Conducting & Performing

Chorus America advances the artistry of choruses by providing masterclasses for choral conductors, sessions on repertoire and performance practice, convenings of artistic directors, research on conducting careers and transitions, information on performance trends and innovations, and forums for discussion of artistic issues.

Articles

Bringing Today's Choral Composers into Your Community

Bringing Today's Choral Composers into Your Community

Kelsey Menehan | Children/Youth, Composing/Commissioning, Education

How Minnesota's VocalEssence and composer Eric Whitacre helped high school students, choral directors, and community members of all ages discover the power of contemporary choral music through a festival and community sing event. Read more

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Best Little-Known Choral Recordings

Best Little-Known Choral Recordings

Helene Whitson | Repertoire, Singing

Choral music sleuth Helene Whitson has sifted through used CD bins and trolled the Internet to bring you some of the hidden gems of the choral repertoire. Read more

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Eric Whitacre Speaks Out

Eric Whitacre Speaks Out

An Interview With Choral Music's Rock Star

Kelsey Menehan | Composing/Commissioning, Education, Impact/Value, Innovation, Profile, Social Media

Eric Whitacre muses on how he gets inspired to compose, his special connection with young people, and what he thinks about the future of choral music. Read more

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What Is "Shape-Note" Singing?

What Is "Shape-Note" Singing?

Elisabeth Higgi... | History, Repertoire, Singing, Technique/Tool

In this musical tradition, singers read a variety of different note shapes—each one corresponding to a different syllable: fa, so, la, or mi. Read more

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Inside Conspirare: A Different Kind of Chorus

Inside Conspirare: A Different Kind of Chorus

Kelsey Menehan | Composing/Commissioning, Innovation, Performance, Repertoire

Choruses have a real chance to be innovators and maybe help lead the way for all the arts. Read more

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A Performance of a Lifetime

A Performance of a Lifetime

Children's Choruses Sing at Barack Obama's Inauguration

Jan-Marie Petersen | Children/Youth, History, Profile

Children's choruses from San Francisco sang for millions at the inauguration ceremony of President Barack Obama. Here's what happened on that historic day. Read more

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A Conversation with Craig Hella Johnson

A Conversation with Craig Hella Johnson

Chorus America Staff | Conducting, Innovation, Performance, Repertoire

We sat down with Conspirare founder and artistic director Craig Hella Johnson to get the inside scoop on how the group came to be and the magic behind their success. Read more

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Ligeti in Winter

Ligeti in Winter

Gregory Boals | Audiences, Impact/Value, Rehearsal, Repertoire, Singing, Symphonic

Much in the same way you might stop and get to know your neighbors during a snowstorm, a difficult piece can draw singers together in solidarity amdist the flurry of notes. Read more

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Conquering the B Minor Mass

Conquering the B Minor Mass

Chorus America Staff | Composing/Commissioning, History, Rehearsal, Repertoire, Technique/Tool

The Bach B Minor Mass takes Olympian fortitude to learn and perform. In this interview with conductor and historian Dennis Shrock, we take a look at the history of the work and what singers can do to make the performance experience easier on themselves. Read more

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Where You Lead, They Will Follow

Where You Lead, They Will Follow

An Interview with Sir David Willcocks

Chorus America Staff | Composing/Commissioning, Conducting, History, Profile, Rehearsal

Famed conductor Sir David Willcocks speaks about his special love of choral singing and of choral singers through his experience as director of music at King's College, Cambridge and of the Royal College of Music's Bach Choir. Read more

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Resources

Orchestra Contract

Orchestra Contract

Chorus America Staff | Legal/Licensing, Operations, Performance, Sample/Template

Use this basic sample contract when your chorus is retained to perform by an orchestra. Read more

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Choral Conductors Today: A Study

Choral Conductors Today: A Study

Chorus America Staff | Careers, Conducting, Management/Leadership, Recruitment, Research/Data

Chorus America interviewed more than 700 conductors about their career paths, levels of education, salary, job satisfaction, and more in 2005. The resulting data provides a profile of the "typical" choral conductor that may be surprising. Read more

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Additional content: Ambassadors of Peace

Additional content: Ambassadors of Peace

Kelsey Menehan | Community Outreach, Impact/Value, Profile, Repertoire, Singing

Examples of concert programming that are designed on themes of peace or reconciliation. Partner piece to "How Choruses Have Become Ambassadors of Peace." Read more

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28 American Master Choral Composers

28 American Master Choral Composers

A Repertoire and Recording Listing to Support NEA's American Masterpieces

Chorus America Staff | Composing/Commissioning, Conducting, Government/Policy, Repertoire

Celebrating America's greatest choral composers, this publication provides repertoire and recording lists for 28 composers from Billings to Whitacre. Read more

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Commissioning Timeline

Commissioning Timeline

Chorus America Staff | Composing/Commissioning, Operations, Sample/Template

Commissioning a new work? Follow this two-year timeline to help plot out which steps you should take when. This timeline is appropriate for a work that does not involve complicated instrumental requirements or multiple movements. Read more

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'Music Director Transition' Tool: Sample Search Timeline

'Music Director Transition' Tool: Sample Search Timeline

Chorus America Staff | Careers, Conducting, Governance, Operations, Sample/Template, Strategic Planning

A sample timeline to help with music director search planning. Read more

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'Music Director Transition' Tool: Readiness Quiz

'Music Director Transition' Tool: Readiness Quiz

Chorus America Staff | Careers, Conducting, Governance, Operations, Strategic Planning, Technique/Tool

Is your chorus ready for a founder transition? This 9-question quiz will help you determine the answer. Read more

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Events

THE NEW YORK CHORAL SOCIETY 53RD ANNUAL SUMMER SING PROGRAM

THE NEW YORK CHORAL SOCIETY 53RD ANNUAL SUMMER SING PROGRAM

New York, NY

amandascoleman | Adults/Seniors, Children/Youth, Community Outreach, Conducting, Education, Families, General, Participation, Performance, Singing

  New York, NY- This summer marks the 53rd annual Summer Sing Program. Each summer, the New York Choral Society produces a Summer Sings series that features the most popular masterworks of the choral literature. Taking place every Tuesday at 7:30pm from July 16th – August 20th at Symphony Spacein the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street, New York, six prominent choral conductors from the New York area will lead audience members to sing through these popular works.  Scores are provided by the New York Choral Society. The 2013 series features monumental works including three of the most recognized pieces in the repertoire; Orff’s Carmina Burana on July 16, Mozart’s Requiem on July 23rd and Verdi’s Requiem on August 6. Read more

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An All-American Independence Celebration

An All-American Independence Celebration

Issaquah, WA 98027

Master Chorus E... | Families

www.masterchoruseastside.org Read more

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Spring Choral Concert in Santa Barbara

Spring Choral Concert in Santa Barbara

1535 Santa Barbara St. (in the Sanctuary)

MediaPro | Children/Youth

The SantaBarbara Children's Chorus will present their Spring Repertoire featuring songs about the study of the Emancipation Proclamation. Read more

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Great River Chorale (St. Cloud, MN) Announces Auditions for the 2013-2014 Concert Season

Great River Chorale (St. Cloud, MN) Announces Auditions for the 2013-2014 Concert Season

St. Cloud, Minnesota

Great River Chorale | Adults/Seniors, Community Outreach, Education, General, Networking, Participation, Performance, Professional, Rehearsal, Repertoire, Singing, Symphonic, Volunteer

Great River Chorale is a select, auditioned 45-voice choral ensemble based in St. Cloud. The chorale rehearses Sunday nights and holds extra rehearsals prior to concerts. Members (ages 18 and up) are skilled professional and avocational musicians and choral enthusiasts who desire to sing high quality repertoire at the highest level of excellence. Read more

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Conductor Judith Clurman conducts a reading of  Rappaccini’s Daughter:  A Music Theater Piece

Conductor Judith Clurman conducts a reading of Rappaccini’s Daughter: A Music Theater Piece

New York, NY

amandascoleman |

  Judith Clurman conducts a reading of Rappaccini’s Daughter: A Music Theater Piece by Michael Cohen (music) & Linsey Abrams (book & lyrics), based on a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, at the Pearl Studios , 519 8th Avenue (Studio C-12th floor), NYC, in New York City  on Wednesday, June 12, 2013, at 7:00 PM. Seating is limited. Read more

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Conductor Judith Clurman    conducts a reading of  Rappaccini’s Daughter:  A Music Theater Piece  As part of The Composer Speaks Series

Conductor Judith Clurman conducts a reading of Rappaccini’s Daughter: A Music Theater Piece As part of The Composer Speaks Series

New York, NY

amandascoleman |

  Judith Clurman conducts a reading of Rappaccini’s Daughter: A Music Theater Piece by Michael Cohen (music) & Linsey Abrams (book & lyrics), based on a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, at the Pearl Studios at 519 Eighth Avenue, Studio C, 12th Floor in New York City  on Wednesday, June 12, 2013, at 7:00 PM. Seating is limited.   This event is being performed under the auspices of The Composer Speaks series, which is sponsored by Clurman’s Essential Voices USA. At each Composer Speaks event, choral and vocal musical selections are presented, followed by a discussion with each composer/librettist about musical choices and compositional techniques with conductor Judith Clurman. Audience members are encouraged to be a part of the conversation and ask questions.  EVUSA has presented workshops with numerous composers, including Larry Hochman, Bruce Ruben, Joshua Schmidt, Shulamit Ran, and Paul Schoenfield. EVUSA will present Composer Speaks events during the 2013–2014 concert season. Read more

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¡Figaro! (90210), In Concert

¡Figaro! (90210), In Concert

151 Bank Street, New York, NY

GBFpress | Performance

Figaro! (90210) showcases Mozart’s celebrated music from The Marriage of Figaro note-for-note with a new English libretto by Vid Guerrerio.  Read more

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Figaro! (90210), In Concert

Figaro! (90210), In Concert

151 Bank Street, New York, NY

GBFpress | Performance

Figaro! (90210) showcases Mozart’s celebrated music from The Marriage of Figaro note-for-note with a new English libretto by Vid Guerrerio.  Read more

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Pacific Chorale presents "The Moon, the Sea and the Stars"

Pacific Chorale presents "The Moon, the Sea and the Stars"

Costa Mesa, CA

Ryan McSweeney | Performance

Pacific Chorale and Pacific Symphony perform music invoking rivers, seas, and starry nights, featuring the world premiere of Frank Ticheli's first choral-orchestral work, "The Shore," on text by poet David St. John. Read more

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A Tribute to William Appling: The Celebration Continues!

A Tribute to William Appling: The Celebration Continues!

296 Ninth Ave (at West 28th St), New York, NY 10001

21C Media Group |

      A Tribute to William Appling: The Celebration Continues! (A program of music & readings) Date & time:  Saturday, June 29, 2013, 1:30pm Venue:Church of the Holy Apostles, 296 Ninth Ave (at West 28th St) Artists:  William Appling Singers & Orchestra; Jim Hall, guitar; Ian Frazier, writer; Matthew Oltman, conductor; a choir of Appling’s students, colleagues & friends Program: Includes “Have Ye Not Known?” and “Ye Shall Have A Song” from Randall Thompson’s The Peaceable Kingdom Tickets:$25 general admission; available at http://www.muzen.com/waso.html  or by calling 201-854-7483 A reception with food and beverages immediately follows the program in the church Read more

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Dialogue

Questions During Rehearsal?

Questions During Rehearsal?

Anonymous | Rehearsal, Singing

Conductors, do you let your singers ask questions during rehearsal? What are the pros and cons? Read more

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King FM Choral Music Channel

Enjoy Seattle’s First Online Choral Music Channel

In celebration of Chorus America’s Annual Conference coming to the Pacific Northwest, Classical KING FM has launched Seattle’s first all-choral music channel online at www.king.org. Listen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for music from top choral groups, including winners of Chorus America’s Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence.

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