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HISTORY OF FRISCO CHORALE
The Frisco Chorale began in 1994 with a simple dream and a handful of passionate singers led by Don Hermonat with his wife, Jeanne, accompanying the group in their living room. What started as a small gathering quickly grew into something special. Their goal was to make beautiful music and share it with the community.
As Frisco grew, so did the Chorale. This small ensemble became the city’s musical ambassadors, representing Frisco with pride and artistry. Rehearsals eventually moved to First Frisco United Methodist Church, and the group became a registered non-profit organization with more than forty-five volunteer singers.
In 2005, Don retired and passed the baton to Kendall Carter, who led the Chorale with passion and excellence for nearly two decades. In 2024, the Chorale welcomed Janson Guillen as its new Artistic Director. He is a local choir director, teacher, and professional musician. Janson brings fresh creative energy and a deep love for choral artistry, inspiring both singers and audiences through renewed performances, growing membership, and community connection.
Today, the Frisco Chorale continues its proud tradition of providing exceptional choral music to Frisco and the surrounding area. Through quality performances, community engagement, and a shared love of song, the Chorale fosters the growth of the local arts community.
Now in his second year as Artistic Director of the Frisco Chorale, Janson C. Guillen brings dynamic artistry and a deep passion for choral excellence to every performance.
In addition to his leadership with the Chorale, Janson serves as AP Music Theory and Choral Director at Liberty High School in Frisco, where he inspires the next generation of musicians. Before joining Liberty, he was the Associate Director of Choirs at Duncanville High School and Associate Choirmaster at Trinity Episcopal Church in Fort Worth.
Janson earned both his Master of Music in Choral Conducting and Bachelor of Music Education (magna cum laude) from Texas Christian University. During his graduate studies, he served as assistant conductor for several of TCU’s premier ensembles including the Concert Chorale, FrogCorps, and Cantiamo. He also served as a teaching assistant for undergraduate conducting.
In 2023, Janson was honored to conduct the TCU Concert Chorale at their Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) performance. It was an experience he describes as unforgettable. Earlier in his career, his choirs consistently earned superior ratings at adjudicated contests, reflecting his commitment to musical precision and expressive performance.
As a solo artist, Janson achieved top placements at the TEXOMA NATS competitions: 3rd place in 2017, 2nd in 2018, and 1st in 2020. He was a featured soloist with the TCU Concert Chorale at the 2018 TMEA convention and at the celebrated “Bernstein at Bass Hall” concert. Janson also appeared as the baritone soloist for the world premiere of Nico Guiterrez’s Requiem for the New World.
Janson continues to perform professionally as a member of two renowned choral ensembles: Pasión, conducted by Dr. Eric Posada, and New American Voices, conducted by Dr. Z. Randall Stroope.