Our Conductor
OUR CONDUCTOR — DEVANTE LUCAS is a Longwood University graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a minor in German. He is an educator, choral arranger, and songwriter in the Fredericksburg area. While at Longwood, Devante studied under Dr. Jennifer Capaldo and Dr. Lisa Edward-Burrs and performed in the top ensemble, the Camerata Singers, all four years. Through the Camerata Singers, he had the opportunity to perform with the Lynchburg Symphony and the Richmond Symphony multiple times.
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Although he has experience with a variety of choirs, Devante found his love of conducting tenor-bass choirs at the age of 15. In college, he worked with the University Men's Chorus before founding High Street Harmony, Longwood's all-male a cappella group. After college, Mr. Lucas was invited as clinician for multiple All-District events and Select Tenor-Bass events. He is currently the choir director at Riverbend High School and has taught music within the Spotsylvania County school system for the past 9 years. We are excited to have Mr. Lucas serving as the Conductor / Artistic Director of the RCS.
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OUR ACCOMPANIST — MARILLA HAAS earned a BA in Music from Mary Washington College and a Masters in Music Education from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has served as pianist for the Fredericksburg Community Chorus, the Chamber Chorale of Fredericksburg, the MWC Opera Fest, rehearsal accompanist for the Voices of the Pops and is currently the organist at Spotswood Baptist Church. She has played string bass with the MWC Community Orchestra, the Rappahannock Pops Orchestra, the Fredericksburg Theatre Company, Spotswood Community Orchestra, and plays in the Spotswood Baptist Church orchestra.
Marilla was the accompanist for The Spotsylvanians for five years before coming to the RCS. Her full-time job is Supervisor of the Real Estate Department in the Office of the Fredericksburg Commissioner of Revenue. She taught Classical Piano privately and at the University of Mary Washington. Her favorite pastime is spending time with her six grandchildren.