After a few wonderful years, we have said a sad goodbye to Dr. Jeffrey Heyl. A man of many talents always has more opportunities than one man can handle, and we appreciate the time he was able to give us as he goes on to his next calling.
In his place, we are welcoming back a prior Artistic Director, Wendi Dicken. We’re lucky to have her back! (Please read her full bio below.)
Additionally, we are moving to a new rehearsal space, Chapel of the Lake at 11000 Veterans Memorial Pkwy in Lake St Louis, MO 63367.
Practices start on Monday, September 8, 2025 at 7PM and continue every Monday until our Winter shows in December.
The Choral Arts Singers are excited to announce our new artistic director, Wendi Dicken, returning to lead the choir into our 53rd year of making great choral music. Wendi directed our choir nearly 20 years ago and since then has been busy with music instruction (voice, piano, flute), conducting theatre productions, and directing large choirs and orchestras in New York City and Sweden. We welcome Wendi back into the CAS family and can’t wait to share great music with all of you in December for our holiday season concerts.
Spanning more than five decades, Wendi Dicken’s music career began at the age of four with performances as Michael Darling in the musical, Peter Pan. Wendi has added over 100 musical and operatic roles since that time. She studied under the tutelage of Margaret Stiling (piano), Robert Cavally (flute), Joan Moynagh, Russell Hosler, and Bard Suverkrop (voice) in Cincinnati. Mentored in conducting by John Wabrick, Russ Hinkle, and Cynthia Gray, she went on to perform under the baton of Thomas Schippers and Margaret Hillis. As a composition student of Winfred Cummings at Miami University (OH), Ms. Dicken counts in her repertoire a piano concerto, several piano pieces, six patriotic works for choir (specifically arranged for Choral Arts Singers), and many pieces for children’s choir. She served as music director for Bethel, Salem and Wentzville United Methodist Churches in St. Louis, and led the Choral Arts Singers (Concert Arts Association) of St. Charles County in performances for the 90th anniversary of the Hawaiian State Library, at Carnegie Hall and at Kennedy Center (with renowned composers Dr. John Leavitt, and Sir John Rutter, CBE). Ms. Dicken served as Artistic Director of the Midwest Center for Creative Arts, making her conducting debut at Carnegie Hall in 2023.
Locally, she has conducted productions of Always…Patsy Cline, Little House on the Prairie, Little Women – the Musical, and 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee for Act Two Theater, Midwest Center for Creative Arts and O’Fallon Theater Works. Most recently, Wendi has served as guest conductor/clinician of the New England Symphonic Ensemble in concert at Carnegie Hall, and the Stockholm Concert Orchestra with choirs from the United States and Canada in Sweden with Mid-America Productions.
“Wendi A. Dicken is recognized by Continental Who’s Who among Music Professionals. As Founder and Director of Imagination Destination Music, Wendi is an Educator, Singer, Musician, and Actress who also encompasses the roles of Writer, Composer, and Editor of music curriculum.“
Once again, please join us in welcoming Wendi back to our family, the Choral Arts Singers!
