Board of Directors
Bret Kloos, Chair; Mona Elleithee, Vice Chair; Stacie Vandervelde, Treasurer; Susan Kirlough, Secretary; Valerie Camardo-Krupp, Past Chair; Alison Eaker, Johnnie Felder, Alyssa Stewart
Staff
Augusto Gil, Artistic Director
Augusto hails from Blountville, Tennessee, but frequently performs, accompanies, teaches, conducts, and adjudicates throughout the southeastern United States and has instructed musicians seeking continuing education in several countries throughout Europe and Asia.
Mr. Gil earned his Bachelor of Music and certification in K-12 Music Education with double emphases in voice and piano from Carson-Newman University. In 2018, he earned a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting at the University of South Carolina, where he studied with Drs. Larry Wyatt and Alicia W. Walker, and is currently completing work for the Doctorate of Musical Arts degree at the University of South Carolina.
After earning his MM, Augusto enjoyed four and a half years as Choral Director at Meadow Glen Middle School in Lexington, South Carolina, where he more than tripled participation in the choral program, established the first cross-disciplinary celebration of Heritage Months in Lexington County schools, and organized and directed a music department wide concert of masterworks arranged for middle school musicians for the school’s 100 member orchestra and 120 voice choir. He serves as Assistant Director of Music and Worship at Eastminster Presbyterian Church of Columbia and is the owner and operator of Improving Arts Academy, a private instruction and coaching studio for voice and piano students. He enjoys working with students of all ages, and leads by example in seeking opportunities for collaboration, innovation in music, and excellence in performance.
Augusto previously served as International First Vice President for Delta Omicron International Music Fraternity, but currently serves as an advisory member to the organization’s board. He is a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honors Society, the American Choral Directors Association, and the National Association for Music Educators. He is a contributing author to GIA Publications’ Sacred Music Choral Repertoire: Insights for Conductors, and also serves as the Chairman of the Board for Limited Time Only, a Columbia based chamber choir consisting of professional musicians.
Mr. Gil currently lives in West Columbia, South Carolina with his husband, John Michael, and their dogs, Rose, Apollo, and Tommy. When not creatively focused on music and performance, Augusto enjoys spending time with his chosen family in South Carolina, playing board games, and traveling.
Yasmin Bradshaw, Assistant Artistic Director
Yasmin Bradshaw earned her Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the University of South Carolina, where she studied with Dr. Alicia W. Walker. She is an alumna of Mississippi College with a Bachelor of Music Education degree, Voice emphasis. Yasmin is an active member in the National Association for Music Education and the American Choral Directors Association.
Ms. Bradshaw currently serves as the Choral Director at Longleaf Middle School in Richland School District 2. Though passionate about music education and choral conducting, Yasmin is a frequently sought after soprano soloist, having most recently performed at the 2023 Montreat Music and Worship Conference and Palmetto Opera’s “Opera Thursdays” at Villa Tronco in Columbia, SC. In Summer 2022, she also appeared as the Mezzo Soprano soloist for the Durufle Requiem with the University of South Carolina Summer Chorus.
Olivia Colomaio, Accompanist
Olivia Grace Colomaio (Bradstreet) is a pianist, accompanist, teacher, and doctoral candidate in Piano Pedagogy at the University of South Carolina. At USC, she accompanies the Concert Choir under the direction of Dr. Alicia Walker. Olivia teaches lessons in piano, accompanying, composition, and music theory, and she loves teaching students of all ages, interests, experience levels, and backgrounds!
Originally from Bath, NY, Ms. Colomaio earned her master’s in piano pedagogy and performance from Campbellsville University (Campbellsville, KY), and her bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Roberts Wesleyan University (Rochester, NY). In her previous studies, Olivia was the recipient of the Meskimen Piano Scholarship each year she was at CU, and she was awarded the Theodore Presser Scholarship during her junior year at Roberts. She served as an Adjunct Professor of Piano on the Roberts music department faculty as well as serving on the Roberts Community Music School faculty for two years until she moved to Columbia to continue her education at USC. Her research focuses on discovering and providing resources for students with dyslexia and other forms of neurodivergence. Olivia currently resides in Columbia, SC, with her husband Bailey, their 65-pound American Staffordshire Terrier, Lonnie, and their 10-pound Chiweenie, Fern.