Meet The ProMusica Arizona Management Team
Patti Graetz
Artistic Director/Principal Conductor
With a music career spanning more than 30 years, Patti Graetz has been with ProMusica Arizona since 2015, first as Assistant Conductor and Conductor of the Women in Song, and then as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor. She is not only a skilled conductor, but also an award-winning soprano, having sung leading roles with major opera companies including Houston Grand Opera and Arizona Opera. Patti attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, where she was a soloist in the world-renowned Concordia Choir under the direction of Paul J. Christiansen.
Moving to the Valley in 1989, she was head of vocal departments at the Arizona School for the Arts from 1998-2000 and the Arizona Conservatory for Arts and Academics in 2003. She was Director of Music at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Phoenix from 1995-2004. Before that, she was Director of Music at Scottsdale Presbyterian Church.
Patti lived in Australia from 2004 to 2012, where she was a featured soloist with Australian Music Events, sang recitals and concerts, was vocal teacher for the Opera Scholars Australia young-artist program, and was the Conductor of the Murray Conservatorium Choir and the Murray Conservatorium Youth Choir.
Before moving to Australia, Patti was principal soprano for professional ensembles “Opera-tunity” and the Royal Renaissance Singers starting in 1990, and sang in hundreds of performances during her 12-year tenure with them. Upon her return to the US, she began singing again with the Royal Renaissance Singers during the holiday season. She is delighted that The Royal Renaissance Singers are now a part of ProMusica!
She is married to Australian husband, Trevor, and has three children and five grandchildren. She teaches private voice and piano at home and sings with the Sonoran Desert Chorale. You might spot Patti getting some “wind-therapy” on her Can-Am Spyder three-wheeled motorcycle. This past summer she rode over 11,000 miles on two cross-country trips.
Zack Wells
Executive Director
Zack Wells is a passionate advocate for Arizona’s vibrant music and arts community. With a wealth of experience in project management, strategic planning, and team leadership, he is wholeheartedly devoted to enriching lives through the profound impact of art and music in the greater Phoenix area.
Zack’s area of expertise lies in financial management, budgeting, and forecasting, particularly within the realm of non-profit organizations. By skillfully optimizing budgets, managing donor databases, and creating meaningful giving programs, he ensures the growth and long-term viability of artistic endeavors.
Since 2019, Zack has actively contributed his musical and leadership talents to the ProMusica Arizona Chorale and Orchestra, serving as a chorale member, tenor section leader, and member of the Board of Directors.
Zack Wells stands at the intersection of non-profit leadership, an unwavering dedication to the arts, and proficiency in project management. His visionary outlook and unwavering commitment to nurturing the growth and appreciation of art and music in Arizona make him a genuine advocate for the transformative power of creative expression.
Allen Ames
Concertmaster
Allen Ames grew up in Phoenix, began playing the violin at age nine, and has studied with Max Mandel, Theodora McMillan and James Buswell. He studied composition with Janne Irvine and James DeMars, and has been featured in the N.E.A’s Composers in Concert series. He is a member of ASCAP.
He was apprenticed to the late Carl E. Reiter in 1980 as a violin maker and is listed in Wenburg’s Violinmakers of the United States. In 1995 he developed the Violira, a six-string, five octave instrument spanning the ranges of the violin, viola and cello.
Allen has played with orchestras and chamber ensembles including the Arizona Opera and Ballet Orchestras, Nouveau West Chamber Orchestra, the Phoenix, Amabile and Philharmonic String Quartets, the TOS Performing Arts Ensemble, and many others. He has also played baroque violin with the Solis Camerata, Camerata Sonora, and the Phoenix Bach Choir.
Allen has been playing jazz since his high school days, and has performed with such iconic Phoenix artists as Charles Lewis, Nadine Jansen, Keith Greko, Danny Long, Nuance, Beth Lederman, and many others. In recent years he has been playing Gypsy Jazz with Zazu West.
Since 1985 Allen has explored a wider field of musical improvisation, playing and recording with Mosaico Flamenco, harpist Ani Williams, Klezmer legend Schlomo Carlbach, Navajo musicians Sharon Burch, R. Carlos Nakai and Mary Redhouse, and other adventurous artists. He has toured nationally with Three Redneck Tenors. He currently plays with Lyra, the William Eaton Ensemble, Meadowlark, and Zazu.
In 1987, Allen and classical guitarist Maryanne Kremer formed Lyra. Originally a classical duo, they have branched into a variety of musical styles, including many original compositions. They recently completed their thirty-fifth summer season at the Briar Patch Inn in Sedona. Allen and Maryanne were married in 1989.
Allen has taught many music appreciation courses, and given pre-concert lectures for the Phoenix Symphony and the Sedona Chamber Music Festival. As a published poet, he has also given many performances combining music and poetry.
Jeffrey Yoder
Collaborative Pianist
Jeffrey Yoder received his Bachelor of Science degree from Grand Canyon College and his Master of Music degree from Arizona State University. After 27 years, he retired from the Glendale Union High School District where he taught piano, guitar, and choirs. He has also worked at the collegiate level as choir director and student teacher supervisor.
Mr. Yoder is an active accompanist and clinician in the Phoenix area. He has traveled as co-director of the Arizona Ambassadors of Music to Europe, and in 2004, he received the Achievement Above All Award from Greenway High School and the O.M. Hartsell Award from the Arizona Music Teachers Association. In 2016, he had the honor of receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the AMEA. He has served as the SW Regional Choir Chair and the Choral Directors’ Association’s Vice-President for High School Activities.
While Mr. Yoder served as director of Greenway High School’s vocal ensemble, their performances included Suns, Roadrunners, Diamondbacks and Coyotes games; Glendale Glitters; Peoria Old Town Festival; Disneyland; AZ State Capitol Building; Symphony of the West Valley Concerts; AMEA State Convention; and the Fox 10 studios for a Christmas morning airing. His vocal ensembles have received superior ratings at festivals and personal invitations from foreign governments to sing abroad.