University A Cappella Choir embarks on Spring Choral Tour

The University A Cappella Choir from Concordia University, Nebraska, will perform in Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, California and Nevada during its annual spring tour March 6 through March 16. The choir will conclude the tour with two local-area concerts on Sunday, March 22 at 3 p.m., at Christ Lincoln Church in Lincoln and at 7 p.m., at St. John Lutheran Church in Seward.

“The A Cappella Choir strives to perform music at a high artistic level – music which inspires, instructs and entertains the listener,” said Dr. Kurt E. von Kampen, conductor. “But the mission of the choir goes beyond mere artistry. The University A Cappella Choir exists to proclaim the Gospel of Christ in song and to honor God with the musical talents the students have been given.”

The internationally acclaimed choir will perform concerts at churches and schools in seven cities on its tour. Concert sites include Kearney High School in Kearney; Peace Lutheran Church in Arvada, Colorado; Trinity Lutheran Church in Alamosa, Colorado; Christ Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Mountain View Lutheran Church in Apache Junction, Arizona; Bethany Lutheran Church in Las Vegas, Nevada; and Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Collins, Colorado.

The choir performs full-length concerts, school assemblies and participates in Sunday worship services. The repertoire of sacred and secular choral compositions spans all historical periods and is representative of many cultures. This year’s concert features choral music of J.S. Bach, Franz Joseph Haydn, Gioachino Rossini, Paul Manz, Stanford Scriven, Brian Edward Galante, John David Earnest, William Averitt, John Rutter, Tom Mueller, Ray Liebau, Moses Hogan and others.

The A Cappella Choir has toured the country each year and internationally approximately every four years since its inception in 1939, performing throughout Europe, the Middle East, Australia, Asia, Mexico and most recently South Africa. It also has participated in international choral festivals in Australia and Austria, placing first and third respectively under von Kampen’s direction.

Von Kampen earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Concordia University, Nebraska, a master’s degree in choral conducting from Oakland University and a doctorate in choral music education from the University of Nebraska.

Admission to concerts is free. Free-will offerings will be taken at evening concerts to help defray tour expenses. 

Members of the University A Cappella Choir (listed by state, then alphabetically by city and last name) include:

Aaron Christiansen, junior, Palmer, Alaska, bass II

Matthew Wahlers, sophomore, Napa, Calif., bass I

Renata Peperkorn, sophomore, Rocklin, Calif., soprano I

Breann Huber, senior, Arvada, Colo., alto II

Matthew Murphy, senior, Colorado Springs, Colo., bass II

Bethany Schilling, senior, Denver, Colo., soprano I

Jacob Roggow, senior, Cottage Hills, Ill., bass II

Ruth Alliger, senior, Fort Wayne, Ind., soprano II

Kathryn Castens, freshman, Fort Wayne, Ind., alto II

Bethany Zeckzer, sophomore, Fort Wayne, Ind., alto II

Alex Kaldahl, senior, Spencer, Iowa, bass I

Matthew Patron, sophomore, North Newton, Kan., bass I

Neal Patron, freshman, North Newton, Kan., tenor II

Christopher James Jr., senior, Topeka, Kan., tenor I

Nathan Leonard, sophomore, Topeka, Kan., bass II

David Ehrke, sophomore, Alma, Neb., tenor I

Alexandra Ryks, junior, Bellevue, Neb., alto II

Rebeca Rerucha, junior, Bruno, Neb., soprano II

Grant Stadler, sophomore, Columbus, Neb., bass II

Garret Drews, sophomore, Fremont, Neb., tenor I

Alyssa Hoeft, junior, Garland, Neb., soprano II

Elizabeth Bergdolt, junior, Grand Island, Neb., alto I

Elizabeth Pobanz, sophomore, Grand Island, Neb., soprano I

Trenton Bruntz, sophomore, Hastings, Neb., tenor II

Megan Kroeker, junior, Henderson, Neb., soprano I

Jacee Pfeifer, junior, Holdrege, Neb., alto I

Amy Guenther, junior, Lincoln, Neb., alto II

Rebekah Guilford, sophomore, Lincoln, Neb., alto I

Cecilia Minchow, sophomore, Lincoln, Neb., alto II

Audrey Rich, senior, Lincoln, Neb., alto I

Jacob Garrison, junior, Malcolm, Neb., tenor II

Nicholle Harstad, sophomore, Norfolk, Neb., alto I

Shanda Fujan, junior, Oakland, Neb., soprano I

Thomas Johnson, senior, Omaha, Neb., bass I

Avery Kesar, junior, Omaha, Neb., bass I

Jazmyn Yates, senior, Omaha, Neb., soprano II

Anna Watters, junior, Panama, Neb., alto I

Christian Watters, junior, Panama, Neb., tenor I

Joshua Hendrickson, senior, Seward, Neb., bass I

Jonathan Landrey, freshman, Seward, Neb., bass II

Jacob Sumpter, senior, Superior, Neb., tenor II

Haden Richters, freshman, Utica, Neb., bass I

Tabitha Ristvedt, sophomore, Utica, Neb., soprano II

Keziah Bruns, junior, Waco, Neb., alto I

Alyssa Montana, senior, Long Island, N.Y., alto I

Micah Schultz, freshman, Scotia, N.Y., tenor I

Hannah Cmeyla, freshman, Bay City, Mich. alto I

James Gramzow, sophomore, Royal Oak, Mich., bass I

Jake Adams, freshman, Walled Lake, Mich., tenor II

Brooke Ann Duerr, sophomore, Warren, Mich., soprano II

Albert Boldt, senior, Hewitt, Minn., tenor II

Joshua Marlatt, sophomore, Minnetrista, Minn., tenor I

Max Johnston, junior, White Bear Lake, Minn., bass II

Nathan Pennington, freshman, Carthage, Mo., bass II

Christoph Marsh, freshman, Concordia, Mo., tenor I

Caleb Fischer, junior, Jefferson City, Mo., bass II

Charlotte Lines, junior, Marshall, Mo., soprano II

Emma Brand, senior, Springfield, Mo., alto I

Noah Freeman, junior, Bend, Ore., tenor I

Timothy Rasch, senior, Denton, Texas, bass II

Melinda Buhler, senior, Fort Worth, Texas, soprano I

Jill Bultemeier, freshman, Texarkana, Texas, alto II

Joshua Frerking, junior, Tomball, Texas, bass II

Aaron Jackson, junior, Palestine, Texas, bass I

Micah Ramage, senior, Pasadena, Texas, tenor II

Corrianne Cain, senior, Cedarburg, Wis. alto II

Aaron Huesmann, senior, Jackson, Wis., bass II

Grace Huesmann, sophomore, Jackson, Wis., soprano I

Sarah Benz, junior, Kewaskum, Wis., alto II

The 2020 A Cappella Choir Spring Tour Itinerary

Friday, March 6

7:30 p.m. Concert
Kearney High School

2702 W. 11th St.
Kearney, Neb., 68845

Saturday, March 7

7 p.m. Concert
Peace Lutheran Church
5675 Field St.

Arvada, Colo., 80002

Sunday, March 8

8 a.m. Worship Service
Peace Lutheran Church
5675 Field St.
Arvada, Colo., 80002

7 p.m. Concert
Trinity Lutheran Church

52 El Rio Dr.

Alamosa, Colo., 81101

Monday, March 9

7 p.m. Concert
Christ Lutheran Church

7701 Candelaria Rd. NE

Albuquerque, N.M., 87110

Tuesday, March 10


7 p.m. Concert
Mountain View Lutheran Church

2122 S. Goldfield Rd.

Apache Junction, Ariz., 85119

Wednesday, March 11

2 p.m. Concert
Christ Lutheran Church and School
760 Victoria St.
Costa Mesa, Calif. 92627

Thursday, March 12

11:12 a.m. Chapel Service
Orange Lutheran High School
2222 N. Santiago Blvd.
Orange, Calif. 92867

7 p.m. Concert
Bethany Lutheran Church

4644 Clark Ave.

Long Beach, Calif., 90808

Friday, March 13

1 p.m. Clinic
University of Nevada Las Vegas
1515 E. Tropicana Ave.
Las Vegas, Nev. 89119

7 p.m. Concert
Faith Lutheran Church

3505 S. Town Center Dr.

Las Vegas, Nev., 89135

Sunday, March 15

8 a.m. Worship
Lutheran Church of Messiah
840 N. Eleventh St.
Grand Junction, Colo. 81501

7 p.m. Concert
Redeemer Lutheran Church

7755 Greenstone Trail

Fort Collins, Colo., 80525

Sunday, March 22

3 p.m. Concert
Christ Lincoln

4325 Sumner St.

Lincoln, Neb., 68506

7 p.m. Concert
St. John Lutheran Church
919 N. Columbia Ave.

Seward, Neb., 68434