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.