Who we are
Founded in 2022, Charm City Sings began with a humble group of 29 passionate singers, united by our love for music and a shared vision of building community through song. We are proud to have grown into a dynamic organization with three choirs and over 250 members: the Community Chorus is our large mixed-voice chorus, Treble Voices is our brand new soprano/alto chorus, and Chamber Voices is an auditioned small group with the mission to collaborate with ensembles across Maryland. Charm City Sings' mission remains the same: connecting Baltimore communities through song while creating equitable access to free, high-quality choral concerts.
We're thankful for partnerships across Baltimore giving our choirs a rehearsal home: Breath of God Lutheran Church in Highlandtown, Christ Lutheran in Federal Hill, and Church on the Square in Canton. Our performing home is Ministry of Brewing in Upper Fells, but you can find us throughout the year at Patterson Park, the Maryland State Boychoir Center for the Arts, and the Winslow Parker Metal Building. Contact us at [email protected].
We're thankful for partnerships across Baltimore giving our choirs a rehearsal home: Breath of God Lutheran Church in Highlandtown, Christ Lutheran in Federal Hill, and Church on the Square in Canton. Our performing home is Ministry of Brewing in Upper Fells, but you can find us throughout the year at Patterson Park, the Maryland State Boychoir Center for the Arts, and the Winslow Parker Metal Building. Contact us at [email protected].
Heidi Ackerman, founder & Artistic Director
Baltimore-based musician, Heidi Ackerman, is a sought-after conductor, clinician, and vocalist. With extensive experience conducting professional ensembles, she has retrained her focus on community choruses; diversifying ensembles through dynamic programming and invigorating membership by harnessing the joy of singing together.
Musical Director of the Frederick Chorale, an ensemble renowned for its high-caliber performances and strong community involvement, Ms. Ackerman embodies their mission to enrich the cultural life of Frederick through beautiful and diverse choral works. Heidi is also the founder and director of Charm City Sings, a dynamic community chorus in Baltimore. More than just a chorus, Charm City Sings is a joyful community dedicated to making great music and to making a difference, with a mission to connect Baltimore through song. Thanks to Heidi's passion, magnetic personality, and fast-paced rehearsal style, Charm City Sings has experienced significant growth since establishing in 2022. Ms. Ackerman also serves as assistant conductor to Maestro Anthony Blake Clark with the esteemed Baltimore Choral Arts Society. As a prior educator, Heidi is in demand as a choral clinician and enjoys guest conducting engagements across the country.
Equally accomplished as a vocalist, Heidi was brought to Washington DC from the west coast in 2013 by The United States Army Field Band. As an enlisted conductor of the Soldiers' Chorus, she conducted concerts across the USA and Puerto Rico. As a soloist, she graced the stages of Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops, Severance Hall with the Cleveland Pops, The Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra, and The Henry Ford with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Ackerman performs around the DC/Baltimore area, including her one-woman show, Cat Calls: a Feminist Cabaret. Her drive to impact lives through shared music led to a concert series at the Maryland Correctional Women's Facility. Prior to joining the Army, Ms. Ackerman was a teacher and freelance musician in Arizona. She sang three seasons with Arizona Opera and soloed with the Phoenix Symphony on Mendelssohn's Elijah. She earned a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Choral Conducting and Education from Northwestern College, IA. When off the podium, you can find Heidi in the audience cheering on her husband, SFC Dustin Mollick, saxophonist with the United States Army Blues.
Musical Director of the Frederick Chorale, an ensemble renowned for its high-caliber performances and strong community involvement, Ms. Ackerman embodies their mission to enrich the cultural life of Frederick through beautiful and diverse choral works. Heidi is also the founder and director of Charm City Sings, a dynamic community chorus in Baltimore. More than just a chorus, Charm City Sings is a joyful community dedicated to making great music and to making a difference, with a mission to connect Baltimore through song. Thanks to Heidi's passion, magnetic personality, and fast-paced rehearsal style, Charm City Sings has experienced significant growth since establishing in 2022. Ms. Ackerman also serves as assistant conductor to Maestro Anthony Blake Clark with the esteemed Baltimore Choral Arts Society. As a prior educator, Heidi is in demand as a choral clinician and enjoys guest conducting engagements across the country.
Equally accomplished as a vocalist, Heidi was brought to Washington DC from the west coast in 2013 by The United States Army Field Band. As an enlisted conductor of the Soldiers' Chorus, she conducted concerts across the USA and Puerto Rico. As a soloist, she graced the stages of Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops, Severance Hall with the Cleveland Pops, The Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra, and The Henry Ford with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Ackerman performs around the DC/Baltimore area, including her one-woman show, Cat Calls: a Feminist Cabaret. Her drive to impact lives through shared music led to a concert series at the Maryland Correctional Women's Facility. Prior to joining the Army, Ms. Ackerman was a teacher and freelance musician in Arizona. She sang three seasons with Arizona Opera and soloed with the Phoenix Symphony on Mendelssohn's Elijah. She earned a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Choral Conducting and Education from Northwestern College, IA. When off the podium, you can find Heidi in the audience cheering on her husband, SFC Dustin Mollick, saxophonist with the United States Army Blues.
Stephanie Baird, pianist
Stephanie Baird is a multi-faceted pianist and educator with a passion for collaboration. With a powerful command of the keyboard and a sensitive touch, her performances are marked by stunning musicality; her playing has been described as “sensational,” “colorful” and “remarkably powerful.”
Ms. Baird is deeply passionate about vocal collaboration, and has had the pleasure of working with numerous vocal ensembles. At Western Michigan University, she was the accompanist for the historic music ensemble Collegium Musicum, assistant pianist for the blended university and community choir, and was personally appointed as the pianist for Cantus Femina, the university’s soprano/alto ensemble. With Cantus Femina, Ms. Baird performed at ACDA
conventions and throughout the state of Michigan. After receiving her Master’s Degree from the Peabody Institute, Ms. Baird served as a music director for Interlochen Center for the Arts, assisting their summer high school voice and opera program, and went on to accompany the voice and opera department of Morgan State University. She is a founding member of the Cerberus Chamber Ensemble, a quartet which recently gave their debut performance in 2024 who are dedicated to collaborating with living composers while reimagining classical repertoire. Ms. Baird is also on the artist roster of Happenstance Theater Company, a small touring ensemble that conceives of and performs original works throughout the greater D.C. area. She is extremely proud to collaborate with the lovely singers of Charm City Sings.
In addition to working with ensembles, Ms. Baird also works with solo vocalists. Within these partnerships, she has participated as a duo partner in masterclasses for famed musicians Dawn Upshaw, Denyce Graves, Karita Matilla, Martha Guth and Martin Katz. As a solo pianist, Ms. Baird has performed for pedagogues Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Deborah Mortiarty and Lisa Bastien. She has performed in festivals both at home and abroad: Bay View Music Festival (Petoskey,
MI), InterHarmony (Arcidosso, Italy) and Summer in Chopin’s Homeland (Nałeçow, Poland). Ms. Baird received her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Western Michigan University where she studied with Lori Sims and Silvia Roederer. She received her Master of Music in Vocal Accompanying from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University where she studied with Eileen Cornett.
Ms. Baird is deeply passionate about vocal collaboration, and has had the pleasure of working with numerous vocal ensembles. At Western Michigan University, she was the accompanist for the historic music ensemble Collegium Musicum, assistant pianist for the blended university and community choir, and was personally appointed as the pianist for Cantus Femina, the university’s soprano/alto ensemble. With Cantus Femina, Ms. Baird performed at ACDA
conventions and throughout the state of Michigan. After receiving her Master’s Degree from the Peabody Institute, Ms. Baird served as a music director for Interlochen Center for the Arts, assisting their summer high school voice and opera program, and went on to accompany the voice and opera department of Morgan State University. She is a founding member of the Cerberus Chamber Ensemble, a quartet which recently gave their debut performance in 2024 who are dedicated to collaborating with living composers while reimagining classical repertoire. Ms. Baird is also on the artist roster of Happenstance Theater Company, a small touring ensemble that conceives of and performs original works throughout the greater D.C. area. She is extremely proud to collaborate with the lovely singers of Charm City Sings.
In addition to working with ensembles, Ms. Baird also works with solo vocalists. Within these partnerships, she has participated as a duo partner in masterclasses for famed musicians Dawn Upshaw, Denyce Graves, Karita Matilla, Martha Guth and Martin Katz. As a solo pianist, Ms. Baird has performed for pedagogues Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Deborah Mortiarty and Lisa Bastien. She has performed in festivals both at home and abroad: Bay View Music Festival (Petoskey,
MI), InterHarmony (Arcidosso, Italy) and Summer in Chopin’s Homeland (Nałeçow, Poland). Ms. Baird received her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Western Michigan University where she studied with Lori Sims and Silvia Roederer. She received her Master of Music in Vocal Accompanying from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University where she studied with Eileen Cornett.
Anne Buckwalter
Anne Buckwalter is a pianist, clarinetist, vocalist, and music educator in Baltimore. With over a decade of teaching experience across diverse settings—including one-on-one instruction, public school classrooms, small group ensembles, and community choirs—Anne has dedicated her career to making music an accessible and joyful experience for people of all ages.
Anne is also the founder and director of Music with Anne where she facilitates group classes for young children and their caregivers. These classes reflect her belief that music-making is not only an artistic pursuit but also a vital tool for building community and fostering creativity from the earliest stages of life. In her classes, she implements musical playworlds; an innovative concept designed by Anne focusing on critical thinking, emotional regulation, and music expression. Anne has had the privilege of working with world-renowned music and community facilitators including Mauro Faccioli (Italy), Pedro Consorte (Brazil), and Tiziana Pozzo (England). She is honored to work with Charm City Sings and is eager to bring her unique and energetic approach Treble Voices.
Anne holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Goshen College (Goshen, IN) where she also studied piano, voice, and clarinet performance. She has a Master’s degree in Music Education from the Longy School of Music (Boston, MA). Throughout her collegiate career, she performed with Bobby McFerrin and Craig Hella Johnson as well as with the semi-professional ensemble Camerata Singers under the direction of Scott Hochstetler. Anne currently plays keyboard for a local Indie-Rock band Old Outfits. She is enjoying this new creative avenue and is always trying to strike a balance between full-time teaching and performing.
Anne is also the founder and director of Music with Anne where she facilitates group classes for young children and their caregivers. These classes reflect her belief that music-making is not only an artistic pursuit but also a vital tool for building community and fostering creativity from the earliest stages of life. In her classes, she implements musical playworlds; an innovative concept designed by Anne focusing on critical thinking, emotional regulation, and music expression. Anne has had the privilege of working with world-renowned music and community facilitators including Mauro Faccioli (Italy), Pedro Consorte (Brazil), and Tiziana Pozzo (England). She is honored to work with Charm City Sings and is eager to bring her unique and energetic approach Treble Voices.
Anne holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Goshen College (Goshen, IN) where she also studied piano, voice, and clarinet performance. She has a Master’s degree in Music Education from the Longy School of Music (Boston, MA). Throughout her collegiate career, she performed with Bobby McFerrin and Craig Hella Johnson as well as with the semi-professional ensemble Camerata Singers under the direction of Scott Hochstetler. Anne currently plays keyboard for a local Indie-Rock band Old Outfits. She is enjoying this new creative avenue and is always trying to strike a balance between full-time teaching and performing.
