Staff

Tim Watson, Artistic Director and Conductor. Timothy M. Watson became Siouxland Master Chorale Artistic Director and Conductor in 2010. He is the Director of Choral Activities at Morningside College where he conducts The Morningside College Choir, Eclectix Jazz Choir, the Singing Men of Morningside and teaches secondary choral methods and conducting. Choirs under Mr. Watson's direction have toured throughout the United States and Europe including a tour of Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic in 2005 and China in 2008. In March of 2009 the College Choir toured to the West Coast performing 9 concerts in 10 days throughout Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, California and Utah. Mr. Watson has conducted numerous choral festivals throughout the region, including the Iowa Choral Directors Association's Men's Opus Honor Choir. In April 2009 he conducted the Men's Chorus for the Sioux Falls, South Dakota Middle School Festival and conducted in November 2009 the Cornbelt Choral Festival in Everly, IA. Mr. Watson has been active in the American Choral Directors Association, inc. and the Iowa Choral Directors Association, Inc. In 2003 he was elected President of the Iowa Choral Directors Association, Inc. and just completed a six year term on the executive board as Vice President, President-elect, and President. In 1994 Mr. Watson was the Chair Person for the 20th Anniversary of the ICDA Summer Convention and Symposium held in Mason City, Iowa. Mr. Watson has participated in featured sessions at national, regional and local choral conventions and workshops. A native of Iowa, Mr. Watson graduated from Fort Madison High School in 1982. He completed the Bachelor of Arts degree in music education at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, and the Master of Music degree at the University of South Dakota in 2000.

Jayne Koch, Accompanist, has been accompanying in the Siouxland area for over twenty years. A native of Rock Rapids, Iowa, she began her piano studies in third grade, and accompanied her high school choir for four years. She continued accompanying at Briar Cliff University, where she majored in piano and organ. While in college, Jayne started playing Heelan High School choral concerts, which she has continued to do ever since, with the exception of two years when she did not live in Sioux City. Over the years, Jayne has played for Mayflower Church, First Presbyterian Church in South Sioux, First Lutheran, First Covenant, Cathedral of the Epiphany, Blessed Sacrament, and St. Michael, at one point playing for four different church services in three different churches each weekend. She has been Music Director at First Lutheran Church for the past 11 years, playing piano and organ, and directing the handbell choirs and vocal choirs. In her association with Heelan, she has gone on the annual Chorale tour each of the past 13 years, including trips to New York City, Dallas, Little Rock, Denver, Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans. She played at Carnegie Hall with the Heelan Chorale in May 2000. Jayne also was the accompanist for the Iowa Ambassadors of Music Ambassadors of Music European tour in 1990, traveling with several hundred high school students and accompanying numerous European concerts. Jayne has also been the accompanist for 25 consecutive years for the Briar Cliff University pre-All State Camp, held each August. She has played for numerous other area and community events through the years, including Choralation, vocal concerts at West, East and North High Schools, numerous weddings, choral festivals, and church music workshops. In addition to her church responsibilities, Jayne continues to play at Heelan High School and accompanies music students at Morningside College. Jayne's family consists of her husband, Michael, and three children, ranging in age from 11 to 18.