Tonight's Artists

Known for passionate performances with impeccable acuity for color, textural balance and keen attention to detail, Dr. Kristie Janczyk is one of today’s prolific
American pianists. Playing since the age of three, Kristie is sought after around the world as a soloist, chamber musician and collaborative pianist. She is consistently praised for her inspiration and flair by communicating the energy and musical impulses
in the pieces, as well as for presenting programs full of confidence and passion that underscore her love for the piano. 

Dr. Janczyk currently resides in Phoenix, AZ and is Principal Pianist with Prescott Pops, 2nd pianist with Phoenix Symphony, collaborative vocal coach and pianist for voice students at ASU, Adjunct Music Professor at Ottawa University (Surprise campus) and
Staff Collaborative Pianist at Phoenix College. Kristie was a former piano faculty at Napa Valley College and Artist In Residence Pianist with Lincoln Theater in Yountville, CA, along with Principal Pianist of Festival Orchestra NAPA and Symphony Napa Valley, and Russian National Orchestra.

Kristie received her Doctorate in Music with a specialization in Collaborative Piano from Arizona State University. She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University with a Master’s and Bachelor of Music Degree in piano performance both under the
direction of Alfred Mouledous.

Originally from Memphis, Dr. Nina Cole Garguilo serves as the Director of Choirs and Coordinator of Vocal Studies at Glendale Community College. She has been performing, teaching, lecturing, and leading vocal & choral workshops in the Phoenix area since 2011. In 2012, she began work as a professional chorister with the Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Chorale. Winning ‘Best Choral Performance’ on the album Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil, Nina also shared in the 2016 Grammy Award. Her passion for the vocal arts grew from her earliest experiences in all-state and national honor choir, to her involvement in collegiate groups including UM’s Chamber Choir, Mississippi Early Music Ensemble, Opera Chorus, and Jazz Ensemble. 

In addition to her Choral experience, she frequently performs solo works. Most recently, Nina was the soprano soloist in the complete performance of Handel's Messiah with Arizona Musicfest of 2025. She performed Verdi's "Caro nome" in the 2021 NY-based MasterClass series. She is the recipient of second place prize in the Phoenix Opera's Southwest Vocal Competition for her performance of "Durch Zärtlichkeit und Schmeicheln" from Mozart's opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail and "Eccomi in lieta vesta" from Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi. In 2018, Nina performed as Sarah in Harrower Opera's Ballad of Baby Doe, and has performed roles including Despina (Così fan tutte) Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), and Maria (West Side Story). In the summer of 2013, Nina sang the title role in Das Tagebuch der Anne Frank at the Mittelsächsisches Theater in Freiberg, Germany. In addition to opera and musical theatre performances, Nina has been an active chorister, and a featured soloist in numerous concerts. While obtaining her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Mississippi, Nina was a soloist for Ola Gjeilo’s “Tundra,” and sang the regional premieres of his “Liberation of Ellisbell” and “New York I & II”. She continues to perform in special choral projects including new works and collaborations. Nina is in her fifth season with Helios: a modern renaissance, where she seeks further exploration and artistic expression in early music. 

In 2017, Nina earned her Doctorate in Music from Arizona State University, where she held a teaching assistantship from 2013-2015. Her doctoral research brought her to New York and Brooklyn for a “Southern Comfort” recital series. Since then, she has been teaching voice and performing throughout the Valley. Nina loves helping singers of all ages and abilities, and aims to instill confidence in her students, whether they be learning new vocal techniques or collaborating with others. She finds joy in exploring style and traits of American music, especially dialect, and she seeks to promote contemporary American repertoire in her work as well as in her instruction.

Rachael Bastien (mezzo-soprano) has enjoyed a wide-ranging career across the U.S. and abroad, performing opera, musical theatre, and concert repertoire with equal passion. After a decade in New York City performing, coaching, directing and earning her graduate degree, she is thrilled to be back in her hometown of Phoenix, where she continues to balance an active performing career with her work as an educator and musical director. Rachael has served on the voice and music faculty at Phoenix College since 2019 and also maintains a vibrant private voice studio. Currently, Rachael takes part in Arizona Opera’s OperaTunity educational outreach program performing all over the Valley and is looking forward to beginning her Doctoral studies at ASU in the Fall.

Joshua Giles is an American lyric tenor from Sawyerville, Alabama. Known for his brilliant tone and musical versatility, he has graced various classical and non-classical stages alike. Recently, Giles earned a Master's Degree in Opera Performance from Arizona State University. He is also a 2025/26 Arlyn M. Brewster Education Teaching Artist at Arizona Opera. Recent roles include Manuel Garcia (Notes on Viardot), Bill (Flight), and the Duke (Rigoletto). Giles is also a celebrated performer of international appeal having sung and toured throughout Graz, Austria and the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Next, he will make his debut at The Phoenix Theatre Company in their production of Les Misérable. Today, he is so grateful to be singing with Phoenix College in Mozart’s Coronation Mass.

Jordan Murillo is a vocalist with an expansive vocal range from Tucson, Arizona with strong ties to operatic and choral performance. In 2022, Jordan took his talents to Phoenix, Arizona to promote in his career field of working with the blind community of Arizona through the non profit organization Saavi Services for the Blind. Finding opportunities to sing once becoming settled in Phoenix came in abundance, and Jordan is currently a vocalist for Phoenix Chorale, Quartz Ensemble, Helios: a modern renaissance as well as serving as a concert soloist across the Phoenix valley. Jordan studied voice at the University of Arizona under Dr. Kristen Dauphinais and sung as a concert soloist, operatic bass-baritone, and beatboxer/soloist for organizations across America. Jordan had his operatic debut with the Amarillo Opera House in their production of Michael Ching’s Speed Dating Tonight! Jordan has been able to teach lessons to many communities on growing stylistic approaches in contemporary singing, as well as vocal percussion (beatboxing). Eager to create impactful performances that enrich our communities, Jordan Murillo has been described as having a “...controlled and effortless singing style [that] gives the performance an acoustic feel that’s simply impressive.” (Alexander, 2018).

Dr. Kenny Miller joined Phoenix College as the Coordinator of Vocal Studies and Director of the Choirs at Phoenix College in 2008. With the choirs, he has prepared and conducted Mozart's Requiem and Vesperae solennes de confessore, Vaughan Williams' In Windsor Forest, Rutter's Requiem, Thompson's Frostiana, Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy, and many others, including the Arizona premier of Gene Koshinski's Concerto for Marimba and Choir with Percussion.

Dr. Miller is also the founder,  and former Executive Director/singer of the early music ensemble Helios: a modern renaissance. Their first album, à7, was released in 2021 and can be streamed and purchased on all of the major streaming services. He is a former singer and an assistant conductor of the Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Chorale, with whom he recorded the highly acclaimed album Northern Lights, released on the Chandos label in 2012 and the 2016 Grammy Award Winning Rachmaninoff All-Night Vigil. Additionally, he is the co-founder of ArtSong Rising, which aims to continue the tradition of art song throughout the west coast region of the US. In 2019, Kenny was featured as a singer and arranger on internationally acclaimed guitarist Nils Lofgren’s recording Blue with Lou.

Kenny’s performance studies have led him to work with Ian Partridge of London’s Royal Academy of Music and Stephen Banfield of Bristol University, England. His conducting and performance practice studies have included the involvement of such musicians as Siegbert Rampe and Stanley Ritchie and was the 2010 Dale Warland Conducting Fellow.

In addition to his music responsibilities at Phoenix College, Kenny is also the PC Honors Program Director as well as the MCCCD Honors Council Chair.