The New York City Bar Chorus, directed by Kathryn E. Schneider and accompanied by Matthew V. Grieco, is a 90-voice ensemble entirely led by and composed of legal professionals. It has since 1993 served as a goodwill ambassador of the NYC Bar Association, bringing the healing power of music via hundreds of concerts for seniors, the visually impaired, people living with cancer and AIDS, those in substance abuse rehabilitation, and more. The chorus has also appeared off-Broadway, on local and national television (including as Spectrum NY1 News "New Yorkers of the Week”), in exchanges with other legal choruses, at American Bar Association conventions, and at its sponsor’s landmark Manhattan headquarters. The chorus, whose administrative committee is chaired by Ruth Calaman, made its Carnegie Hall debut at the 2019 National Fall Sing — Remembering 9/11 Commemoration, and is excited to return to this legendary stage.

Kathryn E. Schneider began leading choirs in her early teens and formally trained in choral conducting at Westminster Choir College and Teachers College, Columbia University.  She studied organ principally with Dr. George Stauffer and, while earning her law degree at Columbia, served as Assistant University Organist, performing frequently on the historic Aeolian-Skinner organ at St. Paul's Chapel. She studies voice privately with acclaimed soprano Harolyn Blackwell. Having performed previously at Carnegie Hall as a choral singer, Kathy made her Carnegie conducting debut in 2019 and is thrilled to return to its podium for this concert, especially since this year marks her 30th as musical director of the New York City Bar Chorus. Kathy has also been honored to conduct at Lincoln Center in recent years, including at Mostly Mozart’s 50th anniversary mass-choral event and annually at the National Chorale’s “Handel’s Messiah Sing-In.”

Sandra Dackow holds three degrees from the Eastman School of Music and currently serves as Director of the William Paterson University Symphony Orchestra in New Jersey.  An Aspen Conducting fellow, she was awarded the Silver medal in the 2001 Vakhtang Jordania/New Millennium Conducting Competition in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Dr. Dackow has published over 120 works for student orchestras and is an author of Alfred’s Orchestra Expressions, Tempo Press’s The Expressive Orchestra, Expressive Sightreading, and a co-author of the MENC Complete String Guide.  She has appeared as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator throughout the US and abroad, including summers at Interlochen, and other music camps. in the US, Ireland and Australia.  Dr. Dackow has served as Music Director of the Ridgewood Symphony, NJ, The Hershey Symphony, PA, and their affiliated youth orchestras.  She is a former President of the International Conductors Guild, an iorganization serving conductors in more than 30 countries. In 2009 she was elected a Lowell Mason Fellow by MENC: The Association for Music Education, (now NAfME) as well as awarded the Bruno Walter Best Conductor Prize by the Master Academy International Competition in Switzerland.

Originally from Ireland, Hannah Carr is Director of Choral Activities at William Paterson University, NJ, following five years on the faculty at Kutztown University, PA. Hannah holds a BA in Composition from Trinity College Dublin, an Adv. Dip in Music Education from the Kodály Institute in Hungary, an MM in Conducting from Yale University’s Institute of Sacred Music and a DMA in Conducting from Rutgers University. Hannah is director of Cantigas, a Hoboken-based treble choir dedicated to internationally performing diverse music from around the world.

Hannah has worked with professional choirs as director of the University Church at Yale, Stratford Street United Church in Boston and with C4 Ensemble in NYC. With C4, Hannah was a featured conductor on C4’s debut album launch: Uncaged, which received rave reviews in the American Record Guide and Fanfare Magazine, and was featured by WQXR as “Album of the Week.” Hannah has won various prizes, including the Irene Alms Memorial Prize at Rutgers University, The Director’s Prize from Yale University, The Highest Bursary Award for Choral Conducting in 2009 & 2010 from the Irish Arts Council & The Gerard Victory Prize for Composition from Trinity College Dublin. Hannah is an artist-in-residence of Ireland’s Tyrone Guthrie Center and an active clinician, festival conductor and adjudicator in Europe and the US. 

William Paterson Chamber and Advanced Treble Choirs are the two select choirs on campus, comprising both majors and non-majors. Advanced Treble Choir will sing with Hoboken-based treble choir, Cantigas Choir, as a performing ensemble at the American Choral Director’s Conference in Providence, 2026. William Paterson Chamber Choir, the university’s elite vocal ensemble, tours biannually to Europe. The choir most recently collaborated with the Matthew Shepard foundation and renown gospel singer, Lorraine Stancil, for a moving performance of “Considering Matthew Shepard” in May, 2025. In December, 2025, Chamber Choir opened for the legendary American singer-songwriter, Judy Collins, as part of the William Paterson Presents International concert series.

The William Paterson University Symphony is comprised of music majors at the University, as well as non-majors, alumni and members of the community. In 2011 the Symphony performed in Lincoln Center, and continues to present classical, pops and family concerts on Campus.