Soprano, Conductor, Teacher

Kiersten Honaker received her undergraduate degree in English from Brigham Young University and her MA in English Literature and Writing from Utah State University. After spending a few years as an undergraduate English teacher and an editor, she returned to school at the University of Utah where she completed a degree in Vocal Music Education and was mentored in conducting by Brady Allred. A classically trained soprano, Kiersten has performed as the soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, and several Bach cantatas, and twice placed first in her division at the National Association for Teachers of Singing competition. As a member of the University of Utah Singers and Salt Lake Vocal Artists, Kiersten toured extensively and won choral competitions in Marktoberdorf, Germany; Tolosa, Spain; and Arezzo, Italy. She is a member of the professional choir Brevitas and the early music ensemble Sound of Ages, and was a regularly contracted singer at LA East studios where she recorded soundtracks for film, television, and video games. Kiersten has taught middle school choir and musical theater, elementary music, and high school choir and voice, has served as Music Director of a Methodist church, and conducted the Young Choral Artists children’s choir and the Salt Lake Choral Artists Women's Choir. She also assistant conducted the Utah Baroque Ensemble, with whom she toured to Germany. She has completed conducting master classes with international conductors Volker Hempfling, Hermia Schlichtmann, and Jonathan Velasco and earned her DMA in choral conducting from Boston University, where she studied with Ann Howard Jones.