Staff
Dr. Jennifer Kane
Artistic Director
Jennifer Kane is thrilled to join the Georgia Children’s Chorus as Artistic Director. Most recently, Kane was a conductor with the Handel and Haydn Society Youth Choruses in Boston, Massachusetts, where she directed three treble voice ensembles for children and youth. With HHYC, Kane conducted choristers in prestigious venues such as Jordan Hall at New England Conservatory, Boston Symphony Hall, and most notably, Hochstein Hall in Rochester, NY, to perform for the Eastern Division of the American Choral Directors Association. Previous appointments include Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Worcester Children’s Chorus and the Conductor of the Spivey Hall Young Artists.
In addition to her work with young voices, Kane is the Founder and Artistic Director of NOVA Women’s Choral Project, where she combines her passion for women’s choral repertoire with a love of building community, a belief in the strength of women’s voices, and an eagerness to forge new paths for the choral music experience. Kane has served as the Music Director of Cantilena Women’s Chorale, the Guest Conductor of the Concord Women’s Chorus, and the Director of Atlanta Schola Cantorum.
A frequent clinician and guest conductor, Kane has prepared choirs for collaborations with groups such as the Cantata Singers, the Back Bay Chorale, Boston Musica Viva, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Voices Rising, and the Worcester Chorus. She is one of the creators of Musical Wellness, a website highlighting musical wellness through musical practice and sponsored by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and pursues research in music and mental health, and vulnerability in the choral ensemble. Kane received a B.A. in Music from Furman University, an M.M. in Choral Conducting from Georgia State University, and a D.M.A. in Conducting from Boston University. She also holds a Certificate in Arts Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Natalie Smith
Program Manager
Natalie Smith is a free-lance flutist living in Athens, GA. She keeps a busy schedule, performing in symphony orchestras, ballet orchestras, world music groups like Bichos Vivos and the Athens Middle East Orchestra, and her latest project The PG Show, a theatrical rock-and-roll band for kids. In addition to playing the flute, Natalie teaches private flute and piano lessons and is the founder of HEART Music, a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase students’ chances for success in life through high quality musical instruction. Natalie holds a Master of Music degree in Flute Performance and a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Theory from the University of Georgia and loves spending free time with her two children, one of whom is a Georgia Children’s Chorus member!
Cassidy Brown
Operations and Development Manager
Cassidy Brown (she/her) is an alumnus of the University of Georgia oboe studio, graduating in 2018 with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education. She doubled on alto saxophone in high school jazz band and marching band and marched mellophone in the Redcoat Band. She also received her Master of Music Education degree from Florida State University in 2023.
As an oboist, Cassidy has performed in several community bands and local performances. Most notably, she performed at the 2021 Midwest Clinic in Chicago with the Atlanta Wind Symphony. She was a middle school choir director and band director for six years before joining the University of Georgia Community Music School.
In addition to making music, Cassidy loves attending concerts of all genres, watching movies, gaming, and spending time with her family and friends (including her two cats, Mika and Murphy). She is very active in the Athens community and loves helping and serving others.
Interns for the 2025-2026 Season
Winnie Mbũrũ
Winnie Mbũrũ is a PhD student at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music (University of Georgia), majoring in Music Education. She holds a Master’s in Music Education from Converse University, SC, and is gearing up to finish her doctorate next Spring. Her research interests are in music perception, indigenous language and music policies, and cross domain processing of language and music.
Originally from Nairobi (Kenya), Winnie taught elementary music for six years before moving to the US for graduate school. She worked with Muziki Changa (a baby music program), the Nairobi Children’s Orchestra, and taught flute, beginner piano and clarinet at an international school in Nairobi. After finishing her master’s, she taught general music in a private school in Spartanburg (SC) and substituted in Spartanburg District 7. Since joining UGA, Winnie has been working as a graduate teaching assistant for Woodwind Techniques, Instrumental Techniques, Elementary Music Techniques, and Introduction to Music Education.
Winnie’s primary instrument is the flute, and she also studies voice as a secondary area with Dr Gregory Broughton. She has performed in a number of ensembles in Kenya and the US, including the Nairobi Orchestra, the Kenya Conservatoire of Music Symphony Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra of Kenya, the Nairobi Flute Ensemble, Converse University Symphony Orchestra, UGA Symphonic Band, UGA African American Choral Ensemble, and the UGA Philharmonia. She was also cast in Converse University’s Winter Opera series and the Converse Theater’s Spring production of CATS in 2023.
Katie Christensen
Katie Christensen is a second-year Ph.D. student at the University of Georgia. Prior to beginning her doctoral studies, she spent seven years teaching elementary and middle school music in Missouri, Indiana, and Georgia. A native of Kirksville, Missouri, Katie was actively involved in school music programs, theater, and musical theater from a young age. She began singing and playing instruments early in life, and by fifth grade had already set her sights on becoming a teacher—a goal that combined her love of music and education. Katie earned both her Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Music and Master of Arts in Education from Truman State University. She is thrilled to continue her teaching journey as part of the Georgia Children’s Chorus community again this year.