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 für 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 two CDs 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

8-15 June 2008, 16th annual Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival: Bach and String Things; conductor and artistic director, Harrisonburg, Va.
16-18 May 2008, Winchester Musica Viva concerts, Sounds of Love, Upperville and Winchester, Va.
3-4 May 2008, Voce Chamber Choir concerts, Music of the British Isles, Herndon and Reston, Va.
20 April 2008, Spring Concert, EMU Chamber Singers, Park View Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, Va.
14-16 March 2008, Winchester Musica Viva concerts, Welcome, Spring!; Hagerstown, Md. and Upperville and Winchester, Va.
23-24 February 2008, Voce Chamber Choir concerts, A Winter Calendar; Herndon and Reston, Va.
15-16 December 2007, Voce Chamber Choir concerts, To all the Earth, Peace; including premiere performances of a new work by Alice Parker, Magnificat, We Sing!; Herndon and Reston, Va.
7-9 December 2007, Winchester Musica Viva concerts, Messiah; Upperville and Winchester, Va.
5 December 2007, EMU Chamber Singers and University Chorale, Christmas Concert, Martin Chapel, EMU
2 December 2007, Choral Even Song, EMU Chamber Singers, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Harrisonburg, Va.
17 November 2007, Vivaldi, Corelli and Vaughan Williams concert; EMU Chamber Singers, EMU Chorale, EMU Orchestra, Lehman Auditorium, EMU

30 May – 2 June 2008, guest lecturer/presenter, 41st Annual Bible Lectureships, Pepperdine University, Malibu, Ca.
20 April 2008, worship service at Zion Mennonite Church, Broadway, Va., EMU Chamber Singers
11-12 April 2008, consultation regarding a next hymnal for the Mennonite Church USA/Canada, Elkhart, Ind.
4-6 April 2008, EMU Chamber Singers weekend tour in central and eastern Pennsylvania
28-30 March 2008, chaplain, American Association of Pastoral Counselors Annual Conference, Norfolk, Va.
1-9 March 2008, EMU Chamber Singers spring break tour in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina
10 March 2008, led a hymn singing service for the Shenandoah Valley Unitarian-Universalist Church, Stephen City, Va.
1-3 February 2008, weekend of workshops and worship services, Seattle Mennonite Church, Seattle, Wa.
19-20 January 2008, weekend of workshops, hymn sing and worship service, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Ithaca, N.Y.
4-6 January 2008, 21st annual Music and Worship Leaders’ Weekend, Laurelville Mennonite Church Center, Laurelville, Pa., co-led with Marlene Kropf, Marilyn Houser Hamm and Rosemary Bray McNatt
2-4 November 2007, music and worship leader, Regional Conference of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, Washington, D.C.
23 September 2007, community hymn sing, Grace Lutheran Church, Winchester, Va., sponsored by Winchester Musica Viva
7-9 September 2007, weekend workshops, hymn sing and worship service, First Mennonite Church, Indianapolis, Ind.
15-16 August 2007, planned and led worship for Fall Faculty and Staff Conference, EMU
16-18 August 2007, guest conductor for recording sessions with Laudate, an a capella Mennonite ensemble with singers from Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio and Georgia
7-11 August 2007, 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

Committee memberships:
Honors Committee
Bach Festival Board
Hymnsings for undergraduate and seminary chapels
Guest lectures/presentations in Ruling Ideas and a series of presentations in The Christian Tradition seminary course