Kelley Sundin — Five Words or Less

Noted for her ‘dynamic energy’ and ‘technical expertise,’ the Minnesota born choral conductor and mezzo-soprano Kelley Marie Sundin has been praised for her work with young singers both in the classroom and on the podium throughout North Rhine-Westfalia, Germany and beyond. Since 2018, she has been serving as director of choral activities in the Folkwang Musikschule der Stadt Essen. She is also the artistic director of the Jugendmädchenchor in the Chorakademie am Konzerthaus Dortmund e.V.. Alongside her teaching, she is visiting professor for choral conducting and choral vocal methods on the Hochschule für Musik Detmold. Her work as a professional singer and conductor has lead her on several concerts tours throughout the world including Germany, Ireland, England, Chile, Italy, Tunisia, Estonia, Sweden, Austria, Czech Republic and well as the United States. In 2018, her youth choirs were recognized with high honors, a first and third prize, in the Deutscher Chorwettberb, a national choir competition for a cappella choral singing. Alongside her passions for teaching, Kelley shares a passion for building international relationships through music making. As a professional singer and as assistant choirmaster, she has collaborated in several international projects working closely Maestro Helmuth Rilling, Kathy Salzman Romey and young professionals in the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart, the Bachakademie Weimar and the Academia Internacional Teatro del Lago. As Mezzo-Soprano, she appears frequently as guest with the Kölner Vokalsolisten, a professional vocal ensemble in Köln, Germany. During her time in the U.S., she sang several seasons as a professional chorus member of the Berwick Chorus in the Oregon Bach Festival, as well as with The Singers—Minnesota Choral Artists and the South Dakota Chorale. Sundin holds a MM from the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities and BA in Voice Performance and K-12 Music Education from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. Her teachers include Prof. Kathy Salzman Romey, Dr. Matthew Mehaffey, Maestro Helmuth Rilling, Prof. Raimund Wippermann, Ingeborg Danz, Dr. Craig Arnold, Dr. Tim Peter and Dr. Sandra Peter.