Staff and Guest Artists

Ryan Durfee has a degree in Piano Performance from Northwestern College in St. Paul, MN. He joined the DSA staff in the Fall of 2014 as Accompanist and Vocal Coach for the Vocal Music & Theater Departments. In 1999, he won the NWC Concerto/Aria competition by playing Liszt Piano Concerto #1. In addition to performing solo piano, he has been involved as a music director or accompanist in numerous musicals and productions including Thoroughly Modern Millie (2010), Godspell, The Pajama Game (2011), Broadway Comes to Denver, 42nd Street (2012), Beauty and the Beast (2013), Hairspray (2014), Spring Awakening (2015/2016), The Lion King Jr (2017), 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2017/2018), and Cabaret (2019). In the summer of 2018, Ryan was the MD for DSA's performance of 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the International Thespian Society's 55th Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Christina Caplan is thrilled to be choreographing for the amazing vocal students of DSA! Christina loves working in Denver, and has been teaching and choreographing for the dance and vocal departments for the past seven years. She recently taught Broadway Jazz for Denver University's theatre department as well. She is currently choreographing Cabaret for Ovation West Performing Arts Theater and so grateful to have also choreographed A Chorus Line, The Spelling Bee and Sleeping Beauty at the Elaine Wolf Theatre in Denver. She taught for Rocky Mountain Theatre for Kids for five years and choreographed The Wiz for them as well. Prior to moving to Denver, she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theatre from Penn State University. She has also choreographed and performed for a decade with regional theaters all over the country, and with several national touring companies. In addition to performing and choreographing, Christina also had the pleasure of running a performing arts school in Oahu, Hawaii. Some of her favorite performing roles include Val in A Chorus Line, The "Shimmy Girl" in the national tour of Smokey Joes Cafe, starring Gladys Knight, as well as performing as a Swing dancer and Andrew Sister in the international tour of In the Mood.

Erin Pettitt, an accomplished vocalist and pianist, graduated from Northern Illinois University with honors in 2005 with a Masters degree in Vocal Performance and a Performer’s Certificate, under the instruction of Diane Ragains. Ms. Pettitt has recently relocated to Denver from the Chicago area as of December 2017. As a member of National Association of Teachers of Singing, she placed as first runner up (2012) and third runner up (2016) in their central region NATSSA competition. She has soloed with the Magic Valley, Kishwaukee, and Meridian Symphonies.

Ms. Pettitt’s chorus work has included being a founding member of Cor Cantiamo, professional chorus in residence at Northern Illinois University, Grant Park Symphony Chorus, New Classic Singers, and is currently a proud member of Kantorei of Denver. Her students have won numerous awards for organizations such as NATS and ACDA, Classical Singer and the Schmidt Foundation. Many are currently working on and off-Broadway. Ms. Pettitt’s students have attended such prestigious universities such as The Julliard School, Boston Conservatory, NYU, Syracuse University, Ithaca College and Oklahoma City University. She has piloted musicals for Tony-winning composers Pasek & Paul, composers Tysen & Jensen and iTheatrics as part of the award winning program, BRAVO, in Oak Park, Illinois. She has served as accompanist to Tony Award winners Benj Pasek and Heather Headley, and accompanied for concert work with Drew Gasparini, Adam Gwon, and Kerrigan & Lowdermilk.

While in Chicago, she served as accompanist and resident voice teacher for Grammy Signature School, York Community High School for more than 12 years and also served as accompanist for One Voice Choir of Glen Ellyn. She maintained a large private studio, vocal directed and/or piano-conducted more than 75 musicals for York High School, Nazareth Academy, Trinity High School, and BRAVO Performing Arts Academy. Ms. Pettitt is proud to be a voice faculty at Denver School of the Arts and was also the proud vocal director of Shrek the Musical for DSA in September of 2018.

Marlena Hooker Moore, mezzo-soprano, lives in Westminster, CO with her husband Ryan, son Daimon, and cats Kali and Isis. She received her first musical instruction from her grandmother in King George, Virginia. Marlena holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in vocal performance from Metropolitan State College of Denver and the University of Northern Colorado. In January 2020, she returned to serve as Minister of Music for Sixth Avenue United Church of Christ, after previously serving from 2013 to 2015. Marlena has performed as a soloist for local orchestras, choirs, and churches, including the mezzo-soprano solo in Verdi’s Requiem with University of Northern Colorado’s orchestra and choirs. Her roles include Zita in Gianni Schicchi, Madame Flora in The Medium, Rosine in Signor Deluso, and Flora in La Traviata. She is a regular performer with Chamber Ensemble con Grazia in Lafayette, CO, and founded Denver Opera Collective, a performance group for Denver-based singers, in 2016.

Marlena began teaching music lessons in 2005, forming MHM Music, LLC in 2007. She joined the voice faculty at Denver School of the Arts in 2016. Her students have earned college scholarships and won awards in classical and music theater competitions. As a teacher, Marlena meets students where they are and works with them to develop the musical independence and vocal freedom to bring their creative visions to life.