Dr. Mary Kay Geston
MARY KAY GESTON has been Great River Chorale’s artistic director since 2010 and artistic managing director since 2015. Previously she was associate professor of music at UNW, visiting professor of choral studies at CU Boulder, and director of choral activities at NSU. She has taught at UWRF, UMTC, UMN-Morris, CSP, and St. Olaf College, conducted the MMTA Honors Concert, and was founding director of the Fargo Moorhead Choral Artists and the Minneapolis Vocal Consort, associate conductor of Longmont Chorale, inaugural director of MN Chorale’s Voices of Experience, and directed church choirs for 21 years. Choirs under her direction have performed at state and regional ACDA, Chorus America, MMEA, and SDMEA conferences. She has prepared choirs for the SCSO and MN Orchestra, directed all-state and honor choirs in CO, MN, KY, ND, SD and WI, and guest conducted in Taiwan and South Korea. She has been a clinician or panelist at state, regional and national professional conferences for ACDA, AGO, CMS, NAfME, and NATS. An accomplished soprano, she sang professionally with the Robert Shaw Festival Singers on tour and at Carnegie Hall, and as a soloist with orchestras in MN, CO, ND, and SD. Geston has served in numerous elected and appointed positions in ACDA including as president of ACDA North Central Region and ACDA-MN, and chair of ACDA-MN’s F. Melius Christiansen Endowment Fund Committee. Mary Kay received ACDA-MN’s 2012 Choral Director of the Year Award. She has a DMA in choral literature and conducting from CU Boulder, an MM in choral conducting from UMTC, and a BA in vocal performance and teaching certification from NDSU.
Great River Chorale Roster – Spring 2026
Artistic staff
- Mary Kay Geston, Artistic Managing DirectorSponsored by Anita & Don Fischer, Charles & Judith Welter
- Stephanie Otremba, Operations Assistant
Soprano
- Janet Anderson
- Jessica BasolSponsored by Donna Harris, Roberta Basol
- Rebecca BotzSponsored by Steve & Sharon Botz
- Jamie DeeringSponsored by Any Day Kayak Adventurers
- Maria Erceg
- Anita FischerSponsored by Gina Bystedt, Deanne & Patrick Hollermann, Katy Korby, Kristin Wolf, Jeanne & Mike Woods
- Darcy Lease-GubrudSponsored by John & Nancy Lease
- Nina Lasceski, OSBSponsored by Carolina & Fred Shermock, Deanne & Patrick Hollermann
- Marit Ortega
- Stephanie Otremba
- Caitlin OttoSponsored by Dale & Cathy Hutchcraft
- Marit RipleySponsored by Doug & Mary Kay Geston
- Carol ShowalterSponsored by Brad Petry
- Jennifer Stoutenburg
- Amy WalkerSponsored by Jason Walker, Gary Sneide, Cathy Bussey-Wolff
- Aera WenischSponsored by Dave Wenisch
Alto
- Anna Blommer
- Natalie CopelandSponsored by Stacey Johnson
- Hayley Elvendahl-Rumley
- Eileen Farrell
- Kate Gardner
- Donna Harris Sponsored by Mary Munger, Marc & Cynthia Cannon, Roberta Basol
- Chris Ann Johnson Sponsored by Charlotte Stephens in memory of Lowell Olson, The Old Man Wool Farm
- Erin Rysavy JurekSponsored by the Rysavy Family
- Ellen Kain
- Amanda KoubskySponsored by Bob & Cindy Koubsky
- Jean KraftSponsored by Mark Larcom
- Emily Kvidt
- Maureen Otremba
- Kendra Penke
- Lori Roggenkamp
- Claire StudtSponsored by Larry Studt
- Lisa Whiteoak
Tenor
- Lucas Ford
- Calvin Denson Lehman
- Jacob Lohman
- Chris Nhotsavang
- Matthew Palmateer
- Tim Seeman
- Aelred Senna, OSB
- Tony StoutenburgSponsored by His Best Friend
- Jeremiah Weber
- Derik WeldonSponsored by Nancy, Hannah & Cecelia Weldon
- Riley WenischSponsored by Dave Wenisch
- Charles Wright
Bass
- Wayne Anderson
- Chris Brown
- Bill Cook
- Dennis Douma
- Dirk Edmonds
- Matthew Kiminski
- Seth MIller
- Timothy Ostby
- Brad PetrySponsored by Carol Showalter
- Tim RysavySponsored by the Rysavy Family
- Rick RysavySponsored by the Rysavy Family
- Mike Schut
- Chris StadtherSponsored by Kathleen Stadther, Ben & Caryn Stadther
- Mike StadtherSponsored by Ben & Caryn Stadther, Desiree Kukuk
- Charles WelterSponsored by MOverland Consulting
- Matthew Zook