MEET OUR TEAM
ANDREW M. WALLACEExecutive & Artistic Director
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DANIEL HAMMONDOperations Manager
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GREGORY SHIFRINPrincipal Accompanist
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Lesley LevyAsst. Director, IMPACT
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Andrew M. Wallace (Executive & Artistic Director) has been teaching choral music for nearly 20 years - having taught at both the high school and middle school levels. He formerly was the Director of Choirs for the Wilmette District 39 Schools, Highcrest Middle School and Wilmette Junior High School, and previously the Director of Choirs at Glenbrook North High School. Andrew is an avid arranger and explores numerous genres of music from traditional choral music to contemporary a cappella, and most recently was a featured arranger and composer for the Youth Choral Theater of Wilmette. Andrew has his Masters in Music Education from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Andrew has been the guest conductor for several music festivals, notably the 2013 Illinois Music Educators Association District VII Junior High Music Festival, and served as music director for the 2013 Illinois Theater Festival All-State musical, Memphis.
During the day, Andrew is the Vice President of Programs & Partnerships at BibRave, a niche marketing agency in the endurance and running industry. Andrew also performs, directs, and arranges for a professional cabaret group in Chicago, The Chicago Red Line.
During the day, Andrew is the Vice President of Programs & Partnerships at BibRave, a niche marketing agency in the endurance and running industry. Andrew also performs, directs, and arranges for a professional cabaret group in Chicago, The Chicago Red Line.
Daniel Hammond is Operations Manager at the Youth Choral Theater of Chicago. Daniel holds degrees in music education from Augustana College (2010) and VanderCook College of Music (2017). After completing his undergraduate degree, Daniel taught English at Central China Normal University in Wuhan, China, and worked with the university’s TianKong Choir and conductor Tian Xiaobao. Since returning from China, he has taught music at both the middle and high school levels.
Daniel is a member of the Chicago Chamber Choir, which performs throughout the Chicago area, as well as the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). Currently, Daniel teaches general music and choir at Marie Murphy School in Wilmette.
Daniel is a member of the Chicago Chamber Choir, which performs throughout the Chicago area, as well as the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). Currently, Daniel teaches general music and choir at Marie Murphy School in Wilmette.
Gregory Shifrin serves as the principal pianist for the Youth Choral Theater of Chicago and for the choral department at Glenbrook South High School. Gregory grew up in Moscow, studying at the college of the Moscow Conservatory. He immigrated to Israel to study at the Jerusalem Academy of Music. As a member of the Kotlyar-Shifrin Piano Duo, he has won international competitions in Poland and the USA. He has been featured in performances with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, The New World Symphony Orchestra, the Bialystok Philharmonic, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and the Israeli Chamber Orchestra. Gregory lives in Vernon Hills with his wife, Kira, and their sons, Itamar and Ariel.
Lesley Levy is thrilled to be joining the YCT family as Assistant Music Director for IMPACT. Growing up in Northbrook, IL, Lesley sang in choir and participated in musicals at Glenbrook North, where she was a student of Mr. Wallace. She then went to UW-Madison, where she sang in acapella as well as music directed for a large philanthropic musical organization. Today, she lives in Lincoln Park with her fiance Andrew (they get married in November!), and works at Capital One as a product manager. She can't wait to get to know all of the YCT singers this year!
