Consultant Staff Biographies
L. Thomas Vining, Music Director/Conductor
While completing his studies at Westminster Choir College, Lance began his singing career, debuting as tenor soloist in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with Leopold Stokowski at Carnegie Hall. While studying at Peabody Conservatory of Music, he received a Presidential Citation for his work with the United States Army Field Band and Chorus. After performing as a lyric and lyric spinto tenor, he pursued his dream to conduct and studied with Leonard Bernstein, Robert Shaw, Sir Malcolm Sargent, and Leopold Stokowski.
Lance has conducted major orchestras in Denver, San Francisco, Knoxville, and Memphis. He founded the Bay Area Philharmonic and Bay Area Christian Choir. He currently serves as Music Director at Vienna (Virginia) Presbyterian Church.
Roger Authers, Business Manager
In this role with The Oratorio Society, Roger links a corporate background
with his love of choral music, working closely with the president, music
director and board members. From negotiating contracts with concert
venues to building the conductor's podium, his ultimate
responsibility is to ensure that rehearsals and performances run
smoothly.
A native of England, Roger's choral training began at the age of 14 as a treble in his school's performance of Bach's Mass in B minor. His career as an executive in the information technology industry culminated with his work as an international marketing consultant. This brought him to the United States in 1991 where he and his wife Donna made their home in Ridgefield, Connecticut before moving to Charlottesville in 2004.
Roger has sung with community choruses his entire adult life, including Lichfield Cathedral Special Choir, Maidenhead Chamber Singers, Westchester Oratorio Society in New York, and now The Oratorio Society of Virginia. A graduate of Liverpool University, Roger studied the organ with Noel Rawsthorne at Liverpool Cathedral and, after moving to Connecticut, with Alec Wyton. After Dr. Wyton's retirement in 1996, he served as Interim Director of Music at St. Stephen's Church, Ridgefield for 12 months. He is currently the Interim Organist at First Presbyterian Church, Charlottesville.
Daniel Hine, Accompanist
Daniel Hine, pianist, violist, and lyric baritone, joined The Oratorio
Society as rehearsal accompanist in 2004, with 12 years'
experience as an accompanist and performer in New Jersey, Italy, and
Virginia. A graduate of Charlottesville High School and Westminster
Choir College, he studied piano with Yvaine Duisit, piano pedagogy
with Ingrid Clarfield, voice with Elem Ely, and viola with Kari
Caplin. Locally, he also accompanies the Virginia Glee Club and
soloists and has been the music director for local productions of
The Secret Garden, Dido & Aeneas and
Xerxes.
Johanna Beaver, Orchestra Personnel Manager
Violist Johanna Beaver holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the
State University of New York at Stony Brook where she was a student of
Katherine Murdock and Mitchell Stern.
Since moving to Charlottesville in 2005, Johanna has played with The Oratorio Society of Virginia, Charlottesville Chamber Orchestra, and The Afton String Quartet. She also plays in the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and is a frequent substitute in the viola section of the Richmond Symphony Orchestra. Johanna has been on faculty at the University of Virginia, Interlochen Arts Camp, Opus 118 Violin Program in New York, and at the Stony Brook Pre-college.
Johanna is currently a member of the faculty at the University of Mary Washington and teaches private lessons from her studio at home in Charlottesville. Johanna is thrilled to be stepping in as Personnel Manager for The Oratorio Society of Virginia's 2010-2011 Season!
Jim Speers, Development Associate
Jim and his family moved to Keswick from San Juan Capistrano,
California in July, 2001. Jim is married (for 25 years) to
Lucinda who works at Hospice of the Piedmont as Admin Asst to the
Chief Medical Officer. Daughter, Ellen, will be a senior at College
of William & Mary in fall 2010, majoring in chemistry. The family dog,
Augie, is a nearly 2-year old rescue shelter shih-tzu.
Jim spent most of his life in sales, sales management, and marketing positions in the computer and commercial finance industries. Jim began working full-time as Executive Director for Ruth Graham & Friends in May, 2010. Ruth Graham & Friends is an outreach ministry founded and run by Ruth Graham, well-known author and daughter of evangelist Billy Graham. The mission of the ministry is to help people struggling with life-controlling issues and to equip the compassionate within the Church to seek out and help the hurting in their midst.
Jim worked for five years as Development Director at The Covenant School in Charlottesville and he and his family enjoy an active church life, travel, reading, Bible studies, and good food.