University A Capella Choir plans 2023 Spring Choral Tour

 

The internationally acclaimed A Capella choir will travel to Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois for their Spring 2023 tour. 

Sites for the choir’s performance include St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ankeny, Iowa, St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sheboygan, Wis., St. Lorenz Lutheran Church in Frankenmuth, Mich., Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Ind., Emmanuel Lutheran in New Haven, Ind., and Immanuel Lutheran Church in Belvidere, Ill. The choir will conclude the tour with a 7 p.m. home concert at St. John Lutheran Church in Seward on April 22. 

“The A Cappella Choir strives to perform music at a high artistic level—music which inspires, instructs and entertains,” said Dr. Kurt E. von Kampen, conductor. “But the mission of the choir goes beyond mere artistry. The University A Cappella Choir exists to proclaim the Gospel of Christ in song and to honor God with the musical talents the students have been given." 

 The choir regularly performs full-length concerts, school assemblies, and participates in Sunday worship services. The repertoire of sacred and secular choral compositions is diverse in style, historical period and culture. This year’s concert features choral music by Rene Clausen, Charles Villiers Stanford, Antonio Vivaldi, Johann Sebastian Bach, Josef Rheinberger, Michael Praetorius, Walter E. Buszin, Alexander Gretchaninov, Paul John Robinsion, Anders Edenroth, Shawn Kirchner, J. David Moore, and others. 

The A Cappella Choir has toured the U.S. each year, and internationally approximately every four years since its inception in 1937, performing throughout Europe, the Middle East, Australia, Asia, Mexico and most recently South Africa. It also has participated in international choral festivals in Australia and Austria, placing first and third respectively while under the direction of von Kampen.  

Von Kampen earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Concordia University, Nebraska, a master’s degree in choral conducting from Oakland University and a doctorate in choral music education from the University of Nebraska.  

Admission to concerts is free. Free-will offerings will be taken at evening concerts to help defray tour expenses.   

 

Tour Itinerary 

Wednesday, April 12 

7pm Concert at St. Paul Lutheran Church 

1100 SE Sharon Dr. 

Ankeny, IA 50021 

 

Thursday, April 13 

7pm Concert at St. Paul Lutheran Church 

1810 N 13th St. 

Sheboygan, WI, 53081 

 

Friday, April 14 

7pm Concert at St. Lorenz Lutheran Church 

1030 W Tuscola St. 

Frankenmuth, MI 48734 

 

Saturday, April 15 

7pm Concert at Concordia Theological Seminary 

6600 N Clinton St. 

Fort Wayne, IN 46825 

 

Sunday, April 16 

6:30pm Concert at Immanuel Lutheran Chruch 

1045 Belvidere Rd 

Belvidere, IL 61008 

 

SOPRANO I 

Jennifer Horne, Senior, Seward, Neb. 

B.Mus. Church Music 

Kirsten Horne, Sophomore, Seward, Neb. 

B.A. Music (Vocal Performance), Classical Liberal Arts Minor 

Jessica Landrey, Junior, Seward, Neb. 

B.A. Psychology, Behavioral Science 

McKenna McSpadden, Junior, Parker, Colo. 

B.S. Education (Secondary) Social Sciences 

Renata Peperkorn, Senior, Fort Wayne, Ind. 

B.Mus. Music Education, Church Music, LTD 

 

SOPRANO II 

Makenna Clovis, Senior, Albuquerque, N.M. 

B.Mus. Church Music 

Hannah Cmeyla, Senior, Bay City, Mich. 

B.A. Music (Vocal Performance); B.A. Business Administration, Marketing Minor 

Emily Klemp, Junior, Winona, Minn. 

B.A. TESOL 

Olivia Leising, Senior, Arapahoe, Neb. 

B.S. Agricultural Science, B.A. Environmental Science. 

Eliya Moldenhauer, Freshman, Madison, Ala. 

B.S. Biology, Pre nursing 

 

ALTO I 

Lydia Armbrecht, Sophomore, Williamsburg, Iowa 

B.Mus. Music Education, LTD 

Katie Benkendorf, Senior, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 

B.A. English 

Sadie Henson, Sophomore, Herrin, Ill. 

B.A. Music 

Abigail Joers, Senior, Kansas City, Mo. 

B.A. Behavioral Science, B.A. Psychology, (Pre-Law) 

Ellie Lehr, Freshman, Omaha, Neb. 

B.S. Education (Elementary) 

Gillian Mettenbrink, Junior, Seward, Neb. 

B.A. Music  

Mary Pennekamp, Junior, Fort Wayne, Ind. 

B.S. Education (Elementary and Middle Level Math), LTD 

Anna Royuk, Junior, Seward, Neb. 

B.A. Music (Violin Performance), Computer Science 

 

ALTO II 

Brianna Bianco, Sophomore, Loveland, Colo. 

B.A. DCE and Theology 

Abigail Bimler, Junior, Seward, Neb. 

B.A. World and Intercultural Studies; History and Spanish 

Annah Heck, Senior, Coon Rapids, Iowa 

B.S. Psychology 

Gabrielle Krutsinger, Junior, Imperial, Neb.  

B.A. Psychology 

Grace Pennekamp, Junior, Fort Wayne, Ind. 

B.S. Education (Secondary) English and Theology 

Jenna Potratz, Junior, Seward, Neb. 

B.S. Biology, Chemistry Minor 

Rachel Smith, Junior, Earlham, Iowa 

B.S. Psychology, Behavioral Science, Sports Psychology Minor 

Alannah Stahl, Junior, Saginaw, Mich. 

B.A. Behavioral Science, Psychology, Spanish Minor 

Abigail Van Velson, Junior, Seward, Neb. 

B.A. Psychology, Music Minor 

 

TENOR I 

Timothy Mars, Sophomore, Cody Wyo.. 

B.Mus. Church Music 

Christoph Marsh, Senior, Concordia, Mo. 

B.A. Strategic Communication, History 

Wyatt Swanson, Freshman, Seward, Neb. 

B.M. Music Education 

Logan Walgate, Sophomore, St. Charles, Mo. 

B.Mus. Music Education, LTD 

Isaac Weander, Junior, Norfolk, Neb. 

B.Mus. Music Education, LTD 

Caleb Zeckzer, Junior, New Haven, Ind. 

B.A. Music, Pre-Seminary 

 

TENOR II 

Samuel Dunbar, Sophomore, Utica, Neb. 

B.Mus. Music Education, LTD 

Matthew Guilford, Freshman, Lincoln, Neb. 

B.S. Education (Secondary), History and Theology 

John Merritt, Sophomore, Plano, Texas 

B.S.N Pre Nursing 

Jackson Munter, Sophomore, Ithaca, Neb. 

B.Mus. Music Education 

Neal Patron, Senior, North Newton, Kans. 

B.S. Computer Science 

Nathan Pennekamp, Sophomore, Fort Wayne, Ind. 

B.S. Education (Secondary), Math, LTD 

Hunter Remington, Freshman, Bristow, Okla. 

B.A. Music, Pre-Seminary 

Thomas Schulteis, Junior, Parker, Colo. 

B.Mus. Church Music 

 

BASS I 

Ian Fiala, Freshman, Seward, Neb. 

B.S. Education (Secondary) Spanish 

Ethan Gillespie, Sophomore, Random Lake, Wis. 

B.Mus. Church Music 

Ethan Ideus, Junior, Seward, Neb. 

B.S. Biology 

Nathan Kieser, Senior, Plano, Texas 

B.A. Geography, Pre-Seminary 

Sam Matthias, Freshman, Seward, Neb. 

B.A. Graphic Design 

Daniel Oberdieck, Junior, Lanesville, Ind. 

B.A.  Theology, CEL, DCE 

Calvin Rohde, Junior, Reed City, Mich. 

B.M. Music Education, LTD 

Andrew Schroeder, Junior, Kendallville, Ind. 

B.M. Music Education, LTD 

Soren Widmann, Freshman, Long Beach, Calif. 

Undeclared, Pre-Seminary 

 

BASS II 

Cody Bender, Senior, Tecumseh, Neb. 

B.A. Christian Education Leadership and Psychology 

Aaron Cumming, Freshman, Plano, Texas 

B.S. Computer Science, Pre-Seminary 

Ryan Edinger, Sophomore, Wentzville, Mo. 

B.Mus. Church Music 

Joshua Jurchen, Freshman, Seward, Neb. 

B.M. Music Education 

Jonathan Landrey, Senior, Seward, Neb. 

B.A. History, Classical Liberal Arts Minor 

Nathaniel Mueller, Junior, Austin, Texas 

B.S. Mathematics, B.S Education (Secondary) LTD, Computer Science Minor 

Nathan Pennington, Senior, Lincoln, Neb. 

B.Mus. Church Music 

Grant Rohde, Freshman, Reed City, Mich. 

B.S. Education (Secondary) Math, LTD 

Cory Ruybalid, Junior, Fremont, Neb. 

B.S. Business Administration, Communications Concentration 

Braedon Thompson, Senior, Hills, Minn. 

B.A. Psychology, CEL concentration in DCE 

Interested in learning more about Concordia's music programs? Discover more here.