Our Directors
Artistic Director: Hannah Carr
Originally from Ireland. Hannah Carr is a DMA candidate in conducting at Rutgers Mason Gross School of Music, where she studies with Patrick Gardner, teaches undergraduate conducting and is director of The University Choir, a 100-voice mixed ensemble. She holds an MM in conducting from Yale University's Institute of Sacred Music, an Advanced Diploma from the Liszt Academy in Hungary and a BA in composition from Trinity College Dublin. At Yale, Hannah conducted The Yale Repertory Chorus, Recital Chorus, Yale Camerata and won The Director's Prize, awarded by The Institute of Sacred Music. Hannah has worked with youth choirs of all ages as choral director at Beaver Country Day School in Boston, The Dalton School, Diller-Quaille School of Music and Chapin School in New York. She has been invited to various international masterclasses, and was a semi-finalist in the 2017 ACDA National Graduate Conductor Competition in Minneapolis. Before moving to New Jersey, Hannah served as music director to the University Church at Yale in New Haven, CT and Stratford Street United Church in Boston, MA. See this press release more details.
Assistant Director: Erasmia Voukelatos
Erasmia Voukelatos, Assistant Director and Accompanist, is a Canadian pianist of Greek descent and has been active as a solo chamber musician, teacher, music director, and concert series presenter. Her coaches and mentors have included Seymour Bernstein, Rita Bouboulidi, and Robert McDonald. Concerto appearances have included the Mozart Concerto in A major (K. 488) and the Haydn Concerto in D major with the Canadian ensemble "Mercredi Musique", as well as the Bach Keyboard Concerto in d minor, which was released on the CD, The Best of Brooklyn. Ms. Voukelatos has achieved some noteworthy success as a piano teacher of almost 20 years -- a number of her students have gone on to pursue music professionally with careers in music education and as composers for the Hollywood film industry.
She currently teaches elementary music at the Far Brook School in Short Hills, New Jersey, and has previously taught at Stevens Cooperative and Mustard Seed School in New Jersey and the United Nations International School in New York. She enjoys collaborating with her husband, violinist Ashley Horne, and together they have founded My Music Garden, a music enrichment program serving schools in the Jersey City area. Ms. Voukelatos has been accompanying Cantigas since its formation.
Director Emeritus: Joan Isaacs Litman
Joan Isaacs Litman, founding Artistic Director of Cantigas Women's Choir, is a native of Los Angeles and has been a music educator and choral director in the New York metropolitan area for many years. With a longing to stimulate interest and appreciation of less understood cultures, she has particularly focused her research on traditional songs of the Middle East. Highlights of her world music exploration have included learning and teaching in Iran, Spain, Syria, Japan, Argentina, Mexico, Qatar, and Poland. For many years, Joan served on the music faculty of the United Nations International School in Manhattan. At UNIS, she founded the UNIS Mothers' Choir.