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. During the spring semester 2010, he was on sabbatical, working as a volunteer at the Mennonite Central Committee Washington Office.

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

Shakespeare Songs, Complete Songs by Matthew Harris © 2012, a CD recording, Voce; conductor

Light © 2011, a CD recording of Christmas music, Laudate Mennonite Ensemble; conductor

Love Songs © 2011, a CD recording with Winchester Musica Viva; conductor

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

10-17, 20th annual Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival; conductor and artistic director, Harrisonburg, Va., world premiere of commissioned work for choir and orchestra, Glory, by Grammy-award winning cellist Eugene Friesen, on a text by Jean Janzen

18-19 May 2012, Voce concerts: Hard Times, Come Again No More; conductor, Reston and Herndon, Va.

12-13 May 2012, Winchester Musica Viva concert: All Bachs: The Name is Bach; conductor, Winchester, Va.

22 April 2012: Spring Concert: The Two Best Prayers; EMU Chamber Singers, conductor, Park View Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, Va.

29 March 2012, EMU Chamber Singers and Orchestra, Alice Parker’s *That Sturdy Vine", both composer and poet (Jean Janzen) present, EMU Lehman Auditorium

23-25 March 2012, Voce concerts: Beatles Unplugged; conductor, Reston and Herndon, Va., and Washington, DC

17-18 March 2012, Winchester Musica Viva concerts: The Times of the Day; conductor, Winchester, Va.

29 February – 4 March: attended the Regional Conference of the American Choral Directors Association in Winston-Salem, N.C.

24-26 February, EMU Chamber Singers Weekend Tour to Franconia area and Pinto, Md. (Matt Hunsberger led this weekend trip in my absence.)

20-23 January 2012, EMU Chamber Singers Weekend Tour to Lancaster area and Stephens City, Va., included participation in Madeline Bender’s Opera Gala to raise funds for MCC’s Global Family Program

16-18 December 2011: Winchester Musica Viva concerts: They Brought Christmas With Them; a concert of mostly original arrangements by a member of the choir, Georgiann Toole, conductor, Upperville and Winchester, Va.

9-11 December 2011: Voce concerts: An Urban and A Rural Christmas; conductor, Fairfax, Reston and Herndon, Va., and Washington, DC

8 December 2010: EMU Chamber Singers: Magnificat: A Christmas Concert; conductor, EMU Martin Chapel; included first full performance of Celah Kratz Pence’s Mary’s Song

12 November 2011: EMU Music Department Gala Concert: Mozart Requiem: choirs and orchestra, conductor; EMU Lehman Auditorium

3-4 September 2011: Voce (Reston choir) participation in a weekend Beatles Festival, Abbey Lane on the Harbor, Washington, DC

22 April 2012: EMU Chamber Singers at Zion Mennonite Church, Broadway, Va.; morning worship service

14-15 April 2012: Music and Worship Weekend, University Mennonite Church, State College, Pa.; included a Saturday evening hymnsing, Sunday morning worship service and an additional hour of singing in a Sunday School setting

25 March 2012: planned and led Sunday morning concluding worship service for the Mennonite/s Writing VI Conference, EMU Lehman Auditorium

18 March 2012: planned and led service of hymn singing for the Harrisonburg (Va.) Unitarian-Universalist congregation, introducing their hymnal supplement, Singing the Journey to the congregation

16-18 January 2012: led music for the evening sessions of the School for Leadership Training, EMS

6-8 January 2012: 25th Annual Music and Worship Leaders’ Retreat Weekend, Laurelville (Penna.) Mennonite Church Center, with co-leaders Marlene Kropf, Ted Swartz and Marilyn Houser Hamm

12 December 2011: Mary’s Child, heavily involved in planning and leading an all-campus Christmas chapel

26 November – 4 December 2012: rehearsals, concerts and recording session with Laudate Mennonite Ensemble, conductor, central and eastern Pennsylvania and Virginia

30 October 2011: led the Sunday morning worship service, First Mennonite Church, San Francisco, Cal.

21-23 October 2011: University Church of Christ, Malibu, Cal., planned and led a weekend of workshops, hymn sings and two worship services

16 October 2011: with Chamber Singers, responsible for the music for the Homecoming Worship Service

25 September 2011: planned and led service of hymn singing for the Harrisonburg (Va.) Unitarian-Universalist congregation

18 September 2011: Weaver’s Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, Va., planned and led a service of worship to introduce Sing the Journey to the congregation

28 August 2011: planned and led an evening hymn sing at Crossroads, the Mennonite-Brethren Heritage Center

17-18 August 2011: planned and led worship services for Fall Faculty-Staff Conferences, EMU

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 The Christian Tradition seminary course