2025-27 Executive Committee — Connecticut ACDA

MELANIE WADE COMETA, PRESIDENT

Melanie Wade Cometa is the Director of Choral Activities at Ledyard High School, her alma mater, where she conducts over 150 students in nine choirs. Her ensembles have performed as guest artists with CONCORA, Voce, the Mystic River Chorale, the Shoreline Chorale, and as a performing choir at the 2017 CT-ACDA state conference and the 2026 ACDA Eastern Region conference. From March 2020-June 2021, Mrs. Cometa and the Ledyard Choirs produced over 50 virtual ensemble projects, including three world premieres and a feature-length virtual musical. Her work has been featured on ChoirBuzz, The Choir Project, and most recently at Carnegie Hall. Mrs. Cometa and the Ledyard High School Chamber Choir were National Finalists for the 2024 American Prize in Choral Performance.

Previously, Mrs. Cometa taught at Grasso Technical High School, where she grew the music program to include over half of the student body. She was named the 2015-16 Grasso Tech Teacher of the Year and the 2016 Connecticut Technical High School System Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Cometa was named the 2016 CT-ACDA Outstanding Young Choral Director in Connecticut. She was also a quarter-finalist for the 2018 GRAMMY Music Educator Award. Mrs. Cometa holds degrees in Music Education and Vocal Performance from Ithaca College, where she studied with Dr. David Parks, Larry Doebler, and Dr. Janet Galván.

Mrs. Cometa is the President of Connecticut ACDA and is a regular clinician and guest conductor for conferences and festivals throughout the Northeast.

DR. JEREMY WIGGINS, PRESIDENT-ELECT

Dr. Jeremy Wiggins serves as an Associate Professor of Music, Coordinator of Choral Activities, and Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Music at Western Connecticut State University. In this role, he conducts the University Singers and Concert Chorale, and teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses in conducting, choral literature, and music education. Since 2019, Wiggins has prepared the WCSU University Singers for performances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. In the last three years, this ensemble has also performed at the 2023 CMEA State Conference, the 2024 ACDA Eastern Regional Conference, and the 2025 NAfME Eastern Division Conference. Wiggins has presented sessions across the U.S. on topics aligned with his scholarly interests in conducting pedagogy, choral literature and rehearsal techniques, and culturally responsive teaching practices. He has served as a Repertoire & Resources Chair for University and College Choirs since 2019 and now, as President-Elect. Lastly, Wiggins is the Artistic Director of the renowned Charis Chamber Voices (CCV) based in Westchester County, New York.

Prior to teaching in higher education, Wiggins spent nearly a decade teaching in public-schools in Southern California. His leadership at San Clemente High School and West Covina High School led the choirs on national tours and numerous accolades at regional, state, and national choral festivals. Under his direction, both programs doubled in size and increased their presence in the community by fostering partnerships with local choral ensembles and charitable organizations. Wiggins completed his doctoral studies in Choral Conducting and Music Education at Florida State University. He also holds an M.M. in Choral Conducting and a B.A. in Choral Music Education from California State University, Fullerton. His performance editions of historical compositions have been published by Hinshaw Music and GIA.

DR. CARA BERNARD, PAST-PRESIDENT

Dr. Cara Bernard is Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Connecticut. Currently, she is Immediate Past-President of CT-ACDA. Cara has conducted, performed, and prepared choruses for performances at some of the most prestigious venues throughout the Northeast. Dr. Bernard was the director and conductor of the Count Me In program at Carnegie Hall, where she created a choral curriculum for beginning-level middle school music students. Additionally, she worked with the Young People’s Chorus of New York City™ in their School Choral Program, bringing a choral experience to over 1,000 children throughout the city.

RILEY D’AGOSTINO, SECRETARY

Bio coming soon!

DR. CHRISTOPHER GRUNDY, TREASURER

Christopher Grundy is Director of Choral Programs at Sacred Heart University and Director of Music at the Unitarian Society of New Haven. He received his D.M. and M.M. degrees from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and his B.A. from Yale University, where he was Assistant Conductor of the Yale Glee Club and Associate Conductor of the Yale Russian Chorus. This season he made his Carnegie Hall debut with internationally-renowned violinist Alexander Markov. In addition to his work as a conductor, Christopher is as an operatic bass-baritone, and can be heard on the BIS Records, Naxos Records, and Parma Records labels. He is also a commercially-licensed helicopter pilot and flight instructor.

DR. JEREMY MILTON, MEMBERSHIP

Jeremy D. Milton holds the D.M.A. in Music Education from Boston University and the M.M. in Choral Conducting, as well as the B.M.Ed degrees from the University of Maine where he studied under Dr. Dennis Cox. Currently, Dr. Milton serves as the Director of Choral Music at Old Saybrook High School in Old Saybrook, CT where he oversees the district choral music program, conducts two non-auditioned high school choral ensembles, the auditioned Chamber Singers, Basso Chorus and Treble Choir, and teaches UConn Music Theory through the ECE program. Additionally, Dr. Milton has joined the teaching staff at the Longy Conservatory of Music at Bard College where he will facilitate courses in Advanced High School Choral Pedagogy and serve as an advisor for final projects in the Master of Music Program.

Under Dr. Milton’s direction, the choral music program at Old Saybrook High School includes over half of the school’s student body. The Saybrook Chamber Singers tour throughout New England each spring and have been featured performers at the Connecticut ACDA Conference and performed with professional choirs Chanticleer, Pentatonix, and Alchemy.

Dr. Milton is a frequent guest conductor and clinician with recent appearances throughout the northeastern United States, Austria, and Switzerland. He has been a choral director at Laurel Music Camp and still enjoys spending one week each summer as Chorus Director for the Maine Summer Youth Music Junior Camp at the University of Maine. He currently serves as Membership Chair for Connecticut ACDA and is an active member of NAfME.

EMILY MARQUARDT, COMMUNICATIONS

Emily Marquardt is the director of choral activities for Oxford Public Schools grades 6-12 in Oxford, CT. She holds a Bachelor’s of Music Education with a Vocal Emphasis and a Master’s of Music Education with a Pedagogy Emphasis from the Hartt School of Music, Dance and Theater. She serves on the CMEA (Connecticut Music Educators Association) Professional Development committee. Emily received the 2024 CMEA Outstanding Emerging Educator Award and is an active member of the CT ACDA chapter.

STEVEN OLIVERI, ADEIB INITIATIVES

Steven Oliveri has been teaching voice for over twenty years. He received degrees from SUNY Purchase, the University of California, Irvine, and Brooklyn College. He has twice attended the CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute at Shenandoah University (including the vocal anatomy seminar with Dr. David Meyer) and recently participated in the mentorship program of the National Association of Teachers of Singing under the guidance of Dr. Jeanne Goffi-Fynn. Currently, he teaches choral music and music theory at Norwalk High School and maintains a small private studio. He lives in Connecticut with his husband and too many animals.

DR. CHRIS WASKO, ADEIB INITIATIVES

Christopher Wasko is the Director of Choirs at Trumbull High School in Trumbull, CT. Prior to this position, Dr. Wasko was a choir and general music teacher at Eastern Middle School in Riverside, CT, and the assistant director of Tapestry Choir in New York City. Dr. Wasko has previously served as assistant conductor of the Vernon Chorale (CT) and assistant conductor of the A Viva Voce Festival (NYC) during their concert tour of Ireleand, a fitting tour for him based on his undergraduate thesis/University Scholar project on Irish rebel songs (three of which he arranged for SATB choir; two are for sale with the Irish music publishing company Seolta).

Dr. Wasko has served as the Membership Chair and the Middle School R&R Chair for CT-ACDA, as well as the Choir Chair for the CMEA Western Region Middle School Festival. In 2016, Dr. Wasko performed as a choral solist at Carnegie Hall. In 2018, he was the guest conductor for the Connecticut Technical High School System All-District Choir Festival.

Dr. Wasko earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Music Education from the University of Connecticut and recently completed his Doctorate of Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.

MAGGIE MURRAY, COLLEGIATE LIAISON

Maggie Murray is a junior at the University of Connecticut pursuing dual degrees in Music Education and Vocal Performance. She currently serves as President of UConn Choirs and the Student National Association of Teachers of Singing (SNATS), and was recently appointed the inaugural Collegiate Liaison for the Connecticut chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. Previously, she served as President of the UConn ACDA Student Chapter, demonstrating her strong commitment to leadership and advocacy in choral music.

Maggie sings with the UConn Concert Choir and Chamber Singers and holds choral scholar positions with the Vernon Chorale and Storrs Congregational Church. She believes deeply in the power of ACDA as a vibrant community and is excited to grow alongside the organization, actively participating throughout her career. Passionate about fostering inclusive and inspiring choral experiences, Maggie supports the development of emerging musicians and educators through advocacy, collaboration, and leadership.