Staff

Neil Bubke

Neil Bubke is the fifth music director in the history of the Lakeshore Chorale. Prior to moving to Milwaukee in 2006, he received his bachelor's degree in music from the University of Northern Iowa and a master's degree in choral conducting from the University of Iowa, where he also earned his law degree.

Neil has served as a church musician for twenty years. He is currently the director of Music and Fine Arts at the United Methodist Church of Whitefish Bay, where he directs seven choirs and oversees four other ensembles. He also conducts pit orchestras for Dominican High School and the Whitefish Bay Players Community Theater.

As a pianist, Neil accompanied the Milwaukee Choral Artists, a professional, all-paid women’s chorus directed by Dr. Sharon Hanson. He also served as a rehearsal pianist for the East Side Chamber Players, a group of young professional musicians from the Milwaukee area who perform concerts of chamber works throughout the Midwest. Neil enjoys accompanying student recitals at UW-Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts as well.

In his free time, Neil enjoys training for triathlons and playing with his cockapoo, Mae Mobley.

Heather Hammond

Heather Hammond received her Bachelor of Arts from Carthage College and her Master of Music Education in choral conducting and literature from UW-Milwaukee.

As a performer, Heather has been seen on stage in the JMKAC’s production of Cinderella, in Swingtime Canteen for the Broadway Baby Dinner Theater, and has been featured in a number of shows with Spotlight Productions of West Bend dinner theater. She continues to present recitals, to further her education through workshops, and is active in a variety of musical organizations both as a participant and guest clinician.

Heather has been a music teacher at Barton Elementary and Badger Middle School in West Bend, and was employed as an adjunct voice instructor at Lakeland College. She currently teaches elementary music in the Cedar Grove-Belgium school disctrict. She has been a singing member of the Lakeshore Chorale for the past fifteen years and serves in the music ministry at First United Lutheran Church in Sheboygan. Heather is also a member of the faculty of Lakeland College as an adjunct general music specialist.

She is delighted and honored to begin her fourteenth year as the Lakeshore Youth Chorale Conductor.

Joseph Hauer

A native of Wisconsin, pianist Joseph Hauer is Artistic Director of the Fox River Chamber Fest and a full-time pianist for the Milwaukee Ballet School and Academy.

Joseph performs regularly as a soloist and chamber musician across the country, most recently in Sitka, AK, Milwaukee, WI, Appleton, WI and Valley Cottage, NY. These include solo and collaborative performances at the Sitka Performing Arts Center, Odess Theater, Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts, Fox River Chamber Fest, Heid Music “Steinway and a Sandwich,” and Young Masters Recital Series. He was formerly an artist-in-residence at the Apollo Music Festival and the Bermuda Piano Festival. He is a substitute pianist with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and has soloed with the Oberlin Orchestra,Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and Fox Vally Symphony Orchestra.

Prior to moving to Milwaukee, Joseph served on the Adjunct Faculty at NYU Steinhardt, where he completed a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance with Eteri Andjaparidze. His undergraduate studies were with Peter Takács at Oberlin Conservatory. He collaborates with the voice, string and wind departments at UWM. When he is not engaged in classical music, he enjoys biking, snowboarding and improvising jazz.