About Us 

Allegro: A St. Louis Choral Community is a new chorus for anyone 50 years or older who wants to sing. Our founding director, Merry Keller, loves to help people find their best singing voices, and wants you to grow in your ability to open your voice to sing with your whole body, heart and soul.

Meet our Team

Merry Keller, Artistic Director

Merry Keller brings a professional choral background and extensive performing experience to her work as Artistic Director. With an undergraduate degree in vocal/choral music, and advanced studies in choral conducting and voice, Merry has been involved in performing, directing and teaching music for over thirty years.
 
Merry was Artistic Director of CHARIS: St. Louis Women’s Chorus, the Gateway Men’s Chorus and Saint Louis County Community Chorus. She has served as Director of Music at several UCC churches in Missouri and Illinois. She has taught music privately and in the public school systems of Pennsylvania and Missouri, and maintains a private teaching studio for voice and piano in St. Louis.
 
Merry Keller premiered her solo cabaret show at The Sheldon Concert Hall, Love In Four Seasons, in October, 2009. She has performed at cabaret venues in the past several years including The Chapel, The Kranzberg, and The Sheldon Ballroom all in St. Louis, and Don’t Tell Mama in New York City. Merry Keller has sung as soloist and performed with Random Access – a St. Louis a cappella group, Union Avenue Opera, the St. Louis Chamber Chorus and the St. Louis Women’s Chorale. She has been a solo performer in the Friends of Music Concert Series, and in benefit concerts throughout the area.

Ron Bryant, Pianist

Ron Bryant is a very active member of the St. Louis musical community.   With a career spanning 40 years Ron is heard regularly in clubs and concert venues throughout the St. Louis area and in concert with some of the finest vocalists in the area.
Ron has appeared on stage at Powell Symphony hall with members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, at the Blanche Touhill Performing Arts Center, the Sheldon Concert Hall and the Fabulous Fox Theater.

Some of his career highlights include working as an audition pianist for DreamWorks Studios on the motion picture Dream Girls, and serving as a member of the Collaborative Piano Faculty of Webster University for 12 years.  Ron also served as the Musical Director for Cabaret St Louis.

Ron has a B.M. and an M.M. in Jazz Piano from Webster University and was a student of Carolbeth True.

Allegro Board Members

Brian Derton

Board President
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Brian is a life-long student of music. He has sung as soloist, in small groups, and full choruses.  Brian has been on several non-profit boards and enjoys helping new non-profits get established.

Patrick Lampe

Board Vice President
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Patrick Lampe, MBA, MA-HCM, has been singing in choirs since he was in fifth grade.  He directed a young adult parish choir for seven years, and sang as a tenor with the St. Louis River City Pops: A Singing Ensemble for over 25 years, serving as the organization's President for 12 years. Mr. Lampe joined Allegro for its opening season and was appointed to the board in 2024. Patrick retired from an administrative career in healthcare where he worked as a Mission Director, assisting religious sponsors implement their mission, vision and values. He currently enjoys singing, volunteer work, and serves as an officer on a healthcare board and an investment club board. 

​Irene Thalden
Board Secretary

Irene Thalden, now retired, was formerly the president and CEO of Osthoff-Thalden & Associates, a national marketing and advertising agency. She functioned as President and Financial Officer, along with overseeing the graphics division of the company.  Presently she teaches poetry writing.  She has published a collection of her poems, Echoes of a Littered Past, and is presently working on a second collection.  Her poems have been published in Black Fox Literary Magazine, and the Sentinel Quarterly Literary Publication.

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​Cindy Schuler
Board Treasurer
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 Cindy has been involved in music since high school choral days. She has sung with several community choruses and currently sings and plays bass guitar with her contemporary church band and in a classic rock band with her husband Mike. Cindy, now retired, worked as Chief Accountant in the corporate world for thirty-seven years.  She currently keeps books for several non-profit corporations and spends as much time as possible with her two granddaughters, Aoife (8) and Mairead (6).