Jay Carter, Artistic Director and Conductor
Jay Carter has earned a reputation as one of North America's finest countertenors. A frequent collaborator with both period and modern ensembles, he is recognized as a leading interpreter of Baroque repertoire lauded for luminous tone, stylish interpretations, and clarion delivery. Though a specialist in the earlier repertoire, Carter has premiered modern works by John Tavener, Augusta Read Thomas, Chester Alwes, Sebastian Gottschick, and Anthony Maglione. An avid recitalist, he presents works from outside the standard countertenor repertory including works by Schumann, Poulenc, Wolf, and Howells.
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I​n recent seasons he has appeared with acclaimed conductors including Nicholas McGegan, Ton Koopman, John Butt, John Scott, and Matthew Halls. Highlights of recent seasons include Bach’s Weinachtsoratorium with Maasaki Suzuki and the Bach Collegium Japan, Vivaldi arias and Gloria with Nicholas McGegan and the Saint Louis Symphony, and Bach’s Johannespassion with Daniel Hyde and the Choir of Men and Boys at St. Thomas Church, New York City.
Carter is a featured soloist on recordings with Ars Lyrica, Bach Collegium San Diego, The Kingsbury Ensemble, Yale Schola Cantorum, Westminster Williamson Voices, and others. He has also served as the artistic director and conductor of Kantorei (Westminster Choir College) and the Schola Cantorum of William Jewell College.
As a scholar and clinician, Carter presents masterclasses and lecture recitals for colleges, universities, and presenting organizations throughout the United States. He has almost two decades of experience in higher education, primarily focusing intently on student-centered and career-centered studio work. He has served on the voice faculty of Westminster Choir College, William Jewell College, and the UMKC Conservatory of Music. Carter holds graduate degrees from the Yale School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music and the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory of Music. His undergraduate studies were undertaken at William Jewell College (Liberty, MO) as a student and mentee of Arnold Epley.
He and his wife (and their much-loved goldendoodle, Pippa) are new empty nesters and live in historic Liberty, MO. Visit www.jaycartercountertenor.com for more information.
Ryan Olsen, Artistic Director and Conductor
An educator for over twenty years, Dr. Ryan Olsen has taught choral music at all levels in Kansas, Missouri, Arizona, Texas, and Colorado. In August he joined the teaching staff at Olathe West High School as Director of Choirs after previously conducting collegiate choirs and teaching music education courses at Baker University in Baldwin City, KS, Colorado State University in Fort Collins, and Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, TX.
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Ryan received his Master and Bachelor Degrees in Music Education from the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and his Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from Arizona State University. He is an active clinician, conductor, and adjudicator at state and national conferences where he has presented on transitioning singers during transgender and adolescent voice change, mindfulness-based instructional strategies, audiation for singers and choirs, and numerous other aspects of choral and conducting pedagogy.
Dr. Olsen is passionate about the use of early polyphony as sight-reading and performance repertoire and has edited and arranged numerous scores that can be found on his website, www.ryanolsen.com. He is also an advocate for living composers and innovative concert programing, having commissioned and collaborated with composers on new choral works.
Outside of music, Ryan can be found reading, cheering on the KC Current, running, hiking, or on a stand-up paddle board, or playing various tabletop or board games with friends and family. He lives in the Olathe with his wife Erin, a school counselor, and daughter Meredith. Visit www.ryanaolsen.com for more information.
Arnold Epley, Artistic Advisor
In 2009 Arnold Epley formed Musica Vocale, a chamber choir of thirty-two singers and orchestra, which could also present itself as a smaller ensemble appropriate for early music or an expanded oratorio-sized chorus of sixty for larger works.
Arnold Epley is Emeritus Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at William Jewell College. During his 27 year tenure, he led the William Jewell Choir in 26 American concert tours and to England and Scotland nine times, the last in 2009. He began one of the region's most anticipated Christmas events, The City Come Again, an annual standing-room-only noonday service at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral, with college president Gordon Kingsley. His students from William Jewell College, Louisiana College, Kentucky Southern College and the University of Louisville have distinguished themselves around the country as university and college professors, secondary and elementary school choral teachers, church musicians, voice teachers, choral singers, and as professional singers and conductors.
In 2008 Epley stepped down as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Kansas City Symphony Chorus after a seventeen year tenure. In appreciation for his service the Kansas City Symphony named him Conductor Laureate of the Kansas City Symphony Chorus. He prepared the Symphony Chorus for over 70 works, heard in more than 200 performances with the Kansas City Symphony, in addition to the Symphony Chorus's guest appearances with other orchestras, international concert tours and their own concerts.
For its five seasons Epley was conductor of Chorale Francis Poulenc, a chamber choir of singers from many of Kansas City's best choral ensembles dedicated to the performance of Poulenc's difficult and rewarding choral works.
For five years he joined the Independence Messiah Choir as resident conductor to prepare the choir for their annual performances of Handel's Messiah, concluding with his appearance as conductor of their 89th annual presentation. During this time the Kansas City Symphony joined with the Messiah Choir as co-sponsor, involving both the Symphony Chorus and the Kansas City Symphony.
Dr. Epley's peers honored him with the Luther T. Spayde Award, the Missouri Choral Directors Association's highest honor, in 1997. He received the Carl F. Willard Distinguished Teaching Award and was elected Professor of the Year in 1999.
After a long career as a baritone soloist for symphonic, oratorio and recital performances, especially focusing on the choral works of J. S. Bach, he continues his work as a teacher of singing, his studio made up of some of the area's leading singers.
Board of Directors
Matt Aberle, president
Steve Ameling
Jay Carter, ex officio
Melissa Carter
Sharon Cheers
Sonja Coombes
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Arnold Epley, ex officio
Douglas Hartwell
Erica Miller, treasurer
Ryan Olsen, ex officio
Nancy Sparlin
Volunteer Staff
Steve Ameling, Designer and Program Editor
Melissa Carter, Artistic Coordinator
Sonja Coombes, General Coordinator
Douglas Hartwell, Rehearsal Coordinator
Melody Rowell & Willie Plaschke, Social Media Coordinators