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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

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SPRING 2008

FALL 2009

Easter Tidings, Spring 2008

Tates Creek Presbyterian Church

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