Nathan Andrew Payant

Adjunct Faculty; Conductor, Lamont Women's Chorus

"Nathan Payant is a passionate and dedicated conductor, educator, and professional singer living in the Denver area. He has over 15 years of choral teaching and conducting experience at the middle school, high school and college levels. Payant conducts the Women's Chorus at the University of Denver and is also a member of the choral faculty at Colorado State University, where he directs the Concert Choir and teaches several other music courses throughout the year.

A devoted advocate for choral music education, Payant is fervently involved in NAfME, CMEA, ACDA and CoACDA, placing special emphasis on encouraging lifelong singing. He is frequently invited to present lectures and reading sessions at state conferences, as well as visit and clinic at local high schools. He has served on the Colorado All-State Choir Board, the Vocal Music Council of CMEA and currently serves on the Colorado ACDA Council as the Women's Choir R&R Chair. He fully believes in promoting standards of the choral repertoire, as well as discovering and supporting newly composed works.

Payant is a very active member of the professional choral community in Colorado. He is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Anima Chamber Ensemble, General Manager of Colorado Bach Ensemble, and sings professionally with St. Martin's Chamber Choir, Colorado Bach Ensemble and the Evans Choir. Payant also enjoys regular opportunities as an honor choir clinician and music festival adjudicator throughout Colorado and surrounding states. Most recently, he discovered a new passion for composing/arranging and was honored to have his first piece of choral music published through Hal Leonard as part of the Andrea Ramsey Choral Series.

A native of South Dakota, Payant earned a bachelor of music sducation degree from Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD. He received his master of music degree in choral conducting from Colorado State University and a doctor of musical arts degree in choral conducting and literature from University of Colorado, Boulder. Outside of his professional responsibilities, Payant enjoys traveling and spending time with his beautiful wife and three daughters."