About Us

ABOUT THE CHAMBER SINGERS

MVCS Founders, Deborah Jones and Kevin Lackie, are longtime choral performers and have carried that passion with them in their years in Alexandria. Although approaching choral music from different perspectives - singer and conductor - together, they shared a dream for a high-quality chamber choral ensemble in Alexandria. After much time and consideration, the Mount Vernon Chamber Singers were born!

Our Mission

To deliver high quality and meaningful choral performances that foster musical engagement in our Alexandria community.

Our Vision

To bring people together with a shared appreciation for choral music, and in doing so encourage our friends and neighbors to grow as a shared community.

Our Values

Community

We believe that choral music has the distinct power to bring people together in shared experiences. We remain committed to our home and make music in Alexandria for the appreciation of all.

Artistry

We believe that high-quality choral music has a central place in our world. Performing with experienced direction and singers from our community, we take pride in our music and concerts.

Programming

We believe that we are living history. That means we relive much of the world's greatest choral repertoire. While at the same time, we leave behind a legacy of rich choral music with the modern works we perform.

Artistic Director

James Wolter currently serves as Associate Professor of Music at NOVA - Annandale and Director of Music at Sydenstricker UMC in Springfield, VA. Previously he held many roles as visiting lecturer at Cornell University for choral musicianship skills, adjunct professor at Syracuse University, Setnor School of Music teaching basic conducting, and director of the Hobart and William Smith Colleges’ Community Chorus.
During his seven years teaching in the public schools (St. Francis, MN and Fargo, ND), Wolter’s colleagues presented him with the Outstanding Choral Director of the Year at the 2014 North Dakota American Choral Directors Association Conference. Wolter’s students routinely made the middle school and senior high All-State Choirs. Students earned multiple superior ratings at the state solo/ensemble contest including the 2015 Best Performance Award at the North Dakota High School Class A State Competition with members of the non-auditioned 9th Grade Davies Treble Choir.
Wolter has directed past honor choirs including the North Dakota Surround the State in Song (2015, 2019), and the Middle School Honor Choirs of Tompkins County, NY (2018) and Rockland County, NY (2022). He also served as a clinician for the North Dakota State University's Women's Choral Festival in 2013 and 2014.
As a vocalist, he sang with Voices, the professional choral ensemble in Rochester, NY. He also has sung numerous solos with the semi-professional Fargo-Moorhead Choral Artists as well as the tenor soloist in Bach’s Christ lag in Todesbanden, BWV 4, for the Ithaca College Madrigal Singers.
As a graduate of Concordia College, he sang in the Concordia Choir under Dr. René Clausen where he recorded with the King’s Singers. In 2018, he earned his MM in Choral Conducting at Ithaca College under the tutelage of Dr. Janet Galván. During his doctoral work at Eastman with Dr. William Weinert, he was a finalist for the prestigious graduate teaching award as well as nominated for the Graue Award for excellence in research in the field of musicology. Both he and his husband, having finished their terminal degrees, currently enjoy staying active in the DC area.

Founding Artistic Director

Kevin Lackie, Founding Artistic Director, brings extensive skills in choral-vocal technique and community development. With a background of building and repairing choral programs across the east coast, Mr. Lackie's ensembles regularly receive praise for artistry, programming, and connection with their community.
Mr. Lackie is also an advocate for socioeconomic equity in the choral world. Kevin founded the New Hampshire-based "Scores Project," which raises funds to donate to local public music programs in need of financial support. Dedicated to the belief that no child should be denied access to music due to a lack of finances, This project has continued for almost a decade, uninterrupted by the pandemic, and has contributed thousands of dollars to choral programs around the state.
A strong advocate for education reform, Kevin has presented at conferences, and published "Living in Harmony: Classroom Management in Secondary Schools" with the Virginia Chapter of the American Choral Director's Association.
Mr. Lackie is now pursuing a DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) in Conducting at Boston University in Boston, MA. During his time in Virginia, he was the Music Director and Director of Adult Choir and Handbells at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, and the Director of Choirs at Thomas A. Edison High School. He also currently serves as Tenor-Bass Repertoire & Resource Chair with the Virginia Chapter of the American Choral Director's Association. Kevin lives in Boston with his wife and rescue dog.