Kurt Berentsen
The Director of Choral Music & Worship
Contact Information
Department of Performing & Visual Arts
Concordia University
kberentsen@cu-portland.edu
Education
M.A., University of California, Santa Barbara, 1986
B.A., Utah State University, 1975
Background
Kurt Berentsen came to Concordia in January of 1999 after serving for over fifteen years in full time church-parish music ministry. Receiving a bachelors degree and an initial teaching certificate in music from Utah State University in 1975, he continued his education at the University of California, Santa Barbara; earning a masters degree with an emphasis in vocal music / choral conducting in 1986. He was admitted into the commissioned ministry of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod after completing colloquy work at Concordia College in Seward, Nebraska. Serving as the founding music director of both the Santa Barbara Oratorio Chorale and the 100+ member Gold Coast Concert Choir of Ventura, California, he has gained a wealth of experience in choral program development.
He has taught choral conducting at Ventura College and has served as the director of the University of California's Women's Vocal Ensemble in Santa Barbara. He has also served as a choral festival adjudicator, choral music clinician as well as guest conductor in several joint schools' honor choir festivals. He has conducted concerts at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, among other concert halls, as well as hundreds of churches and schools throughout the United States. As a singer, he has performed baritone roles or as a soloist in over twenty operas, oratorios and cantatas.