Leslie Moruza Dripps serves CSYC as Executive & Artistic Director and Director of Upper Choir and has been teaching with City Singers Youth Choirs since 2007. A passionate advocate for equitable access to music education she has taught vocal, choral, and general music at the elementary, middle, high school, and adult levels. She provides music education consulting to schools, school districts, churches, and museums, and as a conductor has served all-area choirs, workshops, clinics, and adjudications across the state. Leslie will teach you to sing unless you are very, very careful.
A published songwriter with international commercial and film credits, Leslie is an active independent choral composer and also performs as a vocalist in a variety of venues, from recording studios to classical mezzo-soprano repertoire. She is a member of Richmond’s professional choral ensemble, Vox Humana, under the baton of Dr. William Bradley Roberts.
Leslie holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from James Madison University and Orff I certification at VCU and currently studies voice under Margaret Woods. An ardent proponent of work-life balance for musicians and their students, she practices what she preaches by spending ample time in her ornery garden while homeschooling the three Dripps boys, and it’s ok that the laundry is never, ever done.
Betsy Podsiadlo, Director of Advancement and Administration, Director of Progressing Choir
With her background as a professional choral singer, composer, and dedicated music teacher, Betsy prioritizes holistic, interactive learning processes that engage the artistry and humanity in all students. A Westminster Choir College graduate, Betsy has performed with the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra and Juilliard 415 in addition to being a resident choral singer at the Spoleto Festival from 2018-2019. While working on her Master’s of Music in Voice at The New School in New York City from 2021-2023, Betsy began additional studies to become an opera and theater producer with Beth Morrison Projects. Betsy was awarded the 2023 Mellon Producing Fellowship and associate produced large-scale productions and tours across the United States and abroad.
In addition to her work with City Singers, Betsy runs a thriving private voice and violin studio here in Richmond, and serves on the Lamb Arts Fest committee in Hopewell, VA. Learn more about Betsy’s ongoing projects at www.betsypodsiadlo.com.
Katherine Oros,Director of Elementary Choir
A veteran of music education who specializes in the elementary ages, Ms. Kat is a music teacher who brings fun, delight, and creativity to every lesson! For more than twenty years Kat has maintained a diverse career in early and elementary music education, vocal performance, and private voice instruction. As a professional soprano section leader and soloist, she currently sings under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Riehl at Second Presbyterian Church and also serves as the Music Academy Coordinator at Salisbury Presbyterian Church.
First encountering City Singers as a choir parent in 2018 with two singers of her own, Kat went on to join CSYC staff in 2023. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Shorter College (Rome, GA), a Master of Arts in Arts Administration from Florida State University, and in 2023 earned Level 1 certification at Shenandoah University’s CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute, and has experience as a Kindermusik certified instructor. Kat also enjoys distance running, organizing spaces, and considers herself a nap enthusiast, all the while enjoying life with her husband, their two sons, and Chopper the Boston terrier.
Margaret Woods serves CSYC as Director of Voice Pedagogy and enjoys a diverse career of concert work, opera, and teaching.
As a professional soprano, her many festival, masterwork, operatic, and recital credits are too numerous to list here, but include projects domestic and international, throughout the eastern United States and Europe.
Margaret values the transformative power of music across all ages and abilities. In addition to her singing career, Margaret is passionate about teaching voice and vocal pedagogy. She serves as adjunct voice faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University and Berkshire Choral International and has been a guest lecturer at Peabody Conservatory, University of Richmond and her alma mater, Lebanon Valley College.
Students in her private voice studio have won numerous competitions and have been accepted to some of the most prestigious music programs in the country. Margaret holds degrees from Lebanon Valley College in Music Education (B.S.) and Music (B.A.) and an M.M. in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College. For more information about Margaret, visit margaretwoodssoprano.com
After-School Programming
Staff Roster
Kimberly Fox Knight is an accomplished singer and performer serving as Music Instructor for CSYC’s After-School Programs in partnership with NextUp. A native of Hanover County, Kimberly has performed in countless settings, including Kings Dominion Entertainment, Riverside Dinner Theater and as guest artist for the VCU Theater Production of “HairSpray”, as well as in commercials for UPS, VA Lottery, The Virginia Housing Department, and Anthem.
She recently starred as the lead role in the 2022 hit gospel play “Hypocrite The Musical”, directed by Glennis Crosby of Imani Productions.
As a wife and mother of 2, Kimberly is a jack of all trades and is not slowing down anytime soon! She is the proud owner of Gimme Pound Cakes and co-owner of Sweets In The City. To close out busy days providing pound cakes for The Market at 25th, Kimberly spends her evenings maintaining her private studio as a voice teacher and acting coach.
Kimberly graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Music degree concentrating in Vocal Performance.
Norman Hurt is the choral director at Lucille Brown Middle School and serves as Music Instructor for CSYC’s After-School Programs.
Norman hails from a multi-generational musical family, which inspired in him an early passion for all things music: Norman’s parents played with well-known artists including Musiq Soulchild, Gerald Levert, and Erykah Badu. From a young age, Norman was experimenting with guitar and piano, and those self-teaching insighs inform his teaching process today.
A recent graduate of Longwood University, he studied conducting with Dr. Pamela McDermott and earned a Bachelor of Music in Visual and Performing Arts.
FACULTY
A published songwriter with international commercial and film credits, Leslie is an active independent choral composer and also performs as a vocalist in a variety of venues, from recording studios to classical mezzo-soprano repertoire. She is a member of Richmond’s professional choral ensemble, Vox Humana, under the baton of Dr. William Bradley Roberts.
Leslie holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from James Madison University and Orff I certification at VCU and currently studies voice under Margaret Woods. An ardent proponent of work-life balance for musicians and their students, she practices what she preaches by spending ample time in her ornery garden while homeschooling the three Dripps boys, and it’s ok that the laundry is never, ever done.
Betsy Podsiadlo, Director of Advancement and Administration, Director of Progressing Choir
With her
background as a professional choral singer, composer, and dedicated music teacher, Betsy prioritizes holistic, interactive learning processes that engage the artistry and humanity in all students. A Westminster Choir College graduate, Betsy has performed with the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra and Juilliard 415 in addition to being a resident choral singer at the Spoleto Festival from 2018-2019. While working on her Master’s of Music in Voice at The New School in New York City from 2021-2023, Betsy began additional studies to become an opera and theater producer with Beth Morrison Projects. Betsy was awarded the 2023 Mellon Producing Fellowship and associate produced large-scale productions and tours across the United States and abroad.
In addition to her work with City Singers, Betsy runs a thriving private voice and violin studio here in Richmond, and serves on the Lamb Arts Fest committee in Hopewell, VA. Learn more about Betsy’s ongoing projects at www.betsypodsiadlo.com.
A veteran of music education who specializes in the elementary ages, Ms. Kat is a music teacher who brings fun, delight, and creativity to every lesson! For more than twenty years Kat has maintained a diverse career in early and elementary music education, vocal performance, and private voice instruction. As a professional soprano section leader and soloist, she currently sings under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Riehl at Second Presbyterian Church and also serves as the Music Academy Coordinator at Salisbury Presbyterian Church.
First encountering City Singers as a choir parent in 2018 with two singers of her own, Kat went on to join CSYC staff in 2023. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Shorter College (Rome, GA), a Master of Arts in Arts Administration from Florida State University, and in 2023 earned Level 1 certification at Shenandoah University’s CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute, and has experience as a Kindermusik certified instructor. Kat also enjoys distance running, organizing spaces, and considers herself a nap enthusiast, all the while enjoying life with her husband, their two sons, and Chopper the Boston terrier.
Margaret Woods serves CSYC as Director of Voice Pedagogy and enjoys a diverse career of concert work, opera, and teaching.
As a professional soprano, her many festival, masterwork, operatic, and recital credits are too numerous to list here, but include projects domestic and international, throughout the eastern United States and Europe.
Margaret values the transformative power of music across all ages and abilities. In addition to her singing career, Margaret is passionate about teaching voice and vocal pedagogy. She serves as adjunct voice faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University and Berkshire Choral International and has been a guest lecturer at Peabody Conservatory, University of Richmond and her alma mater, Lebanon Valley College.
Students in her private voice studio have won numerous competitions and have been accepted to some of the most prestigious music programs in the country. Margaret holds degrees from Lebanon Valley College in Music Education (B.S.) and Music (B.A.) and an M.M. in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College. For more information about Margaret, visit margaretwoodssoprano.com
After-School Programming
Staff Roster
Kimberly Fox Knight is an accomplished singer and performer serving as Music Instructor for CSYC’s After-School Programs in partnership with NextUp. A native of Hanover County, Kimberly has performed in countless settings, including Kings Dominion Entertainment, Riverside Dinner Theater and as guest artist for the VCU Theater Production of “HairSpray”, as well as in commercials for UPS, VA Lottery, The Virginia Housing Department, and Anthem.
She recently starred as the lead role in the 2022 hit gospel play “Hypocrite The Musical”, directed by Glennis Crosby of Imani Productions.
As a wife and mother of 2, Kimberly is a jack of all trades and is not slowing down anytime soon! She is the proud owner of Gimme Pound Cakes and co-owner of Sweets In The City. To close out busy days providing pound cakes for The Market at 25th, Kimberly spends her evenings maintaining her private studio as a voice teacher and acting coach.
Kimberly graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Music degree concentrating in Vocal Performance.
Norman Hurt is the choral director at Lucille Brown Middle School and serves as Music Instructor for CSYC’s After-School Programs.
Norman hails from a multi-generational musical family, which inspired in him an early passion for all things music: Norman’s parents played with well-known artists including Musiq Soulchild, Gerald Levert, and Erykah Badu. From a young age, Norman was experimenting with guitar and piano, and those self-teaching insighs inform his teaching process today.
A recent graduate of Longwood University, he studied conducting with Dr. Pamela McDermott and earned a Bachelor of Music in Visual and Performing Arts.