
Collaboration with ECSU Chorale
Meet our Team
Consonare Artistic Leadership:
Sarah Kaufold, 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 six grants for Consonare and received two state grants as an individual artist, even while living with three teenagers during a pandemic.
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
Brianna Chance, Youth Choir Director
Janice Castle, Collaborative Piano


Brianna Chance studies Music Education at the University of Connecticut. She hails from New Haven, Connecticut and has a strong background in instrumental and choral music. Outside of the classroom, she serves as an undergraduate researcher with the BOLD Women's Leadership Network and loves to roller skate.
Consonare Interns:
Bobbi Giardina, Intern-Youth Choir

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.
Jolie Edwards, Intern-Choir Matrix

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.
Consonare Board of Directors:
Consonare Nonprofit Leadership:
Kara Hart
Board President
Attorney of Immigration and Naturalization Law
Helene Marcy
Secretary
Program Manager, UConn Collaboratory on School and Child Health
Dr. Mark Boyer
Treasurer
Executive Director at International Studies Association, UConn Distinguished Professor
Dr. Louisa Baker
Consonare Youth Chorus (parent) Representative
UConn Psychology professor, Clinician
Jermaine Woodard, Jr.
Voices of Concinnity Singer Representative
Professional Singer
Cynthia Myers
Choir Matrix Singer Representative
Retired English Professor
Theresa Cooper
Consonare Community Choir Singer Representative
Retired Music Educator
Dr. Mary Ellen Junda
Board Member
UConn Music Professor, Choral Director
Jack Zaino
Consonare Youth Choir Emeritus
Music Educator, Music Publishing Editor
Sarah Kaufold
Executive Director

Consonare Choral Community is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit choral arts organization that was founded in 2018 to build community through choral music in Connecticut.