Encore Creativity Announces New Chief Executive Officer

Joshua Vickery 2 Encore Creativity Corporation is pleased to announce the appointment of Joshua Vickery as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the organization. Vickery will begin his position on October 18, 2021.

“The Board of Directors of Encore is very pleased to present Joshua Vickery as the new CEO of Encore,” said Anthony Tambasco, President, Encore Board of Directors. “Joshua is the right person at the right time to take over the reins, and move Encore from its founders to the next generation.  He was himself a founder of a very diverse arts community, so he comes with vast experience and a passion for continuing, growing, and leading Encore.  His conversations with the Board reveal that he wants to hit the ground running. We welcome him and relish the promise he brings for the future.”

Vickery is a vocalist, actor, teacher, producer, musical director, arts administrator, and conductor. His love of music and the arts has allowed him to have an extraordinary career thus far. He holds an Associate of Arts Degree in Vocal Performance, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in General Education/Music. Vickery has been a featured soloist in countless venues, produced musical recordings, and has been a director of numerous productions. He has been an entertainment leader, casting director, and vocal coach for Walt Disney Entertainment. He also serves as a consultant for other arts organizations in their beginning stages and a voice for local, state, and national arts advocacy. Vickery has received numerous leadership and community  accolades and serves on multiple state and national boards.

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Encore Names Brian Isaac Artistic Director

Brian IsaacEncore Creativity is pleased to announce the appointment of Brian J. Isaac as the new Artistic Director. Isaac came onboard beginning September 7, 2021 to fill the vacancy of retiring Founder and Artistic Director, Jeanne Kelly. 

“The Board of Directors of Encore is very pleased to present Brian Isaac as the new Artistic Director of Encore,” said Anthony Tambasco, President. “Those who participated in Encore University last fall already met Brian in the courses he offered.  He is smart, well organized, impeccably trained, experienced, sensitive in his work with chorales, and committed to the mission of Encore Creativity.  We welcome him and look forward to his taking over the leadership of our many chorales.”

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Encore Founder Jeanne Kelly to Step Down

Annapolis, MD— August 16, 2021 — Nearly 15 years ago, Jeanne Kelly began with an idea, while sitting at her dining room table. Today, that concept, Encore Creativity for Older Adults, has grown into the nation’s largest nonprofit choral arts organization for older adults. As founder and Artistic Director, Kelly has shepherded Encore to a level that has exceeded even her own expectations. Now, having created an incredible legacy, she has decided it is the time to retire.

Jeanne Kelly Headshot“I believe in the power of music to make a better world. So, it is with great sadness and joy that I announce my retirement as Artistic Director of Encore Creativity for Older Adults,” stated Kelly. “Encore has been the pinnacle of my career and has created so many fabulous memories.”

Under Kelly’s leadership with support from her husband Larry Kelly,  Encore has grown to 22 local chorales across Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, and New York; plus, affiliates in Hudson, Ohio; Littleton and Highland Park, Colorado and Santa Clarita, California. An estimated 2000 singers participate in this artistic enrichment program. Highlights of the past years include concert tours that have taken chorales to locations in Europe, including Bath, England; the Czech Republic; Vienna, Austria; and Rouen, France; as well as Cuba, Canada and more. These trips helped to forge international friendships and made lasting musical reminiscences. Other high points have included concerts in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall; and summer camps at St. Johns College, Annapolis, Maryland; Washington College, Chestertown, Maryland; and the Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua, New York. Kelly and faculty members always stressed excellence with a goal to present older adult singers in the highest standards. Even with the impact of Covid Encore stayed focus, creating Encore University, an online program that allowed older adults across the country to be engaged and continue learning throughout the lockdown.

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