Staff & Leadership
Tom Trenney
Artistic Director
Composer, conductor, organist, preacher, and teacher Tom Trenney has been blessed to serve as Artistic Director of Abendmusik and Minister of Music to First-Plymouth Church since 2009. In 2019, he became Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choirs at Nebraska Wesleyan University. Tom’s choirs have been honored to perform for state, regional, and national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and they have been award winners in the American Prize for choral ensembles. He serves as Music in Worship Chair for Midwest ACDA.
Tom has been a featured performer at churches, colleges, and concert halls across the country including Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center, Seattle’s Benaroya Hall, Philadelphia’s Kauffman Center, Kennedy Center, and Carnegie Hall. His choral compositions are published by Augsburg Fortress, Beckenhorst Press, Choristers Guild, E.C. Schirmer/Galaxy, Morningstar, Musicspoke, Pavane, and G. Schirmer.
A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Eastman School of Music, Tom is grateful for the inspiration of his teachers and mentors – especially Anton Armstrong, David Davidson, Craig Hella Johnson, (Mister) Fred Rogers, William Weinert, Anne Wilson and Todd Wilson.
(402) 476-7565 ext. 222
Lydia Fry
Administrative Director
Lydia serves as the Administrative Director of Abendmusik. She has been a member of the Abendmusik Chorus and the Plymouth Choir since 2007, though her involvement with First-Plymouth Church has spanned more than thirty years. At First-Plymouth she has served on the Board of Women’s Ministries, with the Music and Fine Arts board on various projects, in youth choirs and orchestras, and has participated in fundraising for the Choir and Church.
While earning a Bachelor’s of Arts in Professional/Technical Writing from Missouri Southern State University, Lydia also participated in both vocal and instrumental music. She has also previously been an ensemble member of the Lincoln Community Concert Band.
Professionally, Lydia has a strong administrative background, as well as 5+ years of experience in archival and document control. She has also assisted nonprofits and local governments through grant application, funding, implementation, and the monitoring process, helping them secure State and Federal funding, and fulfill funding requirements.
Lydia is grateful to her musical, professional, and personal mentors, and for the opportunity to serve with Abendmusik in this capacity. Abendmusik has brought so much joy and fulfillment to her life, and continually provides such deep, rich, soul-inspiring experiences.
(402) 476-9933
Board of Directors
PRESIDENT - Adrienne C. Dickson
VICE PRESIDENT - Mark Faatz
SECRETARY - Dave Vrbas
TREASURER - Joan Michelsen
Barbara Bartle
Betsy Bobenhouse
Dori Bush
Foster Collins
David Florell
Mily Harrod
Daniel Ikpeama
John Marquez
Lance Nielsen
Phyllis Owen
Pamela Starr
Nick Steinke
Ken Winston
Leila Zila
Staff
Tom Trenney, Artistic Director
Matthew Finkner, Executive Director
Fred Schneider, Communications Coordinator
Lydia Fry, Administrative Director