Les Pfutzenreuter, Director

The Healdsburg Chorus welcomes our new director, Les Pfutzenreuter, who served as Music Director and Conductor of the Ukiah Symphony for 29 years. In May 2017, he retired from his full-time position as Professor of Music at Mendocino College for 32 years. He conducted and taught the Masterworks Chorale, Symphony Orchestra and the Symphonic Band. Pfutzenreuter also taught Music History, Music Appreciation and coordinated the performance course sections. He returned to part-time teaching in 2018. He has served as the Music Director of the Philharmonia Healdsburg and for the past three years with the North Bay Stage Company. Pfutzenreuter has appeared with the Mendocino Music Festival Chamber Orchestra, Raven Players in Healdsburg, Holy Names Orchestra in Oakland, Opera Fresca, Symphony of the Redwoods Pops and Children’s Concerts, Ukiah Civic Light Opera, Ukiah Players, Chico City Opera, and Santa Rosa Players.

Pfutzenreuter holds a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Northern Colorado where he studied with Dr. Howard Skinner, Music Director of the Greeley Philharmonic and Dean of the College of Performing Arts, and Eugene Corporon, now Director of Wind Activities at the University of Northern Texas. However, his musical training and philosophy is owed to his mentor, Professor John Colson, former Director of Orchestra and Brass Activities at South Dakota State University. There, Pfutzenreuter received his undergraduate education and was Musical Director for Prairie Repertory Theatre for six years. ​

In addition to conducting, Pfutzenreuter is a French horn player and vocalist, having performed in orchestras and on stage.

Chris Alexander, Accompanist

Join us in welcoming Chris Alexander, a piano accompanist, coach and musical director since 1990. During that time he has accompanied choruses and soloists, in addition to accompanying rehearsals of theatrical musical productions, playing in pit orchestras, and directing the music for shows in the South Bay and North Bay.

Since he moved to Santa Rosa in 1999, Chris has played for Spreckles Performing Arts Center, 6th Street Playhouse, Cinnabar Opera Theater of Petaluma, and Sonoma Bach. Before that he played for the San jose State Chorale, including a tour to Russia in 2000; TheatreWorks of Palo Alto, including world and west coast musical premiers; Lyric Theatre of San Jose; the Redwood Symphony; and accompanied the Stanford Savoyards for 11 seasons.