Our Staff

Marianne spent ten unforgettable years performing with The Singing Angels, where she formed deep friendships with people from all walks of life, united by a shared love of music. During her time with the group, Marianne experienced once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, including summer concert tours to Walt Disney World, Epcot, Poland, Spain, Puerto Rico, Russia and the Freedom Tour which took the Angels to Niagara Falls, Washington, D.C., and military bases along the East Coast, where they welcomed troops returning from the Persian Gulf with songs of hope and gratitude.

In her senior year, Marianne was honored with the prestigious George Strickling Award. Throughout her years as an Angel, she was also the proud recipient of the Abe Luntz Award and the Singing Angel Family Award, the latter shared with her two older sisters—reflecting a deep family bond forged in harmony.

After high school, Marianne pursued her academic passions at Muskingum College (now University), earning a Bachelor of Science in Psychology on a music scholarship. While there, she sang with the Muskingum Choral Society and Muskingum Concert Choir, performing across England, Scotland, and Wales. Her academic journey continued with a Master of Science in Applied Psychology from Clemson University and a Master of Nursing from Case Western Reserve University. Today, she serves with compassion and dedication as an RN Case Manager at the Cleveland Clinic.

Music remains a cornerstone of Marianne’s life. The Singing Angels performed at her wedding to her husband, Rob, and now their daughter Josephine carries on the tradition, currently enjoying her fifth year as an Angel. Watching Josie grow, perform, and learn the same valuable lessons she once did brings Marianne full circle.

The family’s musical legacy runs deep. Alongside Marianne and her two sisters, her niece and nephew are also former Angels. She even joined them on tour during a Caribbean cruise in 2001. The Singing Angels not only nurtured her passion for music, but also sparked a lifelong love of travel—something she now shares with her family.

“Make Music – Make Friends – Make a Difference” is more than just a motto for The Singing Angels—it’s a way of life. For Marianne and so many others, it has been a guiding force, fostering lifelong connections and shaping the person she is today.

Marianne is thrilled to be involved with The Singing Angels once again—this time as a mentor and supporter. She cherishes the opportunity to work alongside fellow alumni to give back, share their experiences, and help create wonderful and exciting opportunities for today’s Angels, just as others once did for them. 

Jim grew up surrounded by barbershop music and fell in love the with style of singing. He was an Angel for eight years. Jim is proudest of singing Baritone with International Collegiate Champion quartet "Catfish Bend" in 2002. Serving as the director of Tower City Chorus has allowed him to continue his love of music before returning to the Angels.

One of five brothers, Ken was born in New Jersey and began his dance training at age 4. Over the years he and his four brothers evolved into a tap dance act which became featured performers with The Singing Angels following their move to Cleveland in 1966. While also singing with the Angels the brothers danced while the Angels sang barbershop harmony.

They moved to Seattle in 1971 and returned as guest performers with the Angels through 1976. During this time the brothers were introduced to ballet and jazz and followed a path into the ballet world. 

Fast forward to 2005, Ken was asked to take the roll of Artistic and Executive Director of Washington Contemporary Ballet. While in this capacity, Ken was responsible for development, implementation and supervision of school syllabus, staffing for both artist training and administrative responsibilities, and developing the performance season, casting, auditions, overseeing rehearsals, and all technical aspects of a production. 

During Ken’s tenure as Artistic Director, he staged their annual Nutcracker Production a well as their annual Spring Repertory Concerts which featured many premier works as well as WCB Signature pieces including, Nevsky, Pied Piper, and Collage’. 

Ken also hosted the Metropolitan Dance Festival bringing together ten dance organizations from all around the Puget Sound area for a full day of dance related activities, classes with guest instructors and culminating in a public  performance with all participants. 

Ken was asked to return to The Singing Angels as the Artistic Director collaborating with the Acting Executive Director to ensure the preservation of the The Singing Angels artistic quality.

Frances is a Singing Angel alumna, Class of 2022. Frances spent seven years performing with Angels and is presently a student at Baldwin Wallace University studying Music Education

Sally Petitte, joined the Singing Angels staff in the Fall of 2023. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Baldwin Wallace University. Sally has been teaching music in public schools for 11 years, with the last 8 as part of the Twinsburg City School District. She brings to the Angels a background in both instrumental and choral education.

Patti was a proud member of The Singing Angels for seven years, from 1970 through 1977. She treasures the incredible experiences and lifelong memories she gained as an Angel. During her time with the group, Patti performed as a soloist and as part of a quartet alongside her sister and two brothers. She traveled with the Angels to Romania (her grandparents’ homeland) and toured across the United States on The Singing Angels Bicentennial Tour. Patti was selected to perform in the Presidential Inaugural Parade, appear on the Today Show and was also chosen to sing in several of the Angel's album recordings. 

She earned the Abe Luntz Scholarship, which was awarded to an Angel pursuing musical studies at Baldwin Wallace College (now University) and graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education degree, with a special focus on Music Therapy. Patti dedicated ten years to teaching vocal and general music in the schools and later continued as a substitute teacher while raising her family. She has also directed a children’s church choir and a youth bell choir, and she continues to teach private music lessons. 

Patti has performed at weddings, churches, and temples and participated in several community theater productions. Today she sings in her church choir, performs in the bell choir and plays clarinet in the New Horizon Band at Baldwin Wallace University. Patti is thrilled to return to The Singing Angels, to help this generation of Angels create their own unforgettable experiences and cherished memories.

 Cathy Lesser Mansfield has been a musician since the age of five years old, when she joined Cleveland’s Singing Angels chorus.  She studied music at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a minor in music from New York University.  Ms. Mansfield has served as a conductor and musical director for many organizations, including as the Choral Director at Temple B’Nai Jeshurun (Des Moines), the Music Director for productions of Gondoliers (Washington, DC), Pirates of Penzance (Washington, DC), Jesus Christ Superstar (Cleveland), The Sparks Fly Upward (Des Moines and Cleveland), and Godspell (Cleveland), and the student conductor for Heights High School Choir (Cleveland) and New York University’s Chamber Choir (New York City).  She is the composer, librettist, and orchestrator of an opera, entitled The Sparks Fly Upward, which follows three families in Berlin during the Holocaust. The Sparks Fly Upward has been performed in Des Moines, IA and Cleveland, OH, and the Cleveland production resulted in a film of the performance that will air on WVIZ and is being presented in numerous venues around the world.  Ms. Mansfield’s compositions have been sung by the Heartland Youth Choir, and the Des Moines Choral Society and her arrangements have been performed by various choirs.  Ms. Mansfield has sung in choirs most of her life, including 10 years with the Singing Angels, the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, the Choral Arts Society of Washington, D.C., and the Bach and Madrigal Society of Phoenix, AZ. 

Tabitha is a professional dancer with over 20 years of experience in the industry. Throughout her career, she has performed and danced for multiple national ad campaigns, including for renowned brands such as Bath & Body Works, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Progressive Field. Tabitha has also graced the stages of prestigious venues like Playhouse Square, Severance Hall, and the Cleveland Art Museum.

Her expertise in partner lifts and Cabernet-style dancing has earned her recognition as the Best Dance Instructor in the Eastern U.S. for two consecutive years, as voted by The Knot. Driven by her passion for teaching and sharing her unique style, Tabitha started her own dance company two years ago, which has since flourished, with four locations now open under her leadership.

Katharine Cowan has been a company member with the Cleveland Ballet Company since 2019. She is an accomplished teacher specializing in ballet and contemporary dance. Katharine's love for dance began at the age of 3, and since then she has studied ballet, pointe, contemporary,

modern, jazz, musical theatre, and hip hop. Her extensive training includes prestigious institutions such as the Joffrey Ballet, Boston Ballet, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Ballet Austin, Oregon Ballet Theatre, and Studio West Dance Academy. 

As a dedicated educator, Katharine

has also worked with outreach programs in the greater Cleveland area, with the goal of spreading the joy of dance to the community. Her performance repertoire includes lead roles like Giselle, Cinderella, Sugar Plum, and Clara and features works by acclaimed choreographers

such as George Balanchine, Gerald Arpino, Jerome and Laura Tisserand, Dawn Fay, Claudia Schreier, and Ilia Zhivoi. 

As a teacher, Katharine focuses on building confidence, creativity, and teamwork in a supportive environment where students can express themselves, develop, discipline, and cultivate a love for dance.

James Balaguer

Volunteer Conductor

Oswald Companies

Gary DaMert, M.D.

Retired

Chandler H. Everett

Retired

Mary Beth Marquard

Alumna

Sunnyside Ministry

Al Salvatore

Partner

Roetzel & Andress

Michele Taylor

Realtor