Meet the Directors

Sandra Baumgarten’s love of music started formally at age 8 when she began taking piano lessons. She continued her studies throughout her childhood and into college, graduating summa cum laude with a B.M. in Piano Performance.

After graduation, she remained in the musical field by studying at The Brabants Conservatorium in The Netherlands and participating in prestigious amateur competitions such as The Cliburn, San Diego International Competition, PianoLink, and taking gold in the Triumph Music Festival and Seattle International Bach Festival.

In addition to playing the piano, she is passionate about choral conducting and has worked with church and community choirs since 2001, performing everything from masses to musicals, classical works to her own choral compositions. She is a private voice and piano teacher, and piano accompanist. She is also the pianist for the Canyon County Symphony. She resides in Idaho with her husband and four children.

Larene Frei serves as Assistant Conductor and Accompanist for the Canyon County Master Chorale. She studied music at the University of Idaho and holds a Master of Teaching from Idaho State University.

Larene currently teaches K–8 music at Doral Academy of Idaho, where she leads elementary general music as well as middle school choirs and drama productions. She enjoys helping students build strong musical foundations while discovering confidence through performance and creative expression.

With extensive experience teaching private voice, piano, and violin, Larene brings a deep commitment to developing singers of all ages and ability levels. She has accompanied community, school and church choirs extensively and is especially passionate about helping singers refine vocal technique, ensemble blend, and expressive interpretation.

In addition to her teaching work, Larene performed for over 25 years in community orchestras, including serving as concertmaster, experiences that strengthened her love for collaboration between instrumental and choral ensembles. She believes singing together creates connection, confidence, and shared purpose. She is grateful to contribute to the vibrant Canyon County musical community through her work with the Master Chorale.