Artis—Naples Names Directors of Naples Philharmonic Chorus and Naples Philharmonic Youth Chorus

Artis—Naples Names Jeremy T. Warner

Director of Naples Philharmonic Chorus

and Barbara Sletto as Director of

Naples Philharmonic Youth Chorus

Naples, FL (June 27, 2022) — Artis—Naples announced today the appointments of Jeremy T. Warner as director of the Naples Philharmonic Chorus and Barbara Sletto as director of the Naples Philharmonic YouthChorus.

“We are thrilled to announce the next chapter of leadership for our Naples Philharmonic Chorus and Naples Philharmonic Youth Chorus. It is with great respect for the decades-long history of these ensembles, as well as tremendous anticipation of renewed choral programs that we welcome Jeremy T. Warner as Director of the Naples Philharmonic Chorus and Barbara Sletto as Director of the Naples Philharmonic Youth Chorus,” said CEO and President Kathleen van Bergen. “Jeremy and Barbara are strong, talented additions to the artistic team, and we are fortunate to have their energy shaping the sounds of both ensembles.”

Warner and Sletto succeed James Cochran, who was a founder and long-time director of both the Naples Philharmonic Chorus and Naples Philharmonic Youth Chorus and retired in 2020. For the 2021-22 season, Jeff Faux led the Naples Philharmonic Chorus as interim director while Barbara Sletto served in the same role for the Naples Philharmonic Youth Chorus.

“Jeremy and Barbara are both passionate promoters of the choral arts with proven track records for developing and inspiring choruses. As we continue to rebuild our choral programs after COVID-19, we look forward to the leadership these two dynamic individuals will bring to Artis—Naples and our community,” said David Filner, executive vice president, artistic operations.

Filner also offered thanks to both Cochran and Faux. “Jim was a tireless leader of the Naples Philharmonic Chorus for 29 years, and we owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for his inspired leadership during those years,” Filner said. “Likewise, we are deeply grateful to Jeff Faux for his service to the chorus since Jim’s retirement.”

 “I am delighted to join the talented artistic team at Artis—Naples, and I look forward to working with the accomplished and capable Naples Philharmonic Chorus,” Warner said. “I am honored to have the opportunity to work with the orchestra and the chorus during what promises to be a stellar season ahead.”

 “I am deeply honored to have been selected to serve as director of the Naples Philharmonic Youth Chorus,” Sletto said. “I look forward to continuing the rich tradition of preparing the youth chorus for performances with both the Naples Philharmonic and the Naples Philharmonic Chorus. In addition, I am eager to implement new offerings and events aimed at expanding and growing the program.”

Since 1998, Warner has held numerous conducting and artistic director positions throughout the academic, local community and church choral scenes, the most recent of which include the Memphis Symphony Chorus, Memphis Men’s Chorale, Memphis Women’s Chorale, Memphis ChoralArts and the Salzburg College Chorale.

He has prepared professional choirs for touring performances in a variety of choral-orchestral settings, most recently in the Legend of Zelda concert tour. His international tour experience includes extensive tours of Germany and Austria, including performances at the World Choir Games in Graz and the International Choral Competition in Spittal an der Drau.

Warner completed his Master of Music in choral conducting at the University of Memphis and Bachelor of Music in theory and composition at Union University.

Sletto is the founder and former artistic program director for the Heartland Youth Choir, a civic organization that serves over 300 central Iowa singers in seven ensembles and short-term offerings. She continues to serve HYC in their summer programming and as a consultant. Prior to her work with the Heartland Youth Choir, Sletto was the artistic director of the Iowa Youth Chorus, the Des Moines Children’s Choruses, the Anderson Area Children’s Choir of Indiana and the Lakes Treble Choir of Minnesota.

She also served as an adjunct professor at Drake University, where she taught a music education course, observed student teachers, mentored choral interns and served as the director of the Drake University Women’s Chorale from 2004 to 2012. Most recently, she served on the Florida American Choral Directors Association board as the chair of children's and youth choirs.

Sletto completed her Master of Arts in music education with a Kodály emphasis from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The Naples Philharmonic Youth Chorus is generously endowed by Carmen and Jim Campbell.

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ARTIS—NAPLES
Home of The Baker Museum and the Naples Philharmonic, Artis—Naples is unique among cultural institutions nationwide, equally dedicated to both the visual and performing arts featuring artists of global distinction.

KIMBERLY K. QUERREY and LOUIS A. SIMPSON CULTURAL CAMPUS

Led by CEO and President Kathleen van Bergen and Sharon and Timothy Ubben Music Director Andrey Boreyko, we offer audiences more than 800 paid and free events annually within a variety of venues and settings situated throughout the 8.5-acre Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus. Artis—Naples welcomes thousands of visitors each year for a broad array of artistic and educational opportunities perfect for audiences of all backgrounds and interests. The cultural campus is home to five buildings, including two performance halls (Frances Pew Hayes Hall and Myra J. Daniels Pavilion), The Baker Museum, the Toni Stabile Education Building and the Kohan Administration Building.

In the 2014-15 season, Andrey Boreyko assumed the title of music director and serves in this capacity for Artis—Naples. Boreyko is internationally recognized as one of the most exciting and dynamic conductors working today. This appointment, which concludes in 2022, is his first American post.

The Wall Street Journal says van Bergen and Boreyko have ushered in “an impressive new phase” for classical music in Southwest Florida.

NAPLES PHILHARMONIC
The Naples Philharmonic has long been recognized as one of the cornerstones of Southwest Florida’s arts community. As part of Artis—Naples, the Naples Philharmonic performs more than 140 orchestral and chamber music concerts, as well as opera and ballet, education, community and special event concerts annually between September and June in the 1,477-seat Hayes Hall, the 283-seat Daniels Pavilion and around the Southwest Florida region.

Jack Everly is Principal Pops Conductor and in the 2021-22 season celebrates 12 years in this role, bringing pops performances that celebrate music in its many forms. In 2017, Romanian conductor Radu Paponiu was named assistant conductor of the Naples Philharmonic and director of the Naples Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, and in 2019, he was promoted to associate conductor.

THE BAKER MUSEUM
The Baker Museum is one of the foremost fine art museums in Southwest Florida. The museum hosts several traveling exhibitions annually to complement installations of works from its permanent collection. Comprising more than 4,000 objects, the museum’s broad holdings of 20th- and 21st-century art reflect the generosity and commitment of area collectors. Of particular strength are The Baker Museum’s collections of American and Mexican modern art and significant gifts from the personal collection of Olga Hirshhorn.

With more than two decades of collecting and exhibiting, the museum is dedicated to stewardship and scholarship from both its growing permanent collection and outside sources. At the same time, The Baker Museum seeks out the best traveling exhibitions from the leading arts institutions in the world—including recently the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Smithsonian Institutions—to enrich the Southwest Florida community.

In fall 2020, Artis—Naples celebrated the opening of an 18,000-square-foot expansion of The Baker Museum, designed by Weiss/Manfredi Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism, that created new spaces for multidisciplinary exploration and social interaction.

EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY
In addition to creating and presenting visual and performing arts, Artis—Naples provides robust education and community activities for students of all ages. Each season thousands of Collier County Public Schools interact with Artis—Naples education programming both on its cultural campus and in classrooms. The Lifelong Learning program provides engaging lectures and study opportunities for adults seeking to engage more deeply with the arts.

The Friends of Artis—Naples, with more than 4,000 households who give $75 or more, offers activities, travel experiences and events geared toward creating a deeper relationship between patrons and the arts.

In 2017, Artis—Naples acquired the Naples International Film Festival (NIFF), expanding its film offerings and providing a platform for the festival’s continued excellence and growth. In 2019, NIFF was named one of MovieMaker magazine’s “Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World,” and in 2022 it celebrates its 14th year in the community.