Kantorei serves youth ages 6-18 in the northern Illinois area. This unique program was founded in 1964 by Linden Lundstrom (1913-1996) as The Singing Boys of Rockford to provide a quality musical education, while instilling in each member the rewards of self discipline, responsibility, and dedication towards common goals.
In the 2017-2018 season, Kantorei expanded to become a fully coeducational choir serving all children in elementary to high school. Kantorei’s mission is to offer an outstanding musical education and has provided several generations of young singers the opportunity to perform high quality choral music both throughout the stateline and around the globe.
Board of Directors
Shane Caiola, Immediate Past President
David Peason, Treasurer
Addison Youngblood, Artistic Director
About Us
Paul J Steffan
Paul graduated from Kantorei in 2012 after singing with the ensemble for ten years. A Rockford native, Paul grew up singing in several local ensembles and performing in local theater. He also served briefly as the conductor of the Harmony Men's Singing Society and directed music for several local community theaters. He has studied voice with Martha Dahlberg, Barrington Coleman, Janna Baty, and, currently, Sonja Bruszauskas. Paul is a summa cum laude graduate of Yale University where he performed with the Yale Repertory and Recital Choruses, the Yale Baroque Opera Project, and was the founding conductor of the Timothy Dwight College Community Chamber Orchestra. Paul currently lives in Houston, Texas, where he is pursuing training as a physician-scientist and singing his first season with the Grammy-winning Houston Chamber Choir. He believes all students in Rockford should have the opportunity to be inspired by music and hopes to help make Kantoeri a place where all students can watch music come to life.
Angela Martinez
Angela Martinez is a local music educator from Rockford, IL, and she joined the Kantorei Board in 2021. While growing up, Angela enjoyed singing in various choirs and performing in musicals. She has worked in music education for the past 5 years with children ages 4 and up, and she is currently a voice teacher and director at The Studio. Angela holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from Rockford University, and in her free time, she loves to sew, play board games, and go on walks with her dog, Hurley.
Sean Denny