Eileen Jahn
director of Nebraskats, 308.865.8618
The Nebraskats, the University of Nebraska at Kearney show choir, is on tour this week, performing in five Nebraska communities and Atwood, Kan.
The show choir performs a range of music–from the Beatles and Billy Joel to Oh! You Beautiful Doll and the musical Chicago.
Accompanied by the seven-member Nebraskats Band, the 14-member ensemble will perform Wednesday, March 24, at Holdrege Public Schools and Cambridge High School (2:30-3:40 p.m.); Thursday, March 25, at Lakeside Central High school inTrenton (1-2 p.m.) and at 7:30 p.m. at St. John’s Catholic Church Parish Hall inAtwood, Kan.; and on Friday, March 26, at Sutherland Public Schools (9:48-10:49 a.m.) and North Platte St. Patrick’s High School (1:15-2:15 p.m.).
The group will perform a home concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 4, in the UNK Fine Arts Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.
The Nebraskats and Nebraskats Band are under the direction of Eileen Jahn.
According to Jahn, the Nebraskats have been in existence longer than any currently performing collegiate show choir in Nebraska. The ensemble celebrated its 35th anniversary with a reunion last April.
“The Nebraskats are in great demand for performances on campus, and in Kearney and surrounding communities,” Jahn said. In addition, they have toured and performed in Washington, D.C., Japan, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, England, China and Australia, as well as for UNK Alumni groups in California and Arizona.
Each year, approximately 40-50 students audition for the 14 singer/dancer positions in Nebraskats. Membership is open to all full-time UNK students. Auditions for the Nebraskats and the Nebraskats Band are held each spring for the following year’s ensemble. This year, preliminary auditions are being held now through April 14; final auditions will be Saturday, May 1.
Jahn, who holds a master’s of music in vocal performance from Kansas State University, was a singer/dancer with the Nebraskats 1992-1996. She graduated from UNK in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in music. In addition to directing the Nebraskats, she teaches vocal techniques and introduction to music, and operates a private voice and piano studio.
Members of the Nebraskats and the Nebraskats Band are listed alphabetically by hometown:
2003-2004 Nebraskats
Albion- Adam Zrust, tenor
Grand Island- Russtanna Faimon, soprano; Nate Helzer, bass
Holdrege- Mindy Engler, soprano; Josh Grimm, bass; Erin Kosmicki, alto
Kearney- Matthew Branch, bass; Jack Kreman, tenor; Kate Sabah, soprano
North Platte- Brette Covington, alto
Omaha- Megan Caughey, alto; Micah Yost, tenor
Petersburg- Casey Stokes, tenor
Stratton- Jenny Faimon, soprano
2003-2004 Nebraskats Band
Clearwater- Jamie Kester, trumpet
Columbus- Erica Cone, piano
Holdrege- Dirk Riley, percussion
Omaha- Sarah Reeks, saxophone
Ravenna- Brad Bohn, bass guitar
Rogers- Joseph Krula, piano
Japan-
Taiki Takamura, guitar
