The Girl Choir of South Florida

Wallis Peterson

Founder and Artistic Advisor

Wallis Peterson is the founding Artistic Director of the Girl Choir, and currently serves as Artistic Advisor.

Mrs. Peterson has been an active as a choral director, music educator, and clinician in South Florida since 1990. She began her career as the choral director for South Broward High School, where she built a program that included award-winning mixed, men’s and women’s ensembles. She also served as the music director for the children and youth choirs at First Presbyterian Church of Ft. Lauderdale, preparing young singers for a variety of performances and festivals locally and throughout the state of Florida.

Mrs. Peterson also served as the director of the Training Choir for the Florida’s Singing Sons Boychoir from 1998 through 2006. In this capacity, she worked with eighty to one-hundred 3rd and 4th grade boys each year, preparing them for a minimum of three concerts throughout the season.

Mrs. Peterson is currently the music specialist for The Blake School in Plantation, where she directs choirs with members ranging in age from seven to fourteen. She also provides general music instruction to all pre-K through 8th graders, and the entire student body participates in a minimum of two major concerts each year. Her students regularly participate in All-County, All-State, and ACDA honor choirs.

Mrs. Peterson is an active member of the National Association for Music Education, the Florida Vocal Association, the Florida Elementary Music Educators Association, and the American Choral Directors Association. She currently serves as the Repertoire and Standards Chair for Community Choirs for Florida ACDA. She is a former member of Nova Singers and other South Florida community choirs.

Mrs. Peterson holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Florida State University.

Lindsey Novitske

Artistic Director
Concert Choir

Lindsey Novitske earned her Bachelor Degree in Music Education from Florida Atlantic University where she also was a member of the women’s soccer team. She earned her Master of Music Education from The Florida State University.

Ms. Novitske joined Saint Andrew’s School in 2013 after working eight years for the School District of Palm Beach County at Eagles Landing Middle School and West Boca Raton High School.

She is currently the Director of Choirs for middle and upper school at Saint Andrew’s, as well as the instructor for IB Music classes. The Saint Andrew’s School choral ensembles consistently receive high marks at festivals. The upper school choir, Tartan Singers, has been eligible for state level performance festivals every year under Ms. Novitske’s guidance.

In addition to her duties at Saint Andrew’s, Ms. Novitske has served the past two years on the executive board of the Florida Vocal Association and currently is the FVA District 14 coordinator. She was nominated this year as an Emerging Leader for the Florida Music Educators Association and hold memberships in ACDA, FMEA, and FVA. She also teaches private voice and is sought after as a choral ensemble and solo adjudicator throughout the state.

Jorge Valls

Associate Director
Apprentice Choir and Chamber Singers

Jorge Valls is a musician whose passion for musical excellence and youth led him to pursue a career in music education. He holds a B.M. in music education from Palm Beach Atlantic University, where he graduated summa cum laude. Over the past six summers, Mr. Valls worked as a cabin counselor at Interlochen Arts Camp and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, both in Michigan. In summer of 2013, he traveled as a performer and staff member for the Blue Lake International Choir, which toured throughout Germany, France, and Luxembourg. In addition, he has taught several workshops for the De George Academy of The Arts at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. Mr. Valls is currently the Associate Director for the Girl Choir of South Florida. He has had the privilege of serving as director for the Primes, Apprentice, Concert, and Chamber choirs.

Mr. Valls is in his fourth year of teaching and his first year of teaching at Bak MSOA. Prior to Bak, Mr. Valls built the choral program at Eagles Landing Middle School in Boca Raton. The program grew from 80 to over 200 students in three short years. The program under his direction consistently received high ratings at district assessments and competitions. They have also received first place in their divisions at the Festival Disney competition, Music USA competition in Orlando, and the Heritage Music Festival in Atlanta, Georgia. Students in his program have participated in many district and state honor choirs.

Devoted to cultivating music education in the community, he holds memberships in the National Association for Music Education, the American Choral Directors Association, the Florida Vocal Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Fraternity.