Our Directors
Ken Abrams
Director
Ken Abrams was the beloved choral director at San Ramon Valley High School for 36 years. And since 1992 he has also been the artistic director of the Danville Girls Chorus - a community children’s choir with over 150 singers in five separate levels with a staff of nine professionals. He is a graduate of California State University, Hayward, where he majored in vocal performance and graduated cum laude. He received his Master’s Degree in choral conducting from the University of Illinois in 1990 and graduated magna cum laude. The SRVHS choirs were noted for their commitment to excellence and for their outstanding ranking at competitions and festivals as well as 16 first place awards at the prestigious Northern California Golden State Choral Competition.
Mr. Abrams was selected as "Teacher of The Year" for the San Ramon Valley Unified School District in 1996, at San Ramon Valley High School in 2002 and by the Danville Chamber of Commerce in 2006. He was also awarded Volunteer of the Year for the town of Danville in 2007. Touring was an important component of the curriculum at SRVHS and his choirs made two domestic trips annually as well as eight international tours -- Central Europe, the British Isles, Australia/New Zealand, Spain, the Baltics with Russia, Costa Rica, Argentina/Uruguay and Italy/Slovenia/Croatia. The latter trip featured performances at the Vatican and at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice. In addition, he undertook “Rebuild and Renew” tours to NYC in 2002 after the 9/11 tragedies, New Orleans in 2006 after Hurricane Katrina, and Houston in 2018 after Hurricane Harvey.
Ken is the past-president of the California chapter of the American Choral Director’s Association (ACDA), and he also served as the High School Representative for the ACDA Western Division Region (California, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah and Arizona). Lastly, Ken’s groups were featured at two prominent ACDA Western Division Conferences - Los Angeles in 2008 and Tucson in 2010. He is eager and excited about his partnership with the Blackhawk Chorus and is grateful to founding director, Diane Gilfether, for her wonderful leadership and vision over the past thirty years. Ken looks forward to “continuing the traditions” so well established with this family of singers.
Geoff Carter
Assistant Director & Accompanist
Geoff Carter is a product of the Castro Valley Public School System and a proud member of the Castro Valley High School Class of 1980. After graduating, he spent three years at California State University, Hayward (now Cal State East Bay), before transferring to the University of Colorado Boulder, where he earned a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance.
While at Cal State, Geoff sang in the choirs under the direction of his father, Harry Carter. It was there that he first met Blackhawk Chorus director Ken Abrams.
After graduating from CU Boulder, Geoff returned to the Bay Area to pursue training as a choral teacher. His final student teaching assignment was with a high school program in Concord under the mentorship of Virginia Walker—and he was hooked. Thirty-six years later, Geoff is grateful to have been part of wonderful school communities and to have worked with outstanding students and colleagues at Ygnacio Valley High School, Oak Grove Middle School, and Northgate High School.
During his teaching career, Geoff also served as an adjunct choral instructor at Diablo Valley College and Las Positas College. In addition, he led a worship band, choir, and bell choir at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Walnut Creek for twelve years.
With encouragement from his parents, Geoff began studying piano at the age of four and continued formal study through college, often accompanying his own choral groups along the way. He has been performing professionally on piano and keyboards since age seventeen and currently plays with various jazz ensembles throughout the Bay Area.
Since retiring from teaching, Geoff enjoys supporting outstanding choirs and their directors from behind the piano. In addition to accompanying the Blackhawk Chorus, he also works with choral programs in the Castro Valley and Hayward Unified School Districts. Geoff is delighted to collaborate once again with Ken Abrams and is grateful for the opportunity to work with the mighty Blackhawk Chorus.
