Cole Blume (tenor) holds degrees in music from St. Olaf College and the University of Oregon where he studied conducting with Sharon Paul. He has presented tenor roles in the UO Musicking Conference’s historically-informed oratorio projects conducted by Marc Vansheeuwijck, including San Giovanni Battista (Consiglieri) and La Maddalena a’piedi di Christo (Fariseo). His voice teachers included Ann Tedards at the University of Oregon, and Marilyn Moore-Brown at the Levine School of Music in Washington, DC. Cole has sung as a member of the St. Olaf Choir, the Grammy-award winning ensemble Conspirare, and Festival Ensemble Stuttgart with Helmuth Rilling. He taught choral music for nine years at all levels and served the Oregon Bach Festival for ten seasons as associate director of the Stangeland Family Youth Choral Academy. Most recently, Cole served as director of music at Central Presbyterian Church in Eugene. His passion for storytelling in song has been honed through rich experiences outside of the concert hall, including as a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago, a thru-hiker on the Pacific Crest Trail, and a farmer growing organic produce in the Willamette Valley.