Janine Dexter
Artistic Director, Janine Dexter, believes that the creative arts are essential in the emotional, intellectual and neurological development of each individual. Through Colla Voce she is dedicated to the continued development of a vibrant creative arts sector for the Auburn area where every individual has access to opportunities for meaningful engagement in the arts.
Janine Dexter has a rich musical background as a pianist, conductor, and arranger. She earned her first dollar as a young twelve year-old musician, playing piano at the historic gold country bar Pert’s Place, with a fiddler and old Mr. Pert on his drum set—all under the watchful eye of her Dad who was playing the bones. She grew up in the San Francisco North Bay Area playing the piano, organ, clarinet, and sax, and toured as a singer and pianist with big band and show choir, the Minnesingers.
In the Bay Area, she taught piano, voice, clarinet, and preschool exploring music classes while concurrently conducting various community children’s choirs and high school choirs. Ms. Dexter also wrote the music critiques for three major North Bay Area newspapers as a free-lance writer. She was a pit-orchestra conductor for community, high school, college, and professional music theatre groups in the San Francisco area, totaling 50 shows in 10 years.
In recent years, Ms. Dexter has focused attention to her private piano studio and work as a pianist in a variety of venues and churches. She judges piano competitions throughout northern California and is an evaluator for the Music Teacher’s Association. She currently serves as music director, pianist, and organist for Faith Lutheran Church in Meadow Vista.
Dexter holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education with emphasis in conducting and piano performance from the University of the Pacific, Conservatory of Music, and a Master of Music degree in choral conducting from CSULA. She studied conducting with William Dehning, Robert Halseth, Don Brinegar and William Belan and piano with Wolfgang Fetsch, Jerry Murphy, and Robert Savage.
Janine Dexter is the Founding Artistic Director of Colla Voce of the Sierra. She has carefully drawn together friends, colleagues, and other exceptional singers with the hope of creating a professional-caliber chamber ensemble for the Auburn area that will last for generations to come.
