OUR FOUNDER
Richard Sowers
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Richard Sowers, retired, is the former Director of Music Ministries for Williamsburg UMC (Williamsburg VA), Southern Hills UMC (Lexington, KY) and Christ Episcopal Church (Bowling Green, KY). While working in Virginia he also founded the Williamsburg Bach Choir and Handel Chamber Orchestra. Sowers was the former Music Director and Conductor of the Abington Symphony Orchestra where he also served as Director of Music Ministries for Abington Presbyterian Church outside Philadelphia. During his tenure as Director of Choral Activities at Lindsey Wilson College Sowers was also Music Director of The Louisville Chorus where his association with Robert Page and Chorus America resulted in its becoming a semi-professional chorus. For over ten years Sowers worked under Moritz Bomhard (Kentucky Opera) and Robert Driver (Philadelphia Opera) through a fellowship grant from the National Opera Institute. Sowers held leadership positions in marketing and development in Syracuse, Rochester, Indianapolis, Louisville, and Memphis; was Associate Director for Connecticut Opera, and General Artistic Director for Orlando Opera. Often a featured singer, Sowers performed with Kentucky Opera, Actors Theatre of Louisville, on WHAS-TV (Louisville), and with the Louisville Bach Society. Sowers was the 1st-place winner of the Louisville District Metropolitan Opera Auditions, and for four seasons performed the title role in “The Stephen Foster Story” in Bardstown, KY and Tokyo, Japan. He holds applied music degrees from the University of Louisville School of Music, sang with the Indiana University Opera Theater where he was an adjunct instructor of voice, and completed doctoral studies as a graduate assistant in conducting at the University of Cincinnati (CCM). Sowers attributes his deep love of music to his teacher-mentors Fletcher Smith, Walter Cassel, Eileen Farrell, Gerhard Herz, John Alexander, Alan Harlar, Julius Hereford, John Wustman, Elmer Thomas, Earl Rivers, and Teri Murai.
CHARTER MEMBERS
SOPRANO
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Roberta Chase-Borgatti
Karen Lewis
Adrienne Schram
Hanna Smith
Marla Sowers
Meg Stohlman
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ALTO
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Rebecca Abbott
Susan Carey
Adriane Hall
Micha Hughes
Shauntina Phillips
Diane Timmons
Nancy Vickers
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TENOR
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Tom Drury
John Linker
Doug Reynolds
Owen Sammons
Justin Welch
Whit Whitaker
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BASS
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John Campbell
Marlon Hurst
Enoch Jacobus
David Meade
Dan Rowland
Rick Stafford
John Stegner
Zach Ullery
ORCHESTRA
VIOLIN
Ella Chang
Jane Lee
Kristin Pferfer
Gretchen Tucker
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VIOLA
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Karen Bottge
Lauren Nelson
Maria Valencia
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CELLO
Nathan Jasinski
Andrea Kleesattel
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FLUTE
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Kathryn Waters
OBOE
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Katherine Alberts
Kim Heersche
Elizabeth Young
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BASSOON
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Christine Carucci
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TRUMPET
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Julian Kaplan
Ryan Lehr
Jenny Brown
Eric Murine
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TIMPANI
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Brian Nozny
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ORGAN
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Clif Cason
Bob Kintner
John Linker
Rob Vanover
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HARPSICHORD
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Bob Kintner
John Linker
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HISTORY
The Lexington Bach Choir was founded by Richard Sowers in 2007 while Dean of the AGO (American Guild of Organists). As leaders of the Lexington Chapter, Sowers, Marlon Hurst, and Clif Cason conceived and launched the first Bach Marathon, sponsored by the Guild. They programmed Bach cantata literature and formed a temporary ensemble of singers and orchestra players. From this, Sowers formed the Lexington Bach Choir and presented its first concert in November 2007. When Sowers became Director of Music for the Williamsburg UMC in Virginia, he asked Hurst to assume the role of Artistic Director in his stead.
Under Hurst’s outstanding leadership, the Lexington Bach Choir became a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization and subsequently, following the dissolution of the Louisville Bach Society, changed its name to the Kentucky Bach Choir with the intent to share Bach’s music with the greater Commonwealth beyond the Bluegrass region. To date, in addition to its regular concert performances in Lexington, the Kentucky Bach Choir has performed throughout the state in Louisville, Berea, Richmond, Danville, Paris, Frankfort, Williamsburg, and Maysville.
FALL 2007
FALL 2008
SPRING 2008
FALL 2009
Easter Tidings, Spring 2008
Tates Creek Presbyterian Church