Collection: Kester, Nancie

Nancie Kester is a recently retired faculty member of the Music Department at Diablo Valley College. She currently teaches piano, theory and composition in her independent Berkeley studio. Ms. Kester received a BA in music composition and piano from California State University, East Bay. She has since studied composition with Frederick Fox, Julian White and Jason Levis.

Ms. Kester completed an MME, Kodaly Emphasis from Holy Names College and received a Gerbode Foundation grant for training local musicians to become music teachers in the Kodaly approach. Ms. Kester is a co-author and partner in Calicanto Associates, publisher of books, CDs, choral arrangements, and musical plays featuring songs with historical relevance. In this and other musical spheres, Nancie has given workshops and performances throughout the United States. Ms. Kester is also a graphic artist.

Nancie Kester has composed and arranged numerous works for chorus, piano and instrumental ensembles and won prizes in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2022 and 2023 MTAC Composer’s Today competitions. She is published in the Colla Voce International Choral Series. Various professional musicians and ensembles have performed Nancie Kester’s compositions through the years. She is a member of ASCAP and the National Association of Composers, San Francisco Chapter.