Sharon Carlsen grew up in Van Hornesville, NY. At the age of 16, she played the organ at the Lutheran Church in Little Falls, NY.  After graduating from Owen D. Young Central School, she attended SUNY Potsdam, Crane School of Music, completing her BM in 1985.

Her first teaching position took place at West Canada Valley Central School, Newport NY. After three years, she moved to the Glens Falls area where she accepted a music position at Hadley-Luzerne Central School for ten years. During that time, she completed her Master's Degree at the College of St. Rose in Albany and was the organist at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Glens Falls.

In 2001, she accepted a K-12 Music position at Argyle Central School. For several years, she was Music Director/Organist at Christ Church United Methodist.  After teaching for a total of 33 years, she retired July 1, 2021. She is currently Music Director/Organist at The Church of the Messiah in Glens Falls.

Her passions include playing the organ/piano in a church setting and taking care of her cat, Munchkin.

John Benware returns to the Church of the Messiah for the third performance in our concert series but this time on the keyboards. John grew up in Queensbury, developing a diverse background in the performing arts from a young age. After receiving his Bachelors in Music Performance (Piano) from SUNY Fredonia in 2012, he returned home and slowly became a staple in the area, accompanying and music directing shows, among other music jobs. 

Perhaps most notably, has been his work with Lake George Youtheatre and Stage 42 (South Glens Falls Senior High School). John also made a comeback to the community theatre scene; from 2017 to 2023, taking on roles such as Patsy (Spamalot), Bobby Strong (Urinetown), King George III (Hamiltunes), Charlie Lee (Radium Girls), Ned Schneebly (School of Rock), and numerous roles in Forbidden Broadway. 

John served as the interim music director for Church of the Messiah from February to June of 2022. He is currently the music director/choreographer for Lake George Dinner Theatre through the end of August. This Fall he’ll return as a contributing composer/performer at the Cooper’s Cave Composers Consortium. 

He’s incredibly grateful for the instruction and guidance of his many music teachers, public and private.

K. Bryan Kirk has served as Music Director and Organist of First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls, New York since 2005, where he manages a choral program, concert series and facilitated renovations of the large chancel organ in 2013 and ongoing restoration of the gallery organ.  He has Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Organ Performance from New England Conservatory, studying with Yuko Hayashi, William Porter, and Baroque studies under Daniel Pinkham.

He studied French organ repertoire and improvisation in Paris with Marie-Louise Langlais and Daniel Roth, and presented his European début in 1995 in the Cathédrale Saint-Denis on the historic 1841 Cavaillé-Coll organ.  He has played solo recitals in Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, Cathedral of Saint John the Divine and Brick Presbyterian Church, New York City, Princeton University Chapel, Cathedral of All Saints, Albany; Trinity Church, Church of the Advent, Old West Church and King’s Chapel, Boston; National City Christian Church and Washington Cathedral in Washington DC; Methuen Memorial Music Hall in Massachusetts, and Grace Cathedral, San Francisco.

Mr. Kirk performs regularly as organist, pianist and accompanist, and remains active as a piano and organ teacher, composer/arranger, consultant for pipe organs, and his choral compositions have been sung by groups in the US and Europe, including Queensbury Madrigals and GFS Children’s Chorus.

He served as the Glens Falls Symphony’s Board President from 2008-2010, accompanist for the Symphony Children’s Chorus for seven years, chairs the Special Events Committee, and performs with the Symphony frequently as organist and harpsichordist.

Catherine Reid grew up In Queensbury, received her Bachelor of Music in music composition from Boston University and her Masters in Fine Arts in Music Theater Composition from NYU. 

She is a composer, pianist, organist, music director, arranger, and teacher. Her compositions include operas, musicals, oratorios, cabarets, dance pieces, instrumental pieces ranging from one instrument to full orchestra as well as vocal pieces ranging from solo to large chorus and many have been performed in the Capital Region as well as NYC.  

She was the choral teacher and taught music theater, composition, sound design and general music at Lake George High School for 20 years. She has been the Music Director/organist/pianist and choir director at Christ Church Methodist for six years.

Tyler K. Morrill is a 28 year old organist native to the capital region with a background in both organ performance and the intricate craft of building pipe organs. He honed his organ playing skills under the guidance of Farrell Goehring at Bethesda Episcopal in Saratoga Springs for four years and Bryan Kirk at First Presbyterian Church in Glens Falls for about a year and a half.

Tyler initially pursued a college education in organ performance, but his passion for the instrument led him to a hands-on career in constructing pipe organs. Over just two years, Tyler traveled to 10 different states, gaining valuable experience and contributing to the creation of these magnificent instruments.

When Tyler is not involved with music, he is a skilled photographer and enjoys capturing the world around him. He also loves spending time in nature hiking, kayaking, and camping. 

Music plays a vital role in church services, enhancing worship and fostering a sense of community. 

It serves as a form of communication, expressing faith, praise, and gratitude to God. 

Various musical forms like hymns, chants, and anthems are used to create a spiritual atmosphere and deepen the connection with the divine.

The church is often a center for community gatherings where many diverse type of music can often be heard within; including folk tunes, traditional rounds, broadways showstoppers and original compositions.

Sabrina is a music educator, vocal instructor and professional singer based in Queensbury, New York. A graduate of SUNY Fredonia’s Music Education program, Sabrina studied vocal pedagogy under Dr. Gwen Coleman. She currently teaches UPK-4th grade general music and chorus for Glens Falls City Schools, and recently completed her 21st year as a music educator.

Sabrina has a true passion for Broadway and considers herself a “musical theater geek”. She has been in over 50 musicals in her lifetime! Some of her past roles include Lily Craven in The Secret Garden in Concert (Glens Falls Community Theatre), Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music (SMSA Players), Rona Lisa Peretti in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (GFCT), and Eliza in Hamiltunes: Hamilton the Musical in Concert (Park Theater). A 7-year veteran of the Lake George Youtheatre, Sabrina considers the stage to be her happy place! 

When not teaching or participating in shows, Sabrina is also the soprano section leader of the Church of the Messiah choir, and a frequent soloist in the area. She received the Glens Falls “Teacher Spotlight” award in 2024 for her efforts as the music teacher at Jackson Heights Elementary School. Sabrina has also enjoyed being a guest clinician for numerous school districts in the Capital Region, as well as guest conductor for various local All-County chorus groups in the greater Glens Falls area. 

Sabrina would like to thank her family and friends who have supported her career for her entire life and the amazing friends who joined her for this performance.

Anthony is a proud graduate of Lake George Jr./Sr. High School and holds a Bachelor's degree in Network Engineering from American Capital University. He currently serves as the Executive Vice President and CFO of Community Resource Federal Credit Union. 

This fall, Anthony will begin graduate studies at General Theological Seminary in New York City, pursuing a Master of Divinity degree as he follows his call to ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church.

Anthony has a lifelong love of music and the arts. In high school, he was active in chorus, band, drama club, and numerous senior class musicals. As a young adult, he continued to cultivate his passion for singing through the SUNY New Paltz Chorus and later performed with the Adirondack Voices.

He is also a dedicated member of the Church of the Messiah in Glens Falls, where he serves as a Choir Member, Lector, Vestry member, Warden, Treasurer, and Chair of the Capital Campaign Committee.

And best of all… he’s Sabrina’s husband 

— his favorite role of all.

Dannica is entering her junior year at Queensbury High School. 

She is a member of the high school chorus and Queensbury Madrigals, which performed in Ireland this past December.  

Dannica has performed in numerous musicals, some of which include The Secret Garden in Concert (Ensemble),   The Wizard of Oz (Hairdresser/Munchkin) Annie (Mrs. Greer), School of Rock (Shonelle), and Matilda (Miss Honey). 

Dannica loves languages and hopes to study Spanish when she graduates and become an interpreter. 

She is grateful to get to sing with her mother again, which is one of her favorite things in the world to do. 

John grew up in Queensbury, developing a diverse background in the performing arts from a young age. After receiving his Bachelors in Music Performance (Piano) from SUNY Fredonia in 2012, he returned home and slowly became a staple in the area, accompanying and music directing shows, among other music jobs. 

Perhaps most notably, has been his work with Lake George Youtheatre and Stage 42 (South Glens Falls Senior High School). John also made a comeback to the community theatre scene; from 2017 to 2023, taking on roles such as Patsy (Spamalot), Bobby Strong (Urinetown), King George III (Hamiltunes), Charlie Lee (Radium Girls), Ned Schneebly (School of Rock), and numerous roles in Forbidden Broadway. 

John served as the interim music director for Church of the Messiah from February to June of 2022. He is currently the music director/choreographer for Lake George Dinner Theatre through the end of August. This Fall he’ll return as a contributing composer/performer at the Cooper’s Cave Composers Consortium. 

He’s incredibly grateful for the instruction and guidance of his many music teachers, public and private.

Megan O’Sullivan teaches music in the Glens Falls City School District.  She earned her M.M. in Education from the University of Connecticut (2007) and her B.M. in Education with a vocal concentration from the Crane School of Music (2003).  

Megan is actively involved as a director for both the Schuylerville Community Theatre and Saratoga Children’s Theatre.  

One of her favorite things to do is sing with Sabrina and she is so grateful that she invited her to be a part of this performance. 

Josh Willis is excited to perform alongside two very talented folks for this concert! 

A recent graduate of SUNY New Paltz, Josh is excited to be returning to performing after a few years away. 

Previously, he could be seen on the stage in Rent with GFCT (Mark), Solstice with Company of Curiosities (originated the role of James), and Spring Awakening at SUNY New Paltz (Moritz).