KAREN KENASTON-FRENCH
choral director

Karen Kenaston-French, newly appointed Director of Choral Activities at Austin Peay State University,   has been active in the field of choral conducting for 19 years, both in sacred and higher education institutions. She has taught conducting at Southern Methodist University and at the University of North Texas, where she was a Teaching Fellow and directed the 85-voice Women’s Chorus. In 2000 she was honored by the University of North Texas as the Outstanding Graduate Student in Conducting and Ensembles, and by Pi Kappa Lambda as Outstanding Doctoral Student.

During her twelve-year tenure as Director of Music Ministries at the 1,800-member Plymouth Park United Methodist Church in Irving, Texas, Dr. Kenaston-French managed a program which included a 90-member adult choir, a 75-member youth choir,  3 handbell choirs, 5 other performing ensembles and over 250 persons.   Under her direction the Plymouth Park Chancel Choir toured Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, and released a recording of spirituals and anthems entitled “Grateful Praise.”  Her success with the Plymouth Park youth choir led to her popularity as a clinician for festivals and workshops for directors in Texas church music circles.

Also active as a vocalist, Ms. Kenaston-French studied voice with Dr. Lynn Eustis, was a regular soloist at various churches in the Dallas area, and for ten years was a member of the Dallas Symphony Chorus under David Davidson and Andrew Litton.  In 1991 she was selected from a national competition to sing in the Robert Shaw Festival Chorus at Carnegie Hall.

E-mail: KenastonK@apsu.edu
Phone: (931) 221-7002

APSU Choral Program