Michelle Louer
Director of Music and Fine Arts

Michelle L. Louer brings a wealth of experience to the podium, classroom and the church.  She has maintained an active career as a choral and orchestral conductor, music educator, church musician, clinician and scholar.  Formerly an Assistant Professor of Conducting and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Evansville, Michelle conducted the University Choir, the Women’s Chorus, and the Men’s Ensemble and taught courses in  conducting, choral music education and ancient world cultures.  She has also served as Interim Director of Choral Activities and Visiting Assistant Professor of Choral Music at Oklahoma City University.  Michelle was appointed Artistic Director and Conductor of the Kokomo Symphony in 2003 and led the orchestra for three seasons, as well as serving as Director of Music at First Christian Church, Martinsville, Indiana.

As a Chancellor’s Fellow and Associate instructor for the Choral Department at Indiana University, Michelle taught undergraduate courses in conducting.  While a student at IU, she conducted numerous ensembles, including the Symphonic Choir, the University Singers, the University Chorale, the Opera Chorus, and the Contemporary Vocal Ensemble.  She graduated summa cum laude from Yale University with a Master of Music in Choral Conducting and a Master of Divinity.  There she conducted the University Chapel Choir and was the Assistant Conductor of the Yale Camerata and Pro Musica Chamber Singers.  Michelle received a Bachelor of Music from Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, where she graduated magna cum laude with a double major in Piano Performance and Church Music.  During the spring of 2007, Michelle completed her work on a Doctor of Music degree in Choral Conducting at Indiana University.

Regularly invited to be a guest conductor, Michelle recently conducted the Lafayette Bach Chorale Singers and the Bloomington Chamber Singers.  She has adjudicated the Indiana Music Educators Association Non-Competitive Festival, the Kokomo Symphony orchestra Young Artist Concerto Competition, and the Indiana Piano Teachers Regional Festival.  In addition, she has presented papers at both the College Music Society’s northeast and Great lakes Regional Conferences.

Michelle began her appointment as Director of Music and Fine Arts at Second on February 1, 2007. Michelle is a native of Crystal River, Florida. She and Tim, her husband of 16 years, are now relocated in Indianapolis in their first owned home. Tim is the Director of Finance and Administration at IU’s Department of Ophthalmology. Michelle is a voracious reader who also enjoys running, art films, traveling and playing with her three cats. 

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Dr. Heather Hinton
Organist and Assistant Director of Music and Fine Arts

Dr. Heather Hinton, winner of the 1996 National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance of the American Guild of Organists, is Organist and Assistant Director of Music and Fine Arts at Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. She earned the Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees, as well as a Performers Certificate, at the Eastman School of Music, where she studied with David Higgs, Russell Saunders, and Arthur Haas (harpsichord). While at Eastman, Dr. Hinton was organist of Brighton Presbyterian Church until the fall of 1997, when she assumed the position of Acting University Organist and Affiliate Artist at Cornell University. Following this position, she moved to Garden Grove, California, to serve as Interim Associate Organist of the Crystal Cathedral from January through August, 1998.

Dr. Hinton earned her bachelors degree in music and French from Wellesley College, where she began organ study with James David Christie as a junior in 1989, winning second prize in the Sydney Case Young Organists Competition the following spring. In 1991 she received the Billings Prize in Music and Phi Beta Kappa honors. She was the 1993 winner of the AGO Region II Competition for Young Organists, and won second prize in the 1994 Gruenstein Memorial Competition. Dr. Hinton began piano study at the age of five, and studied from 1983-1991 with Wha-Kyung Byun at the New England Conservatory. As a pianist, she has won several competitions and has appeared as soloist with orchestras in Louisiana, Texas, and Massachusetts.

An active performer, Heather Hinton has concertized extensively throughout the United States. Recent engagements include appearances at the 1998 National Convention of the American Guild of Organists in Denver and the 1999 Region VII Convention of the American Guild of Organists in Fort Worth. She is married to cellist Kurt Fowler.

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