CorAthena is a Nashville-based professional choral ensemble
specializing in high-quality recording for music publishing, film, television, and video games. With a roster of outstanding professional singers, the ensemble delivers everything from intimate vocal textures to cinematic, full-bodied choral soundscapes. CorAthena is the official recording choir for Athena Festival Records.
Led by Dr. Tim Sharp and Dr. Timothy Michael Powell, CorAthena brings precision, versatility, and artistry to every project. The ensemble combines an authentic classical approach—rooted in the performance of major choral and orchestral works—with the flexibility to create innovative sounds tailored to contemporary media. Whether scoring for a film, enhancing a television soundtrack, or building immersive atmospheres for gaming, CorAthena is dedicated to capturing the exact sound world each project demands.
Beyond its studio work, CorAthena curates distinctive projects each season that culminate in high-caliber recordings and public performances in some of Nashville’s most unique artistic spaces. Through its selective audition process and project-based structure, the ensemble offers singers meaningful opportunities to engage in exclusive recording ventures and transformative live performances.
Join CorAthena in concert, 7:30pm, February 13, 2026 at Nashville’s Historic Parthenon.
Use the QR or click here for tickets
Dr. Tim Sharp
Co-Artistic Director and ConductorDr. Tim Sharp is a world-renowed choral conductor and composer, serving as past Executive Director of the American Choral Directors Association and leading choirs in many of the world’s most hallowed concert halls. Recently, he led the supporting choir for the Eagles’ legendary “Hotel California” tour, and founded and directs the Trevecca University Center for Community Arts Innovation. He is a graduate of Belmont University in Nashville, a member of ACDA, ASCAP, and is a voting member of the GRAMMY© Recording Academy.
Dr. Timothy Michael Powell
Co-Artistic Director and ConductorDr. Timothy Michael Powell is an accomplished media and concert composer, and an award-winning choral conductor, winning the American Prize in Choral Conducting in 2012. Called “a skilled composer who understands the voice in all stages of development” by New York Concert Reviews, he is a graduate of Belmont University in Nashville, TN and The University of South Carolina. A semi-finalist for the GRAMMY © Music Educator Award, he is an active member of the Society for Composers and Lyricists, the Game Audio Network Guild, ACDA, ASCAP, and is a voting member of the GRAMMY© Recording Academy.
CorAthena: Meet the choir
Alana Griffith
Alana Griffith is a singer, songwriter, composer, and arranger with a Bachelor of Music in Commercial Voice and Composition from Belmont University. She has been a member of Portara Ensemble since 2010 and has appeared at the CMA Awards, a Country Music Christmas, and on the floor of the TN House of Representatives. Alana was a founding member of the all-female a cappella group Forte Femme and Music Director at Belle Meade United Methodist Church. She currently leads the Blakeford Senior Choir, is a musical partner for Music for Seniors and lives in Bellevue, Tennessee with her husband, daughter and orange tabby cat. Alana’s original music can be found on streaming platforms.
AltoEmerson Chambers
AltoEmerson Chambers is an Alabama-born, Texas-raised, Nashville-based singer, songwriter and music industry professional. From a young age, Emerson has been on stage singing, acting, and dancing. Her accolades include a showcase at the famed South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas; an opening slot for John Paul White in 2019; and several backing vocal credits on albums recorded in Nashville. She currently runs Operations and Production for Primary Wave Music and Sun Records where she contributed to 2 consecutive Grammy award winning projects and many more nominees.
Daryl Johnson
Daryl Johnson, baritone, enjoys a multifaceted career spanning operatic, concert, and sacred music. Praised for his commanding stage presence and vocal flexibility, he has performed leading roles including Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore, and the title role in Lee Hoiby's Galileo Galilei. As a concert soloist, he has appeared in Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s The Creation, Fauré’s Requiem, and Saint-Saëns’s Christmas Oratorio. Johnson holds degrees from Belmont University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, with advanced studies at LSU and the University of Alabama. He serves as Music Director at Eastwood Christian Church in Nashville and is a licensed Tennessee real estate agent.
BassAltoDr. Virginia Lile Boaz
Dr. Virginia Lile Boaz, from Hopkinsville, KY, is on the Classical Voice Faculty at Belmont University. Previously she had taught Voice, Diction, Musicology and Opera at Austin Peay (TN) and East Texas Baptist University. She holds the DMA in Performance, Musicology and Conducting, and the MDiv/CM from Southern Seminary. Dr. Boaz has been a soloist with symphonic organizations throughout the Midwest, Southeast and Texas. She was soloist and Choral Scholar with the Oxbridge Conference in England for 12 years. Dr. Boaz has directed numerous operas and musical theatre productions and served as Choir Director of Trinity Episcopal Church in Clarksville, Tennessee from 2018-2025.
BassEdward Cardona
Edward Cardona is an up and coming Bass singing in choirs in the Nashville area. Born and raised in Nashville, he attended Nashville School of the Arts for high school and has recently come home from college to build his career.
Emma Jane Sharp
AltoEmma Jane Sharp is a Nashville-based mezzo-soprano and creative director whose career spans professional opera, touring, and the modern music industry. Praised by Marilyn Horne for her rich tone and compelling presence, she performed leading roles with companies including San Francisco Opera, Nashville Opera, and at Carnegie Hall, and toured nationally and internationally, including leading background vocals with The Eagles on their 2022 Hotel California Tour. She has worked on four GRAMMY-nominated projects as both a performer and creative, earning her first team GRAMMY win with Sun Records in 2025. She currently leads photo, video, and social media for Sun Records, shaping digital strategy and artist branding for one of America’s most iconic labels.
Erika Milner
SopranoErika Milner is a soprano and music educator based in Clarksville, TN, with experience in choral music, musical theatre, and worship music. She earned an M.M. in Vocal Performance from Austin Peay State University and a B.M. in Vocal Music Education from Union University. Erika has sung with the Nashville Opera Ensemble, Vox Grata, and Gateway Chorale, and has performed at the Orvieto Musica Chamber Music Festival in Orvieto, Italy. A secondary choral teacher, she also teaches private voice, serves as music director for local productions, and remains active in church music ministry. She lives in Clarksville with her husband, Daniel, and their two children
Grover Baker
BassGrover Baker, a native Nashvillian, has quite literally sung in church, college, and community choirs throughout his entire life, beginning at age four in the preschool choir of his church. Grover is the Visual & Performing Arts Librarian at Middle Tennessee State University’s James E. Walker Library and has worked in music libraries for more than 30 years. In addition to singing, his areas of performance include piano and trumpet.
Jean Thomason
SopranoJean Thomason brings more than 40 years of experience as a solo concert performer, worship leader, choral singer, songwriter, author, and speaker. She is best known for her role as Miss PattyCake, a beloved faith-based children’s character offering music, videos, and books. Her published book is, Sharing God’s Big Love with Little Lives. Jean also sings with community choirs and holds a recently completed Master’s degree in Worship Arts from Trevecca University. She lives in Thompsons Station, Tennessee, with her husband of nearly 40 years and has two grown children. Soli deo Gloria
Jennifer Powell
AltoJennifer Powell graduated magna cum laude from the University of South Carolina with a BA in Music, where she sang with the USC Concert Choir and as a featured soloist with the Graduate Vocal Ensemble. She was honored to sing the alma mater at the USC 2010 commencement exercises She sang professionally with The Cecilia Ensemble in Augusta, GA and the Houston (TX) Bach Society, and has appeared as a soloist with numerous church choirs. She also created the role of Lilith in the world premiere of Timothy Michael Powell’s opera His Terrible Swift Sword. Jennifer is a civil litigation attorney practicing in Murfreesboro, TN.
John R. Manson
TenorJohn R. Manson started his musical journey as an instrumentalist, studying violin performance at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music, switching to viola, and eventually earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Viola Performance from Morehouse College. While at Morehouse, he was also a member of the world-renown Morehouse College Glee Club, under the direction of Dr. David Morrow, and studied voice with Dr. Uzee Brown. He was previously a member of the Nashville Symphony Chorus, where he served as President. For his day job, John serves Nashville as a Judicial Magistrate for Davidson County Night Court.
Kevin Salter
TenorKevin Salter is a Nashville Tennessee native, and is thrilled to be a founding member of CorAthena. Kevin attended Tennessee Tech University where he completed his degree in vocal music education, and has since taught music and choir at the elementary, middle and high school levels while also working in music ministry. Kevin has had the opportunity to sing with the Nashville Opera Chorus, Nashville Symphony Chorus, Bryan Symphony Orchestra, Oak Ridge Symphony, The Franklin Chamber Choir, Vocal Arts Nashville, and several church programs across Tennessee and North Carolina. Kevin is currently conducting the Children’s choir at First Presbyterian Church Nashville, working for the ‘Love Learning Music’ organization based in Nashville, and recently completed a Masters Degree in Choral conducting at Middle Tennessee State University.
Lauren A. Baker
SopranoLauren A. Baker is a chorister known for her pure tone and vocal coalescence. Trained at Belmont University and the University of North Texas, she has decades of choral experience. Notable performances include Carnegie Hall with Sir David Willcocks, Fox Theater with Andy Williams, and the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall. Lauren is an adjunct professor at Lipscomb University and a music specialist in Williamson County. She instructs the next generation of choristers in her children’s choir, Colts Chorale. Lauren was selected as Elementary Teacher of the Year for Williamson County Schools and named one of CMA’s Teachers of Excellence.
Leslie E. Garbis
SopranoLeslie Garbis uses her intuition and lifelong musical background to help others connect with and liberate their voices. She holds her Masters of Music degree in vocal performance. After performing on the stage for years, and teaching voice in multiple conservatories and universities for a couple of decades, she now focuses on her healing platform, Singing is Healing. Leslie also has a passion for songwriting, especially enjoying writing simple chants for healing and sharing in song circles, workshops and retreats. You can find her band's EP, THE HEALING WATERS EXPERIENCE as a musical meditative journey.
Dr. Mark Slaughter
TenorDr. Mark A. Slaughter is a professional singer, conductor, and arts leader with extensive experience as a soloist, choral conductor, and collaborator with orchestras and professional ensembles. He has led large-scale choral works, worship services, and concert presentations across diverse traditions, blending musical excellence with expressive depth. Dr. Slaughter has served as Minister of Music and Worship Arts for nearly three decades and has taught at both the collegiate and seminary levels. He currently serves as Director of Development for the College of Music and Performing Arts at Belmont University. He holds degrees from Belmont University, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Fuller Theological Seminary.
Mary Clark Webb
AltoMary Clark Webb is a 24 year old vocalist from Birmingham, Alabama. In May of 2024, Mary Clark received a Bachelor’s of Music with her major focusing on Commercial Voice. She studied both Classical and Commercial styles of singing throughout her time at Belmont. During the day, Mary Clark is a Social Media Manager for Sun Label Group. Mary Clark continues to pursue her music career by participating in corporate wedding bands through Downtown Band Entertainment as well as touring as a background vocalist.
Olivia Bishop
SopranoOlivia is a graduate of Belmont University, studying musical theatre and majoring in classical vocal performance. She appeared in musicals such as CATS, Guys and Dolls, Seussical, and Children of Eden, fostering a love for ensemble performances and shaping a lifelong love for singing together in choirs. She sang in huge oratorios that performed Handel’s Messiah and Bach’s B Minor Requiem, forever changing how she looked at sound and performance. She feels that both singing and listening can be an act of healing that is revolutionary in modern society. She lives happily ever after with her husband and freeschools their two boys.
Vinnie Cesarone
BassVinnie Cesarone is a Nashville-based performer from Batavia, Illinois. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Commercial Voice from Belmont University, where he trained in both classical and contemporary styles. He performed in elite vocal ensembles including Company and Prismatics, where he was a finalist in the 2021 and 2022 International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, earning national recognition for choreography and creative direction. He has appeared as a featured soloist in Christmas at Belmont and has recorded multiple projects across pop and a cappella genres. Vinnie now performs professionally throughout Nashville while continuing to develop dynamic, story-driven performance work.