Supporting living
composers
At Sonus Chamber Choir, we believe in the extraordinary power of new music and the transformative experience of bringing it to life. To champion these values, Sonus offers a multi-year composer residency, inviting a rotating roster of composers to create original works written specifically for our ensemble.
Composer-in-residence:
Jesse Kaiser
Sonus Chamber Choir is thrilled to announce our first ever composer-in-residence, Jesse Kaiser. A friend to the ensemble, Jesse was one of the founding collaborators and participated in the debut performance of The Sacred Veil in 2023.
Jesse Kaiser (b. 2000) is a South Carolina-based composer, conductor, violinist, and vocalist whose music spans a wide range of styles and ensembles. His recent projects include Angelus ad pastores ait, a Christmas anthem, and a miniature setting of Emily Dickinson’s "Hope" is the thing with feathers.
He is the founder and artistic director of the Jesse Kaiser Ensemble, a professional choir in Columbia, South Carolina, dedicated to presenting eclectic works at the highest standards of musical excellence. Kaiser also serves as a cantor and choral scholar at the Basilica of Saint Peter and regularly performs with the South Carolina Philharmonic.
A graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Music, Kaiser studied composition with John Fitz Rogers, Fang Man, and David Kirkland Garner, and violin with Ari Streisfeld. He participated in the Brevard Summer Music Festival and performed at ACDA Southern Division and National conferences under Christopher Aspaas and Eric Whitacre. In 2020, he received the John Lawrence McElyea Scholarship for his musical contributions at USC, and in 2021, he was a finalist for the Creativity in Music Awards for his electronic music installation Information Alpha.
Outside of music, Kaiser enjoys spending time with family and friends, trying new Asian restaurants, collecting playing cards, and exploring his favorite YouTube channels.
