Ken Nafziger

Kenneth Nafziger was a post-doctoral conducting student with Helmuth Rilling in Stuttgart-Germany. In addition to his EMU course load, he is artistic director and conductor of the annual Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival (Harrisonburg, Va.), and of the chamber choirs Musica Viva (in Winchester, Va.) and Voce (in Reston, Va.) Between 1999 and 2003, he made numerous trips to Cuba, where he was a guest orchestral and choral conductor, taught courses and workshops, and led EMU Chamber Singers. He was music editor of ‘Hymnal: A Worship Book’ (1992), editor of its accompaniment handbook, and assistant to the editor of ‘Sing the Journey’ (2005) and ‘Sing the Story’ (2007). He is active in the United States and Canada as a guest conductor, workshop leader and clinician. He co-authored a book ‘Singing, a Mennonite Voice’, which was released in 2001.

Post-doctoral study in conducting with Helmuth Rilling, Hochschule Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Frankfurt/Main, Germany, 1975-76
D.M.A., University of Oregon, 1970
B.A., Goshen College, 1963

Sing the Story, © 2007, Faith & Life Resources, Scottdale, Pa.; assistant to the editor, and producer/director of a CD to accompany this volume
Sing the Journey, © 2005, Faith & Life Resources, Scottdale, Pa.; assistant to the editor, and producer/director of two CDs to accompany this volume
Singing: A Mennonite Voice, © 2001, Herald Press, Scottdale, Pa., co-authored with Marlene Kropf
Hymnal: Accompaniment Handbook, © 1993, Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, Pa., et al; editor/writer/compiler
Hymnal: A Worship Book, © 1992, Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, Pa., et al; music editor

8-17 June 2007, 15th annual Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival, conductor and artistic director, Harrisonburg, Va.
19-20 May 2007, Winchester Musica Viva 25th anniversary Retrospective Concerts, Winchester, Va.
11, 13 May 2007, first complete performance of Matthew Harris’ Shakespeare Songs, Books I-V, Voce Chamber Choir, Great Falls and Reston, Va.
22 April 2007, Spring Concert, EMU Chamber Singers, Park View Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, Va.
13-15 April, Guest Conductor, Regional Mennonite High School Choral Festival, Belleville Mennonite School, Belleville, Pa.
16, 18 March, an all-Mozart Concert, Voce Chamber Choir, Herndon and Oakton, Va.
10-11 March, Vitier’s Misa Cubana and Daley’s Requiem, Winchester Musica Viva, Winchester, Va.
7 January 2007, a Messiah Sing, led by Winchester Musica Viva and Marvin Mills, Winchester, Va.
15-17 December 2006, Christmas Concert (Mozart, international carols), Winchester Musica Viva, Winchester, Va.
8-10 December 2006, Christmas Concert (Christmas music of the western hemisphere), Voce Chamber Choir, Vienna, Herndon and Great Falls, Va.
3 December 2006, Choral Even Song, EMU Chamber Singers, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Harrisonburg, Va.
18 November 2006, Mozart Requiem, EMU Chamber Singers, EMU Chorale, EMU Orchestra, Lehman Auditorium, EMU

5-7 June 2007, MorningSong at The Ascending Voice Conference, an international symposium on a cappella singing, Pepperdine University, Malibu, Ca.
22 April 2007, worship service at Zion Mennonite Church, Broadway, Va., EMU Chamber Singers
12-13 April 2007, Singing God’s Song Faithfully conference, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind., an evening hymn sing
31 March – 1 April 2007, Goshen College, Goshen, Ind., a workshop on Sing the Journey and Sing the Story, and an open to the public Palm Sunday hymn sing
4 March 2007, Oxford Circle Mennonite Church, Philadelphia, Pa., hymnal dedication service and hymn singing
1 March 2007, resource person for the Tom Law’s choirs at James Wood High School, Winchester, Va.
2-4 February 2007, Pacific Northwest Music and Worship Leaders’ Conference, Portland Mennonite Church, Portland, Ore., co-led with Marlene Kropf and Marilyn Houser Hamm
18-20 January 2007, Refreshing Winds of the Spirit Conference, Canadian Mennonite University, Winnipeg, Man., co-led with Marva Dawn
5-8 January 2007, 20th annual Music and Worship Leaders’ Weekend, Laurelville Mennonite Church Center, Laurelville, Pa., co-led with Ysaye Maria Barnwell, Marlene Kropf and Marilyn Houser Hamm
2-5 November 2006, Jesus Conference (Revival), Fourth Universalist Society, New York, NY, music resource person
1 October 2006, Franklin Conference of the Mennonite Church USA, workshop on Sing the Story
16, 30-30 August 2006, resource person for music faculty in the Alexandria Public School System, Alexandria, Va.
16-17 August 2006, planned and led worship for Fall Faculty and Staff Conference, EMU
6-12 August 2006, Conference for Peace Builders resource person, The Highlands Retreat Center (U-U), Highlands, N.C., co-led with Rosemary Bray McNatt

American Symphony Orchestra League
American Bach Society
American Choral Directors Association
Chorus America
College Music Society
Reimenschneider Bach Institute
The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada

Chorus America, 6-7 June 2007, Los Angeles, Ca.
The Ascending Voice Symposium, 4-6 June 2007, Malibu, Ca.
Singing God’s Song Faithfully, 12-13 April 2007, South Bend, Ind.

Committee memberships:
Honors Committee
Bach Festival Board
Hymnsings for undergraduate and seminary chapels
Guest lectures/presentations in First Year Seminar, in Cities, and in Ruling Ideas