Dr. Mark Lucas, Messiah Festival Artistic Director

Dr. Mark Lucas is an Associate Professor of Music and the Director of Choral Activities at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas where he is also director of the Bethany Oratorio Society and Co-Chair of the Department of Music.  At Bethany Mark teaches conducting, music education courses, voice lessons and is the conductor of the Bethany College Choir and Bethany College Chamber Ensemble.  He is also the Senior Choir Director at Messiah Lutheran Church in Lindsborg.

Prior to his appointment at Bethany College, Mark was a tenured Associate Professor of Choral Music Education and the Associate Director of Choral Activities at the University of Oklahoma, where he conducted the University Singers, taught choral conducting and courses in choral methods, and supervised student teachers.

Dr. Lucas received a degree in Music Education from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas and an M.M. in Choral Conducting from the University of Oklahoma. He received his Ph.D. in Choral Music Education from the University of Oklahoma. His dissertation, Adolescent Males’ Motivations to Enroll or Not Enroll in Choir, is a study of what factors influence young men in grades 7 and 8 to participate in choir.  His more recent work has been published in the Choral Journal and UPDATE:  Applications of Research in Music Education.  Mark is currently serving on the advisory committee for the Music Educators Journal.

As a tenor, Mark has sung professionally with the Santa Fe Desert Chorale and remains active in teaching studio voice. As a conductor, Mark’s past work ranges from preparing major works, such as Brahms’ Requiem and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, to extensive work with middle and high school choirs. In his teaching he employs an integrated approach to choral methods, using authentic teaching experiences as a major part of course work.

Dr. Lucas is a frequent clinician and adjudicator for choral groups of all ages. He is the founder of the Young Men’s Vocal Workshop at the University of Oklahoma, which has featured more than 1000 young men in concert.  A new incarnation of that festival, “Real Men Sing” has been an addition to the offerings at Bethany College since 2015 and recently featured over 800 young men from around the state of Kansas joined together in song!

Previously, Mark served for four years as Director of Choral Activities at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kansas and taught vocal music to students in grades 6-12 in Marion, Kansas. Mark enjoys spending time with his wife Jeanne and their two boys Matt and Jake.

Professor Greg LeGault, Theatre Department

LeGault is a recipient of SIUC’s Christian M. Moe Playwriting Award and the Council for Wisconsin Writers’ Dale Wasserman Drama Award, which he shared with playwright and co-writer and friend Michael Speller. His plays and monologues have been performed at venues around the country, including Theatre On The Bay in Marinette, WI, the Orlando Fringe Festival, the Cleveland Women’s Theatre Project, Strawdog Theatre in Chicago, and the Great Plains Theatre Festival in Omaha, NE. He is a past recipient of Bethany College’s Mortvedt Award.

This is his 22nd year at Bethany College.

Dr. Keith Dodson, Director of Instrumental Studies

Keith Dodson is currently an Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Instrumental Studies at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. Dr. Dodson completed the PhD in Music Education with an emphasis in Orchestral Conducting at the Florida State University College of Music. He also completed the Specialized Study in Music Theory Pedagogy program. As an educator, he held secondary instrumental positions at Space Coast Junior/Senior High School and Matanzas High School. He has had the opportunity to present at the Florida Music Educator’s Conference on “Introducing and Utilizing Singing in the Instrumental Classroom” with Ian Schwindt, and “Passion as a Path to Excellence: Teaching Strategies that Last” with Dr. Alexander Jiménez.

As a conductor, Dr. Dodson was selected to participate as a fellow at The Conductor’s Institute in South Carolina under the direction of Dr. Donald Portnoy. He was also selected as a Conducting Participant in the College Orchestra Directors Association’s Conducting Masterclass with Bruce Hangen in Boston, Massachusetts. His conducting teachers include Michael J. Garasi, Joseph Kreines, and Alexander Jiménez. An enthusiastic string pedagogue, Dr. Dodson is a private student of violinist Dr. Benjamin Sung. 

As a graduate teaching assistant at Florida State University, Dr. Dodson served as assistant conductor to the renowned University Symphony Orchestra and as assistant music director to the undergraduate University Philharmonica Orchestra. In addition, he has served as an instructor for undergraduate conducting and director for the non-major Campus Symphonic Orchestra. Other opportunities included serving as a Music Director to the Summer Sinfonietta Orchestra and FSU’s New Music Ensemble. As a proponent of new music, he has conducted works by Michael Gordon, Victoria Bond, James Primosch, Richard Maltz, Avner Dorman, Ash Stemke, Aaron Houston, Brian Junttila, and Eunseon Yu.

Dr. Dodson earned Bachelor’s Degrees in Music Performance and Music Education from the University of Central Florida, Orlando. He earned a Masters in Music Education from the Florida State University. 

Dr. Tyler Boehmer, Sacred Music Coordinator and College Organist

Leslie Mangrum, M.M. Choral Director “Godspell”

Leslie Mangrum was formerly Assistant Professor of Music at Kansas Wesleyan University where she maintained a full teaching studio, directed the opera, and taught many classes for voice majors including diction, pedagogy, vocal literature, music history, aural skills, and acting for singers.  She has also been a vocal instructor at Florida State University, Oklahoma City University, The Gaylord Academy of Music Theatre, Rose State College, and the University of Oklahoma.

Although teaching is Ms. Mangrum’s first passion, she also enjoys performing around the United States in opera, concert, and recital. She has performed with Wichita Grand Opera, Music Academy of the West, Opera in the Ozarks, Music Académie de Villecroze, the Florida State Opera, as well as with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Salina Symphony and Hutchinson Symphony.  Some favorite roles include Semele, Gretel, Nanetta in Falstaff, Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier, and Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi.

Ms. Mangrum is equally at home with concert work.  She was recently a soloist with the Salina Symphony, performing an exciting concert of opera scenes.  She has also performed Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras no. 5, and Handel’s Dixit Dominus.  Ms. Mangrum has appeared with the Salina Chorale as the Soprano soloist in Camille Saint-Saens Christmas Oratorio, Benjamin Britten’s A Cermony of Carols, and has performed cantatas including Scarlatti’s Su le sponde del tebro.

As a Doctoral candidate in Voice Performance at the University of Oklahoma, Ms. Mangrum studied with the incomparable Marilyn Horne.  While at the University of Oklahoma, Leslie performed the roles of Pamina in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, and Gretel in Hansel and Gretel.  She holds a Master of Music degree from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Music degree from Oklahoma State University.

Leslie Mangrum has won numerous awards including the 2012 West Central Region National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Award, First Place Winner of Oklahoma NATS for 6 years, the Benton-Schmidt Award, and the Dame Eva Turner Award.  Ms. Mangrum was First Alternate at the District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.  She has been seen on PBS in Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and her recording of Semele by John Eccles can be purchased from Regis Records.

As a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Professor Mangrum has had many students succeed at the annual competition. She most recently had 5 students place at the 2015 Regional NATS competition.  Professor Mangrum’s students can be also be seen performing with the Wichita Grand Opera, Opera Upper West, Salina Symphony, Salina Community Theatre, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Light Opera Oklahoma, Oklahoma City University, and at Manhattan School of Music, Music Theatre Wichita, Chicago Opera Theatre, and Cincinnati Conservatory of Music as well as many other exciting theatres and universities.

In addition to teaching and performing, Leslie serves as Music Director as Sunrise Presbyterian Church.  She directs the Chancel Choir, Children and Youth Choirs, and Handbell ensemble.  She lives in Salina, KS with her husband, Scott Lee who is an administrator at Central High School, and her loving daughter, Clara.

Laura Pope, Messiah Festival Coordinator

Laura Pope is the Messiah Festival Coordinator and Music Office Coordinator at Bethany College. More information to come.