Keene State’s musical ensembles are already busy preparing for their fall 2025 season.
According to Dr. Christina Wright-Ivanova, music department chair, the semester will be filled with performances from both larger and more intimate ensembles.
The season will also have faculty performances and guest artists, for a total of around 25 music department events lined up for the semester.
“I think whatever the community would like to hear in music is going to be represented on stage this semester,” Wright-Ivanova said. “I would just encourage everyone to come and check it out.”
Wright-Ivanova said she enjoys how every semester is different thanks to new performers.
“It’s all new, fresh perspectives, so I think that’s what makes it unique every semester, that different people come and share their expertise,” Wright-Ivanova said
Wright-Ivanova said she thinks participating in an ensemble can benefit student learning.
“It’s not just about the artistic joy,” she said. “It’s also really finding a friend group that you can connect to and share music with.”
Professor Morgan Bothwell is leading the vocal consort, a smaller vocal ensemble, as well as the concert choir. Bothwell said he enjoys having newer members in both groups.
“It’s a completely different energy,” Bothwell said. “It’s about finding that sound. Some of the singers don’t even know their sound; they’ve never taken a voice lesson. Seeing them figure out how to sing is a really exciting piece of it.”
Bothwell said his favorite part of working with the ensembles is the passion the students bring to their performance.
“They want to be there, they want to sing, they want to make good music,” he said. “I think meeting them at that point is really fulfilling musically for me, but also soul-wise. So I’m really lucky to be able to do what I do.”
Bothwell said he’s also excited to work with a larger ensemble like the concert choir.
“I’ve worked with larger ensembles before, but never at Keene State,” he said. “Working with close to 50 college students has been a blast.”
Professor Evangelia Leontis is directing the KSC Chamber Singers for the first time this semester, and says the experience has allowed her to get back into conducting.
“I am loving the chance to make music with these singers as a conductor,” Leontis said. “I haven’t done any conducting in a while, so it’s a lot of fun to get this opportunity with these awesome singers.”
Leontis said she wants to focus on her singers’ vocal technique this semester.
“I am hoping to give them a variety of new tools for their proverbial toolboxes for singing healthily and expressively in a choral setting,” she said.
Leontis said that any student, music major or not, who wants to get involved with an ensemble should email the director of that ensemble to set up an audition.
“We love having non-music majors join our ensembles,” she said.
For more information about the Music Department’s fall 2025 season, visit the Redfern Arts Center’s website at https://www.keene.edu/arts/redfern/.
Emily Sloane can be contacted at
esloane@kscequinox.com
