Spring Concert

Illuminare​

conducted by Dr. Will Kesling.​

A performance by the Nairobi Music Society Choir & Nairobi Orchestra featuring works by Boniface Mganga, Charles Gounod, Elaine Hagenberg, L.V. Beethoven & Phydillia Kilimo.

conducted by Dr. Will Kesling.

A journey from darkness to light

conducted by Dr. Will Kesling.

The Nairobi Music Society Choir and Orchestra take us on a journey from darkness to light performance that takes us through a season of beauty and goodness disrupted by darkness and confusion.

But as light gradually returns, hope is restored, illuminating our future and guiding us in peace.

Dr. Will Kesling

A renowned choral and orchestral conductor, serving as Director of Choral Activities at the University of Florida for over two decades. He has conducted hundreds of ensembles and nearly 50 professional symphony orchestras worldwide. Kesling is a celebrated educator, author and recipient of numerous honours.

Nairobi Orchestra

It is one of the oldest orchestras in Africa.

The Nairobi Orchestra is part of a wider community of musical, social programmes that work towards building a better society through music; together with other organisations such us the Kenya Conservatoire of Music, the National Youth Orchestra of Kenya, and Ghetto Classics, among others.

Bonface Mganga

Boniface Mganga was a Kenyan composer, conductor, and founder of the Muungano National Choir, one of Africa’s most renowned choral ensembles. A champion of Kenyan choral music, he helped popularize African repertoire internationally and was widely respected as a musical director, arranger, and cultural ambassador.

Elaine Hagenberg

Elaine Hagenberg is an American composer widely known for expressive contemporary choral music. Her works are performed by choirs around the world and are admired for lyrical melodies, rich harmonies, and vivid text settings. She frequently draws inspiration from poetry, nature, and sacred themes.

Charles Gounod

Charles Gounod was a French Romantic composer best known for his opera Faust and his celebrated Ave Maria based on Bach’s Prelude in C. His music is admired for its lyrical elegance and devotional character, and he remains an important figure in both operatic and sacred choral repertoire.

L.V. Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist whose work transformed Western classical music. Bridging the Classical and Romantic eras, he expanded the expressive possibilities of symphonies, sonatas, and chamber music. His Ninth Symphony, featuring the “Ode to Joy,” remains one of the most influential choral-orchestral works.

Phydillia Kilimo

Phydillia Kilimo is a Kenyan composer, choral conductor, and music educator known for promoting African choral music. Her compositions draw on Kenyan musical traditions while embracing contemporary choral styles. Through performance and teaching, she has contributed significantly to the development of choral music in Kenya.
Nairobi Music Society, a nonprofit community of singers, musicians, and music lovers. Since 1938, we’ve presented concerts, recitals, and choral events that keep classical music alive in Kenya.