Artistic Director
Dr. Nathan Payant, Artistic Director
Nathan Payant is a conductor, educator, and professional singer dedicated to cultivating lasting connections through the choral arts. He has choral teaching and conducting experience at the middle school, high school, collegiate, community, and professional levels. Nathan serves as an Assistant Professor of Practice at Colorado State University, where he directs the Concert Choir, teaches conducting, music education, and vocal music therapy courses. He is also the Director of Music and Arts at First United Methodist Church in Fort Collins, leading the Sanctuary Choir, Church Orchestra, and Handbell Choir. Ensembles under his direction have toured nationally and internationally and performed in renowned venues including, Carnegie Hall and St. Peter’s Basilica.
A dedicated advocate for choral music education, Nathan is active in NAfME, CMEA, ACDA, and CoACDA, with a particular passion for encouraging lifelong singing. He is frequently invited to present lectures and reading sessions at state conferences and regularly visits and clinics high school choirs throughout Colorado’s Front Range. He has served on the Colorado All-State Choir Board, the CMEA Vocal Music Council, and the Colorado ACDA Council as the Treble Choir Repertoire and Resources Chair. He is committed to championing great historical repertoire while also discovering and supporting newly composed works.
Nathan is also an active member of the professional choral community in Colorado. He is the Artistic Director of the Fort Collins-based community choir Laudamus Chamber Chorale, with a commitment to programming masterworks alongside innovative works by emerging composers while engaging young singers through dynamic educational programs. He has also been involved with the Colorado Bach Ensemble—Colorado’s fully professional ensemble dedicated to performing and promoting the music of J.S. Bach—since its inception, serving as a singer, personnel manager, and general manager. Through his work as a conductor, educator, and singer, Nathan seeks to create musical experiences that inspire artistic excellence, thoughtful collaboration, and lifelong engagement with choral music.
A native of South Dakota, Nathan is a proud alumnus of Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD, where he earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree. He received his Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from Colorado State University and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting and Literature from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Outside of his professional responsibilities, Nathan enjoys coffee, traveling, and spending time with his beautiful wife, Natalie, and three daughters, Faythe, Ava, and Lilian
Collaborative Pianist
Linda McGinn, Collaborative Pianist
Linda McGinn received Bachelor of Music Education and Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance degrees from Colorado State University, studying with James McCray and Robert Cavarra. She received an MA in Teaching from Grand Canyon University. Her 31 years of choral teaching included Thompson Valley HS in Loveland, Gunnison HS, Alamosa HS and Pueblo South HS. In addition to her teaching experience, Linda served as staff accompanist at Western State Colorado University, Adams State University and Colorado State University-Pueblo, and choral director at the Gunnison Community Church. Linda was a board member for both the Colorado Music Educators Association and the Colorado American Choral Directors Association and now serves as a judge for the Colorado All-State Choir auditions. Currently, she is collaborative pianist for the Loveland and Thompson Valley high school choirs. In 2013, Linda and her husband Wayne (retired college and high school football coach) returned to Loveland where they first met! They are most fortunate to have their grown children (Zack and Caitlin and her hubby Zach) and grandkids, Killian and Ella also in the NoCo area.
Singers
Soprano
Josie Brill
Evelyn Bruxvoort
Faith Crill
Ashley Eckroth
Brittany Hennings
Laura Horn
Erin McFall
Kerry Miller
Marian Railsback
Susan Reuth
Hannah Rogers
Jen Sajbel
Barbara Sebek
Barbara Shaw
Maisie Sky
Emilee Smith
Julie Spencer
Ivy Taylor
Montana Waters
Kathleen Zimmerman
Alto
Betsy Bedient
Jessica Bernett
Samantha Brewer
Elise Cangro
Nicole Ceciliani
Mary Dolce
Arlene Hoffman
Judy Leatherman
Ginger Martin
Alyx Martin
Sophie Matthews
Julia Méndez
Jeannie Merkel
Kaitlin Miles
Kaia Monson
Andrea Montgomery
Kiki Olsson
Kelley Pichel
Alexa Reuth
Aspen Ulibarri
Mallory Wilson
Tenor
Jonathan Boeke
River Brooks
Josh Colonnieves
Dakota de Irueste
Jonathan Dings
Andy Firebaugh
John Friskney
Oliver Knudson
Brandon Michael
Josh Murphy
Matthew Porter
Frank Reid
Kenneth Wicklund
Joel Wilson
Bass
Bob Brite
Angel Bustillos
Charlie Carlton
Tim Costello
Paul Eckoff
Alessandro Hernandez
Steve Lundeen
Aaron McGrew
Shane Miles
Mark Nelson
Joe Perron
Will Reents
Shawn Reuth
Bradley Roon
Maxwell Tiedemann
Roydan Tomlinson
