The Hill Country Chorale, Kerrville’s community chorus, has been performing since 2001 and presents choral music concerts for all tastes, from classical to popular. Chorale members are a diverse group of enthusiastic singers, including active and retired doctors, lawyers, ministers, professors, teachers, students, consultants, builders, musicians, and business people from every walk of life. They come together to share a love for singing and to offer the community the opportunity to enjoy quality concerts. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, the Chorale is funded primarily through donations from individuals and local businesses, foundation grants, and concert ticket sales.

Andrea Runnels is the Coordinator of Choirs for Schreiner University. She holds a Bachelors of Choral Music Education from Texas Christian University and a Masters and Ph.D in Choral Music Education and Fine Arts from Texas Tech University. Prior to her appointment to Schreiner, Dr. Runnels’ music career spanned 20 years throughout Texas where she began her career teaching elementary and secondary music, choral conducting for schools and churches throughout. Her experiences include working with renowned choral conductors such as Lara Hoggard, Ron Shirey and John Rutter. She was frequently invited to sing under Skitch Hendricks and perform with the New York Pops Concerts for over a decade. Runnels is known for her ability to connect school, community, and university choirs to create festivals and choirs to perform major works they ordinarily could not accomplish by themselves. In addition to teaching music, directing choir, leading clinics and conducting choirs, Runnels has also had an extensive career in sacred music, where she has served in various churches across the state in conjunction to her teaching assignments. Runnels is also an active music education researcher and presenter who specializes in sightreading techniques and best practices.

Susan S. Matteson, DMA, has made the study, practice, and performance of classical music a life long pursuit. She is a classically trained organist and regularly accompanies singers and instrumentalists on piano, organ, and harpsichord. Dr. Matteson is also an accomplished flutist and has taught performance and other music-related subjects in a variety of learning environments from elementary through college levels. She has performance degrees from Indiana University (B Mus), Rice University (M Mus), and the Eastman School of Music (D Mus Arts). She is the owner/instructor of South Stream Music in Kerrville. This teaching studio welcomes students of all ages and experience and focuses on musical comprehension. She is on staff in the Music Department at Schreiner University and regularly accompanies Playhouse 2000 productions at the Cailloux Theater.

CLAIRE RABSON, Artistic Director for HCVAS and conductor of the Hill Country Chorale since 2003, received her Music degree from Texas A&I University in Corpus Christi. She attended on scholarship and graduated cum laude. Professionally, she has directed church choirs in Corpus Christi, Denver, and the Texas Hill Country since she was nineteen.  Claire has sung with the San Antonio Symphony Master Singers, with Canto Chamber Choir in Fredericksburg, and is the choir director at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Kerrville.  She is a member of the Texas Choral Directors Association.