Alice Wigfield Itzel

Alice Wigfield has served as a guest conductor and soloist in numerous venues throughout Europe, Israel, and the East Coast of the United States. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Eastern Kentucky University, where she studied viola on a full scholarship, and a Master of Music Education from Salisbury University. She was honored by the Maryland State Senate for her decades of dedication to students and to music, as well as for her exceptional leadership in developing one of Maryland’s strongest choral programs.

Since its beginning, Mrs. Wigfield was the music director of the MAGI Choral Festival. For the first nine years she conducted the 125-voice MAGI Adult Choir, later conducting the 145–185 voice MAGI Children’s Choir, until the National Christian Choir joined the festival. She also served for 17 years on staff at Allen Memorial Baptist Church in Salisbury as the Traditional Worship Leader and Director of Choirs. During that time, she created the “Vocal Excellence” summer camp and taught voice to hundreds of young singers across the region. She was invited as guest conductor for Michael W. Smith and for the Celebration of the 300th Anniversary of the Presbyterian Church in America.

Mrs. Wigfield retired in 2014 after 39 years of teaching music in Maryland’s public and private schools. She founded the music program at Holly Grove Christian School, where she taught for 18 years and loved every student she encountered. Under her direction, the Holly Grove Honors Choir (grades 9–12) earned top ratings for multiple years, including perfect scores in performance and sight reading at the Maryland State Choral Festival. The choir performed by audition at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, the U.S. Naval Academy, and at multiple universities, seminaries, churches, and schools along the East Coast. They also sang the National Anthem for the Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Wizards. Her 118-voice children’s choir (grades 4–6) was invited to perform John Rutter’s Mass of the Children at Salisbury University with the University Choir and Orchestra. Her auditioned SATB Junior High Choir (50–60 singers) medaled twice at the Maryland State Choral Festival in Baltimore.

One of her greatest joys was founding the Salisbury Children’s Choir. The ensemble began in 2017 when Salisbury University invited her to create a regional children’s choir on campus. The Salisbury University Children’s Choir quickly grew, regularly filling Holloway Hall with enthusiastic audiences. When COVID-19 halted all university choral activity, parents and singers encouraged her to continue the choir independently. It became a 501(c)(3) regional choir for young singers ages 8–18. Throughout the past fifty years Alice has been a voice teacher and vocal coach to hundreds of singers.

In 2024, Alice lost her beloved husband of 52½ years to cancer. She later met John Itzel, who had also lost his wife of 54 years. John, a master musician and conductor, and Alice found love, companionship and shared purpose. After her final concert at the U.S. Naval Academy on May 24, 2026, Alice retired fully, choosing to devote herself to being the best wife she could be. She now resides happily in Westminster, Maryland.

Alice Wigfield Itzel continues to support the Salisbury Children’s Choir by serving on its board and helping the organization grow to its full potential. With joy and confidence, she passed the baton to Tim and Dr. Anne Binkley and looks forward with excitement to the next chapter of their leadership of this remarkable choir.