William Baker Festival Singers
William O. Baker, DMA, Music Director & Conductor
29th concert season
“What came across was the great warmth of this chorus’s singing. It was almost like hearing a family.”
Est. 1998
The 50-voice semi-professional chorale is led by Dr. William Baker, selected by competitive audition. Their mission is to bring the highest standards of musicianship and professionalism to the realm of semi-professional choirs.
Now in its 29th season, the award-winning William Baker Festival Singers has enjoyed many triumphs through ambitious concerts, 25 nationally released recordings, and touring across America to destinations like the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Trinity Wall Street in New York, and St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans. The signature repertoire of the award-winning Festival Singers is short-form sacred a cappella classics and spirituals from all eras and cultures. In addition, the chorus performs an annual major choral/orchestral masterwork, including Bach: Mass in B Minor, St. Matthew Passion, and St. John Passion; Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem; Mozart: Great Mass in C Minor, and many others. The William Baker Festival Singers is National Winners of the American Prize for Choral Performance and the Ernst Bacon Award for Service to American Music. The Festival Singers was named a semi-finalist in the 2026 Petrichor International Music Competition.
Faculty and Staff
Audition information
Audition required
Membership is by competitive audition, heard in August and January, or as vacancies occur. Auditions for the 2026–2027 season are available by appointment.
Upcoming concerts
November 2026
- 3:00 PM
William Baker Festival Singers
Revelation
St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Kansas City, MO
The William Baker Festival Singers open their 29th Kansas City season with Revelation at historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church.
- 7:30 PM
William Baker Festival Singers
Annual Thanksgiving Benefit Concert
Wesley Chapel, Church of the Resurrection, Leawood, KS
The 29th annual Thanksgiving Benefit Concert for Human Need, featuring classics, spirituals, and gospels. 100% of free-will donations benefit reStart Family Lodge, which provides interim housing for Kansas City families with children experiencing homelessness.
December 2026
- 7:30 PM
William Baker Festival Singers
Candlelight, Carols, & Cathedral I with the William Baker Festival Singers
Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral, Kansas City, MO
The William Baker Festival Singers invite you to Candlelight, Carols & Cathedral I at Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral. Enter into the beauty and wonder of Christmas through choral music in a setting that has long welcomed this beloved Kansas City tradition. Take time to reflect, celebrate, and share the season with those you love. Join us for a Friday evening that brings the warmth of community and the spirit of Christmas together.
- 3:00 PM
William Baker Festival Singers
Candlelight, Carols, & Cathedral II with the William Baker Festival Singers
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Kansas City, MO
The William Baker Festival Singers invite you to Candlelight, Carols & Cathedral II at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Enter into the beauty and wonder of Christmas through choral music in a setting that has long welcomed this beloved Kansas City tradition. Take time to reflect, celebrate, and share the season with those you love. Join us for a Sunday afternoon that brings the warmth of community and the spirit of Christmas together.
Listen
GLORIA - William Baker Festival Singers
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Gifts designated to this ensemble sustain staff, scores, guest artists, recordings, and the season ahead.
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