Jennifer Ferrand Kelly, soprano, is an accomplished ensemble and solo singer based in Connecticut. She performs regularly with CONCORA and Voce, and has also appeared with the Hartford Chorale, the Greater Middletown Chorale and its chamber ensemble Alchemy, and Collegium Ancora in Providence, RI.

Her solo engagements include Bach’s Mass in B Minor and Handel’s Messiah with Music Worcester, Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy with the Hartford Symphony, and CONCORA’s Bach Clavierfest. She can be heard with Voce on Signum Classics recordings including Blessing: The Music of Paul Mealor and The Nativity.

Reviewers have praised her performances for their artistry and expressiveness: The Worcester Telegram described her phrasing and tone as “gorgeously on target and utterly compelling,” while The Hartford Courant highlighted her “strong musical intelligence” and “excellent breath control.”

Originally from Buffalo, New York, Jennifer earned her undergraduate degree in Vocal Performance from the State University of New York at Geneseo. She is also a clinical psychologist with Hartford HealthCare, where she integrates her deep understanding of human emotion into both her professional and musical life.

Tenor Kirk Bobkowski, a Worcester Massachusetts native, graduated from Keene State College with a Bachelor of Music in Performance and Education and did his Masters work at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.  He has collaborated with many ensembles including The Worcester Chorus, Worcester State Chorale, Keene Chorale, Masterwork Chorus of New Jersey, Odyssey Opera, Connecticut Early Music Society, Quincy Choral Society, and Emmanuel Music.  His recent opera roles include Tamino (The Magic Flute), Nemorino (L’elisir d’amore), Ferrando (Così fan tutte), and Frederic (The Pirates of Penzance).  Kirk is also on roster with CONCORA, The Zenith Ensemble, Vellichor, and a choral scholar with Viva Bach Peterborough.  He is currently the Music Director at Chocksett Middle School and leads an afternoon vocal studio at Wachusett High School.

Stephan P. Barnicle,  taught choruses, orchestra and music technology in Connecticut High Schools from 1970 – 2004 when he retired and moved to Fayetteville, NC where he served as Director of Music Ministry at St. Patrick Catholic Church and the Artistic Director of the CANTATE Chamber Choir and the St. Patrick Music for Charity concert series for nine years, then returning to his hometown of Worcester, MA where he is active as singer, and composer with several area choruses and churches.

Raised as a chorister in Worcester’s St. Paul’s Cathedral Boys’ Choir, he has held a variety of positions as a  church musician for 70 years, this year. He began  teaching  Recorder and Voice to the younger boys in the Cathedral Choir School while still in high school, and has been teaching ever since.

Mr. Barnicle has appeared as guest soloist and conductor throughout the U.S. and in Europe. His solo roles have included several Operas, Operettas, Oratorios and recitals here and abroad. His compositions and arrangements are often programmed by festival choirs across the globe. He was the founded and Music Director of the Visit Canada International Polychoral Festival in Montreal and Quebec for a decade.

He is a published author, poet, arranger and award winning composer whose works are published by Walton, Plymouth and Alliance publications, and has served as choral consultant for Glencoe/Macmiilan/McGraw-Hill Educational Publishing. He was named Connecticut Music Educator of the Year for 1995; he was awarded the University of Connecticut’s “Excellence in High School Teaching” award; and was honored on national television on the “Disney Channel and McDonald’s presents the American Teacher Awards.” He is listed in Who’s Who in American Education, Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the  World.

During the summer of 2013, Steve returned to Worcester and accepted the position of Music Director at the First Congregational Church of Paxton. He left that position in January of this year, and has joined the outstanding choir at Trinity Lutheran Church, and functions as a Cantor at St. Anne’s Church and St. Mary’s Church, both in Shrewsbury.