About Gaudium Verum
Gaudium Verum brings the beauty of sacred music to liturgical celebrations throughout the Denver area. We specialize in Gregorian chant, Renaissance polyphony, and other traditional forms of sacred music that enhance the worship experience.
Our Mission
Our mission is to foster the living tradition of Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony so that the faithful may encounter the glory of God through the Roman Catholic liturgy. Founded in 2019, our choir's sole purpose is to sing for liturgical functions in Churches throughout the west, preserving and promoting the Church's rich musical heritage.
Mission & Vision
We exist to pray, to sing, and to form. By serving liturgies, training singers, and accompanying parishes, we hope to renew a culture where music is prayer—never performance.
Nonprofit Status
Gaudium Verum is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All financial contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. Your donation directly supports liturgical music formation, chant resources, and the expansion of sacred music in Catholic worship.
Director
David Hughes
Director
David Hughes is a composer, conductor, and organist who is in international demand as a recitalist and an instructor of Gregorian chant. He serves as Director of Sacred Music at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Littleton, Colorado.
Board Members
Raymond Ortiz
President/Tenor
Raymond Ortiz holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Benedictine College and a Master's Degree in Vocal Performance from Arizona State University. He has been singing with St. Martin's since 2007 and is also Director of Music at Pax Christi Catholic Church in Littleton.
John Murgel
Chairman/Organist/Tenor
John has been a Catholic church organist for 25 years, having launched his musical career early in life thanks to the dual benefit of growing up in a small town and being interested in organ music.
Dani Ayers
Treasurer
Dani Ayers is an Internal Auditor for the Archdiocese of Denver and seasoned parish and business manager whose expertise in accounting, internal controls, and nonprofit administration supports Gaudium Verum's mission. A Native American tribal member, she brings disciplined financial stewardship and collaborative leadership to the board.
Fr. Francis Therese Krautter
Secretary/Baritone
Fr. Francis Therese Krautter is a Catholic Priest and Religious with the Congregation of Saint John in the Archdiocese of Denver.
Margaret Walsh
Soprano
Margaret Walsh started singing at the age of 14 in church choir, learning Gregorian Chant and Sacred Polyphony. She went on to study classical vocal performance privately while in high school.
Singers
Our talented ensemble of professional and semi-professional singers brings years of experience in sacred music, opera, and choral performance. Each member contributes their unique talents and expertise to create the beautiful, unified sound that defines Gaudium Verum.
Richard Wheeler
Tenor/Conductor
Rick Wheeler attended Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. He then subsequently studied voice with Alan Held in NYC and developed his understanding of renaissance choral music.
Christina Heppermann
Soprano
Christina graduated from the University of Louisville in 2010 with a degree in Music performance, emphasis in voice. During this time she was a member of the University of Louisville Cardinal Singers, Collegiate Chorale, Early Music Ensemble, and sang Soprano in the Kentucky Opera Chorus.
Ann Marie Morgan
Alto
Praised by the Baltimore Sun for her "beguiling musicality," Ann Marie Morgan is a frequent guest artist on viola da gamba, and has performed in the Bach St. John and St. Matthew Passions with the Cleveland, Philadelphia and Minnesota Orchestras.
Gillian Harrison Cain
Alto
Gillian Harrison Cain has been singing semi-professionally since age 4. She currently is a staff singer at Holy Ghost Catholic Church and often sings with the Archdiocesan Chorale, Gaudium Verum, and Vittoria Ensemble.
Lauren Lestage
Soprano
Lauren Lestage is a soprano from Houston, Texas. She currently resides in Denver, Colorado where she is working towards her Master in Music for Vocal Performance at the University of Denver.
Tyson Repke
Tenor
Tyson V. Repke is, quite possibly, the world's only nuclear-trained choral music conductor.
Lorena Perry
Soprano/Alto
Music and song are the canvas and color of Lorena Perry's sonorous life. She's been an avid participant in Denver/Boulder ensembles, including Opera Colorado, Ars Nova Singers, Saint Martin's Chamber Choir, Kantorei, and the Colorado Symphony Chorus.
Patrick Torsell
Tenor/Organist
Patrick Torsell began studying the organ at age 8, assuming his first professional role at 11, while also developing a love for sacred choral music and finding his tenor voice.
Scott Perry
Bass
Scott Perry has performed solo and as an ensemble singer with a variety of all-professional and community music organizations in the Denver area. He has directed church choirs for nearly 15 years, through which he has leveraged his training from Ronald Staheli and Mack Wilberg.
Angela Woods
Soprano/Organist
Angie, a Denver native, studied organ and vocal performance and liturgical music at Colorado State University.
Kristin Gornstein
Alto/Mezzo-soprano
Mezzo soprano Kristin Gornstein sings polyphony and baroque music regularly across Colorado and the US.
Hannah McGinty
Soprano
Hannah McGinty is a professional soprano based in the Denver area. She serves as a staff singer at St. Andrew's Denver, and a core member of St. Martin's Chamber Choir in addition to gigging around town.
Danielle Kimbell
Soprano
A Colorado native, soprano, Danielle Kimbell holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Northern Colorado.
Sarah Cain
Soprano/Mezzo
Sarah Cain is currently pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Pedagogy and Performance degree at CU-Boulder under the tutelage of Jennifer Bird-Arvidsson, with plans to graduate in December of 2023.
Lisa Bartlett
Soprano
Growing up in a musical family, Lisa began singing as early as walking. She has sung in symphony choirs including the Texas A&M Century Singers and the Telluride Chorale, and formed Dolce Voce, an eight voice a cappella ensemble in western Colorado.
Alan Polacek
Bass/Baritone
Baritone Alan Polacek is a staff singer and soloist at Saint John's Cathedral, Denver, and an accomplished collaborative and solo pianist.
Catherine (Cat) Williams
Alto
Catherine (Cat) Williams is an alto and pianist recently graduated from MSU Denver with a BA in Piano, active in Denver's choral community.
Peter Severson
Bass
Peter Severson was born and raised in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and has resided in Colorado since 2014. He has formative choral experiences with Princeton University Chapel Choir and University of Chicago's Rockefeller Chapel Choir.
Leah Creek Biesterfeld
Alto
Described as 'vibrant and full-voiced' (The Denver Post) and praised for her 'tangy, nut-brown mezzo' (Opera News), Leah Creek Biesterfeld was named a National Winner of the prestigious Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.