Douglas Cox brings a wealth of experience to the Chester River Chorale as conductor, singer, and producer. Previous to this position, Mr. Cox was assistant conductor and tenor vocalist with the Soldiers’ Chorus of The U.S. Army Field Band. He is a seasoned performer, having toured nationally in all 49 continental United States, Europe and the Far East, performing in all imaginable public venues, from the finest concert halls of the world to school gymnasiums, and even rodeo arenas. Under the direction of the late Maestro Erich Kunzel, Mr. Cox has performed as soloist with the Cincinnati Pops and the London Symphony and Naples Philharmonic Orchestras. With Maestro Albert-George Schram he was soloist with the Charlotte and Nashville Symphony Orchestras.
Other notable collaborations were with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Orchestra, Marvin Hamlisch and the National Symphony Orchestra, and George Manahan with the Richmond Symphony. For 15 years Mr. Cox led the Field Band’s premier eight-voice Vocal Arts Ensemble, specializing in virtuosic a cappella repertoire of the Euro-American traditions. He has produced and conducted three choral “legacy” CD recordings by the Soldiers’ Chorus: The Legacy of Randall Thompson (producer and conductor), The Legacy of Aaron Copland (choral works), and The Legacy of Nadia Boulanger.
Mr. Cox’s early musical mentors were James Kimmel, Harrison Boughton, and Vernon Yenne. Later studies in voice with Thomas Houser, and in conducting with Donald Neuen (UCLA/Crystal Cathedral), Axel Theimer (VoiceCare Network), Jon Washburn (Vancouver Chamber Choir), and Paul Salamunovich (Los Angeles Master Chorale), when combined with his lifelong experience as a singer, have cultivated a broad expertise in the choral arts and its communicative power. Mr. Cox holds the Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music Education degrees from Wichita State University, and the Master of Arts in Arts Administration degree from Goucher College.
Mr. Cox retired from military service as a Sergeant Major. His military awards include the Legion of Merit, three Meritorious Service Medals, four Army Commendation Medals, and five Army Achievement Medals. He resides in Catonsville, Maryland with his wife, soprano Janet Hjelmgren, a Sergeant Major in the Soldiers’ Chorus.
Sammy Marshall, a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Army, served as pianist for the Soldiers’ Chorus of The United States Army Field Band, Washington, D.C., for 12 years. He has recently been appointed the Auditions and Support Group Leader for the Field Band.
Prior to joining the military, Mr. Marshall maintained a rigorous accompanying schedule in some of the most elite voice studios in New York. Renowned teachers such as Cynthia Hoffman, Maitland Peters, and Metropolitan Opera greats Mignon Dunne, Gabor Corelli, Spiro Malas, and Nico Castel were his clientele.
Mr. Marshall’s formal studies began at James Madison University where he received a Bachelor of Music Education degree. His professional development continued at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California, and the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. Returning stateside he completed a Master of Music Degree in Piano Performance, Vocal Accompanying, at Manhattan School of Music in New York City. His instructors include Martin Katz, Graham Johnson and Donal Nold.
It was Martin Katz, a former Army Chorus accompanist, who encouraged Mr. Marshall to pursue a career with a military chorus. He entered the Army serving in the First Cavalry Division Band at Fort Hood, Texas. Three years later Mr. Marshall won the coveted position of accompanist of the Soldiers’ Chorus of The U.S. Army Field Band of Washington, DC. In this position he has performed with the London and National Symphony Orchestras, the Boston and Cincinnati Pops, and the symphonies of Phoenix, Nashville, Richmond and New Haven. Conductors include Erich Kunzel, Keith Lockhart, Albert-George Schram and George Manahan. His choral accompanying collaborations include such conductors as Westin Noble, Paul Salamunovich and James Jordan.