Nicholas Likos
Head Choir Director
Nicholas Likos is the Head Choir Director at Cy-Fair High School. Mr. Likos taught at Cypress Ranch High School as the Assistant Choir Director for six years and Dekaney High School in Spring for two years before coming to Cy-Fair. Mr. Likos graduated from the University of Texas with high honors and a Bachelor’s degree in Music Studies. Mr. Likos is a sought-after clinician and adjudicator around the state of Texas, and he has consistently received UIL Sweepstakes and best-in-class festival awards during his career. Mr. Likos has presented staff development for several districts and clinics for various state conferences. Recently, Mr. Likos directed Cy-Fair Singers to win the 2019 American Classic Madrigal Festival. The group gave their honor concert performance entitled, “Thankful: A Way to Live Life” to the choirs who competed in the 2020 festival. Mr. Likos was also awarded Teacher of the Year at Cy-Fair High School for the 2019-20 school year.
Mr. Likos has served the Texas Music Educators Association convention in multiple capacities during his career. He has been an All-State Section Leader twice, the Vocal Division Facilities Manager, a clinic presenter on vocal modeling for the opposite gender and a clinic presenter on how to utilize technology in running a choir program. Mr. Likos enjoys giving back to the organization that provides so much advocacy to the teachers it serves. Mr. Likos also is a founding member of the Houston Men’s Choir. The Houston Men’s Choir is committed to the art of singing and its positive impact through performance and education.
While attending the University of Texas, he studied voice with David Small and conducting with Dr. Suzanne Pence. He was also a proud member of the UT Chamber Singers under the direction of Dr. James Morrow. As a member of the Chamber Singers, Mr. Likos traveled to Brazil and sang in three recordings with major industry labels. During his student teaching apprenticeship, Mr. Likos worked with Spring High School’s Denise Eaton. Mr. Likos feels very fortunate to be a part of Cy-Fair ISD and its rich tradition of excellent choral music.
Mr. Likos is married to Kristin Likos, the Head Choir Director at Seven Lakes Junior High in Katy ISD. Mr. and Mrs. Likos have a beautiful baby girl named Grace and a baby boy named Luke!
Mica Bull
Associate Choir Director
Mica Bull is a choir director, private voice instructor, consultant, judge and clinician in the Northwest Houston area. Mica has taught Middle School and High School students for 18 years. Mica grew up in Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, where she was a student of Merry Marcotte, Neena Taylor and Catherine Wafford. In high school, one of her most meaningful experiences included singing in the Texas All-State Mixed Choir. Mica received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Louisiana State University in May 2002, where she studied with Dr. Kenneth Fulton. She graduated summa cum laude and was named the LSU School of Music’s Outstanding Senior.
Mica has previously taught at her Langham Creek High School, (her alma mater) and Klein Oak High School. Prior to her work at the high school level, Mica taught at Cook Middle School for eight years. Under Mica’s direction, the Cook Middle School Advanced Girls Choir performed at the annual TMEA Convention in 2010. Her choirs receive consistent “sweepstakes” awards at U.I.L. and numerous “Best in Class” and “Best in Festival” awards at other choral competitions. Mica served as the Middle School Vocal Coordinator for Region XXIX and has been a panelist, conductor, and contributor for workshops at both TMEA and TCDA conventions. She has also presented professional development workshops at the campus and district levels around the state. Mrs. Bull served on the U.I.L. Prescribed Music List Revision Committee from 2011-2014. Mica was a section leader for the 2019 TMEA All-State Mixed Choir. Mrs. Bull is actively sought as an adjudicator and clinician for U.I.L. Concert and Sight Reading Contests, Solo and Ensemble Contests, and All-Region Choirs. Most recently, Mica has the honor of being a featured conductor and clinician at the American Festival for the Arts Summer Institute.
Mica and her husband Aaron have two boys, Aaron Michael (5) and Archer (3). They enjoy watching sports, especially LSU football and Arsenal soccer. They also enjoy crawfish boils and barbeques, spending time with family and their annual beach trip to St. Augustine, FL.
Alessio Nachtergaele
Associate Choir Director
Alessio Nachtergaele is the newest addition to the Cy-Fair HS Choir Director Team! Mr. Nachtergaele is originally from Belgium, and lived there for six years before moving to Fort Worth, TX. After this, he remained stationary, and would not move again until graduating from L.D. Bell HS to go to college at The University of Texas at Austin. Although originally striving for a BS in Mathematics at UT, Mr. Nachtergaele quickly realized that turning to music was a much better career path for him. This led Mr. Nachtergaele to audition for the Butler School of Music, and ultimately earned him his BM in Choral Studies.
After transferring to the Butler School of Music, Mr. Nachtergaele studied voice with Professor Nikita Storojev, and studied choral methodology and conducting under Dr. Suzanne Pence. He also studied, for several semesters, under Dr. Judith Jellison, Dr. Robert Duke, and Dr. Amy Simmons, learning the intricacies of classroom management within the music realm. In his final semester at UT, Mr. Nachtergaele also had the pleasure of student teaching with Ed Snouffer, Jenn Goodner, and Austin Hart at Westlake High School, and with Lindsey Creel at Cedar Creek Elementary, helping put everything he had worked on for the past four years into context, and giving him the final push to become a new Texas Choir Director!
During his four years at UT, Mr. Nachtergaele was also extremely involved in several different ensembles, both on and off campus. On campus, he was involved in Concert Chorale, led by Dr. Suzanne Pence, Longhorn Singers, a completely student-led organization, and Chamber Singers, led by Dr. James Morrow. These three unique ensembles focused on making very different types of music, helping expose Mr. Nachtergaele to more choral music than he could have ever imagined. Off campus, he sang with The St. Matthew’s Schola as well as Austin Cantorum, both semi-professional ensembles that rehearsed and performed many times throughout the year. Mr. Nachtergaele hopes that he will be able to stay involved in these ensembles by driving back to Austin in the Summers to perform once again with these wonderful groups.
Mr. Nachtergaele is extremely excited to start this new chapter of his life in the Houston area and to start his career off at Cy-Fair High School! He is ready to start making a difference in the lives of young people, but of course, still have lots of fun doing it!
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