Board of Directors

  • Jennifer Lester

    MUSIC DIRECTOR

  • Daryl Bichel

    PRESIDENT

  • Livia Racz

    CLERK

  • Jay Lane

    TREASURER

  • Warren Hutchison

    DIRECTOR

  • Joshua Lawton

    DIRECTOR

  • Ryan Lynch

    DIRECTOR

  • Claire Mumford

    DIRECTOR

  • Louise Mundinger

    DIRECTOR

  • Mark Nemeskal

    ADVISOR

  • Eileen Sweeney

    ADVISOR

  • Laurie Szablewski

    ADVISOR

Founder and Music Director

Jennifer Lester, Founder and Music Director of Seraphim, is among the outstanding choral conductors of her generation. Under her direction, The Seraphim Singers has developed into a virtuoso chorus with a highly advanced technique and a refined sense of style.

Critically acclaimed for ingenious, intrepid, and imaginative programming, Ms. Lester is well known for her unique ability to present an imaginative and eclectic mix of high quality sacred choral music, bringing forth emotional, musically engaging and exhilarating performances of challenging but rewarding repertoire.

Well known for her dynamic and unflagging advocacy of new music, Ms. Lester has promoted the works of both nationally known and local living composers. Among the composers she has commissioned are Avner Dorman, Thomas Bold, Carson Cooman, Elliott Gyger, Graham Ramsay, Carlyle Sharpe, Julian Wachner, and James Woodman.

A highly gifted organist-choirmaster, Ms. Lester has served as Music Director at Church of Our Saviour in Brookline, and prior to that as Associate Music Director and Organist of Saint Paul Parish in Cambridge. She is a past Dean of the Boston Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. In 2014, Ms. Lester made her New York conducting debut with The Choir of Trinity Wall Street in works by Duruflé, Wachner, and Howells. She has recorded both as organ accompanist and conductor with the Boston Bach Ensemble, Seraphim, the Philovox Ensemble, and the Boston Boy Choir.

A Fulbright scholar, Ms. Lester studied organ with Michael Radulescu at the Academy of Music in Vienna. She was awarded the Bachelor of Music degree with honors in organ performance from the New England Conservatory of Music, and the Master of Music degree in choral conducting from Yale University.

Assistant Director and Accompanist

A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, Joshua T. Lawton is an accomplished organist, pianist, singer, and composer living and working in the Boston area.  While an English major at Williams College, he pursued organ studies with Edwin I. Lawrence, and went on to obtain a Master of Music degree in Organ Performance with Distinction from the Longy School of Music as a student of Peter Sykes.

A highly experienced church and choral musician, he has sung in the choirs of Trinity Church Boston and First Parish in Framingham, as well as New Century Voices, the Boston Cecilia, and Seraphim. As an active keyboard recitalist, collaborative pianist, and chamber musician, he performs a wide variety of repertoire. He specializes in the organ works of Olivier Messiaen, Paul Hindemith, Hugo Distler, and others. 

Lawton presently serves as Music Director of Trinity Parish of Newton Centre and Secretary of the Boston Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

Vocal Coach and
Program Notes Writer

Teri Kowiak finds her home at the polar ends of vocal repertoire, bringing to life both medieval song and new works by living composers. Valued as a soloist, collaborator, and director, she has performed with Cappella Clausura, Wholetone Opera, Red Shift, and Vox Futura.

Teri’s history with the Seraphim Singers dates to 2010, when she joined as a singer and soloist. She led and directed a schola of chant singers for Seraphim’s 2014 live accompaniment of the silent film Joan of Arc.  Now she serves as choral coach and writes program notes.  She is a full collaborative partner for Seraphim’s Fall 2022 In/Justice program, choosing repertoire, arranging and composing for the group, coaching medieval song, and serving as a soloist.

Teri’s love of medieval music led her to found Meravelha, an ensemble of singers and instrumentalists. She has served as artistic director since their first performance in 2012, designing multimedia concerts that include medieval art (and sometimes food!).

Teri’s work in new music includes premieres and recordings of works by composers including Patricia Van Ness, Hilary Tann, Kile Smith, and Timothy Takach. She made her Carnegie Hall debut in July 2022, singing in the world premiere of Heidi Breyer’s Amor Aeternus:  A Requiem for the Common Man. Also in Summer of 2022, Teri took part in the premiere recording and world premiere performance of Linda Chase’s oratorio For Our Common Home. 

Teri’s expertise with early music, new music, and improvisation led to her recent recruitment as an ensemble director for Night Song, a Sunday evening contemplative compline liturgy at First Church in Cambridge. She leads Lux Arcana, a treble ensemble that performs on the first Sunday of the month.

Teri holds a Master of Music in Early Music from Longy School of Music and a Bachelor of Music in Performance from Ithaca College.