and joined the chorus in 2005. Besides the people, what I most enjoy about GCS is the tremendous variety of music that we sing – both choral repertoire and multicultural works. Music is and has been great part of my life, and I continue to teach voice.

Joanne Falinski
Soprano 2 . Member since 1993 . Peekskill, NY

Job responsibilities took me away from music for more than a decade. When I was able again to commit to a chorus, I asked a music teacher in Westchester which was the area’s best. “The Greenwich Choral Society”, she said; and she was right. I drive 45 minutes to rehearsals, and its well worth it.

Tad Larrabee
Bass 1 . Member since 1999 . Old Greenwich, CT

I love to sing. I was a member of the Amherst College Glee Club, and then missed singing formally while raising a family and working in Thailand and Europe. Then I joined the Stamford Master Singers…and graduated to GCS for a greater challenge. Choral singing of this quality gives me an anchor to beauty, personal challenge and friendship…all of which are invaluable and extensively available at GCS. As a Board member, I am Hospitality Chair and helping to upgrade internet capabilities.

Kate Woodman
Alto 2 . Member since 1997 . Wilton, CT

I am a retired lawyer and the mother of two teenage boys. I have been singing all my life, starting with the Children’s Choir at the First Presbyterian Church in Youngstown, Ohio. The pinnacle of my career has been my years with GCS. The rehearsals are a music lesson; the concerts are absolutely thrilling; the choristers are a delight.

Ken Foege
Tenor 2 . Member since 1976 . Rye, NY

I’m a retired IBM communications executive, with an avocation…I guess you could say…in the Choral Society. Sometimes I wonder how I find the time to attend rehearsals and performances; what with time allotted to children, grandkids, classic film lectures, docent duties. But after three decades, I’m still enjoying the people and the music.

Hilary Kostanoski
Alto 2 . Member since 2007 . Brooklyn, NY

I love the community feeling I get being a part of GCS. You get a lot of warmth and encouragement as soon as you walk in the room. I have a background in music education, and have been teaching, and performing in many folk, country and bluegrass bands in New York City since 2005.

Mary Demko
Alto 2 . Member since 1996 . Norwalk, CT

A stay-at-home Mom, at the time, I joined GCS in 1996 after moving to Connecticut. After eight years of not singing, it was great to be back harmonizing with new-found friends. I sang in many choral groups in high school and college, but never realized how much I missed singing until I joined up. I now work full time…but Tuesday night rehearsals are still an essential part of my week. (Mary is a former President.)

Ann-Marie Tai
Soprano 1 . Member since 2003 . Cos Cob, CT

My nanny taught me to sing Chinese folk songs and hymns when I was growing up in Shanghai; and my children’s violin playing helped me to learn notes. My time with GCS just has improved my skill levels and enjoyment. You can hear me humming and singing our music in the halls of Stamford Hospital, where I am a cardiology technician.

Karen Juul
Soprano 1 . Member since 1988 . Stamford, CT

A past Registrar and Chair of the organization, Karen graduated from the Boston Conservatory of Music…was the runner-up in a Jenny Lind singing contest…and had a successful career as a Consultant with McKinsey & Company. She’s married, enjoys gourmet cooking, good dining, cycling, travel and, of course, singing with a wonderful group named the Greenwich Choral Society.

Dan Bergfeld
Tenor 1 . Member since 1983 . New Canaan, CT

With a quarter century spent as a leading tenor with GCS, coupled with his Mother’s 32 years - beginning 1973, the family has been a mainstay of the Society. Dan says he still learns from every rehearsal and gets a thrill out of every concert. He has a successful Marketing Consulting firm, is President of a company that develops early childhood learning products, and is an award-winning sculptor at the Silvermine Arts Center.

Roy Pfeil
Bass 1 . Member since 1988 . Norwalk, CT

Singing with Greenwich Choral Society is enormously fulfilling. Maestro Mueller creates wonderfully exciting and diverse concert programs, ranging from Bach to Bernstein to Duke Ellington. He works the chorus hard to achieve high quality; the result is performances that are, by all accounts, highly regarded by critics and our audiences.

Jean Luc Sinneger
Bass 2 . Member since 2007 . Cos Cob, CT

I’m a native of France…married 24 years, and a banker at Citigroup. I sang in a boy’s choir from age 9 on, but as I got older and my voice lowered I became a Bass. I love music. I had heard great things about GCS and their talent; so I auditioned and was accepted. I couldn’t be happier. Now I’m taking voice lessons in sacred music.

Bill Lane
Bass 2 . Member since 2005 . Stamford, CT

My life is full of music. GCS is my main gig, but I also sing with the Westchester Chordsmen - a barbershop group; and fill-in sometimes with the Stamford Chorale where I used to be a member. I began singing in college at Holy Cross, then took my voice into my shower for thirty years before I eventually let it out. I’m a Certified Financial Planner, play some tennis on a pair of bad knees, and enjoy family time.

Wendy Dziurzynski
Alto 1 . Member since 1989 . Greenwich, CT

I’m a musician. I have a Bachelor of Music in French Horn – with a Minor in Voice - from James Madison University; and a Masters from Yale School of Music. After I joined the chorus in ’89, I became its Business Administrator the next year, and served ‘till ’97. I love singing with GCS. I’ll stay another twenty years…or more…if I can build an addition to store the staggering amount of music I have and will have sung. Currently, I’m a freelance musician; but mostly stay home with two young children.