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NEWPORT SINGS STAFF
Elizabeth Woodhouse
Founder and Artistic Director
Elizabeth (she/her) is a choral music educator and conductor with over 20 years of experience working with choruses all across the country from Denver, Colorado to Brooklyn, New York. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Newport Sings (RI), a non-profit organization that provides opportunities for youth and adults to discover the joy and power of singing in community with others. At Newport Sings she conducts Aquidneck Singers, a multigenerational women’s chorus, and QUORUS, an LGBTQIA+ chorus for teens and adults. She also oversees the Newport County Youth Chorus programs and leads Community Sing, a weekly singalong program for adults with disabilities. Elizabeth has prepared and conducted ensembles at performances at Carnegie Hall and Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) as well as for a national PBS Kids Commercial.
A leader in the children’s choir community, Elizabeth has been a guest lecturer and conference presenter at Salve Regina University, the University of Colorado – Boulder, The Ohio State University, Western Connecticut State University, and state American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) conferences in Connecticut and New Hampshire. Elizabeth is a frequent adjudicator at choral festivals including WorldStrides, Fantastic Festivals and Music in the Parks as well as state festivals. In March 2019 she was the guest conductor for the RI All-State Elementary Chorus and recently conducted the New Hampshire Elementary Honor Choir, St. Vrain School District Middle School Treble Honor Choir (Colorado), the NYACDA Elementary Honor Choir, and the Westchester County (NY) All-County Elementary Honor Choir. In March 2024, she conducted the Connecticut Music Educators Association Western Region Middle School Honors Choir.
Elizabeth is an adjunct professor at University of Rhode Island where she conducts the University Chorus and has previously taught choral methods and conducting courses. She also serves as a student teacher supervisor at Rhode Island College.
A 2019-2020 Jubilation Foundation Fellow, Elizabeth received a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting at The Ohio State University, where she was a University Fellow.
Elizabeth is the Past-President of the RI chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA).
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Elise Felker
NCYC teacher and Aquidneck Singers section leader
Elise graduated from the University of Rhode Island where she earned her BA in Music Education. She is the founder of Voces Excelsis, the treble chorus at the University of Rhode Island. She started her career teaching Middle School Chorus and General Music in the public schools. Along with teaching at Newport Sings, she co-teaches a music course at MCI-Norfolk in Massachusetts. She currently serves on the leadership team of the artists collective Voices21C in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2019, she interned at the Casterbridge Music Development Academy in White River, South Africa. While in South Africa, she also taught General Music at Mshadza Disability Center.
Kristin Lafferty
Newport Sings Associate Music Director
NCYC teacher and Aquidneck Singers section leader
Kristin Lafferty is the music teacher at Nayatt Elementary School in Barrington, Rhode Island, where she teaches students in kindergarten through third grade and leads the Nayatt Third Grade Chorus. In addition to her work at Nayatt and with Newport Sings, she serves as a section leader for the choir at St. Gregory the Great Church.
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Kristin is actively involved in the choral community both locally and regionally. She currently serves as President-Elect of the Rhode Island chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (RIACDA), having previously held the role of Repertoire & Resources Chair for Elementary Choirs (2023–2025). She also managed the 2024 ACDA Eastern Division Elementary Honor Choir and will oversee the 2026 Eastern Division High School SATB Honor Choir. At the state level, she works closely with Rhode Island’s youth choirs, including serving as manager for the RI All-State Senior Treble Choir.
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Kristin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from the University of Rhode Island, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Her passion for music education and choral excellence continues to inspire young musicians across the state.
Julia Morisi
Aquidneck Singers section leader
Julia works in the Office of Undergraduate Studies at Salve Regina University. She
graduated from Salve in 2017 with a BA in English Literature and Religious Studies.
She attended graduate school at Boston University and previously taught Religion at
Salve Regina. In her free time, she enjoys reading, baking, and crafting, and loves
trivia nights with friends. Julia began singing in elementary school and continued
through college. In 2022, she joined Aquidneck Singers. Since then, she has been
loving Tuesday evenings with Aquidneck Singers!
Jan Navarro
Newport Sings Collaborative Pianist
Jan is a local musician and piano teacher who moved to Rhode Island in 2020, after raising her family in the Seattle area for 25 years. In addition to her role at Newport Sings, she serves as the Music Department Accompanist for Salve Regina University and the Director of Music for Channing Memorial Church in Newport. Jan's unwavering commitment to her craft, along with her ability to create beautiful musical experiences, make her an invaluable asset to the music community in Newport. When not at the piano, Jan can be found in nature, with her dogs.
Anik Rounds
Quorus section leader
Anik (they/them) has been a musician their whole life, starting with the violin at age 4. They have played lessons in many instruments, including viola, piano, bass, and trombone, but love singing the most. In high school, Anik was part of many musical groups, and took private lessons. Now, they are the Tenor/Bass Section Leader for Quorus and a board member of Musica Dolce, another non-profit in southern RI. Professionally, Anik is a software developer and program manager, and in their free time, Anik enjoys cooking and knitting.
Melanie Saunders
Quorus section leader
Melanie (she/they) has loved music for as long as she can remember. She grew up singing and playing the violin and toured Europe twice with her orchestra before the age of 18. She rediscovered her love for choral music in adulthood through Aquidneck Singers and found herself wanting a place for the LGBTQIA+ community to rediscover their voices through song. She has been in Quorus, Newport's first Queer chorus, since its inception in 2023.
Melanie is Community Programs Manager at the MLK Community Center and a long-time resident of Newport. She is a Pan/Bi parent of two amazing children and will forever be an advocate for her community.