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Staff Profiles

Some changes are in store for The Quire this year as Marlys Boote and Linda Kroon, our volunteer co-directors for the past 10 and 8 years respectively, have decided to spend the year on sabbatical. Though we will certainly miss their guidance and push to bring out the very best sound within each of us, The Quire will continue to strive for excellence in the year ahead.

The coming year, we are blessed to have within our midst three current and one former singers who have the talents to direct The Quire in the interim. Reginia Bailey (former singer) and David Evans have each put in many years conducting in Iowa schools. Avery Wills moved to Iowa City last summer after several years directing church choirs in the Washington DC area. Susan Beckett is one of the founding members of The Quire and has stepped to the podium for spot duty as director for occasional songs in the past.

Co-Directors (On Sabbatical)

Marlys Boote, co-director of The Quire, is Assistant Director at The University of Iowa Center for Credit Programs and Senior Organist at Zion Lutheran Church in Iowa City. She holds the MFA and DMA from the University of Iowa. During the academic year 1985-86, she studied at the North German Organ Academy as a recipient of a grant from the German Foreign Exchange Service (DAAD). In 1996, the University of Iowa awarded her a T. :Anne Cleary International Dissertation Research Fellowship to travel to Krakow, Poland to study the music manuscript which was the topic of her thesis. From 1988-98 she was College Organist and Instructor of Organ at Grinnell College in Grinnell, IA and the Senior Organist at Gloria De Lutheran Church in Iowa City. A charter (singing) member of The Quire, Dr. Boote has been musical director of the ensemble since 1999.

Linda Kroon received her graduate degree in conducting from the University of Iowa, studying with Don Moses (choral), James Dixon (orchestra) and Albert Gammon (voice and diction). Linda is an active conductor, singer and keyboardist in the Iowa City area. She co-directs The Quire (Eastern Iowa's GLBT Chorus) of which she was a founding (singing) member. In the Iowa City area, she serves as Music Director for New Song Episcopal Church in Coralville and the Episcopal Chaplainry at the University of Iowa, and has appeared as a chorister and soloist with the Iowa City Chamber Singers.

Past Director: Rick Yramategui

Rick Yramategui received his degree in music education from Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington with an emphasis in choral music, music composition and piano performance.

After graduating from College, Rick worked as a professional musician in Southern California for three years before entering Seminary at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in New Brighton, MN.

His first pastorate included the role of Minister of Music at the First Congregational Church of Minnesota in Minneapolis. In addition to numerous performances as a recitalist on the West Coast and Upper Midwest, he has directed the Coalition Choir for four years, directed the first Ecumenical Institute of Sacred Choral Music for Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Christians in Newark, NJ, and sung for several years with the Dale Warland Symphonic Chorus.

He was the founding Director of The Quire (from 1995-1998) and is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ .