LilO BLANK, '20
choreographer
Our smallest (although her personality makes up for it) member, Lilo, hails proudly from Elkins Park, PA and is serving as our Fundraising and Alumni Relations Chair this year. After we heard her mentioned at Convocation for being on The Voice, we were so excited to see her at auditions! Lilo is not actually named after the animated Disney character and does not have a pet *blue koala?*, and has funnily enough, never seen Lilo and Stitch! Lilo is a Public Health Major with a double minor in BCS and Women’s and Gender Studies, and when she’s not singing with Vocal Point, you can find her adamantly working on crushing the patriarchy, hanging out with her sisters in Gamma Phi Beta, or assisting in her research position for the WISH Program at the Medical Center.
Catherine seo , '21
Musical director
Catherine is a junior from Anyang, South Korea. She is pursuing a double degree in biochemistry and chemistry with minors in psychology and music. Her passion for singing gave her opportunities to sing with various groups of people and to perform around the world. She has performed in Germany, France, Luxembourg, Japan, and Canada, as well as Korea and the United States. She is excited to add more to the list with Vocal Point! Aside from VP, Catherine is also an RA in Jackson Court and a TA for the biology department.
Lia Rodriguez, '21
Alumni relations and fundraising
Lia, our crazy bass, is now a junior this year. She was born and raised in Cuba, later moved to London for a few years and then attended high school in L.A. She is now here with us in Rochester singing, majoring in neuroscience, and on a pre-med track. She is very passionate about music and we have so much fun watching her hit the lowest notes VP has ever heard (well, maybe not ever)!
sHIVI gUNAWARDANE , '21
Assistant Musical Director
Shivi, a sophomore, grew up in Maryland and has always loved singing. She also loves her very cute dog, Amber, and her family. She is very excited for her first year at the University of Rochester and can't wait to be a part of Vocal Point. Shivi will be studying History on a Pre Med track and will also be on the Varsity swim team. Shivi also enjoys making crafts and cards in her free time!
mADELEINE VOGEL, '22
pUBLIC RELATIONS CHAIR AND SHOW MANAGER
Madeleine, hailing from Charlton, NY (20 minutes from the Saratoga race track!), is not only a VERY EXCITED sophomore member of Vocal Point, but also a sprinter on the varsity track and field team. Currently studying audio/music engineering and looking towards a career in sound engineering and performance technology, Madeleine loves nights in with cocoa and her two beloved cats almost as much as she loves midnight runs and movie marathons with friends. Her spirit fruit is a honeycrisp apple, her favorite Bruce Springsteen song is (yeah, you guessed it) “Born to Run”, and when she isn’t performing with Vocal Point, practicing piano or working out you can catch her behind the scenes of campus events as a member of ECM or taking naps on her super comfy rug!
NEERAJA MENON, '22
Neeraja is a sophomore hoping to double major in financial Economics and business with a statistics minor! She has lived all over Southeast Asia but has spent most of her life living in Singapore and is from India. Music has been a part of her life since she was 3 years old and she has been training in Indian classical music since then! Neeraja has sung on various prestigious platforms and with many prominent Indian musicians. Apart from singing, she enjoys reading and eating - she is a big foodie and loves a good book with a cup of tea on a rainy day. Neeraja has never sung bass before Vocal Point and absolutely loves it! She enjoys rehearsal and is very excited to sing with VP for the next four years.
Isabella BARBAGALLO, '22
General Manager
Isabella is a sophomore, and is thrilled to be a part of Vocal Point! She is local to Rochester, NY and is hoping to study Business and Music during her time at the U of R. Music has been a part of Isabella's life for as long as she can remember. Isabella plays guitar, piano, and ukulele, but enjoys singing the most. You can find Isabella performing acoustic shows at restaurants, events, and festivals around Rochester, and sometimes even performing with her rock band BB Dang. Not only does Isabella have a passion for music, she established her own business IsabellaMaria Design, creating custom art on canvas shoes and apparel.
hANNAH BONBREST, '22
Business Manager
Hannah is a sophomore from “basically Canada” in Lowville, New York, so far in the woods that *two* vans simultaneously got stuck in her driveway during 2019 spring tour. She is a Psychology major and a minor in Russian on a premed track. In addition to Vocal Point, Hannah works for Event Support and in the I.D. office, and is known as the “dad” of the group for her dry, punderful sense of humor.
megan Brilleslyper, '23
Meg, Colorado native and mountain hippie at heart, is a first-year at the Eastman School of Music. She is thrilled be part of such an amazing group at the River Campus and loves meeting new people when away from her Eastman family. Meg is studying voice performance and hopes to one day sign a contract with an opera company in Europe. She also has a deep love for musical theatre and has a lifelong dream to one day be in Chicago on Broadway. When she’s not singing, you’ll probably find Meg watching reality TV, hiking, color-coding her planner, or tap dancing. There are few things Meg loves more than dogs and watching Hallmark movies during the holidays, and she is almost always drinking a chai latte. And, if you ever need a friend to go shopping with, Meg is always ready for a trip to the mall!
Katherine Broun, '23
Katie, a first-year from Wallingford, CT, is so excited to be a part of Vocal Point! She is majoring in biomedical engineering and planing to minor in music. In addition to her passion for singing, Katie loves spending time with friends and family and watching movies with a good cup of cocoa or coffee. When not with Vocal Point, Katie can be found in the pool playing water polo or making bracelets for her friends. She is loving rehearsals and cannot wait to spend the next four years performing with VP.
Penelope Sergi, '23
Penelope (or Penny if you prefer) is a first-year from Buffalo, NY (go Bills!!) and is majoring in English. Penny loves singing, especially musical theatre, and has made her off-Broadway and Broadway debuts. Penny also loves reading, watching movies (especially scary ones) and spending time with her family.
Lauren Laughman, '23
Lauren is a first-year from Massena, New York (the real Upstate NY). She is studying Brain and Cognitive Science, and is thrilled to be a new member of Vocal Point. She has sung all of her life, and performing is her favorite. Lauren is an extreme cat lady who loves to have a good time!! That is a sentence you won’t find ever again. She can’t wait to continue pursuing her passion for music for the next four years with her new family at VP.
Abigail Johnson, '23
Abby, a first-year from Deep River, Connecticut, is so excited to be a new member of Vocal Point!! Music has always been a huge part of her life and she’s excited to continue that at the U of R! She participates in choirs on campus and plays the piano and the ukulele in her spare time as well. Her major is currently undecided, but will probably be somewhere in the humanities. When she isn’t hanging out with friends, you can find her napping or curled up with a good book.
