Meet Our Staff

Erik Jacobson

Music Director

Erik is very excited to continue his work with the Kalamazoo Male Chorus.  Growing up in West Michigan, Erik has had an exciting musical journey through a variety of genres and musical paths including classical voice, musical theater, solo and group jazz singing, recording, and popular music performing.

Along with directing KMC, Erik is the Executive Director of the Michigan School Vocal Music Association and the General Manager for The VOCES8 Foundation, working with Paul Smith and two British choral ensembles, VOCES8 and Apollo5.  He leads the VOCES8 US Scholar program, takes part in clinics throughout the country, and is working to bring the VOCES8 Method to US students and educators.  Erik also teaches jazz voice at Kalamazoo College.

As a performer, Erik has recorded and performed with the Miami ensemble Seraphic Fire on their Monteverdi Vespers of 1610, a nationally featured project that took him on a tour of Florida and Mexico.  Other notable performances include featured concerts at the ACDA convention in Cincinnati, Jazz at Lincoln Center in 2011 and 2012, the World Choir Games in 2012, the national tour of Star Wars in Concert, and as a background singer on The Oprah Winfrey Show.  Over the years he has performed with names such as Janis Seigel, Mark Murphy, Kurt Elling, Bob Mintzer, Charise, Roger Treece, Bobby McFerrin, Peter Eldridge, Matt Giraud, and The Velvelettes.

Previously, Erik spent five years as a teacher at Kalamazoo Christian Schools.  There he directed multiple high school ensembles as well as taught classes in recording arts and chapel worship music.  Erik also led the expansion of their theater program, producing and directing many shows.  Upon leaving classroom instruction, Erik moved to Milwaukee briefly and worked as the Executive Artistic Director of the Milwaukee Children's Choir.

Erik received a Bachelor of Arts in music from Western Michigan University and a Master of Music in music education from Boston University.

Tina Gorter

Accompanist

Tina Gorter, collaborative pianist, serves as a staff accompanist at Western Michigan University, where she is the pianist for the University Chorale and Collegiate Singers and collaborates with faculty members, guest artists, and numerous students for performances. Significant collaborative endeavors include Catherine Walker Adams, Rhea Olivaceé, Kimberly Dunn Adam, and Rollo Dilworth.  Other duties at WMU have also included teaching Piano Accompanying as well as serving on faculty for SEMINAR, WMU’s high school summer music camp.
 
In addition to her positions at WMU and KMC, she currently serves as the pianist for the Southwest Michigan Vocal Festival and frequently substitutes for the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra. 
 
Aside from her work on the concert stage, she enjoys performing for many community theater productions in Kalamazoo including Les Misérables, West Side Story, Children of Eden, Beauty and the Beast and The Secret Garden.
 
Tina is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Collaborative Piano at Michigan State University.  She holds a Master of Music degree in piano performance with an emphasis in collaborative performance from Western Michigan University under the direction of Lori Sims and Dr. Silvia Roederer and undergraduate degree from the University of Montana where she studied with Steven Hesla.

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