Kathy Hulin has been directing choirs since 1997 and has been honored to direct the Florida Southern Girls' Choir since its inception in 2012. She holds performance degrees from Oberlin Conservatory and Peabody Conservatory, as well as a M. Div. with a concentration in church music from Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond. Mrs. Hulin strives to bring out the best in every musician and young person in her care and her motto is to SHINE for her girls in order that they may SHINE for others - to be Sincere, Hardworking, Inspiring, Noteworthy, and Encouraging.

Growing up in Minnesota, Amy Goeser Kolb participated in one of the finest youth orchestra programs in the country, The Greater Twin Cities’ Youth Symphonies.
In addition to her dedication and passion for youth orchestral training, Amy is a professional oboist with a passion for new music. She has collaborated with composers, commissioning, premiering and recording compositions from Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Central America, South America and the United States. In 2014, she participated in a national commissioning-consortium presenting a new work by American Composer, John Harbison. 

She received her musical training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Cologne Conservatory in Germany and completed doctoral studies at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. As part of her musical training, Amy spent nearly ten years in Germany during which she performed with the Freiburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Ensemble Cologne and at the Staatstheater in Stuttgart. She has held teaching positions at Wichita State University and the University of Oregon. Currently, she is the principal oboist of the Amarillo Symphony in Texas and in the summers a member of the Orchestra Bach Festival in Eugene, Oregon. Amy has recorded for Deutsche Gramophone, Hanssler, Koch/Schwann, Aulos, Antes and the Equilibrium Labels.

Nina Testa is a choir director at Olentangy Local Schools, in Lewis Center, Ohio. Ms. Testa received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Otterbein University in 2011, and is currently continuing her studies at Otterbein for a Master’s Degree in Special Education. She has been teaching in the Olentangy district for four years, covering choral duties at both Shanahan and Orange Middle Schools. Since her appointment as choir director, her programs have flourished to a combined enrollment of 550 students between both schools. This past year, she was selected to judge the middle school ensembles at The Marysville Showcase Invitational, a show choir competition in Central Ohio. Ms. Testa is a proud member of the Ohio Music Education Association and remains a part of Columbus’ music community teaching private voice and piano lessons, and performing weekly at Peace Lutheran Church in Gahanna.

John and Cynthia Balme come to the choral world after long careers in opera.   Mr. Balme holds degrees from the Royal College of Music and the Eastman School of Music and has served as the general and artistic director of the Boston Lyric Opera, Lake George Opera Festival, and the Liederkranz Opera Theater.  With over 300 opera productions to his credit, he has also guest conducted throughout the United States.  Ms. Balme received her degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music and Temple University and has performed 40 leading soprano roles, being best known for her interpretations of Verdi heroines in appearances in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and NY Summerstage.  The Concordia Youth Chorale is completing its 15th season.  Under John and Cynthia’s joint leadership, the Chorale has toured in Europe 5 times, visiting England, Austria and Prague, Italy and  Northern France.  They have been heard at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, St. John the Divine, Trinity Church Wall St, and St. Paul’s Chapel at Ground Zero in the city.  Other performances have taken place at the National Cathedral, Colonial Williamsburg, Gettysburg, Montreal and Quebec City.  This summer the chorale will tour Ireland.