Kantorei KC gathers musicians of the highest caliber from within our community. It is our mission to bring music to KC performed by professional KC musicians, teachers, and performers.
Kantorei KC Board of Directors:
- President-Ryan Gerding
- Vice President- Dr. Stephanie Henry
- Secretary- Alex Russell
- Melodye Moore
- Ken Moore
- Kim Williams
Chris Munce
Tenor, Artistic Director, Founder
Chris Munce is an accomplished choral performer, conductor, educator, clinician and arts administrator, and most recently the host of The Choralosophy Podcast. As a performer/conductor he is a member of Kantorei KC, as well as its founder and Artistic Director. Under Mr. Munce’s direction, Kantorei has recorded and published three albums, and has been an invited featured performer at National and State ACDA conventions as well as the National American Guild of Organists convention. At Lee’s Summit High, Mr. Munce has lead his choirs to performances at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC, the Missouri Music Educators Convention, Alice Tulley Hall at Lincoln Center and on a Masterclass with the multiple Grammy Award winning vocal group Chanticleer. Most recently, his school district awarded him with its “Excellence in Teaching” award for 2019.
Media reviews of his directed recordings with Kantorei KC include praise from the KC Star for “Music and Sweet Poetry” for its “lush and full bodied sound…gorgeous singing.” The Observer (London) called “To Bethlehem” one of the best Choral albums of the year and “the most interesting festive album.” He has also performed with the Simon Carrington Chamber Singers, and the Grammy Winning Kansas City Chorale. Chris was fortunate to be a part of the Chorale’s Grammy Nominated album, “Rheinberger: Sacred Choral Works.”
Email me: kantoreikc@gmail.com
Paul Davidson
Bass/Baritone-Program Manager
Paul Davidson joined Kantorei KC in 2014. He is a voting member of the Recording Academy and performed as a professional musician in South Korea, England, Canada, the District of Columbia and fourteen US States. He is a soloist on two Grammy-winning albums. He also performs locally with the Kansas City Chorale, Cardinalis (William Jewell), Festival Choral Society (Spring Hill, KS), Schola Cantorum (Immaculate Conception) and Trinity Choir (Trinity Lutheran – Mission, KS); he sings with the Cecilia Ensemble in Augusta, GA. He lives in Kansas City, KS where he maintains a private voice studio. Since May, 2020, in response to the pandemic, he produced four crowd-funded projects (recordings and live concerts), each one employing four to seven other musicians, and he serves as a cantor for three low-income Catholic Parishes on Strawberry Hill, in Kansas City, KS which have been unable to have chancel choir since March, 2020.
Email me: paul.davidson.bass@gmail.com
Sa’Von Hayes
Tenor
Jereld Sa’Von Hayes is a native of Kansas City, Missouri. In the Spring of 2019, he performed
the role of Tamino in Mozart’s The Magic Flute with the University of Missouri’s Show-Me Opera program. Jereld’s other Operatic roles and scenes include: Oronte (Alcina) full role, Stage Manager (Our Town) full role, Jasper (A Certain Madness) full role, Priest/Librarian (Elizabeth Cree) full role, Don Curzio (Le Nozze Di Figaro) full role, David (Die Meistersinger) scene,
Nemorino (L’elisir d’amore) scene, Rodolfo (La Bohème) scene, Orphée (Orphée aux enfers) scene, as well as Don Carlo (Don Carlo) scene. Jereld has performed roles and solos with the likes of The University of Missouri’s Show-Me Opera, The University of Missouri’s University
Singers, The University of Missouri’s Concert Chorale, William Jewell’s Artist Diploma Program, William Jewell’s Cardinalis, and the Liberty Symphonic Orchestra. In competitions, Jereld has been rewarded with 1st place at the annual MMTA voice competition in 2018, 2 nd place at the NATS regional voice competition in 2016, and 3 rd place at the NATS regional voice competition in 2015. Jereld is currently working towards his Bachelor’s in Vocal performance at William Jewell College, while also beginning his professional career in the upcoming 2022-2023 season through singing in the professional choral ensemble Kantorei KC as well as the prestigious Lyric Opera of Kansas City.
Suzanne Hatcher
Soprano/Alto
There are few hats in the classical music world soprano Suzanne Hatcher hasn’t worn, from teaching kindergartners to conducting local semi-pro orchestras; singing backup for one of Shakira’s albums to having her choral arrangements recorded on Grammy-nominated albums; being a soloist under noted conductor Michael Tilson Thomas to accompanying for local high school choirs. Suzanne did her BA in Music at California State University, Stanislaus, and her Masters of Music in Voice from The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. She then went on to complete the coursework for a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Miami, but passing her dissertation defense proved a struggle. A few years ago, Suzanne switched from being a full-time musician to a career in retail. She currently manages the Kansas City Store for Tuft & Needle, and continues to dabble in music through church work and a variety of gigs.
Email me: suzannemhatcher@gmail.com
Beth Munce
Soprano– founding member
Beth Kakacek-Munce, a coloratura soprano, is renowned for her “beautifully effortless” and “stunning” singing. Beth is passionate about the choral arts and actively sings in several professional choral ensembles and as a featured soloist for chamber works. Beth has sung with Kantorei of Kansas City since its inception in 2009 and has been a featured soloist on Kantorei’s albums “To Bethlehem,” and “Music and Sweet Poetry,” recorded by the London-based label, Resonus Classics. Beth has also been a member of the Grammy-award winning Kansas City Chorale and was fortunate to add her voice to the recording of “The Sacred Works of Joseph Reinberger” which was nominated for two Grammy Awards. Recent projects Beth has enjoyed lending her voice to include performing the production of the Medieval musical play of “Daniel” under the direction of Anne Azema, a collaboration with Boston Camerata and KC’s Te Deum Antiqua. Beth has also recently performed the soprano solos for Handel’s Dixit Dominus under the baton of Dr. Jacob Narverud, the soprano solos for The Biber Requiem under the direction of Matthew Shepard as well as the soprano solos for Handel’s Messiah under the direction of Dr. William Baker. Beth also frequently lends her voice to professional demo recording projects under the direction of Ben Spalding. Prior to the 2020 Covid-19 shut down for the arts, Beth was in rehearsals for “A Night’s Tale: A Tournament of Love” collaborating once again with The Boston Camerata, under the baton of Anne Azema as part of Kansas City’s Friends of Chamber Music Concert Series which was set to be performed in April of 2020.
Email me: bethmunce@gmail.com
Julia Kasten
Soprano
Julia Kasten is excited to be singing her second season with Kantorei! A recent graduate from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, she has a Bachelor of Music in both Vocal Performance and Music Theory. Julia works as a church musician and also sings with Te Deum and the Tallgrass Chamber Choir. Outside of music, Julia loves her cats, Disney, and traveling.
Email me: julia_kasten@yahoo.com
Courtney Williams
Soprano/alto- founding member
Courtney Williams (mezzo-soprano) completed her Bachelor of Science in Vocal Music Education from the University of Missouri, Columbia in 2006 and her Master of Arts in Music at the University of Central Missouri in 2012.
She is currently the vocal music director at Pleasant Lea Middle School in Lee’s Summit, Missouri where she teaches seventh and eighth grade vocal music and general music classes. Prior to working in Lee’s Summit, Courtney taught for eleven years in the Pleasant Hill School District where she holds the title of 2016 Educator of the Year.
Courtney served as the director of music at First Presbyterian Church of Lee’s Summit from 2015-2018 where she directed an adult chancel choir, a youth choir, and a junior high choir. She currently serves as keyboardist and vocalist for the contemporary worship service at First Presbyterian Church.
Courtney was a vocalist in the premier variety dance band, Multiphonic, for ten years, performing for weddings and corporate events around the Kansas City Area. Courtney is a founding member of the choral ensemble Kantorei of Kansas City, having performed with the group since its first season in 2010.
Courtney currently resides in Lee’s Summit, Missouri with husband, Josh, and two sons, Oliver and Theodore.
Email me: courtney.williams@lsr7.net
Vince Woods
Tenor
Vince Woods (tenor) graduated from the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance with a bachelor’s degree in voice performance. While at UMKC, he had the pleasure of performing in many of the Conservatory’s main stage opera productions, including Cendrillon (Massenet), Kurt Weill’s Street Scene, and Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. In May 2015, Vince had the privilege of singing the tenor solo from Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms at the Conservatory’s Finale concert in Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center. He has studied voice with Vinson Cole, and has also studied under the tutelage of Dale Morehouse and Chris Munce.
Email me: vincebwoods@gmail.com
Leah Owen
Alto
Leah Owen, mezzo-soprano, has been singing low notes on the side with Kantorei KC since 2016. With most of her time, Leah is teaching choir at Lee’s Summit High School as the Associate Choral Director, nannying cute kids in the evening, and working as a professional home organizer with her small business, Creating Calm. She is also an active voice instructor and teaches a handful of private students. Leah occasionally sings with other local ensembles such as Te Deum Antiqua and Missouri Choral Artists. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music with an emphasis in vocal performance from Pepperdine University as well as a Master of Arts in Music with an emphasis in music education from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. In her rare moments of free time, Leah enjoys hanging out with her BAE, Cole, and playing with their cats, Dabble and Dakota.
Email me: leah.owen@lsr7.net
Asher Tillman
Bass
Asher K. Tillman is a fresh face to the Kansas City area, having joined us from Springfield, MO in the fall of 2020. While there, he received his undergraduate education in music and theatre at Drury University and performed plentifully within those realms. Under the baton of Dr. James R. Davidson, Tillman sang for such works as Orff’s Carmina Burana and Händel’s Laudate pueri Dominum, the latter delivered in concert with the Hlahol Society of Prague in the Czech Republic. He also filled a diverse array of leading roles theatrically, most notably as El Gallo in The Fantasticks under the direction of Josh Inmon. Outside of academia, Tillman enjoyed three seasons with the Springfield Chamber Chorus under conductor Chris Brammer, offering him a unique opportunity to hone his craft, and he was invited to appear with the Missouri Choral Artists in 2019. He is ecstatic to be in his first season with Kantorei KC and is eager to see what lies ahead here in the big K-C-M-O!
Email me: asher.tillman@gmail.com
Alexis Raymond
Alto
Alexis Raymond is a current Master’s of Music student at UMKC’s Conservatory, as
well as a recent Pepperdine University Graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Music. Her
upcoming roles include the title soprano role from Handel’s Acis and Galatea for UMKC’s Fall
Opera. During her Undergraduate studies Alexis performed lead roles in Mozart’s Don
Giovanni, Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance, and in Johann Strauss II Die Fledermaus. Her soft spot for choral music allowed her to travel abroad with the Pepperdine Chamber Choir providing unique performance destinations from as local as The Jonathan Club of Los Angeles
to Smetana Hall in Prague. Alexis refined and expanded her classical song repertoire in Los
Angeles’ SongFest Summer Program as a Young Artist the summer of 2018. Additionally, her participation in Pepperdine’s Heidelberg Music Program allowed for intensive vocal/acting training, as well as daily integration and practice of the German language. Her most recent achievements include participating in Los Angeles based companies; Mission Opera’s
production of Suor Angelica (Dolcina cover, Chorus), and Independent Opera’s production of Don Giovanni (Donna Elvira Cover, Chorus). Having grown up in Texas, New York, Italy,
Wales, London, and Indonesia, Alexis excelled in her foreign language diction courses and will
continue her travels while pursuing a life and career of music.
Want to sing with us next season?
Join Friends of Kantorei KC in 2021
Our Friends of Kantorei List is easy to join! Donations of any other size can be sent directly via PayPal to kantoreikc@gmail.com or via check to PO Box 494 Lee’s Summit, M0 64063
$35.00
Kantorei KC 