Dr. Kevin Mack is one of our vocal soloists and musicians, for Shabbat and High Holiday services.
For over forty years, Kevin has served Connecticut’s musical community as a conductor, singer, and player of historical keyboard and woodwind instruments. A fourth-generation native San Franciscan, Kevin earned undergraduate degrees in Vocal Performance and English-Philosophy from University of the Pacific, a Master’s in Music Theory from Yale University and Conducting from the Juilliard School, and a Doctorate in Conducting from the Hartt School. He was a pupil of Robert Shaw, Roger Wagner, Arthur Weisberg, Allen Forte, Claude Palisca, and David Diamond.
To increase his teaching effectiveness, Kevin completed a certification program in music education given by the Connecticut Department of Education at Wesleyan University.
Music for worship is deeply important to Kevin. Besides leading services for Whitney Center’s Jewish residents in Hamden, Kevin was Music Director at Hamden’s Congregation Mishkan Israel and New Haven’s Beth El-Keser Israel as well as singer, accompanist, or conductor at other synagogues in the state. He is also a church musician of almost five decades’ experience, and leads the chorus at Tower One/Tower East in New Haven.
In addition to his repertory of well-known and obscure choral and orchestral works, Kevin has conducted compositions for contemporary composers, including Martin Bresnick, Thea Musgrave, David Diamond, Jacob Druckman, Fenno Heath, Vincent Persichetti, Otto Luening, Daniel Pinkham, and Jeff Talman. Kevin has served as Music Director of the Manchester Symphony Orchestra & Chorale, Concert Choir of Northeastern Connecticut, Torrington Civic Symphony, and Hartford Philharmonia Society. Conducting engagements have included concerts with the Connecticut Chamber Orchestra, Gregg Smith Singers, the Rottenberg (Hebrew Arts School) Chorale, the Westport Madrigal Singers, and the Hartt Masterworks Chorale. As conductor and singer with the Connecticut Hebrew Chorale, he has toured Israel.
Teaching and administrative positions in Connecticut include a stint as Music Department chairman and Director of Choral Activities at University of Bridgeport, Director of Choral Activities at Southern Connecticut State University, and Director of Fairfield County’s Regional Center for the Arts.
For several years, Kevin taught chorus and assorted music classes at six area colleges and at two high schools in New Haven. Kevin serves as board member and past-President of the Association of Connecticut Choruses. Positions with other musical organizations have included Community Chorus chairperson of the American Choral Directors Association and sub-Dean of the American Guild of Organists, New Haven Chapter. Kevin is listed in International Who’s Who in Music.
Cantor Lauren Bandman joins us each year for the High Holidays.
Cantor Bandman is a consultant and worship leader in congregations throughout the U.S. She is founder, owner and instructor at The Studio: Private Music Lessons, LLC in the historic German Village neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio, where she maintains a thriving studio teaching voice, piano, guitar, audition preparation (specializing in musical theatre), and Jewish Studies – including cantillation. She delights in teaching her students who range from age 7 to 70s!
Cantor Bandman is co-creator and performer of Love’s Journey, a one-woman show of musical theatre and American standards that tells of a woman’s journey through life and love. She was also honored to be selected to travel to Rome to perform in the first ever concert of Jewish music at the Vatican.
Cantor Bandman received her Bachelor of Music Education with high honors, summa cum laude, from The Ohio State University, where she studied a classical approach to singing through aria and art song and specialized in choral conducting. She earned her Master of Sacred Music and Cantorial Ordination from the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music of Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion.
For more information about Cantor Bandman, visit her website or find her on Facebook.
Laura Weinstein has been playing, singing, and performing music of many different genres since early childhood. Originally from upstate New York, Laura moved to Glastonbury in 2004, and has served as accompanist at Congregation Kol Haverim since then. She provides musical accompaniment and vocal support for Shabbat services, B’rit Mitzvahs, and High Holiday services. In addition, she coordinates the involvement of volunteer temple musicians and singers, to create special themed “4th Friday Musical Shabbats” several times a year, as well as Shabbat Shirah musical services. Laura sings and plays with the synagogue band, The Bagels, performing at various temple social events and fundraisers, and also participates in the annual Purim Shpiel.
Laura has performed in several singing groups and choruses, including the Rochester Oratorio Society in upstate New York, and various performing groups throughout Connecticut. Her love of music extends to composing songs for Shabbat services and other occasions, and playing her original compositions on piano, flute and guitar.
Find out more about opportunities for musical involvement here.
