New Artistic Director
Jacob Pedersen
We are excited for Jacob Pedersen to take-on his new role as the Artistic Director of Fort Dodge Choral Society and lead us into the future. Scroll down to learn more about Jacob.
Decades of Collaboration
Over the decades, FDCS has established an impressive library of choral music. Although music has been borrowed through the years in order to hold down expenses, money has always been budgeted for purchase of quality music. Numerous area schools and churches have benefitted from using Choral Society’s library, which includes more than 500 works.
Choral Society is always looking to collaborate with rising vocal and instrumental talent to perform as well as compositional talent to commission−we encourage all of those who feel so moved to contact us!
Our People
Jacob Pedersen, Artistic Director
Jacob Pedersen is originally from Manson, Iowa. He received his bachelor degree in K-12 Music Education from Buena Vista University and Masters of Music Education from the University of South Dakota. Beginning in August 2025, he is the Vocal Music and Humanities Instructor at Iowa Central Community College.
From 2015 - 2025, Jacob was the 9-12 vocal director at Odebolt Arthur Battle Creek Ida Grove School District. He directed concert choir, musicals, all-state singers, solo/ensemble contest, jazz choir, and show choirs. He taught Music Theory and Music Appreciation in addition to his ensemble duties. In 2024, the High School Concert Choir performed at the NWICDA Dordt Honor Choir as a featured ensemble.
Jacob is an active participant in the Iowa Choral Directors Association and Iowa High School Music Association and has hosted several state contests. During the pandemic, he hosted a presentation on a flipped vocal music classroom, incorporating recording technology in a choral setting for assessment. Outside of directing choir and teaching, he enjoys accompanying for solo/ensembles, honor choirs, and local churches.
During his free time, Jacob likes to travel, play card games, cook and bake, and spend time with his family and friends. He is now a resident of Fort Dodge and has taken on another new role/challenge as a homeowner.
Jeanette Hinkeldey, Collaborative Pianist
Jeanette Hinkeldey, a classically-trained pianist and organist, performs throughout Iowa as an organ recitalist and pianist for musical theater productions and vocal/instrumentalist soloists. When accompanying the Buena Vista University Choir on their European tour, Jeanette performed in Paris at the world-renowned Notre-Dame Cathedral, as well as The American Cathedral (The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity). Currently, Jeanette accompanies the Storm Lake High School and Middle School Choirs and is the Director of Music at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Aurelia. She also maintains a private piano and organ studio and is involved in the Iowa Music Teachers Association as the Theory Chair and in the Iowa Federation of Music Teachers as the Recording Secretary.
Jeanette received her Master's degree in Music at Drake University and her Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of South Dakota. Throughout her years of study, she worked with Dr. Carl Staplin, Dr. Larry Scully, Dr. Jeannine Jordan, and Dr. Robert Delcamp.
She and her husband, Mark, reside on the Hinkeldey Family Farm south of Alta. They have two grown children, Renae and Marcus, who are also involved in the agricultural business. When not in the music scene, Jeanette enjoys traveling, reading novels, and watching cooking shows, knowing full well she will never have time to make any of the recipes.
thank you, Greta Nelson, 2023-2025 Artistic Director
Greta was our Artistic Director from November 2023 through May 2025. She accepted the position of Interim Director in June 2023 and was a lifesaver to us as we worked through the unexpected death of beloved former conductor, Bruce Perry. In November 2023, she was chosen as Artistic Director. At that time Greta was the choral director at Webster City High School, a program she had been growing for several years in Webster City, Iowa. She also served as Assistant Conductor and Dean of Students for the Minnesota All-State Lutheran Choir, an affiliate of Concordia College in Moorhead, MN.
Greta will be much missed in FD Choral Society. Under her leadership the organization grew and prospered. Her programming and musicianship supported the entire group in striving for choral excellence and strengthened our foundation of community and heart. In May 2025, Greta accepted a new choral position, Director of Choirs for the Waverly/Shell Rock school district, near her much loved Alma Mater, Wartburg College in Waverly, IA, where she earned her Bachelor of Music Education degree. We wish her all the luck the future can possibly hold.
in memory of Bruce Perry (June 1956-June 2023), Conductor
Please visit the Farber & Otteman Funeral Homes website of Sac City, IA, to read the obituary of our previous long-time director: Bruce Perry. From 1993 to 2023, Bruce served as our conductor and solidified Fort Dodge Choral Society's place in the artistic community of Fort Dodge.
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