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Singers

Kantorei's 52 Volunteer Singers come from all walks of life and share a common passion for choral music. Our singers have a wide variety of occupations, including music educators, doctors, realtors, lawyers and bankers. Many of our singers come from schools with strong choral music programs, such as Augustana, Brigham Young, Concordia, Luther, St. Olaf, Wartburg, and the University of Northern Colorado. Click on the singer's name below to view a short biography.

**Assistant Conductor

Assistant Conductor, Michael Pohlenz

Michael Pohlenz, Kantorei's Assistant Conductor, is Director of Music at Wellshire Presbyterian Church with previous experience as Guest Conductor of the Bethany College Messiah Festival in Lindsborg, KS, and as founding Music Director and Conductor of the Wichita Chamber Chorale, an auditioned adult community choir in Wichita, KS. Significant performance achievements of the Chorale included the 1989 National ACDA Convention and the 1996 Joan of Arc Festival in Orléans, France, plus major works represented by Bach’s Passion According to St. John, Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil, the Western U.S. premiere of Gretchaninoff’s All-Night Vigil, and the Kansas premiere of Pärt’s Berliner Messe. The Wichita Eagle critic wrote that the Wichita Chamber Chorale "'...routinely responds with a professionalism that’s unrivaled locally."

Michael has taught choral music and voice at the college level, and vocal and instrumental music at the high school level. He serves on the Advisory Board of the Denver Bach Society and holds choral degrees from Friends University in Wichita, KS, Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, and the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK. In his continuing study of choral music, he has sung with Helmuth Rilling at the Oregon Bach Festival and in three Robert Shaw Choral Workshops at Carnegie Hall.

Accompanist, Cathy Motter

Cathy Motter is a native of Sterling, CO. She holds BM and MA Piano Performance degrees from the University of Texas at Arlington and the DU Lamont School of Music. Teachers have included Jo Garner Boatright, assistant to the late Lili Kraus, and Theodor Lichtmann. She has worked with choral groups under the direction of Dr. Gary Ebensberger, Dr. Vicki Burrichter, Paul Smith, Dr. James Ramsey, Dr. Rene Clausen, and Dr. Andre Thomas.

A member of Kantorei since 2004, Cathy is on the faculty of the Colorado Christian University School of Music. In the Denver area she has played for many school, choral, vocal and instrumental solo, musical theatre, and orchestral performances, including on-call pianist work with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Cathy and her husband, Al, have a large piano and voice teaching studio at their home in Centennial.

Singer Biographies

Theresa Derr, Soprano

Theresa joined Kantorei in 2005. She received her Bachelor of Music degree in Voice from North Park University in Chicago, and her Master of Music degree in Voice from the University of North Texas in Denton. Since 1998, she has been the music specialist at Centennial Academy of Fine Arts Education, where she teaches general music for children in grades K-5 in addition to conducting the primary choir, intermediate choir, and dulcimer ensemble. Theresa maintains a private voice studio and is on the staff at Littleton United Methodist Church as the Children's Choir Director, and sings in the Chancel Choir, frequently as a featured soloist.

Rosemary Downs, Soprano

Rosemary, who joined Kantorei in the Fall of 2007, is originally from London, UK, where she trained as an RSCM chorister from the age of 7. She received private vocal instruction and sang with choirs including Poscimur, and the Thomas Tallis Society. After 12 years of being an RN, she now teaches Music Together, and lives in Lakewood with her four children and husband Steve.

Sarah Forcina, Soprano

Sarah joined Kantorei in 2007. Originally from Souris, North Dakota, Sarah attended Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, where she received her Bachelor of Music degree and sang under the direction of Rene Clausen in The Concordia Choir. Sarah and her husband, Andy, recently started a family, so Sarah spends most of her days at home or out exploring with their son, Henry.

Wendi Sue Grover, Soprano

Wendi joined Kantorei for the 1999-2000 season and currently serves as Executive Director for the choir. She attended the University of Northern Colorado and graduated with a degree in Vocal Performance. Wendi works as a Business Operations Manager for a large telecom company in Denver.

Heather Gunnerson, Soprano

Heather joined Kantorei in 2006. A native of Colorado Springs, Colorado, she graduated from Colorado State University in 2003 with a Liberal Arts degree. She has been singing in choirs since the age of 7, growing up in the Colorado Springs Children's Chorale and joining every college choir she could. Heather now works as a massage therapist for University of Colorado Hospital.

Stacie Hanson, Soprano

Stacie joined Kantorei in 2005. She attended Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA, where she sang with the Choir of the West for three years. Stacie is a social worker with the American Humane Association, where she works with child welfare agencies around the country to improve their services for children.

Rachael Holmes, Soprano

Shannon Lemmon-Elrod, Soprano

Martina Link, Soprano

Martina joined Kantorei in the fall of 2009 after graduating from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. There, she majored in Vocal Music Education and sang with the St. Olaf Choir under conductor Anton Armstrong. Martina is currently studying for a Master's degree in Vocal Performance at the University of Denver and is working as the Student Ministry Assistant at Our Father Lutheran Church. She is happy to be back in Colorado and is enjoying the mountains and sunshine.

Sara Michael, Soprano

Suzanne Morrison, Soprano

Pearl Rutherford, Soprano

A member of Kantorei since 2002, Pearl is on the voice faculty of the Colorado Christian University School of Music and also maintains a very busy private voice studio in her home. She earned a BMus in vocal performance from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu, and has also received vocal instruction at the University of Northern Colorado. Ms. Rutherford’s performance experience includes opera and musical theatre roles as well as active involvement in choral groups in Hawaii, Wyoming and Idaho. She lives in Littleton with her husband David and their children Emily and Evan.

Judy Schumaker-Larson, Soprano

Lizabeth Barnett, Alto

Lizabeth joined Kantorei in 2001. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Lizabeth attended the University of Georgia, Athens, from 1993-1997, where she earned her Bachelor of Music degree (Go Dawgs!). Lizabeth currently teaches piano lessons and general music at the Slavens School in Denver.

Christina Bishop, Alto

Katherine Blair, Alto

Katherine has been with Kantorei since January 2007. She has been singing since age 9, when she was selected to join the Choristers at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, and later sang with Girls' 21 and the Meistersingers at Cherry Creek High School. Katherine is a full-time student at Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver.

Emilie Cross, Alto

Emilie joined Kantorei in 2007. Singing has been a part of her life since she first took voice lessons in middle school, and in high school, she grew to love making music in an ensemble. Emilie is a 1998 Cherry Creek grad, graduated from CU-Boulder in 2003, and has spent the last five years teaching high school Physics; she currently teaches at Smoky Hill High School. Emilie is excited to be a part of such an amazing group of musicians!

Sarah Fincham, Alto

Sarah joined Kantorei in August of 2006. She graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in December 2006 with a degree in Music Education and currently teaches at Carl Sandburg Elementary in Littleton Public Schools. She is thrilled to be a part of this wonderful group!

Sarah Harrison, Alto

Sarah joined Kantorei in 2006 and is currently teaching choir and AP Music Theory at Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village. She grew up in Boise, Idaho before moving to Minnesota to attend St. Olaf College. After receiving her Bachelor of Music degree in vocal and instrumental education she came to Longmont, Colorado to teach choir at Silver Creek Middle/Senior High before moving to Cherry Creek. She is currently studying for her Masters degree in conducting and education from Colorado State University.

Melissa Menter, Alto

Melissa is a founding member of Kantorei. She majored in political science and Russian studies at St. Olaf College, where she sang in the St. Olaf choir and met her husband, Alex (Tenor II). They have three kids under the age of five. Yes, they're busy and tired. Melissa works as an international corporate tax attorney for a major public accounting firm. She aspires to win the lottery.

Erin Meyerhoff, Alto

Erin joined Kantorei in the Fall of 1999. She is a native of Colorado. Erin attained her undergraduate Nursing degree from the University of Rochester in New York and then returned to Colorado for her graduate degree in Nursing. She currently works as a Nurse Practitioner and Diabetes Educator at the University of Colorado Hospital in the Endocrinology Practice.

Jennifer Moore, Alto

Kristin Neumann, Alto

Kristin joined Kantorei in 2001. Originally from Redwood Falls, Minnesota, Kristin graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. Kristin works as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner in Denver.

Eldeen Pickett, Alto

Alison Roman, Alto

After a brief stint during the inaugral season of Kantorei, Alison joined the group again in 2001. She received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Northern Colorado, where she is pursuing her Master of Music Education degree. Alison is currently in her 11th year as choir director at Northglenn High School, and also serves on the Governing Board of the Colorado All State Jazz Choir.

Andrea Ware, Alto

Lindsey Whitaker, Alto

Lindsey has been a Kantorei member since the 2004-2005 season and is a Colorado native. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Lindsey is a Relationship Manager for US Bank, Voyager Fleet Systems, Inc. and is also a US Bank Annual Pinnacle Award Winner.

Kai Berry-Helmlinger, Tenor

Kai joined Kantorei in the fall of its inaugural season, after getting to know Dick Larson through an earlier stint with the Cherry Creek Chorale. He grew up in La Verne, CA where he caught the music bug early and sang in choirs all the way through school. Kai moved to Colorado for college, later earning a degree in mathematics and economics from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He’s been gainfully employed for 10 years at Lockton Companies, where he’s a Senior Programmer/Analyst. Kai lives in Denver’s venerable Park Hill neighborhood with his lovely spouse, Lyn, and a persnickety Siamese cat.

Nicholas Bishop, Tenor

Tom Cunniffe, Tenor

Thomas Cunniffe joined Kantorei in 2001 and currently writes program notes for all Kantorei concerts and CDs. An award-winning jazz historian, Tom has written 3 books and his essays have appeared in several jazz journals. His liner notes have appeared on the Concord Jazz, Stash, Eaglear and Natasha Imports labels. Currently he contributes articles, reviews and blogs to the website www.jazz.com. Tom has sung with the University of Northern Colorado's Concert Choir and Men's Glee Club, the Colorado Symphony Chorus, and the Choral Arts Society of Washington under guest conductor Robert Shaw.

Kevin Gunnerson, Tenor

Kevin joined Kantorei in 2004. A native of Fort Collins, Colorado, Kevin attended Colorado State University and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration while singing in the University Singers and Chamber Singers under Dr. Lee Egbert. Kevin currently works as a Branch Manager for Elevations Credit Union in Boulder. Kevin and his wife (and fellow Kantorei member) Heather live in Northglenn with their dogs, Baylor and Stella.

Keith Harrison, Tenor

Keith joined Kantorei for the 2006-2007 season. Born in Pretoria, South Africa, Keith moved to the United States in 1998 to get a Ph.D. in Physics from CU, Boulder. Keith now works as a planetary scientist.

Steve Howie, Tenor

Steve joined Kantorei in 2003. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in choral and instrumental music education from Bethany College, Lindsborg, KS and a Master of Music degree from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ in choral conducting. Steve currently serves as Minister of Music at Saint Peter Lutheran Church in Greenwood Village where he directs a variety of choral and instrumental ensembles. Before Kantorei, he was bass section leader for Ars Nova singers in Boulder, a frequent student soloist for the Messiah Festival at Bethany College, and has played a number of lead roles in community theater.

Gari Jensen, Tenor

Brad Larson, Tenor

Brad joined Kantorei fall of 2005. A graduate of St. Olaf College, Brad received his degree in Music Composition with a principal performance medium in voice. Brad is the founder, President and Owner of IFCo, LLC, a full-service dealer/distributor of commercial and institutional furnishings.

Larry Meerdink, Tenor

Larry has been singing with Kantorei since 2002 with one year off in '04-'05. He graduated from Metropolitan State College of Denver in 1991 with a Bachelors in Music Education. Larry is in his 6th year as Director of Choirs at Horizon High School, and has been singing for Dick Larson since 1982.

Alex Menter, Tenor

Alex Menter and his wife Melissa have been singing with Kantorei since its inception in 1997. Previously, he attended Cherry Creek High School and sang with Dick Larson in the Cherry Creek Meistersingers from 1989-1991. After that he attended Saint Olaf College in Northfield Minnesota, where he sang with Anton Armstrong in the Saint Olaf Choir. After graduating from Saint Olaf in 1995, he attended medical school, residency and fellowship at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. He currently practices Medical Oncology in Denver. Alex and Melissa live in Denver with their three children, Forest, Jasper, and Daphne.

Jonathan Von Stroh, Tenor

Jonathan joined Kantorei in 2003, after graduating from St. Olaf College. He currently works both as a graduate student (working towards his PhD in Mathematics) and as a church musician, leading a small contemporary choir.

Ken Atkinson, Bass

Ken joined Kantorei in February of 2003 and currently serves as the choir's "Spokesmodel." A native Coloradoan, Ken graduated from Metro State with a degree in music education with an emphasis in choral music. Ken and his wife, Nancy, have been the directors of Geneva Glen Camp in Indian Hills since 1982.

Michael Boender, Bass

Michael started singing with Kantorei in 2002 after 20 years of no formalized singing. He sang with the Wartburg Choir from '78-'82 under the direction of Dr. James Fritchel. Michael is an Optometrist and has worked in the Denver area for over 15 years. Michael, his wife Donna and their two young boys love Colorado and can't imagine living anywhere else. He looks forward to each season with Kantorei!

Adam Cave, Bass

Adam joined Kantorei in the fall of 2007. Originally from Boise, ID, Adam graduated from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA, with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education. Adam directs choirs at Cherry Creek High School and currently lives in Longmont, CO, where he serves as Minister of Music at Westview Presbyterian Church.

Garth Criswell, Bass

One of the original six Kantorei members, Garth grew up in the Denver area, attending Cherry Creek High School before heading off to California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, CA. Interestingly, he has never used his degree in Biology for anything of value, and has found himself working in the computer software industry since college. Garth feels honored to be a part of Kantorei, and grateful to all the individuals who have helped make Kantorei the ensemble it is today.

Stephen Hooper, Bass

Brad Jackson, Bass

Brad joined Kantorei in 2007 after many years of audience enjoyment. Brad's formative years were spent in Memphis, Tennessee and his informative years were spent at Baylor and the University of Denver. Brad is a psychologist working at The Children's Hospital and in private practice. He is a Scorpio and enjoys snowboard runs, wooded hikes, and camp (in all senses of the word).

Karl Johnson, Bass

Karl joined Kantorei in 1997, after singing with Cherry Creek Chorale for eight years. He graduated from CU in 1983 with a degree in Civil Engineering and sang with the CU Buffoons for the four years he was there. He graduated from Cherry Creek HS in 1979 and sang in Meistersingers for two years. Karl and his wife have two girls and live in Highlands Ranch. Karl is in technical sales for a national industrial concrete flooring contractor.

Don Klick, Bass

Robert Larson, Bass

Robert joined Kantorei in 2000. He received his BA in music education/vocal performance from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, before performing in an a'capella male quartet, World A Fair, for 2 years in Berlin, Germany. He sang in theatre for 2 seasons in Honolulu, Hawaii before serving as the children's music director/handbell director for Central Union Church in Honolulu. Currently, Robert is in his 3rd year as conductor of the Chancel Choir and Director of Music for Hope United Methodist Church in Greenwood Village, CO, and has recently been selected as one of the conductors of the Mountain Children's Chorale. Robert has performed/worked in various theatrical productions in Denver, both as an actor and music director.

John Ludwig, Bass

John Ludwig has been singing with Kantorei since its inception in 1997 and currently serves as board Vice President. When he is not singing, John is usually out selling residential real estate, traveling, skiing, or playing golf. John is a Denver, Colorado native and a Cherry Creek High School graduate, where he and other Kantorei members sang and toured with the Meistersingers under Dick Larson’s direction many moons ago. After graduating with a degree in music and geography from Middlebury College in Vermont, John returned to Denver where he currently lives with his partner, Sean Reed, and Vincent their fox terrier!

Tim Tharaldson, Bass

David Weaver, Bass

David Weaver is a native of Denver in his second season with Kantorei. David received his bachelors degree from Yale University, where he studied Cinema and Music. He then completed a masters degree in English at the University of Colorado at Boulder. David currently works as Director of Investor Relations for TeleTech Holdings.

Matt Weissenbuehler, Bass

Matt is proud to have joined Kantorei during its first season and is honored to serve as section leader for Kantorei’s fun and gifted bass section. Matt studied music at Wartburg College and has been singing ever since. He has performed operatic roles and appeared in recital in the Denver area, but his first love continues to be a cappella choral music. When not singing, Matt works as a director in Information Technology for Jeffco Public Schools.

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Kantorei • PO Box 18987 • Denver, CO 80218
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