MEET OUR STAFF
REV. ELIZABETH RILEY
Rector
Rev. Elizabeth Riley joined Emmanuel in July of 2018. She was born in Wasilla, Alaska and spent most of her formative years in Anchorage. She found the Episcopal Church in middle school and felt her calling to the priesthood at fifteen. She moved to the Bay Area to attend college at Saint Mary’s College of California, where she studied theology and English. After receiving her BA, she attended seminary at Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, where she received a Master of Divinity. She served as a deacon at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in San Francisco. For five years she served as the Associate Rector at Trinity Church in Menlo Park, California. Elizabeth previously served as a board member of Young Clergy Women International, overseeing fundraising and development. She also served on the board of Stanford's Episcopal Campus Ministry, also working on fundraising and development. Scott and Elizabeth have two young daughters and a son: Eleanor, Amelia, and Peter. Scott has PhD in English Literature from University of California, Santa Cruz and is a professor. Elizabeth loves photography, baking, and quilting. As a family they love playing music together, exploring nature, and spending time with their extended family.
Interim Co-Music Director
Acclaimed musician Caroline Nicolas enjoys an active and multifaceted career as one of the outstanding performers of music from the Renaissance to the Romantic eras. Awards include having been selected as a fellow of The English Concert in America, given to young musicians “who appear likely to make significant contributions to the field of early music.” As the winner of The Juilliard School’s Historical Performance concerto competition, she made her solo debut in Alice Tully Hall, New York City.
A dedicated educator, Caroline is often invited by early music organizations to lecture on various topics in historical performance practice, from Renaissance improvisation to bow technique. She has taught at the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Victoria and at the University of Washington School of Music. She is the Music Director of the New Baroque Orchestra, Early Music Seattle's community Baroque orchestra. Caroline’s commitment to outreach has led her to curate a wide range of programs for elementary schools, hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and bars. She has also assisted in developing school music curriculum for children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
A native of Winnipeg, Canada, Caroline was first introduced to the cello by her mother, an elementary school music teacher. She studied with Phoebe Carrai at The Juilliard School and Christophe Coin and Paolo Pandolfo at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. She lives in Seattle with her husband, lutenist Kevin Payne, where she serves on the board of Pacific Northwest Viols. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, running, eating burritos and attempting to sew.
KEVIN PAYNE
Interim Co-Music Director
Kevin was born in Oakland, California, but moved to Kent, Washington with his family when he was 5. Born into a musical family, he received instruction on various instruments before settling on the guitar. He pursued a Bachelor's degree in Guitar at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, MD, where he also completed his Master's degree in Lute. He holds further degrees and diplomas from the Juilliard School in NYC, as well as the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel, Switzerland. As a professional musician, Kevin has performed with Seattle Symphony, New York City Opera, Sinfonieorchester Liechtenstein, and Tempesta di Mare, to name a few, and has appeared in prestigious venues including Benaroya Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Festspielhaus in Baden-Baden, Germany, and the National Concert Hall in Taipei, Taiwan. His playing has been broadcast on a number of national radio programs, including Sunday Baroque and Performance Today. Kevin now resides in Seattle with his wife, Caroline Nicolas, where he enjoys all things cooking-related, including collecting an absurd amount of cookware for the woefully inadequate kitchen they share.
JULENE LEVIN
Office Administrator
Julene Levin officially joined the Emmanuel staff as a permanent employee in May 2017, following almost three months providing maternity leave coverage. Among many other duties, she manages the flow of information between parishioners and staff, maintains the church calendar, coordinates facility use, maintains the website, and generally keeps the office operating like a well-oiled machine.
Julene is a Seattle native, and now resides in Mercer Island with her daughter and son. Julene formerly worked in marketing communications for various software companies. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her kids, reading and traveling to warm weather.