Astra Ensemble was formed around a simple idea: choral music can feel close, personal, and alive. Not distant. Not formal. Just eight singers, singing together, sharing something real.

Astra: First Light is our first recording project. It’s a chance to capture the sound you hear in the room and let it live beyond a single evening—so people can return to it, share it, and discover us for the first time.

Astra Ensemble has a sound we believe in.

It’s a sound shaped by clarity, flexibility, and close listening—eight individual voices working together in a way that feels open, expressive, and immediate. That approach grows naturally out of who we are and where we make music. For us, collaboration is personal, the music-making is direct, and artistry is rooted in community rather than distance or spectacle. Astra: First Light is our way of sharing that voice with a wider classical music audience and placing it into a broader artistic conversation.

This recording allows us to introduce Astra Ensemble beyond Kansas City, offering listeners a first encounter with our sound and giving presenters and collaborators a clear sense of who we are and what we value musically.

Astra: First Light will be a short, carefully chosen sampler of music that reflects what we do best—clear, expressive singing that feels direct and human. We’ll be working with one of Kansas City’s most respected classical recording engineers to ensure the sound you hear reflects the care and artistry that go into every performance.

Your support makes this recording possible by helping us:

Our goal is to raise $3,000, which allows us to complete the project at a professional level while keeping it personal and focused.

Astra: First Light is the beginning of Astra Ensemble’s recorded legacy. We invite you to be part of it. Every contribution brings this project—and our music—into the light.