Janiece Joyce Kohler
Janiece Kohler has built an enthusiastic and loyal following among Orange County’s choral community over the past 30 years.A native of Trenton, Michigan, Jan Kohler is a musician with international performance and training credits. Formally trained as a singer, pianist, and organist, she chose to earn her degree in Vocal Performance at the Western Michigan University School of Music in Kalamazoo where she became an outstanding choral conducting student of Thomas C. Hardie. Continuing her education, she elevated her studies to the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien (University of Music and the Performing Arts – Vienna, Austria) and took the opportunity to make solo performances in Italy, Switzerland, and France when her advanced studies in Europe were completed.
In the United States, some of Miss Kohler’s early credits include appearances with the Detroit Symphony, Kalamazoo Symphony, the Grand Rapids Symphony orchestras, and the Dearborn (Detroit) Choral Arts Society in Michigan. Before her move to New York City, she enjoyed directing several musical theater productions at the New Vic Theatre in Kalamazoo (MI), the Grand Valley State College Drama Department (Allendale, MI) and for Southgate Community Players. Once settled in New York, she quickly became immersed in the music scene again, directing musicals at the private Garden School in Jackson Heights, Queens, NY.
A professional church musician since her early teens, Janiece remains actively involved in several church music communities in the New York metropolitan area. From 1983 until 2010, Janiece grew and fine-tuned the music ministry of the First Presbyterian Church in Washingtonville (NY). She is currently serving as organist for the historic Blooming Grove United Church of Christ, the rehearsal home of Classic Choral Society since 1959.
A member of the American Choral Directors Association, Janiece is often sought to conduct and adjudicate young singers for the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA), and facilitate choral music reading sessions for music teachers in Orange County. Retired from a thirty-year career as Specialist in Repertory Research at the international headquarters of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) in New York City, Jan makes her home in Monroe (NY).
Ms. Kohler has been Artistic Director and Principal Conductor for the Orange County Classic Choral Society since 1991.
