Stephanie Nash brings her passion for choral music to every ensemble she conducts. Stephanie has been the Director of Music at Lakeside Presbyterian Church since 2006, where she oversees the music program and conducts three choirs.

Stephanie also works with other choirs in the Cincinnati area. She became the conductor of the Northern Kentucky Community Chorus in 2013 and is proud to continue the traditions of this strong organization founded in 1980. She also began working at Isaac M. Wise Temple in 2012 where she conducts their congregational choir, Kol Rinah, and conducts and coordinates all singers and instrumentalists for their High Holy Days each fall.

As a church musician for the past 30 years, Stephanie has been praised for her ability to work with volunteer singers to instill confidence, create beautiful tone and perform quality choral literature. Highlights of her accomplishments at Lakeside include: an annual Lessons and Carols service involving all of the choirs; collaboration with the Cincinnati Opera in 2014 for “Opera Goes to Church”; promotion of the new Glory to God Presbyterian Hymnal to the greater Cincinnati area; writing hymn descants for singers and handbells; producing the Black & White Cabaret; and a successful concert series that brings many types of music to Lakeside (the Peanut Butter & Jam Sessions from the Linton Music Series, recitals by organists from around the country, and choral performances).

As a singer and the Assistant Conductor of the Vocal Arts Ensemble from 1996-2021, Stephanie prepared the ensemble for and has sung with many distinguished conductors: Craig Hella Johnson, Donald Nally, Earl Rivers, Elmer Thomas, Dale Warland and Jon Washburn. Stephanie conducted the Vocal Arts Ensemble in performances for the Arts Sampler Weekends of Artswave (formerly known as the Fine Arts Fund). She conducted “A Candlelit Christmas” in December 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019 and “Brahms x2” in February 2016.

As a music educator, Stephanie has taught in the public schools in Florida and Ohio as well as conducted choirs and taught music education courses at the University of Florida, University of Cincinnati and Miami University. She is a frequent guest clinician for Cincinnati area high schools and for the Area 5 Handbell Musicians of America. Stephanie is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, Chorus America, the Handbell Musicians of America and Sigma Alpha Iota.

Thom Miles is the organist at Lakeside Presbyterian Church and the Organist/Director of Music at Isaac M. Wise Temple, Cincinnati, Ohio. Thom holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from Colorado State University. He also received the Premier Prix in Organ from the Montreal Conservatory of Music. He did additional study at The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Major teachers have included Robert Cavarra, Bernard Lagacé and Roberta Gary.

In 2005 he played a key role in the preservation and restoration of the 1866 Koehnken & Co. organ in the Plum Street Temple. Thom recorded on this historic instrument for Arsis Audio immediately after the restoration (Arsis CD 157). He has also recorded the three Organ Sonatas of Paul Hindemith and Four Preludes on Jewish Tunes by William Bolcom on the Noack organ at Lakeside. (Arsis CD 169). Thom and his wife, Roberta Gary, are both certified Andover Educators and present workshops on the topic of Body Mapping. Both Miles and Gary made a contribution to the book What Every Pianist Needs to Know About the Body with Supplementary Material for Organists (GIA Publications).

Mina Brooks-Schmidt is a soprano from Sitka, Alaska. She is a major fan of opera and storytelling in general, having performed in nearly 40 productions of operas, plays, and musicals. She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University where she studied under Maria Spacagna and is pursuing a Master’s degree in Voice at CCM. She also is passionate about arts access and presents at least one free recital at home in Sitka every summer. When she’s not singing, she loves swimming in cold water, baking, and frolicking in the woods.

Brigid Mack is a lyric mezzo-soprano from Troy, New York. At UC-CCM, Brigid will be performing as the titular role in Giulio Cesare by Handel. At Purchase Performing Arts Center, she performed both as Nerone and Ottavia in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea. She has also taken on the roles of Mother in Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, Hamlet in Ambroise Thomas’s Hamlet, Hänsel from Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel, Third Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, and played Le Prince Charmant in Massenet’s Cendrillon. Young artist programs she has participated in include Classic Lyric Arts; Mozart in the Mountains and Chicago Summer Opera. She studies at CCM for a Master’s in Opera Voice, and previously attended SUNY Purchase Conservatory for her Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance. Brigid currently studies with Mrs. Amy Johnson.