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Artistic Staff
Meet the staff who guide and prepare us for the wonderful performances we do throughout the year.
Dr. Marjorie Simons-Bester
Dr. Marjorie Simons-Bester is currently serving as the director of BlueNotes vocal jazz ensemble at Midland University. Prior to joining the Arts Department at Midland, Dr. Simons-Bester taught in Bellevue Public Schools for 44 years where she served as Director of Choral Music Activities at Bellevue East High School for 31 years. Dr. Simons-Bester conducted the East High Singers, Mixed Chorus, Freshman Chorale, Take II Varsity Show Choir and E St. Jazz. She also served as the music director for the annual Bellevue East Spring Musical, and taught Music Theory and Music History. Under Dr. Simons-Bester’s direction, the Bellevue East High Singers were a featured ensemble with the Omaha Symphony Orchestra numerous times, and received consistent superior ratings at District Music Contest and the annual Worlds of Fun Festival of Choirs Competition where they consistently placed in the top three choirs and were named Grand Champion eight times. East High Singers was twice selected to perform on the Nebraska Music Educators Association Fall Conference, and traveled to New York City, Washington D.C. and Orlando, Florida. Under Dr. Simons-Bester’s direction, East High Singers returned to New York in March 2023 for their second appearance in concert at Carnegie Hall. Students under Dr. Simons-Bester’s direction were consistently selected for membership in honor choirs at the state, regional and national level. She is extremely proud to acknowledge several former students who have joined her in the field of music education, in addition to others who are leading successful careers in the performing arts.
Dr. Simons-Bester’s prior teaching experience includes five years at Fort Crook Elementary School and nine years at Mission Junior High/Middle School in Bellevue. Dr. Simons-Bester received her BA in Music Education from Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, Nebraska, her MME from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado and her Ed.D in Curriculum, Administration, and Instruction from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
Marjorie currently serves as a member of the School for Music Vocations Advisory Board. She has served as President of the Nebraska Choral Directors Association, and Repertoire and Standards Chair for Multicultural Music and Perspectives for the North Central division of the American Choral Directors Association. She is a member of the steering committee for the 2024 Midwestern American Choral Directors Convention; and is a frequent guest clinician for choral festivals and contests across the state of Nebraska. Marjorie has sung with The Mastersingers, the Omaha Symphonic Chorus, the Opera Omaha Chorus and with The Omaha Chamber Singers. On a personal note, she is married to Michael Bester. They are the proud parents of daughter, Michelle.
Marjorie maintains membership in the following professional organizations: NAFME; ACDA; National Association of Negro Musicians, Jazz Education Network, and NEA.
Dr. Simons-Bester’s prior teaching experience includes five years at Fort Crook Elementary School and nine years at Mission Junior High/Middle School in Bellevue. Dr. Simons-Bester received her BA in Music Education from Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, Nebraska, her MME from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado and her Ed.D in Curriculum, Administration, and Instruction from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
Marjorie currently serves as a member of the School for Music Vocations Advisory Board. She has served as President of the Nebraska Choral Directors Association, and Repertoire and Standards Chair for Multicultural Music and Perspectives for the North Central division of the American Choral Directors Association. She is a member of the steering committee for the 2024 Midwestern American Choral Directors Convention; and is a frequent guest clinician for choral festivals and contests across the state of Nebraska. Marjorie has sung with The Mastersingers, the Omaha Symphonic Chorus, the Opera Omaha Chorus and with The Omaha Chamber Singers. On a personal note, she is married to Michael Bester. They are the proud parents of daughter, Michelle.
Marjorie maintains membership in the following professional organizations: NAFME; ACDA; National Association of Negro Musicians, Jazz Education Network, and NEA.
Stacie Haneline,
Collaborative Pianist
Admired for her consummate skill and for her “musical excellence which is overshadowed only by her generous spirit and kindness to her colleagues” (Thomas Wilkins, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Boston Symphony and Omaha Symphony), pianist Stacie Haneline maintains an active career in vocal, choral, symphonic, chamber, opera, and instrumental repertoire. A versatile musician, selected highlights include Carnegie Hall, the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, the American Cathedral in Paris France, Sydney Opera House, New York City Opera, Kennedy Center, Hawaii Opera, Virginia Symphony, Virginia Opera, Brooklyn Academy of Music, University of Australia, Brevard Music Center, Omaha Symphony and Opera Omaha.
Performance highlights include winning the Gold Prize at the London Virtuoso Music Awards with the world premiere of Shawn Okpebholo’s, Words Like Freedom with soprano, Jamie Reimer in 2024. Collaborative highlights include Rosephanye Powell’s, Hold Fast to Dreams with soprano Lisa Burr and violinist Naimi Burr; Andre Myers, Surviving the Apocalypse with soprano, Jamie Reimer and baritone, Byron Jones during the 25th African American Art Song Alliance; Clint Needham’s, Voices with the Boston Symphony String Quartet and orchestra; the Zodiac Chamber Festival in Nice, France; the premiere of Leslie Adams Dunbar Songs with soprano Gail Robinson-Orturo; and commissioned works by Brittany Boykin and Gwyneth Walker for the Haneline-Reimer duo.
Championing works by Robert Owens with soprano, Jamie Reimer, the two were honored performers at the African American Arts Song Alliance featuring Robert Owens’ 4 Sonnets to Duse. The first of three recordings for Centaur Records featured Robert Owens’ vocal and chamber music. The recordings were awarded two highly coveted Judges Awards from the American Prize Competition both in Chamber Music and Art Song.
The Coordinator for the Collaborative Piano program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Stacie performs with visiting artists and faculty.
Performance highlights include winning the Gold Prize at the London Virtuoso Music Awards with the world premiere of Shawn Okpebholo’s, Words Like Freedom with soprano, Jamie Reimer in 2024. Collaborative highlights include Rosephanye Powell’s, Hold Fast to Dreams with soprano Lisa Burr and violinist Naimi Burr; Andre Myers, Surviving the Apocalypse with soprano, Jamie Reimer and baritone, Byron Jones during the 25th African American Art Song Alliance; Clint Needham’s, Voices with the Boston Symphony String Quartet and orchestra; the Zodiac Chamber Festival in Nice, France; the premiere of Leslie Adams Dunbar Songs with soprano Gail Robinson-Orturo; and commissioned works by Brittany Boykin and Gwyneth Walker for the Haneline-Reimer duo.
Championing works by Robert Owens with soprano, Jamie Reimer, the two were honored performers at the African American Arts Song Alliance featuring Robert Owens’ 4 Sonnets to Duse. The first of three recordings for Centaur Records featured Robert Owens’ vocal and chamber music. The recordings were awarded two highly coveted Judges Awards from the American Prize Competition both in Chamber Music and Art Song.
The Coordinator for the Collaborative Piano program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Stacie performs with visiting artists and faculty.
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