AMIS Choir

Lauren Borondenko is currently serving as the Director of Performing Arts at the Shanghai American School, Pudong. Her teaching background includes instrumental music at all levels, IBDP Music as well as MYP and IBDP Theatre. She has taught in the USA, Nigeria, South Africa, China. A native of Vermont, Lauren holds Bachelors and Master’s degrees in music education. She has worked with the IBO in curriculum development (DP music) since 2014, is passionate about learning new instruments, being immersed in local contexts, and innovative, student-centered arts education.

Dr. Brandon W. Miller has been teaching music for more than twenty years to students aged 3-80+. He is
currently teaching middle and high school music at Shanghai American School-Pudong Campus and has been working at various international schools for the past twelve years. He earned a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Minnesota in Vocal Performance, with a secondary emphasis in Choral Conducting. Coming from a rich vocal background, Dr. Miller is passionate about building beautiful and healthy tone in singers. He strongly believes in building agency in young people so that they have the tools and knowledge to pursue their own individual musical goals within an ensemble setting.

Nyssa Brown is a vocal music specialist with 25 years of experience teaching PreK through graduate school. She has conducted school, festival, and honor choirs in India, the Netherlands, and across the United States. With a passion for global music, Nyssa focuses on music learning in context and values collaboration with global musicians in general and choral music settings. She is the AMIS Consultant in Curriculum and Instruction and an international arts education consultant with Music Ed Forward, working with educators worldwide to build student-centered, concept-driven, inquiry-based music curriculum. With 25 years of experience teaching both students and adults, Nyssa empowers learners of all ages to build on their knowledge and envision new possibilities. In the development of the National Core Arts Standards, she served as a Grade 3-5 sub-committee member. She was Music Education Coordinator for Minnesota’s Perpich Center for Arts Education, coaching teachers in over 100 districts. A 2004 finalist for Minnesota Teacher of the Year, she also received the prestigious Milken Educator Award. Passionate about teaching in a global context, Nyssa taught at American School of The Hague, International School of Amsterdam, and The American Embassy School in New Delhi, India. She also taught in Namibia and South Africa through a fellowship with Eastman School of Music's Umculo: The Kimberley Project. Nyssa holds degrees from the Hartt School of Music and Hartford College for Women and completed her master's at the University of St. Thomas.

Tom Ford is an accomplished and dedicated choral music educator with over 30 years of experience in
conducting choirs of all ages. After growing up in Taiwan, Tom returned to the U.S. to pursue his passion for music education, where he obtained both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, specializing in choral music. Throughout his career, Tom has taught K-12 general music and conducted numerous school, community and church choirs in the United States, Taiwan, Chengdu, South Korea, and Shanghai. Tom's commitment to excellence in choral singing is evident in his current role as the high school choral director at Concordia International School Shanghai. In this capacity, he leads multiple choirs, including the Concordia Singers, Bel Canto Choir, Collegium Choir, Chamber Singers, the Chromatics Acapella Choir, teaches a Vocal Foundations class and also directs a community choir. Tom’s passion for music extends beyond the classroom. He is soloist and performs frequently, has served as the vocal director for numerous musicals, is a voice coach for countless students, has adjudicated at many vocal and choir competitions, and has been guest conductor at several choral festivals. He has shared his expertise on the male voice change at various music conferences and was the Choral Chair for the Korea International Music Educator’s Association while in Korea. On a personal level, Tom enjoys traveling, going on walks, discovering good dumpling shops, and spending quality time relaxing with his family and friends. His enthusiasm for choral singing and his dedication to mentoring students in reaching their full potential make him a respected figure in the music education community.

Quyen Nguyen is a dedicated pianist and educator with extensive performance and teaching experience.
Since the age of six, she studied piano at the Music Conservatory of Ho Chi Minh City, graduating fifteen years later as the top student of her class. She then continued at said conservatory as a faculty member in the piano department for a ten-year tenure before moving overseas. Since 2017, Quyen has continued her
musical journey by collaborating in several international school performances, including the MESAC Senior
Fine Arts Festival at the American Embassy School in New Delhi, as well as in other various concerts and
performances at the Dubai American Academy. Since relocating to Shanghai in August 2024, Quyen has been actively involved as an accompanying pianist for the elementary, middle, and high school choirs at the Shanghai American School in Pudong. She is deeply honored and filled with excitement to be a part of the hosting AMIS team this year, embracing the opportunity to share her passion for music with young talents and fellow musicians. A proud mother of a Grade 7 daughter at SAS, she enjoys exploring Shanghai by bike and on foot, often accompanied by her dog, as well as practicing yoga and meditation.

A much sought-after collaborative pianist, piano and music theory educator, Yifan Shi holds degrees in piano performance and composition from the Glenn Gould Professional School of the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto, and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. With 30 years of teaching experience, Yifan has helped many students excel in music exams, professional music school auditions, as well as winning top prizes in music festivals and competitions. As an active chamber musician, Yifan has appeared in many concerts as the piano accompanist and the pianist of chamber groups. Currently, Yifan serves as the piano accompanist at Concordia International School Shanghai, where she also maintains a full studio of private piano students.