OUR MISSION
Building Community Through Choral Music
Consonare Choral Community is a nonprofit choral arts organization created in 2018 to build community through choral music in Connecticut. Consonare mission is to build and cultivate community, primarily for women and children, through inclusive choral music education and performance opportunities at minimal cost, as well as engage the public in quality, collaborative, creative, and affordable choral programming.
OUR VISION
Consonare Choral Community, Incorporated strives to:
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create affordable opportunities for musicians and community members to experience quality choral music
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explore the practices of consonance and collaboration through creative choral programming
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promote an inclusive and intergenerational atmosphere for all singers
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nurture the creative potential of every singer through the encouragement of healthy vocal techniques and artistic excellence within the choral setting
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enrich the lives of a diverse population of musicians and the greater community through singing
CHOIRS SPONSORED BY CONSONARE:
Meet our Team
MEET OUR TEAM
Sarah Kaufold
Founding Artistic Director
Sarah Kaufold is a conductor, soprano, and music educator who advocates for inclusion on the podium, within the choral ensemble, and in the choir folder. With a supportive group of musicians, Sarah founded Consonare Choral Community in 2018 to build community through choral music in Connecticut, where she directs Choir Matrix, Voices of Concinnity, and Consonare Community Choir, in addition to managing the nonprofit organization. In the last two years, she has secured seven grants for Consonare and received two state grants as an individual artist, even while living with three teenagers during a pandemic. More about Sarah behind her photo -->
With extensive choral conducting and leadership experience, Sarah has directed choirs for singers of all ages, range of abilities, and in a number of settings, which include: church choral programs for children and adults since 2000, teaching middle and high school choral and general music classes in California; conducting collegiate choirs as a grad student and adjunct faculty; directing adult community choral programs and a professional vocal ensemble in Connecticut. Sarah holds a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from UConn with extensive graduate study in choral conducting from Cal State University, Los Angeles and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Cal Poly Pomona where she began her studies as a music educator. Learn more about Sarah at sarahkaufold.com
Sarah Kaufold (she/her)
Kaitlyn Neumann is a Senior at the University of Connecticut studying Music Education. At UConn she was the President of the UConn ACDA Student Chapter, Vice President of the UConn Choir Board, the music education representative on the Music Student Advisory Council, and the music representative for The Major Experience. Kaitlyn studied voice with Rod Nelman and Mark Womack. While at UConn, Kaitlyn had the privilege of singing with UConntabile, Collegium Musicum, Chamber Singers, and Concert Choir. She is so excited to work with the Consonare Youth Choir this session!
Kaitlyn Neumann
Youth Choirs Director
Consonare Youth Choirs (Choir 2)
(Dr.) Priyeshni Peiris-Perera is an international award winning choral Director, music educator and a classically trained concert pianist. She founded two Community choral groups in her home country –Sri Lanka, which topped the world Choir rankings by winning two Gold medals and the Championship trophy at the “Asia Pacific Choir Games” in 2017. She obtained a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree from Texas Tech University (USA) and a Master’s at the University of Tennessee (USA) where she was awarded the prestigious fellowships of “The AT&T Chancellor’s Fellowship” and the “Texas Tech President Horn Fellowship for Outstanding Academic & Professional Achievement.” She has concertized across the U.S, Australia, Europe & Singapore, China and disseminated her research in Music Performance & Pedagogy through lecture-recitals & workshops at prestigious international Music Conferences in the EU region. She returned to her native country, Sri Lanka, with the mission of fostering music education to motivate and empower the next generation of musicians at the University of Visual & Performing Arts, Colombo where she serves as a full-time Senior lecturer. She’s back in the states on her “Sabbatical” as a Visiting Scholar in Storrs, CT.
Priyeshni Peiris-Perera
Youth Choir Director & Pianist
Consonare Youth Choirs (Choir 1)
Janice Castle has been a renowned collaborative pianist in Mansfield since TrebleMakers first formed. Jan is also a music educator in Willington, as well as sub organist at Storrs Congregational Church.
Janice Castle
Collaborative Pianist
All Consonare Choirs
Jolie Edwards studies Music Education at the University of Connecticut. She started her choral journey at the age of 9 with the United Girls Choir for seven years. This choir sparked a love for choral singing, music theory, and eventually conducting.She performed in the All-State Music Festival, New England Music Festival Association, Carnegie Hall, and received the Outstanding Arts Award by the Connecticut Association of Schools. When she’s not studying or working, she enjoys playing the flute and the piccolo, as well as watercolor painting and hiking.
Jolie Edwards
Conducting Intern
Choir Matrix
Bobbi Giardina
Teaching Intern
Consonare Youth Choirs
Bobbi Giardina is a musician, choral singer, and certified teacher in early and elementary education. She is currently studying for a Kodaly Certificate in Music Education at NYU Steinhardt. Bobbi has always used singing and music in her classroom to teach, soothe, celebrate, and build community, and she believes that creating music together as a group has the power to help people feel more connected. She wants children to feel this joy of making music with others as they explore their musical competency through singing.
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
Our Board of Directors
Kara Hart, Board President​
Dr. Louisa Baker, Secretary​
Alexandra Walker, Treasurer​
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Theresa Cooper​
Dr. Mary Ellen Junda
Cynthia Myers
Jermaine Woodard, Jr.
Jack Zaino
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NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
Leadership
Sarah Kaufold, Executive Director
Consonare Choral Community is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization registered with the IRS, EIN 82-5430902
COMMUNITY
Consonare's Impact
Our ensembles have sung for many local community events, as well as had the privilege to perform at Carnegie Hall, Mark Twain House & Museum, New Britain Museum of American Art, Florence Griswold Museum, Hill-Stead Museum, Wadsworth-Athenenum Museum, the Packing House, Charter Oak Cultural Center, Trinity College Chapel, and many churches located across Connecticut.
Our music videos have been viewed in 45 countries over 230,000 times on our YouTube channel alone. We have commissioned new choral music to be composed from the following composers: Melissa Dunphy, Cheryl B. Engelhardt, and Karen Siegel.
We have been honored to collaborate with The Hartt School, UConn Earthtones, ECSU Chorale, Uconntabile, Hartford Opera Theater, Conn-Men, The Unitus Ensemble, Thread City Classical Dance, Novi Cantori Chamber Choir, The Choir School of Hartford, Joshua's Trust, Town of Mansfield, Mark Twain House & Museum, Women Composers Festival of Hartford, Hop River Chamber Music, Beck 'n Call, as well as raise donations for The Neighbor Fund, Lift Music Fund, Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, and the Covenant Soup Kitchen.
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We cultivate a space for women studying conducting and music education to practice their craft with our choirs.
Grant Awards:
2020 Alfred Nash Paterson Grant Recipient
2020 Covid Relief Grant Recipient
2021 Phoenix Award Recipient
2021 Support Arts Grant Recipient
2022 Performing Arts Group Grant Recipient
2023 Performing Arts Group Grant Recipient
2022 Quick Grant Recipient from CT Humanities
2022 CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant Recipient
2023 CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant Recipient
2023 Marjorie Jolidon Fund Grant Recipient
Please consider supporting this work through a tax deductible donation
Thank you to these supporters and partners:
With the support of the Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts, which also received support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.”
Connecticut Humanities (CTH) is an independent, non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. CTH connects people to the humanities through grants, partnerships, and collaborative programs. CTH projects, administration, and program development are supported by state and federal matching funds, community foundations, and gifts from private sources. Learn more by visiting cthumanities.org.
