Richard Travers earned a Master’s degree in Choral Conducting from the Boston Conservatory as a student of Allen Lannom and a degree in Music Education from Berklee College of Music. 

A recently-retired music educator in the Newton Public Schools, Mr. Travers directed four choirs at Newton North High School: Vocal Ensemble, Concert Choir, Family Singers and Jubilee Singers. As a choral conductor, he has served as the Assistant Music Director of the Masterworks Chorale, Choral Director of Fitchburg State College, and Director of the New England Conservatory Youth Chorale. He has been the Music Director of the Newton Community Chorus since 1998 and Music Director of the Fine Arts Chorale in Weymouth since 2009. Mr. Travers recently completed his tenure as Music Director of the Rosie’s Place Jazz Choir working closely with Kip Tiernan, founder of Rosie’s Place.

The highlight of Mr. Travers’ career was a program featuring Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concert with the greatest jazz musicians in Boston: soloists Rebecca Parris, Dick Johnson, and Paul Broadnax; as well as the Kenny Hadley Band, along with the Family Singers and the Foxboro High School Jazz Band. The late Herb Pomeroy, who played with Duke Ellington, conducted the concert. It was selected by the Boston Globe as one of the “top ten jazz concerts of 1998.” 

Mr. Travers has served as guest conductor of the Massachusetts Music Educators Northeast, Southeast and Central Choirs; in March 2010, he conducted the Western Junior District Choir and was an adjudicator in the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association Festival. 

In addition to his role as Choir Director, Mr. Travers conducted over 25 musicals at Newton North High School, including Guys and Dolls, Chicago, 42nd Street Les Miserables and Cabaret. He is proud to have started the Jubilee Singers with Sheldon Reid. It is a gospel choir that studies African Dispora music and social issues to gain a better understanding of other cultures. Mr. Travers also began The Tiger Bebop, a vocal jazz ensemble with annual performances at the Berklee High School Jazz Festival.

As a pianist and combo leader, Mr. Travers has performed throughout the eastern United States with Irish singing stars Mary McGonnigle, John McNally, Lewis Brown, Anna McGoldrick and Chrisy Gamble. Mr. Travers has shared the stage as an opening act with performers such as Silly Wizard, Tommy Makem and The Wolftones. He has worked with Boston singer/saxophonist Mike Buckley for over 25 years.  He has recently co-written and performed a successful tribute show featuring Buckley called “Frankly Sinatra” to rave reviews. Travers has also served as Music Director for composer Laurie Gould’s latest CD “Songs of Domestic Bliss.”

Travers maintains a busy private studio that provides instruction on voice, theory, and piano to students of all ages. He and his wife Diane are the proud parents of four children.

Monique Weiss Byrnes began playing organ in churches at the age of 11.  She is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she studied organ with Haskell Thompson while earning a Master's degree in Teaching with a Choral Emphasis, after earning her Bachelor's degree in Organ Performance.

Ms. Weiss Byrnes has performed the music of Bach, Buxtehude, Brahms, Franck, Hindemith, Mendelssohn, Messiaen, Mozart, Vierne, Vivaldi and Widor on organs throughout the United States. She spent two years studying music in Bayreuth, Germany; Vienna, Austria; and London, England, and played organs in Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany and the Netherlands.  Interested in both classical and jazz music, Ms. Weiss Brynes studied jazz piano with Harvey Diamond and Charles Binacus and jazz voice with Lisa Thorson, Bob Stoloff and Sheila Jordan.  She has been a pianist and singer in both classical and jazz styles in the Boston area since 1988.

Ms. Weiss Brynes is the Directress of Music at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Natick, where she is the organist, conductor of three choirs, accompanist and vocal coach. She is the pianist for the Leggiero Piano Trio and the pianist and singer of the Monique Weiss Jazz Quartet. Ms. Weiss Byrnes founded the Mosaic Modes Music Studio in 1994 where she and her husband Brendan teach piano, voice, organ and drums.  She taught at the American School in London as a vocal coach and accompanist, and has been an accompanist for choral groups on tour in England, Wales, Poland, France, Germany and Canada, including an international choral festival in Krakow, Poland.

During 2007, Ms. Weiss Byrnes began studying composition and improvisation with Ed Brohms. She has composed music to thirty-six Psalm texts and was invited to compose a choral work for the 2008 New England Episcopal Diocesan Convention where her first choral composition received its premiere.

Ms. Weiss Byrnes is a member of the American Choral Society, the American Guild of Organists, and the New England Piano Teachers Association.  She is in her twelfth season as the rehearsal accompanist for the Newton Community Chorus and performs on organ, piano and harpsichord for Chorus concerts.