The Summer Singers of Lee’s Summit, a 75-member summer-only community chorus, is seeking new singers for their 11th summer of singing in 2025. Founded in 2014, the Summer Singers has performed a plethora of choral masterworks with distinguished soloists and professional orchestra, including classics by Brahms, Faure, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and many others. Rehearsals are Thursday evenings during June and July and culminate in a gala concert at the end of July. Though music reading ability is a must, there is no audition for membership. All singers, 16 & up, are welcome to join. Tuition is modest, with special discounts for students and members of professional music associations. Singers may register online at www.ChoralFoundation.org/registernow
The 2025 season of the Summer Singers of Lee’s Summit will feature a program called, “Mozart & His American Contemporaries.” The repertoire will be the lively MISSA BREVIS in D, K.194 and AVE VERUM CORPUS of Mozart, music of the American Colonial period created during Mozart’s lifetime, and music of the American Moravians, also created during Mozart’s life of 1756-1791. The performance will feature guest soloists Melissa Overton, Jennifer Lahasky, Sean Sweeden and Michael Hon. Many of the orchestra musicians will be members of the Kansas City Symphony.
Dr. William O. Baker, head of the Choral Foundation and the first director of the Summer Singers, returns as Music Director & Conductor. Dr. Baker also serves as the Music Director of the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Lee’s Summit. An Atlanta native he came to the Kansas City region in 1998, building the Choral Foundation to twelve music ensembles based in four states and involving hundreds of singers. He studied voice and conducting at Mercer University and the University of Georgia before earning the Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. In 2023, he was named second place national winner of the Dale Warland Award for Choral Conducting. In 2024, he was named a National Arts Associate by the Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity. His work has been commended by Governors Joe Frank Harris and Sonny Purdue of Georgia and Jeff Colyer of Kansas, along with the Georgia House of Representatives and the City of Kansas City, MO. He is host of “The Choral Director’s Toolbox” a weekly podcast show for choral leaders.
Niccole Williams has been named Associate Music Director of the Summer Singers. Ms. Williams holds the Bachelor of Music Education from Kennesaw State University in Georgia, and the Master of Music Education in Choral Pedagogy from the University of Kansas. She is a long time member and section leader of the semi-professional William Baker Festival Singers, and is Education Director for the Institute for Healthy Singing and Voice Research. She will be leading vocal and choral training and will conduct portions of each concert of the Summer Singers of Lee’s Summit.
The Summer Singers of Lee’s Summit has enjoyed great success since its first performance in 2014, with well-regarded performances before capacity audiences. Singers have come from as far as Lawrence, Kansas and Nevada, Missouri to participate in the season learning and performing opportunity.
For information, email [email protected] or call 913-488-7524. To register for the 2025 Summer Singers of Lee’s Summit, visit www.ChoralFoundation.org/registernow.
