Meet VoxO

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Jennifer Ayers (soprano) has been an active member of VoxO since May of 2022. She currently serves as treasurer of the group. 

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Jennifer began singing at a young age, participating in a touring children’s choir based in her hometown of Knoxville, TN. She went on to complete an undergraduate degree in vocal performance from Belmont University in Nashville, TN, specializing in choral singing and opera. She also holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management from the University of Central Florida. 

Jennifer works as a transaction manager for a commercial real estate company, focusing on student housing and multifamily investment sales. She enjoys yoga and outdoor adventures, and loves spending time with her husband, Will, and dog, Sandy.

William Ayers (tenor) is a music theorist, ludomusicologist, singer, and composer. He performs regularly as a member of VoxO, and he has consistently written music for the ensemble since joining in 2022. His recent compositions include Spirits of the Dead, a choral setting of a text by Edgar Allan Poe, and his work O quam dulcis for SATB chorus, vibraphone, and cello, both of which were premiered by VoxO.

Will graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in music theory and vocal performance from Belmont University in his home state of Tennessee before moving to Ohio to attend the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati for graduate studies in music theory. He completed his Master of Music degree in 2012 and his PhD in 2018, writing a dissertation on microtonal music. His recent research focuses on music in interactive media and video games.

Will moved to Orlando in 2017 to begin teaching at the University of Central Florida, having previously taught at Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music. He and his wife Jenni, who is also a member of VoxO, enjoy taking nature walks with their cantankerous-yet-cute dog Sandy.

Jim Beck (bass) starting to sing by 5, and playing piano by 6, Jim's life has been uninterrupted from music except a couple times when "work" got in the way! He has had multiple years of voice, and 11 yrs of keyboard/piano instruction. An accomplished accompanist, also, for choirs, church, soloists, groups, and other occasions. 

Jim sang/performed 12 years in Indiana - the Round Barn Theater and Vesper chorale; 5 years in Michigan with traveling gospel groups, and Locally with Orlando Opera chorus, Bach Festival Society, OSSO, and Orlando Harmony Barbershop singing Bass.  Other gigs in town were at the Villages Philharmonic, the group Convivo, and the Orlando Chorale. . Acapella singing is his favorite style!!  

On the "flip side" Jim has a Masters Degree, and is a Certified Radiology Nurse at Adventhealth- Also working with the Neuroscience Institute Tremors Program. 

Michael Clossey (tenor) is an inaugural member of VoxO. He began his involvement in choral music in 2006 with the Orlando Deanery Boy Choir in Orlando, FL. He became affiliated with the Royal School of Church music and currently holds a Silver Medal status with the organization. He pursued vocal performance at Florida Atlantic University but later left to pursue a BFA in Theater: Design and Technology at the University of Central Florida where he focused in Scenic Design and Technical Direction.
 

Michael works as an associate engineer for Universal Creative and is currently working on Orlando’s newest theme park, Universal’s Epic Universe, installing scenery for an exciting new guest experience. He enjoys carpentry, scuba diving and spending time with his beautiful girlfriend, Liz, and his 3 dogs.  

Evan Couch (tenor) is a native of San Antonio, Texas, where he developed a love for chamber music while singing in the Reagan High School Chamber Choir. Couch sang tenor 1 when the choir won the Texas Madrigal Festival Competition in 2017, competing against over 40 high schools.
 

He went on to earn a B.M. in Vocal Performance at Oklahoma City University, where his passion for chamber music led him to participate in both the early music ensemble and the chamber choir.
 

Since moving to Orlando, Couch has been actively involved in numerous stage performances, including appearances with Opera Orlando and Central Florida Vocal Arts. He is thrilled to be a part of VoxO, alongside other talented singers, and to revisit his roots in chamber music.

Michael Andrew Creighton (bass) has always had a love of storytelling and its musical expression. From a young age, he listened obsessively to the music of Koji Kondo, John Williams, and Joe Hisaishi, fascinated by their ability to make the experiences of fictional worlds and characters come to life through iconic melodies and themes. His list of influential musicians has grown considerably since, though the core tenets of a focus on storytelling and fostering human connection through artistic expression have persisted in his musical tastes and his own works.

Creighton has toured across the world with the internationally-renowned St. Olaf Choir from Japan to Norway in addition to numerous tours spanning the United States. He has also lent his voice to the Florida State University Chamber Choir, the Winter Park Bach Festival Choir, and VoxO among others during his career. He has sung masterworks spanning from Bach and Verdi to Hagen and Jenkins, and he constantly seeks out new and varied experiences in the music he performs.

Creighton has also had his works performed and recorded by ensembles of all shapes and sizes including the St. Olaf Choir, the Winter Park Bach Festival Society, the icarus Quartet, and more. He received his M.M. in Composition at Florida State University, studying composition with Liliya Ugay and Mark Wingate along with a B.M. in Composition at St. Olaf College while studying with composers Justin Merritt and Timothy Mahr and conducting under Anton Armstrong, Therees Hibbard, and Mark Stover. Learn more at michaelandrewcreighton.com

Jason Ernst (bass) is a life-long singer and musician. He is a founding member of VoxO and currently serves as the Secretary of the group.

Jason got his start in music as a chorister in the American Boychoir, in Princeton, New Jersey. He received his degree in Music Education from the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford and taught in Seminole County Public Schools (FL) for 14 years. During his tenure, Jason was Indian Trails Middle School’s Teacher of the Year (2017).

Jason currently is the Exhibits Manager for the Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA), focusing on trade show operations and logistics. He enjoys singing with VoxO and has sung past seasons with many Orlando area groups such as the Bach Festival Choir, Opera Orlando and at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke.

A native of Chicago, IL, Jason continues to love living in Central Florida with his wife Valerie and their two cats, Attila and Vlad. They enjoy traveling, hiking, and being with friends and family.

Alice Fortunato (alto) grew up singing with her family in the back of a VW van traveling all over.  Her father was a music teacher and mother could sing alto to any song.  She now enjoys singing alto with Vox O and other groups in Orlando like Bach Festival, Opera Orlando, ConVivo, The Villages Philharmonic and other groups.  Singing with Vox O has been a highlight in her career by making music with such an outstanding group of singers and composers. 

Larry Fortunato (tenor) has been performing since the second grade, when he improvised a weekly puppet show for his classmates that probably would have gone on forever if Miss Haring had not insisted that he wrap it up. He has been singing, dancing, clowning, and playing his trumpet on professional & volunteer stages for over 50 years. Early career highlights include touring with an AEA Children’s Musical Theatre Repertory company and clowning with Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He is thrilled to be a member of the Vox O vocal ensemble. He is founding member of the ConVivo Orlando vocal ensemble who recently provided a Tribute to Baseball Pre-show entertainment for Opera Orlando. Around town he has sung in the chorus for Opera Orlando main stage and traveling productions, consistently sings with the Bach Festival Choirs, and stays out of mischief during the Christmas season singing with the Dickens Carolers.

Linden Gould's (bass) first memory of singing was a a little child singing the Muffin Man... through a pipe he conceived as a megaphone... outside... at the top of his wee voice... thinking he was entertaining the neighborhood. He may have been all of five years old. Age nine was the next milestone with the introduction of piano lessons. While they may have lasted all of six months, he still "practices" the instrument. At age twelve came the trumpet which he played through freshman year of college with only modest success. But what truly began Linden's musical adventure tool place on a Thursday of mid-September 1977, his first rehearsal with the Rollins Chapel Choir. 

Linden owes a great deal of thanks that fortune would put him in front of some of the best choral directors and surrounded by excellent singers to allow him the opportunity to find himself in the company of such talented, dedicated, and fun loving group of singers as VoxO.

Born in Winter Garden, Florida, Jennifer Hunt (alto) is a Central Florida vocalist and composer who creates musical stories with instrumental and vocal characters. With interest in both the arts and sciences and background in vocal and instrumental music, Hunt has many areas in which to draw inspiration. 

She is currently a vocalist with VoxO, the premier vocal group in Orlando, Florida, and has also performed at well-known theme parks including Universal Studios Orlando and Walt Disney World. Using her skills as a choral director, Hunt acted as church Music Director for 14 years for Oakland Presbyterian Church, Oakland, FL. Hunt holds her BA (Music) from the Rollins College Hamilton Holt School in Winter Park Florida and MS (Zoology) from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She is currently the Managing Director of the Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, FL.

Rachael Joachim (soprano) originally from New Jersey and lived in Central Florida since she was young, grew up in a music-loving family and discovered her passion for singing in high school. She earned her Bachelor's in Music Education from Florida State University, with voice as her instrument. 
Rachael has been active in Central Florida's music scene, including six years with the Orlando Opera Chorus and a season with the Bach Festival Choir. She was also a featured singer at Beth Emeth's holiday services for 14 years. Alongside, she's a dedicated mom raising two children who share her love for singing and creative arts, supported by her husband.
With over 15 years as an elementary music teacher in Orange County Public Schools, Rachael also has taught as a Licensed Kindermusik educator. She is an avid runner, completing 8 marathons, and in 2018 received her Registered Yoga Teacher certification and teaches yoga part time. 

Brittany Payne (soprano) has been singing in choirs since she was a young child. She toured Europe with the Orlando Deanery Girls Choir as a teenager, and found a love for close harmonies singing with Diva Jazz in her twenties. Now, as a founding member of VoxO, she gets to blend those two worlds singing the music of living composers. 

A nerd at heart, Brittany loves staying home and reading fantasy novels, watching Game of Thrones, playing Skyrim, trying not to kill her poor plants, and cooking for her husband and teenage daughter.

Stephanie Rosario (alto) has been singing since the age of 8. After being a part of her elementary and middle school choirs, Stephanie then went on to singing in the vocal performance magnet program at Dr Phillips High School. During this time she attended multiple state competitions and was a member of the school's vocal jazz ensemble. After graduating high school, she was a vocal performance major at the University of Central Florida as well as a member of a jazz ensemble group called Diva Jazz. 

Today, Stephanie is a homebody who loves spending time with her family and close friends. She continues to sing as an Alto in VoxO and finds joy and love in music everyday.

Corrie Shaw (alto) has had a love of singing since before she could talk thanks to her grandmother's admiration of Celine Dion. Corrie joined her first church choir before the age of 10 and went on to sing with the Orlando Deanery Girls Choir, led then by Claire, through high school. Upon learning of VoxO through fellow Deanery Choir alum Michael Clossey, Corrie jumped at the chance to sing with Claire once again.

Corrie lives in the Orlando area with her young son and two cats. She enjoys playing video games, reading fantasy novels, and rewatching Pride and Prejudice (the Keira Knightley version). She loves to travel with her son and has visited countries like Scotland, Portugal, and Iceland.

Enrique Ynaty (tenor) is an illustrator and musician whose true passion is to continuously keep learning new things about the world around them. He has been an active musician since 2018 as a tenor. He currently sings alto as a countertenor in VoxO, and enjoys performing the various and demanding repertoires that the ensemble demands— exploring the flexibility of the human voice. He will attend Florida State University for a double major in fine arts and music performance this upcoming fall.