Artistic Staff
Conductors
Karyn Silva has spent over thirty years enriching the lives of children and young adults through the transformative power of choral music. Known for her deep connection with students and her ability to cultivate a vibrant artistic community, Karyn is a highly sought-after master teacher, clinician, and mentor. Since 2011, she has served as the Artistic Director of the Peninsula Girls Chorus, where she leads the Concerta and Ensemble choirs, inspiring excellence and passion in every rehearsal.
Karyn's influence extends beyond the classroom, as she has been a featured choral clinician for organizations like the California Music Educators Association, the American Choral Directors Association, and the Northern California Association of Kodály Educators. She has also performed periodically with the San Francisco Bay Area Chamber Choir since 1988. A graduate of Holy Names University with a Master's in Music Education and a Kodály emphasis, Karyn's dedication to her craft has earned her numerous honors, including "Teacher of the Year" from the Lincoln Unified School District in 1996 and "Classroom Music Teacher of the Year" from the California Music Educators Association in 2007.
Under her leadership, the Peninsula Girls Chorus has toured both domestically and internationally, performing in prestigious venues such as Canterbury Cathedral, the Sydney Opera House, and the Abbey at Montserrat. Karyn's commitment to expanding the choral repertoire has led to commissions from composers such as Sarah Quartel, Kevin Memley, and Dr. Andrea Ramsey. She continues to build on the PGC's rich tradition of creating new music and fostering the artistic growth of her singers.
Sarah Cane, Repertoire Director, earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from CSUEB, a Master of Music at Holy Names University, and was winner of the Sarolta Kodaly Scholarship to study music education and choral conducting for a year at the Kodaly Institute in Kecskemet, Hungary. She has taught music to every level, K-12, at one time or another in her 30 years of teaching, including Peninsula School in Menlo Park, Addison Elementary and Jordan Middle School in Palo Alto. She has also been an English teacher at Menlo-Atherton and Carlmont High Schools.
Sarah has made a study of folk music, dance, stories, and games and is currently learning old time fiddle. She loves to work with the youngest girls to instill a love of music making in playful ways, incorporating dance, improvisation and games.
Is the past president of Northern California Association of Kodaly Educators.
Kate Roseman, Director of Educational Programs, Brava & PGC Coastside director, is a graduate of the University of Redlands where she earned her Bachelor Degree in Music Education. Ms. Roseman studied at the Zoltán Kodály Pedagogical Institute of Music in Kecskemét, Hungary, where she specialized in pedagogy and methodology, music history, conducting and ear training. She has furthered her study of the Kodály approach by completing her Kodály Certification in pedagogy, musicianship and choral music at Azusa Pacific University in July 2022.
This is Ms. Roseman's 16th year as a director at the Peninsula Girls Chorus. In 2025 she became a full-time PGC employee, taking on the role of Director of Educational Programs. An alumna of the PGC herself, she has been a part of PGC for more than 25 years. She is an active member of both the American Choral Directors Association and the Organization of American Kodály Educators. In her spare time, Ms. Roseman likes spending time with family and friends, speed-puzzling, hiking, and walking her dog, Linus.
Isabella Custino, Allegra Director, is a passionate choral conductor and music educator from the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a California state certified K-12 music teacher with degrees from Teachers College, Columbia University (MA Music & Music Education) and the USC Thornton School of Music (BA Choral Music). Isabella is a proud alumna of PGC, where she began in Allegra under the direction of Karyn Silva.
In addition to her position with PGC, Ms. Custino will be conducting the Primary Group and assisting with the Concert Group/Chamber Singers at the Ragazzi Boys Chorus under Kent Jue. She feels lucky to be returning to the Bay Area choral scene as an educator under the mentorship of her previous music teachers from childhood.
In addition to teaching and conducting, Ms. Custino has participated in various choral ensembles. During her time at USC, she was a member of the prestigious USC Chamber Singers under the direction of Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe. She was also Conducting Intern for the Orange County Women's Chorus under the direction of Eliza Rubenstein in 2021-2022. With these ensembles, she has performed at various venues such as Desert Trip with the Rolling Stones and Walt Disney Concert Hall as well as touring to destinations like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Carnegie Hall in New York.
Ms. Custino is also an active member of ACDA (American Choral Directors Association), NAfME (National Association for Music Educators), and OAKE (Organization of American Kodály Educators). She finds immense value in networking and collaboration with her choral colleagues nationwide and internationally.
Conducting Interns
Alexis Wong Baird, Brava conducting intern, is a lifelong choir singer, starting at age 7 with the Danville Girls Chorus. She currently sings in the San Francisco Symphony Chorus and teaches music and movement classes with Peninsula Music Together. She studied business and engineering at the University of Pennsylvania and worked in tech. She is excited to reconnect with her first love of choir through Peninsula Girls Chorus.
Jo Basile has been singing in choirs since the 7th grade after attending an arts charter school, so music has been in her educational life since the beginning! After attending her first Regional Honor Choir Convention in high school, she knew that she wanted to spend the rest of her life participating in and teaching choir. Her further education started at Cabrillo College with an Associates Transfer Degree in music and made her way to San Jose State University where she received her Bachelors in Music Education with Choral Emphasis. On the way, she discovered her love for musical theatre starring in a variety of musical and operas as well as general music earning a certification in Kindermusik and level 1 and 2 Orff general music training. She has had the pleasure of traveling to Spain and Portugal with the San Jose State Choraliers performing masterworks and soloing with a San Jose local community chorus, Resounding Achord, at the 2024 American Choral Directors Association Conference. She is so excited to begin this journey into the world of choral conducting with PGC!
Camille is a South Bay native who is excited to join PGC as Concerta's new Conducting Intern!
Camille grew up singing and playing guitar at Santa Clara First Baptist Church with her family until 2014, when she graduated high school and started attending Sonoma State University. She graduated in the Fall of 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music, and returned to Santa Clara First Baptist to become the Worship Director. After three years, during which she taught at St. Andrew's Episcopal School, San Jose School of Music, and Almond Elementary School, she completed her Masters degree in Music Education with a Kodály Emphasis at Holy Names University in Oakland. Camille currently teaches at Presentation High School in San Jose as the Choir Director, leading 2 performing Choirs, the Liturgical Band, and running the Box Office for the on campus theater. Camille also serves as the new Treasurer for the Northern California Association of Kodály Educators.
When she's not working, Camille loves volunteering on the worship team with her church community in Campbell, watching local theater productions, and going out with her friends.
Accompanists
Dmitriy Cogan, Brava and Ensemble Accompanist was born in Moscow in 1963. He began music studies at the age of six and in 1974 immigrated to San Francisco. He studied conducting at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and continued his piano studies with Vladimir Pleshakov and Maria Cisyc. In 1979, he moved to New York to study with Martin Canin at the Juillard School, where he received Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees. Since 1980 he has appeared in numerous solo and chamber music concerts in the New York area. In 1981, he was a prizewinner at the Kosciuszko Chopin Competition in New York; in 1982 he won first prize at the American Music Scholarship Association International Piano Competition in Cincinnati; in 1983 he was Laureate of the Robert Casadesus International Piano Competition in Cleveland. Mr. Cogan has performed at Carnegie Hall and has appeared in recitals throughout the United States, Europe, Russia and Central America.
Yongyu earned her Bachelor's degree from South China University majoring in Music Education (with an emphasis in piano) and Master's degree from San Jose State University majoring in Piano Performance as a Walker Scholar.
As an active performer, Yongyu accompanies local choral groups such as Ragazzi, Junípero Serra High School, and a number of schools from Burlingame School District. She also serves as an organist and pianist at Burlingame United Methodist Church. In addition, she tours with different groups domestically and internationally for concerts and music festivals, the highlights including International Music Festival at Sydney Opera House, Chorus America, ACDA Western, and Aloha State Music Festival. Some of the other projects that Yongyu has been involved in were Ina's Opera Group and Hillbarn Theater (musical). She looks forward to joining PGC and shares her love of music.
Xiyan Wang, Concerta accompanist, is a native of Guangzhou China who started her piano studies at the age of five. At the age of 12 she was admitted to the Xing Hai Conservatory of Music in Guangzhou as a student of Mei Li. After receiving several local and regional competition awards, she was granted a scholarship at Interlochen Arts Academy Michigan in 2001, where she began studying piano under Thomas J. Lymenstull, Dr. Stephen Perry and chamber music under Yoshikazu Nagai. Ms. Wang graduated with honors in Piano Achievement and was awarded the Fine Arts Award in Music. She received awards from the PianoArts of Wisconsin National Concerto Competition in 2002, and performed at Northwestern University of Chicago's "From Vienna to Harlem" Piano Festival in 2003. In 2004, Ms. Wang was chosen to give a performance for the Chinese Government Delegation in Washington DC on behalf of the Emerson global manufacturing and technology company. Ms. Wang was a recipient of the Phyllis Wattis Scholarship while studying at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she earned her BM and MM under the tutelage of Mack McCray.
Ms. Wang graduated with her Professional Studies Diploma from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in May 2011. She has been active as a soloist as well as collaborating pianist with other instrumentalists including members of the SF symphony. She continues to teach today in music schools and privately throughout the bay area.
Pat McNutt has accompanied school musicals, musical theatre, instrumentalists, bay area choirs, and high school and community college choir classes for more than 40 years. She retired from 30 years of teaching piano in 2019, and from 17 years as organist/music director at Community United Methodist Church in Half Moon Bay. For many years Pat was active in the Music Teachers Association of California, administering the Certificate of Merit evaluation program, and serving on the Board of Directors. She thinks musicians never really retire, and she is currently the accompanist for The Coastside Pride Chorus. Pat enjoys collaborating in instrumental ensembles, and loves working with the young girls at PGC Coastside.