Wimberley Community Chorus
©Wimberley Community Chorus. Webmaster: Pat Rawlings
Director-Shannon Carter
Shannon K. Carter has taught secondary choral music for twenty-eight years and was recently named the Choir Director at Boerne High School and Boerne Middle School North. In addition to his school duties, Mr. Carter is the Music Director at Chapel in the Hills in Wimberley, Texas, where conducts the Chapel Choir and the Chapel Bells.
Mr. Carter earned his Bachelor of Music from Southwest Texas State University, where he studied voice with MaryBeth Smith, and his Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Texas State University. As a graduate student, he served as conductor and teacher of record for the 2024-25 TXST Tenor-Bass Choir, was a Graduate Teaching Assistant to Dr. Joey Martin, and studied conducting with Dr. Craig Hella Johnson. He is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, the Texas Choral Directors Association, the American Choral Directors Association, the Texas Music Adjudicators Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of
America, and Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society.
Before moving to Boerne, Mr. Carter taught in Austin ISD, Dallas ISD, Houston ISD, Katy ISD, Klein ISD, and Harlingen CISD. His commitment and expertise were recognized when he was selected as the 2011 Seven Lakes High School Teacher of the Year and received the 2001 Klein Forest High School Outstanding Teacher Award.
Choral ensembles under Mr. Carter's leadership have received both state and national acclaim. His groups have performed for former President of the United States George H. W. Bush and Mrs. Bush, were named the winner of the prestigious American Classic San Antonio Madrigal and Chamber Choir Festival in 2016 and 2020, were a National Winner of the Foundation for Music Education, Mark of Excellence National Choral Honors in 2017 and 2019, and were invited to perform at the 2009 Texas Music Educators Association Convention, the 2018 American Choral Directors Association Southwestern Division Conference, and the 2021 American Choral Directors Association National Conference.
Mr. Carter has performed with the Conspirare Symphonic Choir, the Houston Symphony Chorus, the Wimberley Community Chorus, and the South Texas Chorale. He has conducted at Wesley's Chapel, London; Eglise Saint-Séverin, Paris; Pfarrkirche St. Oswald, Seefeld, Austria; Franziskanerkirche, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany; and Basilica San Marco, Venice, Italy. He enjoys collecting art during his travels, documenting grave sites, and supporting his nephew, Marcus, at his high school football games, track meets, and tennis matches.
Accompanist-Karla Cruz
Karla Cruz has been directing middle and high school choirs in Texas for over thirty years, and is currently the choir director at Wimberley United Methodist Church. She is also on the faculty of St. Edwards University, where she teaches piano, musicianship and University Singers. Karla got her music education degree from Southwest Texas State University (now TXST) with an emphasis on piano, which she studied with Dr. Tim Woolsey. She now lives in San Marcos with her husband, guitarist Mark Anthony Cruz. Karla is thrilled to be with the chorus for the 6th season!
