Heidi Shannon is the founder and executive director of the Lancaster Art Song Society (LASS), a partner of the Trust Performing Arts Center. An accomplished music educator and performer, she has more than 25 years of experience teaching students from kindergarten through the collegiate level. Her multidisciplinary background includes classical voice, world music, movement, and drumming. Heidi holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education, with a concentration in classical voice, from Bob Jones University and a Master of Music in Music Education from West Chester University. She has also completed Orff Schulwerk Certifications Levels I–III and the Master Level. In 2009, she became the first recipient of Music for Everyone’s “Music Teacher of the Year” award. She also received a commendation from Pedro Rivera, then superintendent of the School District of Lancaster and later Pennsylvania Secretary of Education.

As a performer and director, Heidi appeared in numerous Opera Lancaster productions and directed the company’s first two tours of Opera Tales, which introduced children’s opera to more than 1,000 school-age students. Her performance credits also include productions and programs at the Trust Performing Arts Center, including Faith, Hope and Love, Romantic Trios, and The Trust Collective. She has performed in collaboration with fellow musicians throughout the United States and Latin America. Through LASS and its partnership with the Trust Performing Arts Center’s Arts & Culture Series, Heidi aims to advance artistic excellence and broaden access to vocal music in the Lancaster community. Under her leadership, LASS promotes the art of song, cultivates musical appreciation, and supports singers at various stages of development. Its programs include Laus Deo, a choral scholarship initiative for singers, as well as sponsored performance opportunities for professional vocalists and engaging concerts for audiences of all ages. She believes deeply in the transformative power of music to connect people, inspire hearts, and elevate minds. Soli Deo Gloria.

Assistant Director and board member Johanna Howarth has been a vital part of the Lancaster Art Song Society since its inception. She has accompanied and performed with Laus Deo, LASS’s chamber choir, in a variety of venues—from barns at the Lampeter Fair and its 100th anniversary celebration performance on a truck bed to retirement communities, hospitals, churches, and the Great Hall of the Trust Performing Arts Center. Johanna tirelessly supports with great skill and a warm smile! A native of Lancaster County, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Lancaster Bible College. Her experience also includes professional work with LBC, Opera Lancaster, and Prima Theatre, as well as performances in musicals, concerts, and various events. Johanna has enjoyed teaching in her own private studio, in elementary school music settings, and with non-profits such as SWAN (Scaling Walls a Note at a Time).

Robert holds a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance. He continued his training in Orvieto, Italy with Opera Lirica a Orvieto and at Boston University under the guidance of Susan Ormont. He has performed on stages throughout Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Russia, and Switzerland. He currently teaches from his private voice studio in York, Pennsylvania.

Sheryl Zimmer serves as Treasurer, bringing a careful eye for detail and years of experience keeping organizations running smoothly. Based in Easley, South Carolina, she is known for her reliability, her organized approach to records and schedules, and her steady, thoughtful communication. Music has long been part of Sheryl’s life. A trained vocalist, she placed first in the commencement vocal awards during her undergraduate studies at Bob Jones University and toured as a soloist of the school’s musical ministry performing team. Drawing on her background in languages, she has since coached singers in foreign-language diction and helped mentor vocal students.

Her heart for people reaches well beyond home. Sheryl has served cross-culturally in the Micronesian islands since 2001 and today works with Pacific Helps and other nonprofit groups to share the love of God internationally. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages from Bob Jones University and a TESOL certification, which has helped her connect with people across many cultures and languages.

Ariella Hoover is a founding board member and serves as the Director of Operations for Lancaster Art Song Society. For her day job, she works for a non-profit as their director of guest experiences where she sets the stage for successful mission growth through planning and hosting meaningful, shared experiences, both at home and abroad for their partners. When Ariella is not working, you can find her traveling, spending time with her twenty nieces and nephews, seeking out a good cup of coffee, playing pickleball, and all things arts and culture.