‘A Choral Testament’ ends Heartland Sings’ concert season and a 28-year legacy
FORT WAYNE, Ind. — For Heartland Sings, A Choral Testament didn’t just close its 2024-2025 concert season, it ended an era.
The concert brought many local artists together to celebrate the company’s 28-year history under the leadership of Maestro Robert Nance while also marking a new chapter for the organization.
Nance is officially stepping down as President and Artistic Director and will assume the role of Founder and Artistic Director Emeritus. As he explains, the transition is a springboard for the future.
“It’s the moment when the founder becomes a supporter, opening the door to new leadership and expanded directions, to allow for the broadest possible continuation of the mission and vision of Heartland Sings,” Nance said.
He began the organization in 1997, providing artists with the opportunity to change lives throughout the region with song.
Over the years, he has earned the Indiana Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship and cultivated experiences like appearing on the Millennium Stage at The Kennedy Center, guest conducting the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and serving as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts.
Locally, Nance was named Artist of the Year in 2017 by Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne and Sagamore of the Wabash by Governor Eric Holcomb in December 2024.
“Singing together is more than an art form; it’s one of the highest forms of human communication that makes possible a connection of heart and soul, mind and body, and forges a strong, compassionate human bond with others. The voice is truly the first art and deserves a hallowed place at the arts table,” Nance said.
A Choral Testament served as a reflection and tribute to the career Nance has held for nearly three decades in the community.
