ABOUT THE
BYRD ENSEMBLE
Artistic Director
Markdavin Obenza
​
Operations Director
Lauren Kastanas​​
​​
Board of Directors
Markdavin Obenza, President
Orrin Doyle, Vice President
Margaret Obenza, Treasurer
Sarra Sharif, Secretary
Teresa Clark
Joshua Haberman
Lauren Kastanas
David Madsen
​
Advisory Board
Gus Denhard
Doug Fullington
​
Artist Manager
Marianne LaCrosse
Suòno Artist Management
marianne@suonoartistmanagement.com
Described as “pure and radiant” (Gramophone), “immensely impressive” (Early Music Review), and “rich, full-voiced, and perfectly blended” (Early Music America), the Byrd Ensemble has been internationally acclaimed for its performances and recordings of chamber vocal music, particularly Renaissance polyphony. John Rutter describes the ensemble as “a fine group that has achieved an enviable standard of tuning, blend, and ensemble.” Founded in 2004, the Byrd Ensemble, directed by Markdavin Obenza, is a professional ensemble made up of 10 to 12 singers. The ensemble presents a subscription series in Seattle and tours across the United States and internationally.
​​
The Byrd Ensemble signed with the Scribe Records label in 2011 and has since produced seven records which have been reviewed by Early Music America, Gramophone, and Early Music Review. The Byrd Ensemble's recording of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt was reviewed in the Gramophone Magazine and was used in the French film L'apparition (2018).
The Byrd Ensemble aims to bring modern relevance to Renaissance masterpieces by commissioning Renaissance-inspired works from prominent contemporary composers. In 2023, the Byrd Ensemble commissioned a Byrd-inspired work, Fallings, by American composer Nico Muhly to celebrate 500 years of the death of William Byrd; and in 2025 commissioned a Palestrina-inspired work by British composer Kerensa Briggs to mark the 500th Anniversary of Palestrina.
​
The Byrd Ensemble is represented by Artist Manager
Marianne LaCrosse of Suòno Artist Management (marianne@suonoartistmanagement.com).
MARKDAVIN OBENZA
​​​​​​​​​​​ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MARKDAVIN OBENZA is a choral director, recording producer, singer, and composer. He is also the director of Seattle-based choral ensemble Radiance, specializing in the performance of American choral music, and is the Director of Choral Activities at Trinity Parish Church in Seattle, WA. As a producer for independent record label Scribe Records, Markdavin has produced CD recordings for over 40 choirs and soloists, of which several have been reviewed in Gramophone, Early Music America, Early Music Review, and Fanfare. Markdavin has also produced and directed a number of virtual choirs, including Caroline Shaw's and the swallow, which was featured on Modern Choral Masterworks, broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He has also produced "concertmentaries" and musical broadcasts in collaboration with various music ensembles and artists during the pandemic, including Shaker Spirituals in Maine (2021), featuring composer Kevin Siegfried and Radiance for the Library of Congress American Folklife Center.
​
LAUREN KASTANAS
OPERATIONS DIRECTOR LAUREN KASTANAS is a Seattle-based nonprofit leader, music director, and singer. She has served on the Byrd Ensemble Board of Directors since 2017, and holds over a decade of experience in nonprofit fundraising, performing arts operations leadership, and project management.
Lauren is Executive Director of Seattle Girls Choir, and directs their ten-member contemporary ensemble Sorella. Previously, Lauren led fundraising efforts at Ada Developers Academy and managed grant programs at Washington Conservation Action and El Centro de la Raza. As founder and director of contemporary women’s a cappella group GIRL BAND, she produced dozens of local performances and released two studio albums over the group’s career. As a professional singer, Lauren has performed with Radiance, the Byrd Ensemble, Tudor Choir, and whatever&everamen. She also sings with Trinity Parish choir, and arranges contemporary a cappella music.
​