Jessica Westgard Larson has been conductor of handbell choirs at Concordia College since 2007. A handbell ringer since childhood, she played with Concordia’s handbell choirs as a student when the program was founded in 1995 and was honored to later be asked to return to lead the program. She is proud of how many former Concordia ringers have been sent forth to incorporate handbells in their music classrooms, conduct their local church bell choirs and perform in community handbell ensembles across the country.
Jessica has been participating in Handbell Musicians of America (formerly AGEHR) events since the early 2000s at both regional and national levels. She is a regular performer with Distinctly Bronze, Area 7 Bronze Plus choirs and All-Star Choirs at National Seminar, including the American All-Star Choir that performed at the 2012 Liverpool International Handbell Symposium. Jessica has thanked Handbell Musicians of America for all they’ve taught her by serving as Area 7 Chair and as an At-Large National Board Member. National Board service enabled her to play bells in 17 states. Westgard Larson has also conducted the handbell choir at St. John Lutheran Church in Fargo since 1999. Jessica lives in Fargo with her husband Dave, their daughter Megan and a menagerie of cats and dogs. Her full-time career is in finance.