VIRGINIA HART PIKE is musical director, composer, pianist, and educator. She’s played the keyboards on Broadway in Amazing Grace, the Musical; and James Joyce’s the Dead. Her Off-Broadway credits as a keyboard player and Assistant Music Director include James Joyce’s the Dead and As Thousands Cheer. She has worked as a musical director regionally at the McCarter Theater, New York Stage And Film Festival, and Theater Virginia. She’s also musically directed or coached on many readings and concerts at venues including Musical Theater Workshop, New York Theater Barn, New York Musical Theater Festival, and Joe’s Pub. She works closely with legendary composer Charles Strouse as his musical director. As a composer, Virginia’s works have been seen and heard in many venues including Cutting Edge Composer concerts at Joe’s Pub and the NYMF Festival as well as a sold-out Off-Broadway run of her song cycle written for women’s choir, First and Fairest, featuring soprano soloist Judith Blazer. Virginia currently holds the position of Lecturer of Musical Theater at The King’s College in downtown Manhattan. She serves on the worship team and the board of directors for her church, Times of Refreshing Christian Center, NY (or TORCC-NY). She holds a MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in Musical Theater Writing where she studied under award-winning opera composer Ricky Ian Gordon; and a BS from Duke University in Mathematics and Music.
Our Founders
NATHAN KASSAS has showcased his vocal talents all around the world on four continents. As a featured soloist, he has performed for Cutting Edge Composers III at the NYMF Festival in New York City, the Sydney Royal Easter Show, Pacific Youth Opera, World Youth Day, Australian National Rugby League (National Anthem soloist), and the United Nations Universal Peace Federation Awards. Nathan’s choreography has been featured at major events like World Youth Day 2008, Global Youth Festival 2008, Peace Ambassador Awards, Living for Others Awards and the Sydney Royal Easter Show (six years running); viewed on The Today Show (Aus), The Detour (Channel V Aus.) and Fox Sports (Aus); and used in the RSPCA National Campaign’s “Breathe of Life” music video. Nathan founded the performing arts company Next Level Generation (NLG) in Sydney, Australia, which currently serves over 300 students. As a songwriter, Nathan has ghost-written songs for many artists including Urban Prophetz, Christy Faith, Aladdin Royale, Ministry of Sound Productions, Living Truth, Collide Music, SONY Australia, and Unstoppable Productions, and Next Level Generation. He is the principle songwriter for the worship teams of TORCC-NY and TORCC-Sydney, where his songs are featured weekly. Nathan currently presides as the Creative Arts Pastor and Worship Leader at Times of Refreshing Christian Center, NY (TORCC-NY). He has led worship music conferences in Asia, America, Europe and Australia.
