Cantus – Musica Viva!

Described as having a “deep, expressive voice” and “setting a high theatrical bar,” by the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Samuel Green is a versatile singer and voice over artist.

Prior to joining Cantus, Samuel was a sought after musician in the thriving Kansas City arts scene, lending his voice to several ensembles including the GRAMMY® Award Winning Kansas City Chorale under the direction of Charles Bruffy, the Simon Carrington Chamber Singers, and Kantorei of Kansas City, among others. In addition to chorister experience, Samuel has taken the stage performing jazz, barbershop, southern gospel and country music as a soloist and ensemble musician.

Samuel also uses his talents as a voice over artist. His recent projects include online tutorials and videos, spoken word for new compositions, and other freelance work.

While on vocal rest (when he’s not using his voice), you can find Samuel reveling in the bustling metropolis that is the Twin Cities, quietly engaging with nature and poetry on a hike, drinking Minnesota beers, or enthusiastically watching St. Louis Cardinals baseball at home.

Born and raised in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, Jacob Christopher, tenor, began to cultivate his craft at a young age singing at the top of his lungs to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. When people ask which parent he got his talent from, he is quick to respond: Donny Osmond.

Jacob began his professional career in Chicago where he sang with Music of the Baroque, Wicker Park Choral Singers, and as a chorister with the Lyric Opera of Chicago from 2010-2012. He premiered numerous art songs through Singers on New Ground, performed at Chicago’s iconic Green Mill Jazz Lounge, and has sung back-up vocals for Ben Folds (with the Minnesota Orchestra) and for The Judds (on the Oprah Winfrey Show).

Jacob moved to New York City in 2012 and was a founding member of Manhattan Chorale under the direction of Dr. Craig Arnold. Other New York appearances include Ragtime at Lincoln Center, the New York City workshop, Paper Mill Playhouse production, and Studio Cast Recording of Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the award-winning production of The Christians (Off-Broadway debut) and in April 2016 Jacob made his Carnegie Hall debut accompanied by the New York City Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Richard Bjella. He is thrilled to be continuing his musical journey with Cantus this season!

Chris Foss grew up in southwest Iowa and graduated from Millikin University with a BM in Commercial Music. After a short two years at the University of Nebraska directing the Vocal Jazz program and earning his MM in Choral Conducting, Chris relocated to the Twin Cities and has been proud to be a part of Cantus since then. In addition to composing and arranging, Chris has made numerous guest appearances with other vocal groups, including: Minnesota Bach Ensemble, Four Shadow,  Beer Choir, Omaha Chamber Music Series, Chapter 6, Voices of Omaha, Dulces Voces and Home Free. Chris also served on the voice faculty of McNally Smith College of Music until 2017.

Rod Kelly Hines is a classically trained baritone and versatile artist who enjoys performing in a variety of genres. He feels most at home in choral ensembles, enjoying the spectrum of artistry that he is able to explore within a vast range of musical styles. From 2018-2021 he was a member of the Brooklyn-based ensemble Choral Chameleon, under the direction of Vince Peterson. In 2019 he became an inaugural member of EXIGENCE Vocal Ensemble, directed by Dr. Eugene Rogers. He received a Master of Music in Voice Performance from Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA, where he performed roles such as: Papageno in Die Zauberflöte (Mozart), Peter in Hansel and Gretel (Humperdinck), and Masetto in Don Giovanni (Mozart). He was also a featured soloist in the opera Silent Night by Kevin Puts, presented by The Atlanta Opera in their 2017-18 season.

Tenor Alex Nishibun has enjoyed singing since childhood and fondly remembers his early years of church choir singing and high school chorus. His love for singing was encouraged by his musical family and devoted music teachers from grade school to graduate school.

Alex Nishibun is in his sixth season as a tenor with Cantus. When he’s not singing with his colleagues or performing his various artistic co-director responsibilities, he’ll likely be found playing bluegrass mandolin, taking walks in parks, or having wine with friends. He loves his time performing around the nation, but he’s always happiest returning home to his wife, Jesi, and their Boston Terrier, Moose.

Paul John Rudoi is an award-winning musician, entrepreneur, and advocate for arts access.

As a professional tenor vocalist, Paul has performed and recorded a wide range of music in professional ensembles nationwide including Seraphic Fire, The Santa Fe Desert Chorale, True Concord, the Oregon Bach Festival, and most notably Cantus. As a member of Cantus for more than eight seasons, Paul has premiered dozens of new works, traveled across four continents, educated in masterclasses driven by Cantus’ artistic and programming model, and advocated for arts education and empowerment via outreach opportunities nationwide.

Deemed “indisputably unique, confident, and innovative” through the American Prize, Paul’s compositions have been commissioned and performed by various ensembles and artists throughout North America and Europe. His work has garnered numerous grants from the Jerome Foundation, the ACF, MRAC, MSAB, the NEA, and ASCAP. His music is published through PJR Music (exclusively managed and distributed by Graphite Publishing) alongside ECS, Walton, MorningStar, Santa Barbara, and Graphite music publishers.

Paul recently served as the 3rd Artistic Director for the St. John’s Boys’ Choir during its 40th Anniversary Season and currently conducts the Chorale at Meetinghouse Church in Edina, Minnesota.

Paul is a fierce advocate for new music trends, resources, and issues. He is co-founder and CEO of “Consortio,” the online consortium building platform designed to help composers, conductors, and ensembles find common themes and interests for consortium-based commissioning while offering tools and services to make such commissioning more readily accessible and feasible.

Paul holds degrees from the Hartt School and the University of Oregon. His teachers have included Dr. Sharon Paul, Robert Kyr, and Dr. Edward Bolkovac.

Tenor Paul Scholtz is in his tenth season with Cantus. In addition to singing, he serves on the Artistic Council and as communications lead along with managing the ensemble’s social media. He recently completed his sixth and final year on the Cantus Board of Directors. Paul earned his bachelors degree in English from Luther College in Decorah, IA.

When not performing with the ensemble or executing his other duties as one of the eight artistic co-directors of Cantus, Paul can be found at home — likely singing! — with his wife, Marie and their three children, Louis, Loren, and Renée.

Paul’s hobbies include spending time outdoors, running, biking, and playing cards.

Baritone Jeremy M. Wong enjoys a wonderfully varied career as a singer, conductor, and voice teacher who has performed on both the international and U.S. stages with focuses in oratorio, art song, and ensemble singing. Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, past seasons have seen him premiering solo roles in major choral compositions that honor the culture and history of the islands. He has enjoyed many collaborations with the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra (HSO) and the O‘ahu Choral Society, most notably originating a solo quartet for the world premiere of Michael-Thomas Foumai’s Raise Hawaiki (2019)—a choral symphony chronicling the 1976 maiden voyage of the Hōkūle’a—a double-hulled sailing canoe that traveled from Honolulu to Tahiti using ancient navigational techniques, and the story of Eddie Aikau, a major figure in contemporary Hawaiian culture. Jeremy also sang as soloist in the full premiere of Herb Mahelona’s Kinohi (2018), an a cappella oratorio in ‘olelo Hawai‘i (the Hawaiian language). Jeremy made his debut with the HSO in 2016, singing the bass solo to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 under the baton of JoAnn Falletta. Jeremy is an active recitalist whose major interests include German Lieder, Japanese art song, and American art song, most recently performing in a joint recital at Harvard University with mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Eschen (2019).

As a conductor and voice teacher, Jeremy has experience and success teaching a wide variety of ages and skill levels, having been invited to give choral clinics and adjudicate festivals in the Honolulu, Portland, and Seattle areas. He is passionate about bringing vocal awareness and health into the choral classroom, and finding musicality through efficient vocal technique. He has collaborated with Early Music Hawai‘i as guest conductor and curator, and has led choirs at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM) and Hawai‘i Pacific University (HPU). He has served on the voice faculties of UHM, HPU, and Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR.

As an ensemble singer, Jeremy has sung with the Oregon Bach Festival as a core member of the Berwick Chorus, and has appeared with the Carnegie Hall Chamber Chorus, performing in a joint concert with Peter Phillips’s Tallis Scholars. Jeremy has also had the privilege of lending his voice to international project choruses, including the Junges Stuttgarter Bach Ensemble—where he also made his international solo debut, and the Weimar Bach Cantata Academy under the baton of maestro Helmuth Rilling. He is passionate about collaborative music making, and is thrilled to create music at a high level with the singers of Cantus.

Is this concert free?
No, this concert is only open to paying members. To learn more about MBAW’s membership and join, click here.

What is the parking situation?
Parking is dependent upon each venue and will be communicated directly to members prior to the event.

Can I see this artist elsewhere?
Yes. This artist is available for another membership series and a free public concert. Please return to the event calendar to see these other events.

Can I take pictures or video at the event?
Please no flash photography during artist(s) performance. We would love for you to capture and share your experience, but we do ask that you be conscientious of others and the artists during their performance so as not to disrupt the event.

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