Voice Faculty

Kendra Welton-Lipman - Director of Choral Music & Voice Teacher

After graduating from the UT-Austin School of Music, Welton-Lipman taught for 10 years at West Ridge Middle School in the Eanes Independent School District of Austin, where she was named West Ridge “Teacher of the Year” in 2005. After just a few years at West Ridge, Welton-Lipman was invited to showcase her girls' choir at the Texas Music Educators Conference, a great honor for any choral group in the state; her choirs have consistently won top honors at state and national competitions. Her choirs have also been featured in concert at Carnegie Hall in New York on numerous occasions.  Following her 10 years at West Ridge, Welton-Lipman did graduate work and conducted research at the University of Texas at Austin in speech-language pathology in an effort to better understand the science of voice training. There she assisted Dr. Bharath Chandrasekaran in launching his Sound Brain Lab. Most recently, she served as associate choir director at Westwood High School in the Round Rock ISD. Welton-Lipman joined the Fine Arts faculty at St. Stephen's in 2013. She currently serves as an alto section leader for the Grammy-winning Conspirare Symphonic Choir and is an accomplished vocalist and pianist. Past performances as a conductor and performer have included numerous world-renown stages including Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Sydney Opera House, Bass Concert Hall in Austin, and Winspear Opera House in Dallas.  Welton-Lipman is a frequently sought-after guest clinician and conductor. She lives on the St. Stephen's campus with her husband, Sam, and children Harper and Asher. Click here for contact info.

Kimberly Sandoval - Voice Teacher

Kimberly Sandoval, from McAllen Texas, is a graduate from Texas State University with a Bachelors Degree in Music Studies and a Masters Degree in Vocal Performance.  She has performed such roles as Countess Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Mother Marie from Dialogues of the Carmelites, Dido in Dido and Aneas, and premiered the title role of the newly commissioned opera Lady Bird, First Lady of the Land, which premiered in the Spring of 2016.  Ms. Sandoval also performed 2nd Lady from The Magic Flute with Landesbühnen Sachsen Opera Company during their 2016 season in Germany. Branching outside opera, she worked with the Texas State Chorale where she sang as a member and as a soloist – performing and premiering works such as Peterson’s Shadows and Lights, Bach’s Magnificat and Bernstein’s Songfest – working in conjunction with Texas State University’s biannual Art Song Symposium.  Ms. Sandoval has worked with students from K-12 at schools such as Boone Elementary, Dahlstrom Middle School, and Weiss High School. She worked as a clinician and adjudicator at local and regional choir festivals, and she was an active mentor working with young choirs and vocalists at Texas State Choir Camp and in other festivals such as the Tejada All-Star festival.

Ms. Sandoval’s teaching goals are to build a healthy vocal approach to singing and a solid foundation in breath support. Learning to sing is a journey of enjoyment, and she wants to help her students discover themselves through music. “Relax, breathe, love and enjoy the process,” is what she lives by.

Contact: ksandoval@sstx.org

Rick Gabrillo - Voice Teacher

After attending New England Conservatory of Music and Boston University, Rick Gabrillo completed master’s degrees in choral music education and choral conducting at University of Texas-Austin under Craig Hella Johnson. Rick has been a singer and music educator for over 20 years, teaching in private, public, and parochial schools at all grade levels throughout the greater Austin area.  In addition to his teaching background, he is currently the Associate Conductor for Conspirare, a Grammy-winning choral ensemble based in Austin. As a singer, he performs regularly with Conspirare and has sung on almost every commercial recording to date.   He has also performed with Vox Humana, Spire Chamber Ensemble, Texas Early Music Project, and the Norfolk Chamber Choir.

Contact: rgabrillo@sstx.org