Melanie Ohnstad
Minister of Music & the Arts/Organist
Email Melanie

Melanie has served Westminster as organist since November 1995. In addition to her position as organist, she also serves as Minister of Music and the Arts. Melanie received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Minnesota in June 1999. She earned the Master of Music in Organ Performance from Arizona State University and the Bachelor of Music from St. Olaf College. Prior to coming to Westminster, Melanie was the Assistant Organist at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, Minneapolis. While there she made three compact discs with the Cathedral Choir. Melanie has also served Trinity Cathedral, Phoenix as Organist-Choirmaster and St. Stephen Lutheran, Wausau, as Director of Music and Youth. Her current area of interest is integrating theology and the arts.  Her assistant is Barbara Prince.

Jere Lantz
Director of Westminster Choir
Email Jere

Jere Lantz is the Director of the Westminster Choir. He holds masters and doctorate degrees from Yale in conducting. For twenty years he has been the Music Director of the Rochester Orchestra and Chorale. In addition, he directs the Minnetonka Choral Society and serenades Lake Harriet audiences on weekend evenings each summer directing the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra. He has conducted most of Minnesota’s major choruses, including the Minnesota Chorale, Bach Society, Minnesota Center Chorale, Oratorio Society, Winona Symphonic Choir and Soul Liberation Choir. In 1996, he served four months as Interim Director of Music at St. Mark’s Cathedral. Jere has been active in the community serving as an advisory panelist for the Minnesota State Arts Board, as a board member of the American Composers Forum and on the Citizens’ Advisory Committee of Minnesota Public Radio. His assistant is Barbara Prince.

Nancy Carter
Director of Westminster Handbell Choirs
Email Nancy

Nancy is responsible for forming and maintaining a Handbell program that enables members of all ages to experience music through handbells and choirchimes. Prior to her work here, she served as director of other handbell programs and children’s music programs, as well as participating in choirs and small ensembles. Nancy has a bachelor’s degree from the College of Saint Catherine.

Brad Ollmann
Director of Early and Middle Childhood Music
Email Brad

Brad began directing choirs at Westminster in 2006. He currently directs Choristers (Grades 4-6), Seraphim (Grades 1-3), and Cherubs (3 year olds – Kindergarteners). During the day, he teaches general and vocal music at St. Anthony Park Elementary (St. Paul Public Schools). Brad spends his summers in Mexico and Guatemala studying Spanish and collecting folk songs, lullabies, singing games, and instrumental folk music. His two areas of expertise are in-tune singing in children and Mexican and Guatemalan music. He is a frequent presenter at the state, local, and national levels, and, in 2001, was recognized as one of fifty distinguished music educators by Yale University. Here at Westminster, Brad’s commitment is to provide an extraordinary choral music experience where children grow in faith as well as musicianship. Wednesday evening rehearsals are a time of joyful music making where children learn quality repertoire they proudly share in worship services. Brad has a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Music Education from the University of St. Thomas.

Shekela Wanyama
Director of Youth Music
Email Kela
 

Barbara Prince
Program Assistant for Music and the Arts
Director of the Global Choir and the Chamber Ensemble
Email Barbara

In addition to the above roles, Barbara is a section leader in the Westminster Choir, and a professional singer and teacher of singing. She has a Bachelor of Music Education from East Carolina University and a Masters of Music Education from the University of North Texas.