Current Board & Administrative Staff

---

President

Originally from South Carolina, Benjamin was educated at Northwestern University and Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music. He has studied piano, conducting, and music history, and he is currently the music director at United Presbyterian Church. He has participated in the preparation of a variety of stage works, ranging from Handel's Alexander's Feast to Bernstein's Mass. Recent collaborations in Bloomington include Mozart's Die Zauberflöte and an outdoor production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Monroe County Civic Theater, featuring Mendelssohn's incidental music.  His Doctorate of Music degree is in progress at IU, with a final thesis on cryptology and hidden meanings in the late music of Johannes Brahms.

Vice President

Annaka Grismer is a Masters student in Indiana University's O'Neill School studying Arts Administration and Public Affairs. The soprano also holds a Bachelors degree in Voice Performance from the Jacobs School of Music. Annaka serves as Artistic Director and Vice President of Bloomington Chamber Opera. As an administrator, Annaka is passionate about fostering cultures of respect, equity, and innovation.

Secretary

Marti Yoder is a Masters student at Indiana University studying Arts Administration. She also serves as a Front of House Associate at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater and serving on the Operations & Development Advisory Board. Marti is a recent graduate of Texas Christian University where she obtained her BA in Music as a mezzo-soprano with a double minor in Arts Administration and Italian. She is passionate about  programming and engaging communities and audiences for the greater good.

Treasurer

Board Member-At-Large

Board Member-At-Large

Paula Wilson is an emerging flutist, educator, and arts administrator from San Antonio, Texas. She is a senior at Indiana University pursuing a major in flute performance and a minor in arts management. Paula is currently the Undergraduate Student Representative for the Jacobs School of Music Council, Co-Chair of the Student Representative Committee, Concert Production Manager for Classical Connections, Student Ambassador for the Jacobs Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, Program Assistant for Music of the Unsung America, and Undergraduate Research Fellow for the Center for Research on Race and Ethnicity in Society. Paula is excited to join the Bloomington Chamber Opera Board and use her arts administrative experience to help further their mission.

Board Member-At-Large

Shelley Armer is a chamber musician, performer, and advocate for the arts. She frequently contributes string and orchestral consultations as a member of the BCO board. Her website can be found here.