Katie Gerber, Soprano
Katie attended IU Jacobs School of Music, where she received a BM in Vocal Performance and Music Education with a Choral Music emphasis. She resided in Sydney, Australia, where she headed the Vocal Department at Stella Maris College and directed several of the school’s internationally award-winning choruses. She completed her MM in Voice at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she sang the role of Pamina in The Magic Flute. Katie has sung professionally with a number of professional ensembles and has worked as a choral director in several schools and choruses. Katie is also the Director of SummerGATE, where she coordinates the classes and faculty, directs musical performances, and teaches music classes. She is currently completing a Master’s in Choral Pedagogy at Westminster Choir College.
Ariela Dea, Soprano
Ariela Dea is a local musician and educator who has been playing music since the age of 3. Starting on piano, she then moved on to mastering the trumpet, French horn, and ukulele. Miss Dea grew up singing in the Peninsula Girls Chorus, and was classically trained as a singer until college. Miss Dea studied vocal jazz in college and graduated from San Francisco University with a BA in Music. During her time at SFSU, she sang and played with the SFSU Jazz Choir, Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble, and Afro-Cuban Ensemble. From 2017 - 2023, Miss Dea was a Music Teacher with SFUSD, earning her Teaching Credential in 2020, learning much of teaching her craft from Susan Appe at West Portal Elementary School. She continues her passion for music education and fostering community through music by staying active in the live music scene, playing in community bands, and is absolutely thrilled to be joining the faculty at SFYC for the 2025-26 season as Director of Development, Voice Instructor, and Assistant Choral Conductor to all chorus levels. Miss Dea will be making her teaching debut with SFYC at SummerGATE this summer, where she will teach music to grades K-5 in Session II, and co-direct the Glee Club.
MADISON SMITH, Soprano
Soprano Madison Smith is renowned for her thrilling, golden voice and versatility across classical and contemporary music. She has performed extensively around the world, including at Davies Symphony Hall, and has been a featured artist with the acclaimed new music ensemble Volti. Smith holds degrees in Voice Performance from The Boston Conservatory and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and has collaborated with esteemed artists such as Kent Nagano, Vance George, Barbara Bonney, and Karl Paulnack.
In addition to her singing career, Madison is a coach who blends more than 20 years of professional singing with years of dance training, extensive work with physical therapists, and over a decade of Integrative Alexander Technique study. Drawing from her experience transitioning into motherhood, she helps clients connect with their bodies, redefine expectations, and achieve fulfillment in their personal lives and careers. She guides others to achieve powerful transformation via private sessions and group workshops. Learn more at www.madsoprano.com
Christopher Rhodes, Bass-Baritone
Christopher Rhodes is a classical singer, music educator, and pianist from the Bay Area. He is a classically trained bass baritone and a graduate of McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where he pursued studies in Voice and Music Education. Christopher is an avid polyglot and lifelong language learner, and he believes that languages are the key to broadening one’s perspective and understanding of the world. In his free time, he likes to travel, meditate, cook, and practice bhakti yoga.
Naomi Sanchez, Pianist
Naomi has enjoyed a varied and exciting career as a concert pianist, educator, and entrepreneur. Naomi studied Piano Performance (M.M., B.M.) at the prestigious Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Her career as a member of the award-winning piano duo, Pas de Duo, took her to Carnegie Hall to critical acclaim, as well as venues such as the Chautauqua Institute and the New York Philomusica. Naomi was a long-time member of the teaching-artist staff at ACT, San Francisco’s premier regional theater company. Notably, she performed her own piano arrangements at the National Theatre in London for the ACT Young Conservatory original musical theater piece, Forever Young: The Music of Bob Dylan. She is the founder/director of the Berkeley Academy of Music.
TRICIA CRONIN, Choreographer
Tricia started her career in NYC as a professional dancer, having trained in classical, jazz, and contemporary dance. She has since made a name for herself in the Bay Area as a highly sought after dance instructor and choreographer and has worked at world-renowned artistic organizations including American Conservatory Theater, The Nueva School Department of Music, and Cantabile Youth Singers in Los Altos. Tricia teaches at Burke School. After working for National Geographic for years as a professional photographer, she is excited to start her own photography school, traveling the world with novice photographers and helping them capture beauty in the world around them. Tricia has worked with SFYC as its choreographer and dance instructor since its inception.