Performance Opportunities
Luminare
St. Catherine University is proud to announce the creation of a new, high-level choral ensemble to begin in the Fall of 2027: Luminare (loo-min-ARE-ay). Membership to this choir will be based on a successful audition with the director, Dr. Dane Alexander Carten. Students who are part of the College for Women that successful pass this audition and who accept invitation to the ensemble will be granted the Luminare Choral Scholarship. Details of that scholarship can be found HERE.
Luminare will be a chamber choir focused on singing challenging repertoire. This ensemble will aim to have multiple performances per semester both on and off campus. Members of this choir will strive for the highest level of choral excellence, and singers may need to work on their music outside of rehearsal to accomplish this goal. Similar to University Choir, Luminare will also frequently perform the music of marginalized and underrepresented composers.
Timeline for auditioners (2027):
- January 15: Students wishing to audition must have applied to and been accepted by St. Kate’s.
- February 15: On-campus auditions will be held for incoming prospective students. Students auditioning digitally must submit their materials by this date.
- March 1: The director will send offers of acceptance to incoming first-year students.
- April 1: On-campus auditions will be held for students already enrolled at St. Kate’s.
- April 15: The director will send offers of acceptance to returning students.
- May 1: Deadline for decisions on offers given; ensemble membership will be finalized.
Audition process:
The following is expected to be prepared ahead of a prospective singer’s audition, with the exception of sight-reading materials. This audition process is intended to provide a diagnostic view of each chorister’s abilities. Auditioners will meet with Dr. Carten and the Collaborative Pianist for their audition, and must be prepared to do the following:
- Sing 1 (one) prepared solo in the genres of: aria, art song, or musical theatre.
- Perform a specified excerpt from Shireen Abu-Khader’s Lammaa Badaa Yatathannaa.
- Sight read three lines of music.
Digital Auditions:
Students who wish to audition for Luminare but cannot come to St. Kate's on February 15 may instead email their materials to Dr. Dane Alexander Carten (dacarten943@stkate.edu). Digital Auditioners must turn in these materials ahead of the February 15 date. This also requires a scheduled Zoom call to conduct the sight reading portion. Those students must contact the director and complete this portion of their audition ahead of the February 15 date.
The full details of the audition and excerpts are found HERE.
University Choir
The University Choir is a treble choir comprised of students attending St. Kate's and is offered as a co-curricular activity. The choir has no audition requirement - just come ready to sing! University Choir will regularly perform works which feature languages and cultures outside of the Western European-Classical tradition, with a focus on composers of marginalized and underrepresented identities and communities.
Music literacy, vocal pedagogy, and community-building are core aspects of University Choir rehearsals, and students can expect to build musical skills and lasting connections through this ensemble. University Choir is also an affirming and safe space for students to explore their creativity and express themselves through singing. The choir meets twice a week - Monday and Wednesday evenings from 5:00pm to 6:30pm in rehearsal hall in the basement of the Music Building. Prospective/interested singers may fill out this interest form.
For further inquiries about the choir and joining, please contact director Dr. Dane Alexander Carten: dacarten943@stkate.edu
Fall 2026 Performances:
Friday, November 6th @ 7pm: Fall concert "The Triune Nature" held in Recital Hall, Music Building.
Sunday, December 13th @ 4pm: Holiday Concert with Chapel Choir held in Our Lady of Victory Chapel.
Chapel Choir
Open to all students, faculty, staff, and community members, this choir meets weekly on Wednesday evenings from 7pm to 8:15 in the Chapel to rehearse. Chapel Choir sings once a month for Sunday Masses in addition to special concerts and events at St. Kate's. There is no audition requirement, but please RSVP to ensure there is a folder ready for you! Liturgies at St. Kate's strive to always be welcoming and inclusive to people of all faith journeys - you do not have to be Catholic to participate. Our current vocal range is SATB, and our current age range is 18-85! There are also opportunities within the group for solo singers or instrumentalists.
For inquires about the Chapel Choir and joining, please contact Director of Music and Liturgy Katie Jonza: kejonza940@stkate.edu
Fall 2026 Schedule:
Sunday Mass Dates: October 11, November 1, November 29
Joint Candlelight Christmas Concert with the University Choir: Sunday, December 13th at 4pm
Christmas Eve: 4:00pm Lessons and Carols, 4:30pm Mass
All services and concerts take place in Our Lady of Victory Chapel.
Pick Up Choir
Interested in participating through song in St. Kate's larger University Events? Pick up choir is composed of anyone in the St. Kate's Community, including both University and Chapel Choir members . This group is for those who are too busy to commit to weekly rehearsals, but want to still sing!
Opportunities to sing throughout the year include: Mass of the Holy Spirit, Christmas Eve, Baccalaureate Mass, Reunion Mass, and various prayer services scattered throughout the year.
For further inquiries about the choir and joining, please contact Katie Jonza: kejonza940@stkate.edu
Fall 2026 Pick-Up Choir:
Baccalaureate Mass: Saturday May 9, 9:00am Mass
Reunion Mass: Sunday, June 7, 10:30am Mass
All performances take place in the beautiful Our Lady of Victory Chapel unless noted otherwise.
Meet Our Conductors
Dane Alexander Carten (he/him) is a lifelong musician, performer, and composer, lending his voice to concert halls across the country in professional ensembles such as the Audivi Symphonic/Opera Chorus, Detroit Symphonic Orchestral Choir, and the Helios Ensemble. He spent his formative years in the punk and metal scenes of Detroit, and toured the Midwest first as a hardcore metal vocalist, then as a bassist and backup vocalist for several rock and pop-punk bands. Dane holds two Summa Cum Laude degrees in music – the Associate of Music Theory and Composition from Oakland Community College in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and the Bachelor of Music Education with a focus in Voice from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. He also holds a Masters and Doctorate in Choral Conducting from the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. Dane has contributed scholarly articles to books such as GIA Publications' Choral Repertoire by Women Composers, as well as regional and national journals such as the Antiphon and The Choral Journal on topics related to marginalized composers, vocal pedagogy, modern choral music, and singing technique. Dane now holds the position of Director of Cocurricular music here at St. Catherine University, and conducts the University Choir.
Katie Jonza (she/her) is an experienced Church Musician and Liturgist, with ten years of professional experience in churches and campus ministry. With a BM in Church Music from St. Olaf College and an MA in Liturgical Music from St. John's University School of Theology and Seminary, Katie has training in Music Education and Pedagogy, Liturgical and Sacred Music, Piano, Voice, and Choral Conducting. Her favorite part of working as the Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Kate's is working with the students, faculty, staff, alumni, and Our Lady of Victory Mass Community members. In addition to planning all Christian worship on campus, she directs the Chapel Choir, the only choir on campus open to students, faculty, staff, and community members of all ages, genders, voice parts, and skill level.
