Inspire listeners
Through authenticity and artistry — programs built to move an audience honestly rather than to impress for its own sake.
About
Artists, storytellers, and collaborators.
Astra Ensemble
A professional chamber choir rooted in the heart of Kansas City.
We are artists, storytellers, and collaborators, united by a shared commitment to expressive, adventurous, and intimate choral music.
Our name, Astra, meaning “stars,” reflects our vision: to bring clarity, brilliance, and wonder to every performance. Whether we are interpreting early music, exploring contemporary works, or premiering new commissions, our goal remains the same — to connect deeply with our audiences and with each other.
Astra was founded in 2025 by Lawrence Abernathy, who serves as both Artistic Director and tenor in the ensemble, with a vision of performances that are musically excellent, emotionally resonant, intellectually engaging, and boldly imaginative.
Our mission
Small vocal ensembles can carry enormous expressive power.
Astra focuses on repertoire that thrives in intimate settings, ranging from early polyphony to cutting-edge contemporary works. Each performance is shaped by thoughtful programming, meticulous craft, and a deep respect for the music’s power to move and transform. Through refined musicianship, inclusive programming, and creative partnerships, Astra Ensemble aims to:
Elevate repertoire
Compelling choral music, both old and new, chosen for what it does in performance rather than the era it belongs to.
Engage Kansas City
Active partnership with the city’s vibrant artistic community rather than performance held apart from it.
Why Astra
Kansas City’s hometown vocal ensemble.
Astra exists to explore the potential of the human voice, and to see what happens when the singers and audience share the same room. We program across centuries and styles, bring the singers directly into the conversation, and build each performance around the music and the people experiencing it - treating a first-time listener as the most important person in the room. Here is what people said after hearing Astra.
“As fine as Great Britain’s Voces8.”
Their sound was well balanced and their diction flawless. They sang with tremendous joy. John Schaefer, Classical KC
“Luminous, with deeply communicative music.”
Eight voices in a room built for sound, close enough that a held silence is shared rather than observed. Audience member
“Of the highest and most entertaining caliber.”
Programs introduced from the floor by the singers performing them. Serious preparation, informal manner. Audience member
“Accessible music and amazing voices.”
No assumed knowledge and no etiquette to learn — and pay-what-you-want admission, so a first concert costs whatever you decide. Audience member
The singers
Eight voices, all of them from here.
Members of Astra have sung with leading choirs around the globe, including Seraphic Fire, The Crossing, Chanticleer, Spire Chamber Ensemble, Anúna, the Kansas City Chorale, and more.
| Victoria Olson | Soprano |
| Alyssa Nance | Soprano |
| Katie Crawford | Alto |
| Julia Scozzafava | Alto |
| JW Keckley | Tenor |
| Lawrence Abernathy | Tenor · Artistic Director |
| Nick Stoppel | Bass |
| Gabe Lewis-O’Connor | Bass |
Astra Ensemble brings together professional vocalists from Kansas City and beyond, drawing on some of the finest vocal talent in the country to create intimate performances here at home.
Astra is conductorless, which means the singers don't simply follow a direction—they listen, respond, and make musical decisions together. That close collaboration shapes the sound, while the absence of a podium creates a more direct relationship with the audience. The singers introduce their own pieces from the floor, inviting you into the music rather than standing apart from it.
Follow the ensemble
Early access as Astra grows.
Concert announcements, presales, and new recordings, one or two emails a month.
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