Ellen Engebretsen Alto

From the earliest memories that I have, music has been a big part of my life. Weekly visits to grandma's house, about an hour's drive away, were filled with soundtracks from popular musicals such as Camelot, Fiddler On The Roof and Mary Poppins. How else would you entertain a car filled with 5 children? And I always found myself singing harmony.

While I've had no professional training, I have been blessed to have some excellent choir directors through the years. In 1996, one of those directors organized a trip to Rome. I was part of a group that sang during a mass at the Vatican as well as an audience with Pope John Paul II. His Holiness stood with our group for a picture and was an arm's length from me. Not one to be shy, I reached out to touch his shoulder and was immediately chastised by his bodyguards.

Wisconsin was home until 6 years ago, when my husband, Rich, retired. Since moving to Montrose I've been active in music ministry at St. Mary's. I've also rediscovered my love for theater and have been blessed to be part of such Magic Circle productions as Sound of Music, Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella.

I currently work at Montrose High School in the library. Teenagers, computers and books - a great combination! But, singing with Dolce Voce - a dream come true!