Espressivo was created to provide the community with artistically excellent choral performances of high-caliber music. Further, Espressivo fosters an avenue where members continually develop musical skills and express their art while promoting community well-being through concerts, music education, and scholarship programs. Espressivo performs with other community concert organizations, participates in side-by-side concerts with a local Title I public high school, and holds an annual vocal competition to provide scholarships for students seeking an undergraduate degree in music.
John Wayne Weatherspoon
– Conductor/Artistic Director/Co-Founder
With a teaching career spanning over thirty years, John Weatherspoon’s impact on the music community cannot be overstated. Along with teaching music classes, he has conducted honors choruses, has acted as both an adjudicator and a clinician, and currently serves as director of Espressivo. His interest in conducting first sparked during a warm-up for a middle school music elective, when he first connected motion to sound. Not only a career, conducting became a way for John to express who he is. Throughout his educational career, he was blessed with teachers who poured into him and helped him develop his technical skills while also developing a love for expressing poetry through music. After pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Southeastern Louisiana University, John began teaching. Later, John went on to earn his master’s in Choral Conducting from Florida Atlantic University, and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Kentucky. For over thirty years, he has served as choral director at Lake Worth Community High School. His greatest joy in teaching is to foster connections between his students and songs. John and his wife, Althea, whom he claims is responsible for helping him to come out of his shell, have four incredible children. John has also served our country in the United States Marine Corps.
(Picture courtesy of KIconcerts)
Catherine Briggs
– Co-Founder/ Soprano
As an impetus of the conceptual group that founded Espressivo, Catherine is driven by a desire to produce quality choral music. After graduating with her bachelor's degree, she went on to pursue a master's degree in Choral Conducting through Florida Atlantic University and received her Kodaly certification at Silver Lake College. Currently acting as the choral director at West Boca Raton Community High School and adjunct music education faculty at Florida Atlantic University, Catherine enjoys both the joys and challenges of her profession. Catherine serves as President on the Espressivo Board of Directors.
Announcements
Espressivo Performs at Carnegie Hall
In June of 2023, Espressivo was invited by National Concerts to be part of the National Concert Chorus and performed at Carnegie Hall in New York, New York! Espressivo members traveled to NYC and presented songs from Japan, Hawaii, and the Philippines, and sang the world premiere of "Wide American Earth" by Saunder Choi, on June 10, 2023.
Grammy Music Educator Award
Congratulations to our Conductor/Artistic Director, John Weatherspoon, on being named a finalist for the 2019 GRAMMY Music Educator Award! From over 2,800 initial nominees, John was selected as one of only 10 finalists from across the country. View the CBS finalists article and CBS This Morning announcement here.
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Watch the finalist video here.
Randolph A. Frank Performing Arts Educator Award
John’s passion for bringing music to life has impacted countless numbers of students and adults throughout his career. In 2015 he was awarded the Randolph A. Frank Performing Arts Educator Award for his impact in Palm Beach County.
Miami Beach Centennial Celebration Andrea Bocelli Performance
Espressivo was asked to join the legendary tenor, Andrea Bocelli, and soprano, Maria Aleida, in concert on March 26, 2015 to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Miami Beach. Accompanied by the Miami Symphonic Orchestra, the evening contained a full range of musical selections, from the famous arias of Verdi and Puccini to contemporary hits.