About Vox Nova

Vox Nova Chamber Choir was founded in 2009 by Dr. Shannon M. Chase and Dr. Karen Topp, and features members of the Maine Midcoast musical community, including Bowdoin College faculty and alumni. The group champions the expansive body of modern contemporary choral music and seeks to provide singers and audiences with new ways of hearing the oldest instrument in human experience.

Artistic Director Dr. Shannon Marsh Chase

Dr. Shannon M. Chase received the Ph.D. in Music from The Florida State University, the Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Maine, and the Bachelor of Music from the University of Southern Maine. She studied choral conducting under Rodney Eichenberger, André Thomas, Dennis Cox and Robert Russell. A mezzo-soprano, Dr. Chase has studied voice with Janice Harsanyi, Nancy Ellen Ogle, Ellen Chickering, and Christina Astrachan. In addition to her work with Vox Nova Chamber Choir, Dr. Chase has directed choirs and taught at the University of Oregon, Bowdoin College, and Colby College. She will join the music faculty of Rutgers University in the Mason Gross School of the Arts beginning in fall of 2010, and will continue to offer private and small group instruction in vocal technique for the choral singer through her studio, Sotto Voce.

Associate Conductor Jennifer Hand Runge

Jennifer Hand Runge received the Master of Music in Choral Conducting from New England Conservatory, and the Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College. She has studied conducting under Robert Greenlee, Tamara Brooks, Stephen Kushner, Doreen Rao and James Jordan. Her choral music teaching experience includes Poly Prep Country Day School, Phillips Exeter Academy and The Pingry School. In addition to conducting, she has sung in numerous community choirs throughout the Boston and New York metropolitan areas, and is a charter member of Vox Nova.