Asbury First United Methodist Church

Choral Scholars

We have added two additional roles to our choir program, Choral Scholars. Our goal in creating these roles is to provide opportunities for talented students from our local collegiate music programs to share their talents with us while learning firsthand about choral music in a church setting.

We are delighted to welcome two outstanding Eastman School of Music voice students into these roles, Kayla Sconiers and Holden Turner.

Learn more about our Music & Arts Ministry

Kayla Sconiers

Kayla Sconiers, is a native of Lakeland, Florida, and is a first-year student at The Eastman School of Music where she studies with Kathryn Cowdrick. She is a recipient of the National Young Arts Foundation Competition. She was awarded first place at the Grady-Rayam African American Spiritual Prize Competition, where she makes it her mission to preserve America's spiritual pieces as part of the nation's cultural heritage and to invigorate the American public to embrace spirituals as a shared cultural legacy. She also took first place in her division in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Central New York/Finger Lakes Competition. Kayla participates in the Utopia Arts Mentorship program where she works with Opera Company directors and rising opera singers.

Holden James Turner

Holden James Turner is a voice student of Nicole Cabell. A native of Rochester, he most recently appeared as Bass Soloist in Beethoven’s Mass in C with the Finger Lakes Choral Festival. He has soloed with the Rochester Oratorio Society on multiple occasions, including their series of Schubert's Masses. Holden was a Young Artist at Songfest in the summer of 2017, and has worked with great artists including pianist Martin Katz, soprano Roberta Alexander, and artists of Opera Noire. His singing has been recognized by organizations including the Rochester Philharmonic League and The New York Summer School of the Arts, and in competitions sponsored by the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

Funding for our Choral Scholars comes from restricted funds that have been designated for our Music Program. If you are interested in supporting this program into the future, please contact Dr. Carl Johengen at cjohengen@asburyfirst.org.