Who We Are

Community Voices Choir (CVC) celebrates the joys of singing together with members of New York City’s 55 years and older population. 

CVC is a non-audition creative aging ensemble committed to New York City’s often underserved older residents. Through singing together Community Voices Choir inspires and supports interpersonal connection and stimulates artistic, cognitive, and social-emotional growth. 

CVC was founded through the vision and generosity of philanthropist Ellen A. Michelson. A program produced by GRAMMY-winning countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo’s arts incubator SCENE, CVC has been led and shaped by Co-Directors Gina Hanzlik and Lisa Holsberg since its inception.

Community Voices Choir warmly welcomes older New Yorkers to the joys of singing and music-making, working creatively with others, and participating in the artistic life!

The Choir creates music and community guided by five fundamental convictions:

  • Background and experience should not be a barrier to making or enjoying music.

  • Singing is basic to our humanity and a powerful mode of expression across cultures.

  • All people can grow (artistically, cognitively, emotionally, socially) through music-making, no matter their age or previous training and exposure to music.

  • Singing together is beneficial for the physical and spiritual wellness of singers, listeners, and the greater world.

  • Principles of inquiry and reflection are key to authentic learning.

Our Team

Gina Hanzlik

Gina is a formally trained educator with more than a decade of experience teaching creativity, community building, and critical thinking. Dedicated to equity and access, her work is rooted in empowering individual voices so they can authentically contribute to the collective. Gina has worked with ages 4 to 99 and is at home in any field where people are centered. She is known for culturally responsive curriculum and learning through play!

Gina is the Manager, Teaching and Learning at the Metropolitan Opera and has worked with the Metropolitan Opera Guild, the Little Orchestra Society, and McGill University. She holds degrees in voice from both the University of Minnesota and McGill University as well a Masters in Education from the University of Michigan. 

Co-Founder & Co-Director

Lisa Holsberg

Lisa works at the creative intersections of the arts, humanities, and education. Her research interests in pedagogy, spirituality, history, and philosophy are put in practice through her engagement with learners of all ages (from early childhood to 55+ adults) at universities, schools, and festivals across NYC.

Lisa holds degrees in music from Teachers College, Columbia University and University of California, Irvine, as well as an MA in theology from Union Theological Seminary and a PhD from Fordham University. She has served on the music faculties of Long Island University, The Diller-Quaile School of Music, Alliance University, The Spence School, The Berkeley Carroll School, SongFest, Rocky Ridge Music Center, and more. She also teaches in the humanities at Fordham and Manhattan University. Her 9/11 music peace project, Race for the Sky, is found at www.raceforthesky.org.

Co-Founder & Co-Director

Hailed for his “discernible passion,” pianist Brian Wong is the Director of Music Ministry at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Brooklyn Heights, the pianist of Tapestry Choir, and a staff pianist at The Juilliard School.

His performances have taken place at Alice Tully Hall, the Metropolitan Opera Club, and Carnegie Hall. Brian has also collaborated with organizations including the Spoleto Festival USA, Oratorio Society of New York, Musica Sacra, Seven Hills Chamber Music Festival, City Lyric Opera, Sarasota Opera, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet.

Brian holds degrees from The Juilliard School, the Eastman School of Music, and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and has participated as a fellow at LA SongFest and the Aspen Music Festival.


Collaborative Pianist

Brian Wong

SCENE

Founded in 2021 by artist and producer Anthony Roth Costanzo, with lead investment from the Mellon Foundation, SCENE was created in response to a contracting and increasingly siloed performing arts sector. With aspects of an incubator, think tank, production company, consultancy, and civic partner, SCENE creates new work and new ways of working to transform and reinvigorate an ailing arts industry. SCENE’s work encompasses multiple artistic disciplines and has included collaborations with the Metropolitan Opera, National Black Theatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Bronx Arts Ensemble, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, and Opera Philadelphia, among others. SCENE is Anthony Roth Costanzo, Daniel Jin Applebaum, Courtney Beck, Gwyneth Muller, and Aisha Wiley. 

Community Voices Choir's 2026 season is generously sponsored by Ellen A. Michelson. 

Additional support for the Choir has been provided by an Anonymous Donor.