UNH Choir at St. Kieran Center for Arts

The University of New Hampshire Concert Choir, under the direction of William Kempster, is the oldest, largest and most important choral organization at the University. The Concert Choir presents 5 concerts a year with repertoire ranging from the Baroque to recent works, with a significant focus on the major iconic works of the Classical tradition. In the last 8 seasons, the Concert Choir has performed Bach’s Mass in B minor and the St. John Passion, Händel’s Messiah, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, the Berlioz Te Deum, Rachmaninoff’s Vespers, Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony, Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, and the Brahms Requiem, to name a few.

The Concert Choir, open to all students at the university, has a history of excellence. In 2009, the Concert Touring Ensemble, a group drawn from the Concert Choir, received a both a Gold and Silver award in the 6th International Bohuslav Martinů Festival and Choir Competition, held in Pardubice, Czech Republic. In 2011 the group achieved similar success in the Anton Bruckner Competition, held in Linz and St. Florian, Austria, and in 2013 the Ensemble won the grand prize at the 2nd Mayo International Choral Competition held in Castlebar, Ireland. A smaller iteration of the group also just undertook a highly successful tour of western Poland in the summer of 2016.