Julie Bailey (née Pugaczewski)
Festival & Holiday
Soprano – Julie discovered her love for singing and entertaining while attending Hill-Murray School, where she sang in multiple specialty ensembles, earned thirteen awards at state contests, and played roles including “Jenny Lind” in Barnum and “Laurey Williams” in Oklahoma! She continued performing at the College of St. Catherine and the University of Minnesota, in numerous community theater productions, and in occasional guest performances such as “Dido” in a choral adaptation of Dido and Aeneas. In 1997 Julie discovered a love of improvisational, intimate performing at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival where, in addition to singing with DeCantus, she plays a street character. Julie is a founding member of DeCantus.
Brian Bartsch
Holiday
Bass – If you imagine really hard, you can pretend there’s a bio in this spot.
Corey de Danann
Holiday
Soprano – Error: Bio could not be found.
Matt Ferguson
Festival
Bass – There will be a bio here someday.
Justin Harl
Festival & Holiday
Tenor – Justin’s musical journey began at 12 years old when he started to get really bored with traditional piano lessons and realized it was much more fun manipulating the sounds coming from the piano by ear. He accidentally started playing and singing Barry Manilow one day for his mom, (because it was her favorite singer) added Billy Joel, Elton John and eventually everything he liked on radio. A few years later, he learned the guitar and mandolin while playing and singing with extended family groups at reunions. A bunch of church and school choirs, special groups, barbershop quartets and one very mediocre performance of “Nicely-Nicely Johnson” in Guys and Dolls later, he joined DeCantus in 2010. He contributed to both festival and holiday seasons for a couple of years then took a 10 year vacation until the opportunity arose to re-join and gladly jumped at the chance. Justin lives in New Prague, MN, where he serenades his wife Sara and their dog Harley with his newest obsession… singing & playing classic rock on the Ukulele.Laurel Hove Tausend
Festival & Holiday
Alto – Laurel came to the big city from the farming community of Spring Valley, MN to study voice at the University of Minnesota. While there, she learned what it was to perform real music and sang with the Chamber Singers under the direction of Dr. Thomas Lancaster. She was a member of Exultate Chamber Chorus for several years and served as their Music Librarian. She is proud to say she is on many of their recordings including Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Grand Mass in C, Psalms and Songs, and They Shall have Rest. She joined DeCantus in 2003 and has loved every minute including making three of our CD’s. (Which you should all own by the way!) Her voice is by far her best instrument but she also plays the piano and flute. When she’s not trying to finish her Renaissance Festival costume, she spends time with her husband and two children and works as a retail manager.
Kellie Hultgren
Holiday
Alto – Bio coming. At least we assume so.
Shannon Lien
Festival & Holiday
Alto –Shannon has been a member of DeCantus since 2020. She graduated from Augsburg College in 2011 with a BA in Theatre Performance and a minor in Business Administration. She performed in many productions while studying there and was also in the Augsburg Choir for 3 years. Since graduating, she has kept music close to her heart and has participated in any way she can; singing with her church’s choir as well as performing solos. She was so grateful to become a part of DeCantus (singing for both Fest and Holiday) and enjoys that she gets to make music every week with her friends!
Jennifer Lindquist
Festival & Holiday
Mezzo – Bio unlikely but we’ll see.
Shana Marchand
Holiday
Mezzo – Shana has been a member of DeCantus since 2004. She attended Carleton College, where she majored in music with a focus on vocal performance. She also performed in the Carleton Singers for 3 years and studied voice with Margaret Brand and Ben Allen. After graduating from Carleton, she joined the Minnesota Chorale in 2004.
Adam Priebe Cole
Festival & Holiday
Tenor – Adam has been singing and making music for as long as he can remember. He sang in choir all through high school and was a member of the Minnesota All-State Choir twice. He sang with the Chamber Singers at Tufts University in Boston before moving back to Minnesota to go to law school. Some of his singing highlights have been Bach’s B-Minor Mass in college and Les Miserables in high school. Adam joined DeCantus in 2011 and also sings with Exultate.
Signe Reistad
Holiday
Voice – Bio is a possibility.
Brad Scarp
Holiday
Tenor – Bio coming eventually. Probably.
Liz Schlesky
Holiday
Alto – Liz started her professional musical career by joining DeCantus in 2010. Prior to that, she had been an enthusiastic amateur, dabbling in music wherever she saw an opportunity. This included a few years playing the trombone and singing in choir in grade school, singing in the chorus of theatrical performances in junior high, joining the marching band in high school, and many years of singing in the congregation at church. She even made it to the finals in a singing contest for all the passengers on a recent cruise! She also has been a member of the street cast of the Minnesota Renaissance Festival since 2003. In addition to street entertainment, she spent six years with Mayor’s Entourage, acting as co-Director and leading the group in daily singing lessons, and two years with the Royal Navy Experience stage show.
Casey Skaarup
Festival
Alto – Casey has been a musician and performer for most of her life. She was always involved in school musicals in some facet, be it pit orchestra or a chorus member. In her adult life, her main focus has been playing French horn in Brio Brass. She has been performing at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival as a member of the Royal Trumpets since 2011 and joined DeCantus in the 2016 season.
Dan Skaarup
Festival
Bass – Born to and raised by a very musical family in Germany, Dan has been singing since the age of four. After moving to Minnesota in 2000, he has sung in high school in which he served as section leader for three years and received an honorable achievement award, two church choirs, the MMEA Men’s All-State choir and Augsburg College Cedar Singers. He also performed with the Augsburg College Choir in which he served as both section leader and ensemble manager as well as in Schola Goliardi under the direction of Jordan Sramek, founder of the world-renowned Rose Ensemble. He graduated in May of 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music. Dan has sung all across the United States, Canada, Germany, Austria, China, and Hong Kong, and has performed on stage in Our Town, Anything Goes, and The Fantasticks. He has been with DeCantus since 2010.
Adam Treece
Holiday
Tenor – Bio coming someday.