Wilmington Voices

08/28/2026

Meet the newest member of Wilmington Voices

Baritone Matt Rushing is thrilled to return to Wilmington and join Wilmington Voices for the 2026 Holiday Season. A proud graduate of New Hanover High School, Matt sang with Hanover Singers and was the Head Drum Major of the NHHS Marching Band.

He attended NC State University and sang with Dr. Alfred Sturgis in the Chamber Singers, Men’s Glee Club, and as a member of North Carolina’s oldest male a ca****la group, The Grains of Time. Additionally, he was the principal trumpet in the NC State Symphonic Wind Ensemble and the Raleigh Civic Chamber Orchestra.

Currently, he sings in the Chancel Choir at First Presbyterian Church - Greenville, NC under the direction of his wife, Karrie Brown Rushing, another Wilmington native and former member of Hanover Singers.

Matt earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education degrees from NC State University and the Doctor of Medicine degree from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University where he is on faculty as a Clinical Associate Professor of Family Medicine and is a board certified Fellow of the American Association of Family Physicians. He and Karrie are enjoying their new status as empty nesters as their children are now both in college. Their daughter, Anna, attends NC State University and their son, Matthew, attends the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

08/24/2026

Meet Jean Lawler, Board Member

Did you know that I love music? I have known our Artistic Director, Angela Burns, since she was in highschool and sang the lead in CATS the musical. She went on to sing with The Singing Sergeants in the Air Force and is incredibly talented.

Wilmington Voices is truly bringing people together through music. I was so happy when Angela retired and made Wilmington her home, and I knew right away that I wanted to be involved and help promote her vision for the organization.

Music makes the whole world better, and I am honored to be on the board.

Best regards,

Jean Lawler

08/19/2026

We are thrilled to have Beverly Andrews on our board of directors!

Meet Beverly Andrews — Violinist, Musician, and Secretary of the Wilmington Voices Board!

“Did you know that Wilmington Voices is the first and only ensemble of its kind within 160 miles of Wilmington? That’s pretty remarkable — but what I find even more remarkable is what this organization is doing for our community.

Hi, I’m Beverly Andrews. I’m a violinist here in Wilmington, and I’m honored to serve as Secretary on the founding board of Wilmington Voices.

For me, Wilmington Voices is about so much more than beautiful singing. It’s about bringing people together through music. It’s about artistic excellence, collaboration, and making exceptional music accessible to everyone — regardless of background or circumstance.

Music has been such an important part of my own life. I actually come from a musical family, and my career as a musician can be traced back to a request my grandmother made on her deathbed. She wanted to make sure that her five-year-old daughter — my mother — had the opportunity to learn piano. That little request became part of the musical legacy that eventually led me to become a professional violinist.

So when I heard about the vision for Wilmington Voices — an organization created to bring people together through the power of music — I wanted to be part of it.

As a musician, I know what happens when individual voices and instruments come together. Each one is beautiful on its own, but together they can create something far greater than any one person could create alone.

That’s Wilmington Voices to me.

It’s talented people coming together. It’s community. It’s connection. It’s sharing the joy of music with people who might not otherwise have access to it.

And I’m incredibly proud to be part of this organization from the beginning. I hope you’ll come experience Wilmington Voices for yourself — because once you hear these voices together, I think you’ll understand why we believe this music matters.”

— Beverly Andrews
Secretary, Wilmington Voices

08/06/2026

Wilmington Voices has been invited to perform at the
North Carolina American Choral Directors Association Conference
This prestigious invitation is a wonderful recognition of our artistic excellence and an exciting milestone for our young organization.

When: October 10
Where: First Baptist Church in Asheville, North Carolina!

This opportunity would not be possible without the generosity and encouragement of you, our donors. Your support allows us to pursue musical excellence, represent our community on a statewide stage, and continue sharing meaningful choral experiences with audiences across North Carolina.

Representing Wilmington at the state level comes with significant expenses, and the total cost of this opportunity is approximately $14,000.
If you would like to help make this performance possible, we warmly welcome your tax-deductible donation.

Your generosity enables us to share exceptional choral artistry while continuing to uphold the highest musical standards we work so diligently to achieve.

DONATE TODAY HERE: https://www.wilmingtonvoices.com/donate

07/24/2026

We look forward to performing at the convention this October🎵

Our final performing choir announcement is the Wilmington Voices!

In January of 2022, following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Artistic Director Angela Burns created Wilmington Voices to rebuild a sense of community and connection among diverse groups in New Hanover County and surrounding areas. Wilmington Voices presents choral music of the highest caliber to the communities of Eastern North Carolina and seeks to ensure that people from all walks of life have free access to high-quality music and outreach programming. This ensemble is the first and only of its kind within 160 miles of its location.

The powerful and collaborative art of choral singing is valuable to all communities; it contributes to our spiritual and cultural life while nourishing our relationships with others. Wilmington Voices encourages new talent from all walks of life to audition for our ensemble – we recognize the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we proudly welcome BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and minority performers.

Our mission is to enrich lives and engage audiences with creativity and abiding passion for music through choral repertoire and choral expression. We are a collaborative ensemble led by our love of diverse music. We live our core values while demonstrating artistic and organizational excellence and championing a wide variety of musical styles. Our legacy is one of distinguished work and lasting impact. As our name suggests, Wilmington Voices is a celebration of choral excellence in eastern North Carolina.

ACDA: Southern Region
American Choral Directors Association (ACDA)

07/17/2026

📣 BIG NEWS: We are honored to share that Wilmington Voices has been invited to perform at the North Carolina American Choral Directors Association Conference on October 10 at First Baptist Church in Asheville, North Carolina! This prestigious invitation is a wonderful recognition of our artistic excellence and an exciting milestone for our young organization.

This opportunity would not be possible without the generosity and encouragement of you, our donors. Your support allows us to pursue musical excellence, represent our community on a statewide stage, and continue sharing meaningful choral experiences with audiences across North Carolina.

Representing Wilmington at the state level comes with significant expenses, and the total cost of this opportunity is approximately $14,000. If you would like to help make this performance possible, we warmly welcome your tax-deductible donation. Your generosity enables us to share exceptional choral artistry while continuing to uphold the highest musical standards we work so diligently to achieve.

07/01/2026

Meet the newest member of Wilmington Voices:
Allison Benoit is a lyric-coloratura soprano based in Cary, North Carolina. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Voice Performance from Middle Tennessee State University in 2023 and her Master’s Degree in Voice Performance from East Carolina University in 2025.

Allison enjoys singing in chamber ensemble settings with North Carolina Choral Artists, since 2024, and Wilmington Voices, since May 2026. Allison was a member and section leader of the East Carolina University Chamber Singers and toured with the group to compete in the International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf Germany. The group placed 3rd Overall Internationally, and she sang the soprano solo in Thomas Jennefelt’s Claviante Brillioso on the international stream of the final concert. She has recently been a choral scholar for the Greenville Choral Society, where she was the soprano soloist for Vivaldi’s Magnificat and Dan Forrest’s The Peace of Wild Things. Allison also received a choral scholar position at Lakeside Church in Rocky Mount.

Allison also enjoys performing in operas and musicals. Some of her recent operatic roles have been Elly in the world premiere of Dr. Mark Taggart’s Gal Young ‘Un, The Plaintiff in Trial by Jury, Praskovia in Die Lustige Witwe, and the chorus of Sweeney Todd. Welcome, Allison!

05/21/2026

Enjoy a live version of “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” arranged by Craig Hella Johnson. Soloist, Angela Burns. Performance May 10, 2026. Cameron Art Museum

05/19/2026

We love our fans! Here's what one of them had to say following our recent concert series:

I'm also a musician, have been in Wilmington for 26 years, and have not witnessed such an exquisite performance since moving here. I was completely immersed from start to finish. Seriously--just so, so ridiculously good.

05/13/2026

A taste of the treble choir from within Wilmington Voices at our concert this weekend. Enjoy a live performance of “The Little Horses.”