Our Team

  • Destiny Ann Mermagen, Violinist

    Destiny Ann Mermagen, Founder & President

    Founder, Artistic Director and President of Prairie Classical, Destiny Ann Mermagen, aka Classical Cowgirl, is Classically Trained and Fiddle Raised, Playing Everything from Bach to Barn Burners™!

  • Michael Mermagen, Cellist

    Michael Mermagen, Vice President

    Artist-Faculty at the Aspen Music Festival and School and Professor of Cello at UMKC Conservatory, ‘cellist Michael Mermagen has enjoyed a dynamic career as a performing artist and teacher.

  • Kathy Stepp PC Aaron Lindberg Photography

    Kathy Stepp, Director

    Founder of Stepp & Rothwell, Kathy Stepp, lead Kansas City Ballet’s Board as president. Her term covered both the 2017-2018 60th Anniversary Season, as well as, this 2018-2019 Season when Septime Webre’s The Wizard of Oz had its world premiere.

  • Dr. Loren Whittaker

    Dr. Loren Whittaker, Director

    Manager and Founder of Whittaker Fine Art Appraisals LLC & Adjunct Lecturer at Kansas City Art Institute

  • Grace M. Holmes

    Grace M. Holmes, Director

    Grace M. Holmes is Director of the Kansas City Ballet School and former soloist of San Francisco Ballet & Birmingham Royal Ballet.

  • Ghaith Noaiseh, Board Member of Prairie Classical

    Ghaith Noaiseh, MD

    Ghaith Noaiseh, MD, is Associate Professor of Allergy, Clinical Immunology, and Rheumatology for The University of Kansas Medical Center.