Our Staff

Founded in 2001, Children’s Choir of Chico has served over 1000 children, young people and women in the greater Chico area, performing for numerous organizations and community events each year. Bel Canto and Cantiamo have traveled to central and southern California, performed in Disneyland, and delighted audiences in Petaluma, Santa Rosa, and San Francisco; and Bel Canto members have sung on the historic stage at Carnegie Hall.

Our highly-trained staff leads choirs of many ages and is committed to the development and nurturing of our young voices.

Susan Tevis

Artistic Director, Conductor, Ready, Set, Sing!, Bel Canto & Bella Voce

Founder

Susan Tevis is the Founder and Immediate Past Artistic Director of the Children’s Choir of Chico. Ms. Tevis holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in piano pedagogy and music education from California State University, Chico. She completed a Kodály Certificate at the Kodály Institute at McNeese State University (Lake Charles, Louisiana) and completed advanced studies both at the McNeese Institute and at the Kodály Pedagogical Institute in Kecskemét, Hungary.

Ms. Tevis has been an adjunct faculty member at McNeese State University, CSU Chico, Capital University Conservatory of Music (Columbus, Ohio), and the Kodály Pedagogical Institute in Kecskemét, Hungary. Susan has been on the faculty at the Kodály Institute at McNeese and the Kodály Institute at Capital University, teaching in summer courses for professional music educators.

As a choral specialist, Susan is active as a guest clinician and conductor for treble choirs, and is frequently invited to present music education workshops for various state and national music organizations and at regional, state & national music conferences. In addition to clinics and workshops, she also presented a scholarly paper, in conjunction with two colleagues, at the 1999 Symposium of the International Kodály Society. The Classroom Music Project, founded by Ms. Tevis at Citrus Elementary School in Chico, provided a field studies opportunity for music education majors at CSU, Chico for 5 years.

She is currently enjoying retirement with her husband Royce, but still finds time to enjoy the music created by this warm organization.

Samantha Nickel

Conductor, Cantiamo

Samantha Nickel was born and raised in Sonoma County and moved to Chico as a CSU student. She graduated from college with a B.A. in Music and Humanities and her Teaching Credential in Music. Since graduating she has gained experience directing intermediate and advanced level choirs, bands, and musical theater classes at the secondary level, as well as organizing and directing multiple junior level theater productions. She now teaches TK - 5th grade general music and 5th grade beginning band in Chico and is thrilled to be working with the CCOC Preparatory Choir.

When Samantha is not teaching she makes music with solo artists and in various performance groups throughout the Northern California area, performing as a vocalist and flutist. She enjoys spending time with friends at local shows and events, playing tabletop games, listening to a good audiobook, and spending quality time with her fiance and two cats at home.

Jim McKenzie

Teacher, Preparatory Choir Level II

Jim McKenzie has been working with CCOC on and off over the last 18 years, teaching Ready Set Sing and Prep Choir musicianship classes and as assistant conductor with Prep Choir and Cantiamo.

Mr. McKenzie earned a BA in Music Education graduating summa cum laude, and is currently the music teacher at Shasta Elementary School in Chico. He completed three levels of Kodály training, becoming certified in 2013.

The whole McKenzie family has been involved with CCOC. Jim’s wife, Clara, sang in Bella Voce and served on the CCOC board of directors. The three McKenzie children all participated in CCOC, starting as young as possible! Now young adults, they continue to be very musical.

Autumn Kovacs

Teacher, Ready, Set, Sing!

Autumn Kovacs graduated from CSU Chico with a BA in Music and a focus on voice, and has a teaching credential from California.

I teach Tk-2nd grade music at Marigold and 9-12 Choir and piano at Pleasant Valley High school, as well as sing in the Bella Voce choir. I have sung and played bass in my church Worship Band since I was 16, and have been in Choirs throughout school and beyond since I was 8. 

Nora Hunter

Accompanist, Cantiamo

Nora Hunter completed her bachelor's and master's degrees in music at Chico State, and was lucky to be on the ground floor with Susan Tevis at the dawn of the Children's Choir of Chico.

Nora then spent 14 years working in Mill Valley California teaching elementary music, conducting choirs, and accompanying for the Mill Valley School District. In addition, she was the Associate Conductor of the Marin Symphony Youth Orchestra, and also worked at the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley music directing, accompanying, and leading an instrumental internship program for teens. She also maintained a piano studio teaching many young students how to play piano.

In 2018, Nora and her family returned to Chico where she now works for both the Chico Unified School District and is adjunct faculty at Chico State. She enjoys teaching elementary music, choir, and band at Sierra View Elementary School where both of her children are students.

Nora also works as a mentor to young teachers and is the mentorship chair for the California Music Education Association, helping to pair teachers with mentorship opportunities across the state.

She is happy to return to Children's Choir of Chico to accompany Cantiamo.

When she is not teaching and playing music, she enjoys taking care of her dog, two cats, and chickens, doing yoga, hiking, swimming, and being out in the natural world.

Gina Mitchell

Rehearsal Assistant

Gina Mitchell has been part of CCOC since she was 8 years old and started in Prep Choir. She started taking voice lessons at 13 from the opera singer and supporter of the choir Gwen Curatilo. With the Children’s Choir Gina has been in youth honor choirs around the country and even gone to Europe twice. She has studied vocal performance at both Chico State and the University of the Pacific. She hopes to go back to school for music education. She loves music and choir is her favorite thing to do and place to be. 

Administrative Staff

Luci Farmer - Operations Manager

Luci grew up playing piano. She is a mom of two teenage boys who play guitar, drums, and violin. With her education in Early Childhood Development she finds it very fulfilling to see the whole child flourish through music. When she’s not working she enjoys cooking, hiking, and mountain biking.

Administrative Staff

Jennifer Davis - Marketing, Communication & Fundraising Coordinator

After graduating from Chico State with a degree in Communication Design - Graphic Design, Jennifer has made Chico her home for the last 20 years. Growing up she enjoyed the musical arts, learning classical guitar and performing in musical theater. She is passionate about photography, creating art, learning and exploring with her husband and two daughters.