Staff

Richard Owen
Chief Executive Officer

Maestro Richard Owen, native New Yorker, is a conductor, organist, pianist, singer and educator. Owen has been music director of various organizations in the U.S. and has enjoyed an international career which has brought him to the foremost venues of Europe, South America and New York City (Carnegie Hall, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, St. John the Divine & Lincoln Center). Owen started piano at age five and soon began singing at the famed Metropolitan Opera, NYC Opera, and Sante Fe Opera. Under the baton of James Levine, Owen was a boy soloist and sang alongside luminaries such as Luciano Pavarotti, Renata Scotto and Placido Domingo. As Music Director of Camerata New York Orchestra, Owen has collaborated with film star, Alec Baldwin, dancers from Alvin Ailey, as well as soloists from the Metropolitan Opera, Saturday Night Live and the New York Philharmonic. Owen has directed vocal ensembles for Netflix (Queen’s Gambit) as well as the film ‘Worth’ (starring Michael Keaton), and has appeared in the TV series ‘Succession’. Owen has extensive experience working with notable modern composers such as Paul Moravec, Michael Torke (World Premiere) and Judge Richard Owen (his father and Federal Judge in the Southern District of NY). Judge Owen’s opera “Rain” received its world premiere at Lincoln Center, under Mo. Owen’s baton, was recorded on Albany Records, and featured his wife, Kate, as principal cellist and his mother, Lynn, former Metropolitan Opera soprano. Maestro Owen was invited by Kurt Masur to conduct the New York Philharmonic in a “Reading” and later became a cover conductor there for Sir Colin Davis and Charles Dutoit. He was also a conductor for several seasons at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein (Düsseldorf, Germany). Owen was on the staff of Columbia University (Glee Club Music Director), Western Connecticut State University and was adjunct professor at St. John’s University (NYC). Mr. Owen has been featured in the New York Times, Forbes, Opera News, Newsday and on New York classical radio stations WQXR and WMNR as well as on Polish, Serbian and Mexican Radio and Television and SiriusXM. Owen graduated from Dartmouth College (BA in Government and Philosophy), received his Master’s in accompanying from the Manhattan School of Music and continued post-graduate studies at the renowned University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Austria. Owen is married to Kate Owen, professor of music, cellist, organist & soprano, and they reside in Brewster NY and have three sons.

 

Marie Stroud
Executive Director

Marie has been a Highbridge resident since 1976. Her love for business and accounting changed its course in February 1993 when she decided to leave the corporate field of work and take time off to spend with her children. She worked for Capital Cities /American Broadcasting Company for 13 years as a Senior Control Auditor. In September of 1993, her first youth and community involvement came into play, and volunteered at her children’s school at PS 126 in Highbridge. In July 1997 she was employed by the Research Foundation/MOSIAC Beacon Community Center as a Summer Youth Employment Program Field Supervisor. From July 2001 to June 2012, Marie was employed by Alianza Dominicana as MOSAIC’s Beacon Assistant Program Director and in 2003 she was promoted to Beacon’s Program Director. From July 2012 until August 2021, she was employed by Catholic Charities Community Services as MOSAIC’s Beacon’s Program Director and continued to oversee the responsibility for the coordination and supervision to provide comprehensive services to youth and their families in Highbridge and other neighboring community residents. Marie joined Highbridge Voices in October 2021 as the Executive Program Officer. She continues to offer young people and families diverse opportunities to grow and participate actively in the life and spirit of their communities.

 

Joseph Hudson
Music Director

Joseph Hudson (Mr. Joe) has enjoyed a diverse career as an educator, administrator, conductor, singer, and collaborative pianist. He is currently the Music Director for the Highbridge Voices choirs, overseeing the music instruction for 2nd – 12th grade students in this after-school program in the south Bronx. Mr. Joe is the principal conductor of the Highbridge Singers, who recently have participated in several exciting events, including a command performance at the Fordham University Founder’s Day spring benefit. The choirs performed their own benefit concert in May 2023 on the stage of Merkin Hall at Lincoln Center with special guest host Ryan Speedo Green. Prior to joining the team at Highbridge Voices, Mr. Joe spent a decade in arts education  administration at Lincoln Center, ultimately serving as the Assistant Director of School Programs at the Metropolitan Opera Guild, where he was responsible for general administration, staffing, training, and the development of pedagogy and curriculum content for all school residency programs. He also served as the Music Director and dramaturg for the Guild’s 45-minute, eight-person touring version of The Magic Flute. He first joined the staff of the Met Guild as a part-time, seasonal Teaching Artist while he also worked as the Assistant Director of Music at the Park Avenue Christian Church. At PACC, Mr. Joe was responsible for directing the children’s choir program while serving as the assistant director of the sanctuary and gospel choirs. He assisted with weekly service playing on piano/organ and administered the adult music program and music library. Additionally, he managed the church’s professional concert series “Arts at the Park.” Mr. Joe has held teaching positions with various schools, universities, and religious organizations working with preschool through college/adult students and professional musicians.  He frequently enjoys collaborating with other music teachers as a collaborative pianist and vocal coach. Highlights of higher education work include creating a mentorship program for “Emerging Teaching Artists” with the New England Conservatory of Music, and leading the team of educators at the Met Opera Guild to adapt the Danielson framework specifically for integrated music instruction. Pre-COVID he served as the Music Director for multiple shows in the middle school theater program at the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn and was a vocal coach for high school students in the NYC All-City chorus. He also had the pleasure of accompanying the Middletown HS Choir (DE) in their gold medal winning performance at Carnegie Hall (Stern). Joseph produced/music directed/performed in the popular “Love Notes” program for the Christ Chapel Chamber Series at the Riverside Church and has enjoyed regular appearances on this series since, most recently as co-pianist for Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes in November 2022. He has made additional regular appearances on the Interchurch Center midday concerts series featuring the works of Robert Schumann and Hector Berlioz. Joseph holds the Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Alabama. 

Aryanna E. Ramos
Administrative Manager

Aryanna E. Ramos is currently the administrative manager at Highbridge Voices. She joined the team in October 2019 at the beginning of her career in the non-profit field.  Her “do what it takes” attitude, willingness to learn, and ability to wear multiple hats have helped her grow and flourish. Aryanna supervises the daily administrative and support operations of Highbridge Voices. She has excellent communication and organizational skills and is well-versed in departmental procedures. Her goal is to actively discover new ways to do the job more efficiently and make sure that the daily functions of the organization are successful. Her favorite thing about Highbridge Voices is being a part of a wonderful team whose mission is to inspire excellence in the students who participate in the program. Aryanna has a bachelor’s in business with a concentration in non-profit management and is working on her master’s in organizational leadership.

Antonio Del Valle 
Music Instructor/Collaborative Pianist 

Antonio Del Valle (he/they) is a genre-bending composer, producer, and music director from Queens, New York. Trained at the Professional Performing Arts School in Manhattan, they went on to receive their Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Musical Theater with an emphasis in Songwriting at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music. Their most recent experience includes working as a pianist for the Broadway Sitzprobe Experience of Dreamgirls at Lincoln Center, conducted by Seth Rudetsky. Antonio served as the music director for CROWNS by Regina Taylor in New Jersey to celebrate Black History Month, and continues to work as an educator and pianist at Highbridge Voices in the Bronx. They are currently on staff at Artistree Performing Arts in Westchester, where they continue their work as a music director and private voice instructor. Antonio also worked as composer and arranger for Midsummer Sounds, an intimate concert of new work at the Bed-Stuy Art House in Brooklyn. Antonio produced an original EP titled “Up All Night,” and worked briefly as an audio engineer at Plug Studios in the Bronx. For their original work titled “Something Strange,” an exploration of their gender identity, Antonio was awarded the Berklee Songwriter’s Award in 2020. Antonio is currently part of the BMI 2024 Lehman Engel Workshop as a lyricist. As an Afro-Puerto Rican, Antonio is passionate about creating music that highlights the rich musical culture of the Caribbean, and preserving the legacy of West African culture across the diaspora. They write music that explores the depths of their consciousness, and surfaces anew.

Yvette Mosely
Youth Worker

Lillian Belisle
Program Aide

Michael Ruiz
Program Aide