Lynn Urda,
Founder, Conductor & Music Director of Gwinnett Young Singers

Lynn Urda founded the Gwinnett Young Singers organization in 1990. Under her leadership and direction, the group has grown from one choir of thirty-four children to an organization of four choirs representing many counties throughout the metro Atlanta area. She continues to serve as full-time Conductor and Music Director of the Gwinnett Young Singers and maintains an active schedule as a guest clinician, conductor, and adjudicator for All-State and Honors Choirs, choral festivals, and workshops for youth and their conductors. She has continuously distinguished herself for her unique ways of achieving excellence in choral blend, intonation, and sensitive singing.

Mrs. Urda holds a degree in Music Education and Voice from Florida State University School of Music. She has been a Music Specialist in the Georgia and Massachusetts public schools and has spent most of her professional life serving as a church musician, directing children, youth, and adult choirs. She holds membership in Chorister's Guild, The National Association for Music Education Georgia Music Educators Association and the American Choral Directors Association, for which she has previously served as Repertoire and Standards Chair for Children's Choirs for the Georgia division of ACDA.

Under her direction, the Gwinnett Young Singers have performed at the American Choral Directors (ACDA) conference in Nashville, TN and in Charleston, SC. They have also performed at the Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) Conference in Savannah, GA in 2009 & 2011.

Mrs. Urda currently serves as Director of Youth & Children’s Choirs at Tucker First United Methodist Church, Tucker, GA.

Chris Fowler,
Director of Georgia Young Men’s Ensemble

Chris Fowler holds the Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Georgia State University, where he graduated Cum Laude, and was the first recipient of the Haskell L. Boyter Scholarship for excellence in the choral art. Mr. Fowler has completed the required coursework and comprehensive exams for the Doctor of Music Arts degree at the University of Georgia. His conducting experience includes work with collegiate ensembles, adult community and church choirs, as well as high school and middle school choirs. He has been a clinician at numerous Honor Choruses and festivals. Under his direction, the Buford High School Chorus has performed at GMEA and at Carnegie Hall, and has won seventy-three GHSA Region Literary championships and twenty-one GHSA State Literary championships in the past twenty-one years. He has served as a frequent accompanist to District Honor Choruses and Georgia All State Chorus.

He is the recipient of the prestigious Dr. Gene Simons Fellowship Award and is a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society, Georgia Music Educators Association, American Choral Directors Association, the Professional Association of Georgia Educators and the Golden Key National Honor Society.

Mr. Fowler currently serves as Choral Director at Buford High School, and has served as Fine Arts Coordinator for Buford City Schools since 1992. He is also Worship Leader at Rehoboth Baptist Church in Tucker, GA.

Amanda Dodd,
Director of Treble Choir & Assistant Director of Concert Choir

Amanda Dodd sang in Gwinnett Young Singers from the first year of its formation in 1990. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Georgia and a Masters of Education in Instructional Technology. She has received the Level I Orff certification from the American Orff-Shulwerk Association. Since 2009 she has served on the Gwinnett County Fifth Grade Honors Chorus Committee and has been the Co-President for the past two years. She has been a Public School Music Education Specialist for the past thirteen years. Miss Dodd has recently been awarded the prestigious honor of  2014 Teacher of the Year at Lovin Elementary School in Gwinnett County.

Lynn Urda	Founder, Conductor & Music Director of GYS
Carol Wyatt	Associate Music Director of GYS
Amanda Dodd	Director, Treble Choir; Assistant Director, Concert Choir
Adrienne Gustafson	Assistant Director, Concert Choir & Chamber Choir
Gwyn F. Bacon	Accompanist, Concert Choir
Chris Fowler	Director, Georgia Young Men’s Ensemble
Rick Kilgore	Assistant Director, Georgia Young Men's Ensemble
Cheryl McBane	Accompanist, Treble Choir
Rebekah Castner	Accompanist, GYME
Pam Turner	Accompanist, Chamber Choir
Jennifer Carlson	Vocal Assistant, Treble Choir