Our Conductor

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Dr. Kesling begins his 20th season in 2024 as Director of the Gainesville Master Chorale and will also begin his inaugural season directing the Village Voices Chorus & Orchestra. Previously, Dr. Kesling was the Director of the Orchestra and Choral programs at Utah State University for nineteen years. His college choirs have received international attention and have made multiple appearances at both national and divisional conventions for the American Choral Directors Association.

At the University of Florida, his choirs have appeared with the San Diego Symphony, National Philharmonic, Washington, D.C., Czech National Orchestra and the Czech National Theater Orchestra as well as the Kronos String Quartet, the Three Italian Tenors, and the Posaune Voce Trio of Birmingham, England, and made a first-ever American Choral Directors Association convention appearance. On September 11, 2004, Maestro Kesling made his debut with the National Philharmonic in Constitution

Hall, Washington, DC premiering the new Revolutionary War oratorio, A Prelude to Glory.

In March 2002, his Utah State University Chamber Choir appeared before the combined Western and Northwestern Division Convention of the College Band Directors Association. That same month, the Utah State University Combined Choirs were featured in the Opening Ceremonies of the Paralympics on NBC.

Dr. Kesling has conducted numerous All State choirs and festivals and has conducted military choirs and bands. Prof. Kesling has published scholarly choral editions and compositions and has penned academic articles for professional journals, and now a new book, The Voices I Hear: A Philosophical and Practical Approach to the Choral Art. Dr. Kesling serves on the International Editorial Board for the Journal of Culture and Art.

Selected Awards~

• The Congressional Order of Merit by the Congress of the United States of America, September 2003
• The Ronald Reagan Gold Medal, November 2004
• The Congressional Medal of Distinction for his contributions to the cultural life of the citizenry, March 2006.
• Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, men’s fraternity of musicians, National Honorary Member, October 12, 2013
• UF College of the Arts Scholar/Teacher of the year (2021) and International Educator of the Year (2017, 2019, 2022)
• Albert Nelson Marquís Lifetime Achievement Award, 2020
• Professor of the Year by the Top 100 Registry, 2022

Download expanded highlights of Dr. Kesling's career.