Karen Kenaston-French is the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Fort Worth Chorale, a 70-plus voice civic chorus. Dr. Kenaston-French assumed the Artistic Director and Conductor position with the Fort Worth Chorale – only the fifth conductor in the organization’s 60-year history.

Dr. Kenaston-French is also a Professor of Music and the director of Choral Activities at the University of Texas Arlington, including the school’s renowned A’Cappella Choir. Under her direction, the UTA A’Cappella Choir has performed at several prestigious music and educational conferences, including National Collegiate Choral Organization (2019), Southwestern Division American Choral Director’s Association (2022 & 2016), and the Texas Music Educators Association State Convention (2019 & 2014). The organization additionally served as Choir-in-Residence for the undergraduate and graduate conducting competitions at the National ACDA Convention in 2015.

Dr. Kenaston-French has prepared choruses for numerous regional guest appearances, including performances with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Texas Ballet Theatre, Fort Worth Chorale, the Rolling Stones, and The Eagles. Under her baton, the UT Arlington A’Cappella was named a finalist in the American Prize for Choral Performance in 2021 and 2014.

Before she arrived at UTA, Dr. Kenaston-French served as Director of Choral Activities at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. She led the Chamber Singers in two appearances at the Tennessee Music Education Association state conference and master classes with Chanticleer, Cantus, and Libby Larsen. She taught choral conducting at Southern Methodist University and the University of North Texas. She served as director of music ministries at Plymouth Park United Methodist Church in Irving, Texas, from 1986-1998.

Dr. Kenaston-French has been a guest conductor for honor choirs in Colorado, Tennessee, and many TMEA region choirs. A frequent lecturer and adjudicator, she has given presentations on choral tone, conducting, rehearsal technique, and performance practice for SMU, Choristers Guild, Texas Choral Directors Association, and various universities, school districts, and local churches.

Dr. Kenaston-French received her Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) from the University of North Texas School of Music. She was named both the Outstanding Graduate Student in conducting and ensembles and the Outstanding Doctoral Student by Pi Kappa Lambda.

Previously, Dr. Kenaston-French earned Masters of Music and Masters of Sacred Music degrees in choral conducting from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. A native of Huntington, West Virginia, she holds a BA in vocal performance from West Virginia Wesleyan College.

During her academic and professional tenures, Dr. Kenaston-French has studied conducting with Jerry McCoy, Mel Ivey, Lloyd Pfautsch, Jane Marshall, and Larry Parsons. In 2011, under Helmut Rilling and Jeffrey Kahane, Dr. Kenaston-French was a conductor for the Oregon Bach Festival’s Choral/Orchestral Master Class.

Dr. Kenaston-French is a published researcher. Her article, “The Teachings of Jean‐Antoine Bérard,” was published in the Journal of Singing in November 2009.

An accomplished soprano, Dr. Keanston-French studied with Lynn Eustis at North Texas and Linda Baer at SMU. She sang under David Davidson in the Dallas Symphony Chorus for over a decade and was selected for the first Robert Shaw Festival Chorus at Carnegie Hall in 1991.

Dr. Kenaston-French lives in Arlington with her husband, Skip. They two are committed to helping rescue beagles and are both avid golfers.