Department of Music Choral/Vocal Faculty

 

Eda Ashby

 

Dr. Eda Ashby joined the faculty in 1999. She received her master’s and doctorate degrees in choral music from University of Southern California, where she sang in the twenty-voice internationally touring Chamber Choir. She received her bachelor's in piano performance summa cum laude from Brigham Young University. Before coming to BYU-Idaho she taught voice, choir, and other music classes for nine years at Utah Valley State College, while maintaining a very busy private voice studio. She was associate director of the International Children's Choir (in northern Utah) from its inception until she moved to Idaho, and she has remained on the board of directors since moving. She has soloed with the BYU-Idaho choirs, with the Canti con Brio choir under Dr. Ronald Staheli, and sang in BYU Singers for a number of years. She regularly writes and arranges music for her choirs. She currently teaches voice lessons and voice-related classes and works with several choirs, including the auditioned winter-summer Chamber Choir.

 

Kevin Brower

 

Dr. Kevin L. Brower is Director of Choral Activities at Brigham Young University-Idaho and is a graduate of Utah State University, Brigham Young University, and Arizona State University. Before his appointment at BYU-Idaho, he taught music in the public schools in Wyoming, including junior high and high school choir, band, musical theater, and general music. Dr. Brower often serves as guest conductor, clinician, and vocal/choral adjudicator. As an invited guest, he has conducted the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in their weekly broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word and has worked with other church-affiliated groups such as the Southern California Mormon Choir. Dr. Brower was conductor in residence for the Arizona Mormon Choir. He has conducted choirs and taught music theory at the College of Southern Idaho Summer Music Camp for high school students and has been a frequent guest faculty member of the Workshop on Church Music at Brigham Young University.

 

 

At BYU-Idaho, Dr. Brower is conductor of Collegiate Singers and co-director of Vocal Union. In addition, Dr. Brower is an instructor of voice and method courses for music education majors. His choral groups have been invited to perform at such prestigious events as the National Convention of the American Choral Directors Association in Chicago and other regional and state conferences.

 

Randall Kempton

 

Dr. Randall Kempton received his master’s degree at Brigham Young University, his doctorate at Arizona State University, and came to BYU-Idaho in 1999. As conductor of the University Choir and the popular Men's Choir, Dr. Kempton also teaches conducting, arranging, choral techniques, and private voice. Previous to his arrival in Rexburg, he was the director of high school choral activities at the Meridian School in Provo, Utah, and has directed ensembles at Arizona State University, BYU, and Utah Valley State College. His experience also includes professional work as a pianist, vocal coach, and vocalist in classical, jazz, and musical theater settings. He studied conducting and arranging with Mack Wilberg and Ron Staheli.

 

Jon Linford

 

Dr. Jon Floyd Linford attended Ricks College, received bachelor's and master's degrees from Brigham Young University, and a doctorate from Arizona State University. He taught private voice at Scottsdale Community College from 1985-87 and was professor of voice and opera at New Mexico State University, from 1987-2004.

Dr. Linford has performed numerous operatic and oratorio roles, including Figaro in The Barber of Seville, John Proctor in The Crucible, the title roles in Rigoletto and Don Giovanni, and the baritone solos in Bach's B Minor Mass, St. Matthew Passion, and Magnificat, Mendelssohn's Elijah and St. Paul, Orff's Carmina Burana, Handel's Messiah, Brahms' Requiem, and Haydn's Creation. He is also in demand as a recitalist and has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Russia.

 

 

Click here to return to the Department of Music Faculty Page

Click here to return to the Department of Music Home Page