Meet our Leadership Team
Kyle Ritter, Conductor
Kyle Ritter is Canon for Music at The Cathedral of All Souls in Asheville, North Carolina. At All Souls, he oversees a comprehensive choral program involving children and adults. The Cathedral Choir has toured regionally to both St. Philip’s Cathedral in Atlanta and St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Charlotte, and the St. Cecilia Youth Choir has toured to Atlanta, where they sang at Holy Innocents’ Church, and Charlotte at Christ Episcopal Church. Prior to his appointment at All Souls, Mr. Ritter was Minister of Music at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Arlington, Virginia, a position he held from 1993-2002.
He earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in organ and church music from Indiana University, where he was a student of Robert Rayfield and Marilyn Keiser. Kyle grew up in Evansville, Indiana, where he began piano lessons at age five with Jan Thornton-Irvine. He started organ lessons with Julian Irvine at ten years of age.
He has held various positions of leadership in the American Guild of Organists, including dean of both the Bloomington, Indiana and Western North Carolina Chapters and registrar for the District of Columbia chapter. For four years, he served the Guild as District Convener for the state of North Carolina. Mr. Ritter is Vice-President of the Association of Anglican Musicians, and has served also as a past regional officer, Placement Advisor, and on the editorial board for the AAM Journal. He was Adjunct Instructor in Liturgics at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, and taught in the Episcopal Dioceses of Washington and Virginia for the Leadership Program for Musicians (LPM). Mr. Ritter was for several years on the adjunct music faculty at Brevard College and as chair of the Liturgy and Music Commission of the Diocese of Western North Carolina. For five years, he served as Assistant Director/Accompanist for the Asheville Symphony Chorus. He is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda honorary music society.
Kyle Ritter is Canon for Music at The Cathedral of All Souls in Asheville, North Carolina. At All Souls, he oversees a comprehensive choral program involving children and adults. The Cathedral Choir has toured regionally to both St. Philip’s Cathedral in Atlanta and St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Charlotte, and the St. Cecilia Youth Choir has toured to Atlanta, where they sang at Holy Innocents’ Church, and Charlotte at Christ Episcopal Church. Prior to his appointment at All Souls, Mr. Ritter was Minister of Music at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Arlington, Virginia, a position he held from 1993-2002.
He earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in organ and church music from Indiana University, where he was a student of Robert Rayfield and Marilyn Keiser. Kyle grew up in Evansville, Indiana, where he began piano lessons at age five with Jan Thornton-Irvine. He started organ lessons with Julian Irvine at ten years of age.
He has held various positions of leadership in the American Guild of Organists, including dean of both the Bloomington, Indiana and Western North Carolina Chapters and registrar for the District of Columbia chapter. For four years, he served the Guild as District Convener for the state of North Carolina. Mr. Ritter is Vice-President of the Association of Anglican Musicians, and has served also as a past regional officer, Placement Advisor, and on the editorial board for the AAM Journal. He was Adjunct Instructor in Liturgics at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, and taught in the Episcopal Dioceses of Washington and Virginia for the Leadership Program for Musicians (LPM). Mr. Ritter was for several years on the adjunct music faculty at Brevard College and as chair of the Liturgy and Music Commission of the Diocese of Western North Carolina. For five years, he served as Assistant Director/Accompanist for the Asheville Symphony Chorus. He is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda honorary music society.
Tate Addis, Assistant Conductor and Accompanist
A native of Kansas, organist Tate Addis has been praised for his ‘deeply communicative musicality’ leading the Kansas City Star to write ‘this young organist has the right stuff.’ His recent recital appearances have taken him to Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, and the Bloomfield Organ Recital Series at Wichita State University. Additionally, his performances have been broadcast on American Public Media’s nationally syndicated program Pipedreams.
Active as a church musician from an early age, Tate has held positions at New York City’s Brick Presbyterian Church, at Second Presbyterian Church in Kansas City, Missouri, and at the Yale Berkeley Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut. Currently, he serves as organist at First Baptist Church in Asheville, North Carolina where he collaborates with the Minister of Music in a comprehensive music program, presents a series of monthly organ recitals, and teaches organ and piano in the church’s Academy for the Arts. He also serves as Assistant Director and Accompanist for the Asheville Symphony Chorus.
Tate Addis received the Bachelor of Music degree from Wichita State University, the Master of Music degree from Yale University, and the Artist Diploma from Oberlin College. His principal teachers were James David Christie, Lynne Davis, and Thomas Murray. Additional studies were with Marie-Louise Langlais and Roman Summereder. Tate, his wife Laura, and their pet pig Virgil make their home in the mountains of western North Carolina.
A native of Kansas, organist Tate Addis has been praised for his ‘deeply communicative musicality’ leading the Kansas City Star to write ‘this young organist has the right stuff.’ His recent recital appearances have taken him to Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, and the Bloomfield Organ Recital Series at Wichita State University. Additionally, his performances have been broadcast on American Public Media’s nationally syndicated program Pipedreams.
Active as a church musician from an early age, Tate has held positions at New York City’s Brick Presbyterian Church, at Second Presbyterian Church in Kansas City, Missouri, and at the Yale Berkeley Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut. Currently, he serves as organist at First Baptist Church in Asheville, North Carolina where he collaborates with the Minister of Music in a comprehensive music program, presents a series of monthly organ recitals, and teaches organ and piano in the church’s Academy for the Arts. He also serves as Assistant Director and Accompanist for the Asheville Symphony Chorus.
Tate Addis received the Bachelor of Music degree from Wichita State University, the Master of Music degree from Yale University, and the Artist Diploma from Oberlin College. His principal teachers were James David Christie, Lynne Davis, and Thomas Murray. Additional studies were with Marie-Louise Langlais and Roman Summereder. Tate, his wife Laura, and their pet pig Virgil make their home in the mountains of western North Carolina.
Dewitt Tipton, Director Emeritus 1991-2012:
The Asheville Symphony Chorus owes Dewitt Tipton a debt of gratitude for his vision in creating our Chorus in 1991 and his continued dedication to the quality of our performances and the well-being of our members until his retirement in May of 2012.
His credentials include a Bachelor of Music degree from Mars Hill College and a Master of Music degree in performance and literature from the University of Illinois, Champagne Urbana.
Dewitt is Organist and Director of Music at St. John in the wilderness, Flat Rock, Nc and a retired Professor of Music at Furman University in Greenville, SC. He continues to serve as official accompanist for many national rehearsals and auditions.
The Asheville Symphony Chorus owes Dewitt Tipton a debt of gratitude for his vision in creating our Chorus in 1991 and his continued dedication to the quality of our performances and the well-being of our members until his retirement in May of 2012.
His credentials include a Bachelor of Music degree from Mars Hill College and a Master of Music degree in performance and literature from the University of Illinois, Champagne Urbana.
Dewitt is Organist and Director of Music at St. John in the wilderness, Flat Rock, Nc and a retired Professor of Music at Furman University in Greenville, SC. He continues to serve as official accompanist for many national rehearsals and auditions.
Past Directors
Dr. Michael Lancaster 2012-2022
Dr. Michael Lancaster 2012-2022
Officers Committee Chairs Ex Officio
President Attendance Interim Director
Sandra Tompkins Patti Handlon Kyle Ritter
Vice-President Membership Assistant Director/ Accompanist
Laura Austin Tate Addis
Secretary Music Executive Director Asheville Symphony Orchestra
Melisse Latini Daniel Crupi
Treasurer Program
Scott Coates Linda Melnick
Past President Publicity
Ron Hershberger Paula Hennon
Social
Diana Crawford
President Attendance Interim Director
Sandra Tompkins Patti Handlon Kyle Ritter
Vice-President Membership Assistant Director/ Accompanist
Laura Austin Tate Addis
Secretary Music Executive Director Asheville Symphony Orchestra
Melisse Latini Daniel Crupi
Treasurer Program
Scott Coates Linda Melnick
Past President Publicity
Ron Hershberger Paula Hennon
Social
Diana Crawford
(c) 2023 Asheville Symphony Chorus PRIVACY POLICY
