Berkshire Choral is pleased to welcome our Tenor & Bass Vocal Scholars for this summer. This free educational program focuses on undergraduate or advanced degree music students who sing tenor or bass voice part. Applicants do not need to be voice majors, but should be enrolled in a music degree program. We look forward to working with these talented singers. BCI thanks a generous BCI participant for underwriting the costs of this program.
Baritone Adolfo Gonzalez lives in Brownsville, Texas, where he is studying Music Education with an emphasis in voice at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. As a student, he has been active in mariachi ensembles and honors choirs. He is currently a member of the Valley’s professional Latin Mass choir and is a member of the University’s Master Chorale.
Eric Beomjin Kim, tenor, is a doctoral student and graduate assistant in choral conducting at the University of Maryland, where he serves as the conductor of Tactus and Maryland Palestrina Choir. Eric holds a Master’s Degree in Vocal Pedagogy and Choral Conducting from Westminster Choir College with distinction and a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Taylor University.
Matthew Williamson, bass, is a conductor, organist, and singer, currently pursuing his Master’s of Music in Choral Conducting at the Jacobs School of Music. At Jacobs, he has studied conducting with Drs. Betsy Burleigh, Carolann Buff, and Dominick DiOrio. He co-directs the Conductor’s Chorus and sings in the contemporary choir NOTUS, among other ensembles. Matthew holds a BA from Williams College, majoring in Music and English.
Obsa Kedir, tenor, is entering his Senior year as a student at St. Olaf College pursuing a B.A. in Music with Race and Ethnic Studies concentration, with a focus on choral conducting and music education. He currently serves as Student Manager for the St. Olaf Choir, helping coordinate rehearsals and concerts on campus and on tour. He has also been a soloist and percussionist during his past two years in the ensemble. He is also the Artistic Director of Spiritus Novus, a student-led chamber choir spotlighting student-composed works.
Travis Benoit, tenor, from Worcester, Massachusetts received his Master of Music Degree from The Manhattan School of Music in the spring of 2020. Travis’s Current ensembles include EnsembleNYC, CONCORA, Vox Futura, and Magnificat Sacred Music Institute’s Cor Unum Singers. Travis is also an Assistant Choir Director with Boston Children’s Chorus and works as adjunct vocal faculty with The Phillips Academy.
Wade Bogart, tenor, is a Junior at Missouri State University studying Vocal Music Education. Being described as “one of those voices that can make people feel,” and “a wonderful listen,” Wade has been singing as long as he can remember! Wade has traveled the world with the Missouri State University Chorale under the direction of Dr. Cameron LaBarr.
Originally from Marblehead, MA, Griffen Collins is an undergraduate and baritone at Tufts University studying music composition and cognitive neuroscience. Griffen is a member of the Beelzebubs, a well-known a cappella group which has performed across the country and the world, as well as the Tanglewood Festival Chorus.
Bass-Baritone Elliot Henderson, a native of Manhattan, is a sophomore at McGill University in Montréal, Québec. He is pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance in the studio of Brett Polegato. At McGill, Elliot sings bass in the Schulich Singers, conducted by Jean-Sebastién Vallée, and he is a Choral Scholar at Christ Church Cathedral.
Maxwell Smith, bass, is a 3rd year Voice Performance Major at the University of Akron. He enjoys singing (of course), playing board games, and dabbling in piano. He is looking to be a full-time performer and is thrilled to spend the week in Massachusetts!
Maxwell Trochlil is a tenor and choral director from Minnesota. He studied music education at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota and received his Masters in Sacred Music from the University of Notre Dame. Maxwell has previously been a US Voces8 scholar and a vocal fellow at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival.
Søren Keene-Wilson, bass, fell in love with the stage as Karl the Giant in Big Fish the musical. While studying at the College of Idaho, he performs in a wide range of styles—including chamber music, chorale, jazz, opera, and musical theater. He is majoring in Psychology with minors in Music and Theater.
Jonathan I. Gonzales, tenor, is a dedicated vocalist pursuing a Bachelor of Music Education at UTRGV. Jonathan is an active performer, he has sung with the UTRGV Master Chorale & Festival Chorus, Chorus of the Rio Grande Valley (CRGV), Valley Symphony Chorus, and various church choirs across South Texas.
