Summer Music Conference

Jennaya Robison is the Artistic Director of the National Lutheran Choir and is a highly accomplished conductor, educator, and soprano. She holds the Doctor of Musical Arts in choral conducting from the University of Arizona, the Master of Music in conducting and voice from the University of New Mexico, and an undergraduate degree in music (education and voice) from Luther College. Her extensive work in the field of choral conducting includes serving as the Raymond R. Neevel/Missouri Associate Professor and Director of Choral Studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory until 2023, Associate Professor of Choral Music at Luther College from 2013 to 2020, and founding Scottsdale Musical Arts in 2009.

In demand as a clinician and guest speaker, Robison frequently appears at regional and national choral conferences and seminars; regularly leads All State and honor choirs, workshops, and festivals; and has taught courses in choral singing and global connection in the United States, Namibia, South Africa, Germany, and an upcoming festival in Italy (2024). She is the editor of the National Lutheran Choir Series with MorningStar Music Publishers as well as the Jennaya Robison Series with Pavane Publishing, and she is an active arranger of choral music. Robison has served as soloist and chorister with the Dale Warland Singers, True Concord Voices, Spire Chamber Ensemble, and the Tucson Symphony among many other ensembles. She is the national chair of Music in Worship for the American Choral Directors Association, a member of Chorus America, and has held leadership positions at Lutheran churches in Arizona, Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota.

Allan Robert Petker is a composer and arranger with more than 250 published works, including classroom texts on conducting and music literacy. He is the owner of Pavane Publishing, which publishes choral music and college music textbooks. He also serves as the Vice President of Publications for the Fred Bock Publishing Group which includes such distinguished catalogs as Gentry Publications, National Music, the H.T. FitzSimons Company and Hinshaw Music.

As a professional choral and orchestral conductor since 1994, Allan currently leads three large ensembles of auditioned voices: The Consort Chorale from the San Francisco Bay area, the Santa Clarita Master Chorale and the Los Cancioneros Master Chorale from Torrance, California. He has led concert tours to Europe, Eastern Europe, the Baltic region, South America, Portugal and Scotland. Internationally, he has guest conducted choirs in England, Korea and France. He has twice conducted at Carnegie Hall, including the performance of his “Te Deum” for Choir and Orchestra.

Since 1989 Allan has been a coordinator and clinician for two church music conferences at Lake Tahoe, “Summer Sing” and “Tuning @ Tahoe.” He remains active as an instrumentalist, primarily on the viola and violin, but also on mandolin and guitar.

Dr. Brett Robison has conducted choirs and orchestras of all ages and ability levels for the past twenty-five years. Most recently, Brett served as the assistant professor of music and director of choirs at Viterbo University in La Crosse, WI. At Viterbo University, Brett conducted the Concert Choir, 9th Street Singers, and Rose Chorale. He also taught conducting, choral methods, voice lessons, and served as the Artistic Director for the annual “A Viterbo Christmas” concerts.

As a choral conductor, Brett also served on the faculties of Waldorf University and Upper Iowa University. As a public school music educator for almost ten years, he taught in Iowa, Minnesota, and Arizona where his ensembles consistently received superior ratings. He has also taught general music and choral music to grades K-12. Brett continues to be in demand as a clinician and festival conductor for choirs and orchestras.

Brett is the executive director of the Kansas City Friends of Chamber Music and has a passion for nonprofit leadership in the arts. He has served as the Executive Director of the Topeka Symphony and he founded the music nonprofit organization, Scottsdale Musical Arts and served as the artistic and executive director. As a church musician, Brett has served congregations throughout the Midwest and Southwest. He most recently served as the Director of Music and Collaboration at Decorah United Church of Christ in Decorah, IA.

Composer, conductor, organist, preacher, and teacher Tom Trenney has been blessed to serve as Minister of Music to First-Plymouth Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, since 2009.  In 2019, he was invited to become Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choirs at Nebraska Wesleyan University.  Tom’s choirs have been honored to perform for state, regional, and national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and they have been award winners in the American Prize for choral ensembles.

Tom has been a featured performer at churches, colleges, and concert halls across the country including Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center, Seattle’s Benaroya Hall, Philadelphia’s Kauffman Center, Kennedy Center, and Carnegie Hall.  His choral compositions are published by Augsburg Fortress, Beckenhorst Press, Choristers Guild, E.C. Schirmer/Galaxy, Morningstar, Musicspoke, Pavane, and G. Schirmer.

A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Eastman School of Music, Tom is grateful for the inspiration of his teachers and mentors – especially Anton Armstrong, David Davidson, Craig Hella Johnson, (Mister) Fred Rogers, William Weinert, Anne Wilson and Todd Wilson.

Brent serves as organist and choir director at Eastridge Presbyterian Church in Lincoln, Nebraska.  Having his graduate and seminary studies in theology and music, Brent served on pastoral staff at a Methodist church and as a college organist before he and his husband adopted their two wonderful children. Having completed mindfulness meditation certification and 200-hr yoga teacher training, he serves as a meditation volunteer with the Lincoln Zen Center’s prison outreach.