Orna Arania (Conductor/Cantorial Soloist) earned both her Masters and Doctor of Music degrees in Voice and Opera Performance from Northwestern University, and was trained as a conductor and singer in her native country of Israel. She performed as soloist with Distinguished Concerts International Orchestra New York, The Peninsula Music Festival Orchestra, Elgin Symphony, Lima Symphony, Illinois Valley Symphony, to name a few, and with Israel’s leading orchestras and ensembles. Orna sings with the Bella Voce ensemble and was a singer and assistant conductor of The Lakeside Singers. She is a tenured Associate Professor of Voice at Northern Illinois University. Whether conducting Koleinu or leading T’filah, Orna loves sharing her unique expertise in music, Judaism, and Israel with Am Shalom.