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

David Lang on Hearing Music with Fresh Ears

David Lang on Hearing Music with Fresh Ears

David Lang | Audiences, Composing/Commissioning, Innovation, Performance, Profile

Composer David Lang tells about the creative vision of Bang on a Can: Take concerts apart and put them back together again so that music can be heard with fresh ears. Read more

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Your Desert Island Discs

Your Desert Island Discs

Chorus America Staff | Impact/Value, Repertoire, Singing, Symphonic

If you were stranded on a desert island, what choral music recording would you take with you? When we asked this of some 600 choral singers, many of them thought the question was—how to put this delicately?—ill-advised. Read more

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Alice Parker: Finding the Music in the Text

Alice Parker: Finding the Music in the Text

Alice Parker | Composing/Commissioning, Profile

Which comes first—the melody or the lyrics? Composer Alice Parker explains her creative process. Read more

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Singing Seniors

Singing Seniors

Good for the Body, Good for the Soul

Kelsey Menehan | Adults/Seniors, Community Outreach, Health, Impact/Value, Participation, Singing

Senior choruses are springing up all over, and singers are reaping the benefits of meaningful community involvement, increased social interaction, and better health. Read more

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Brazeal Dennard Celebrates 60 Years

Brazeal Dennard Celebrates 60 Years

Chorus America Staff | Conducting, Diversity, Profile

Sixty years ago Brazeal Dennard stood up before the Angelic Choir of the Peoples Baptist Church in Detroit for the first time as its conductor. We profile the life and career of this champion for African-American music and composers. [Editor's note: Brazeal Dennard sadly passed away in July 2010.] Read more

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New Voices on Composing and Commissioning

New Voices on Composing and Commissioning

Chorus America Staff | Composing/Commissioning, Technique/Tool

Are more composers increasingly looking to the choral genre as a means for expression? We explore the issue in this roundtable discussion featuring Heather Hitchens of Meet The Composer, John Nuechterlein of the American Composers Forum, and Joanne Hubbard Cossa of the American Music Center. Read more

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Working with the Music Director

Working with the Music Director

Chorus America Staff | Conducting, Governance, Management/Leadership

Artistic leadership of a chorus is both an individual balancing act and a highly collaborative endeavor. Read more

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Choral Music: Worth Listening To

Choral Music: Worth Listening To

Tom Hall | Audiences, Impact/Value, Marketing/Public Relations, Performance

When choruses take the time to really sing the text—be it biblical or poetic, somber or silly—we demonstrate the moral consequence of lives that are animated by beauty, passion, and love. Read more

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How to Choose Chorus Apparel

How to Choose Chorus Apparel

Lawana Holland | Marketing/Public Relations, Operations, Performance

Finding the right look for your chorus is no easy undertaking. Here's a look at the questions you should consider before making a decision on what your chorus should wear on stage. Read more

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Learning for Life: A Conducting Masterclass

Learning for Life: A Conducting Masterclass

Karen Deans | Careers, Conducting, Education

Cellists hang out with the other cellists, singers hang out with other singers, but conductors—who do they hang out with? Stephen Czarkowski and 31 other conductors hung out together for four days in May 2006 to share with each other, explore some of the great works in the choral-orchestral repertoire, and learn from some of the nation's finest choral conductors. Read more

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Resources

'Music Director Transition' Tool: Orientation Materials Checklist

'Music Director Transition' Tool: Orientation Materials Checklist

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

A checklist of documents and organizational background to prepare for the incoming music director. Read more

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'Music Director Transition' Tool: Developing a Communications Plan

'Music Director Transition' Tool: Developing a Communications Plan

Chorus America Staff | Careers, Conducting, Governance, Marketing/Public Relations, Sample/Template, Strategic Planning, Technique/Tool

A worksheet to help choruses communicate to all constituents in the event of an artistic founder transition. Read more

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'Music Director Transition' Tool: Determining Your Organizational Direction

'Music Director Transition' Tool: Determining Your Organizational Direction

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

Thirteen questions to help determine the future of the chorus when an artistic founder transition is imminent. Read more

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'Music Director Transition' Tool: Building Your Search Budget

'Music Director Transition' Tool: Building Your Search Budget

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

Searching for new artistic leadership requires its own budget. This list of income and expense considerations will help. Read more

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'Music Director Transition' Tool: Annual Employee Performance Evaluation Guidelines

'Music Director Transition' Tool: Annual Employee Performance Evaluation Guidelines

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

Ten helpful guidelines to help establish a healthy annual performance review process for the music director of your chorus. Read more

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'Music Director Transition' Tool: Action Plan Matrix

'Music Director Transition' Tool: Action Plan Matrix

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

A worksheet to help choruses plan for founding artistic leadership transitions. Read more

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'Music Director Transition' Tool: 4 Tips for Building Your Board

'Music Director Transition' Tool: 4 Tips for Building Your Board

Chorus America Staff | Careers, Conducting, Governance, Recruitment, Strategic Planning

A founder transition requires strong leadership from the board. Is your board ready? Read more

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'Music Director Transition' Tool: 3 Key Transition Questions

'Music Director Transition' Tool: 3 Key Transition Questions

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

Questions to answer as you begin a founding music director transition. Read more

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The Choral Music of Ruth Watson Henderson

The Choral Music of Ruth Watson Henderson

Chorus America Staff | Composing/Commissioning, Conducting, Repertoire, Research/Data

Research Memorandum Series No. 198 Read more

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Events

New Music for Treble Voices Festival

New Music for Treble Voices Festival

555 Waverley St., Palo Alto CA

Susan Rooke | Audiences, Children/Youth, Community Outreach, Impact/Value, Innovation, Performance, Repertoire, Singing

The Peninsula Women's Chorus hosts the sixth annual edition of the exciting and innovative New Music for Treble Voices Festival. Read more

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The New York Virtuoso Singers’ Third Concert of 25th Anniversary Season

The New York Virtuoso Singers’ Third Concert of 25th Anniversary Season

129 West 67th St. (btw Broadway and Amsterdam) in Manhattan

Harold Rosenbaum | Professional

  The New York Virtuoso Singers, Harold Rosenbaum, Conductor and Artistic Director, will present the third concert of their 25th Anniversary season, co-sponsored by Merkin Concert Hall.   Read more

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Toronto Mendelssohn Choir concert webcast

Toronto Mendelssohn Choir concert webcast

Toronto, Ontario

Toronto Mendels... | Audiences, Community Outreach

For choral music lovers across Canada, the U.S. and around the world, the TMC will webcast their performance of Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle live at www.tmchoir.org as part of its outreach program.  Register online with an email and enjoy the concert from anywhere on Sat, Feb 9 at 3 pm ET, UTC -5. TMC webcasts are now flash and iPhone and iPad compatible.  Read more

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Sounds of Motown!

Sounds of Motown!

1000 Elm Street, Glenview, Illinois

Melinda Pollack... | Audiences

The Sing to Live® Community Chorus was created in 2005 by a breast cancer survivor to provide a unique musical outlet and supported environment to singers, both men and women, whose lives have been touched by breast cancer.  Breast cancer survivors are given complementary tickets.  Visit our website (www.singtolive.org) for more information about the chorus and how to donate! We hope to have you in our audience!       Read more

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Cordus Mundi/Bel Canto Children's Chorus Collaborative Concert

Cordus Mundi/Bel Canto Children's Chorus Collaborative Concert

Doylestown, PA

Rick Rosen | Performance

Bucks County-based male a cappella group Cordus Mundi will present a collaborative vocal concert with the Bel Canto Children’s Chorus on Saturday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Doylestown. The program includes independent concert sets from each group, as well as several pieces sung together by the combined choirs. Read more

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Eric Whitacre and the Eric Whitacre Singers | Inspirations: North American Debut Tour

Eric Whitacre and the Eric Whitacre Singers | Inspirations: North American Debut Tour

New York, NY

DCINY | Audiences, Conducting, Impact/Value, Performance, Singing

  Announcing the debut US tour of Eric Whitacre and his professional choir, the Eric Whitacre Singers in March 2013 – Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia and New York City. The programme will include recent works from Eric such as “Alleluia” and “The City and the Sea” as well as some of the greats of his catalogue, “When David Heard“, “A Boy and a Girl” and “Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine“. Other composers featured include Lauridsen, Monteverdi and Bach. Read more

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Eric Whitacre and the Eric Whitacre Singers | Inspirations: North American Debut Tour

Eric Whitacre and the Eric Whitacre Singers | Inspirations: North American Debut Tour

Philadelphia, PA

DCINY | Audiences, Conducting, Impact/Value, Performance, Singing

  Announcing the debut US tour of Eric Whitacre and his professional choir, the Eric Whitacre Singers in March 2013 – Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia and New York City. The programme will include recent works from Eric such as “Alleluia” and “The City and the Sea” as well as some of the greats of his catalogue, “When David Heard“, “A Boy and a Girl” and “Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine“. Other composers featured include Lauridsen, Monteverdi and Bach. Read more

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Eric Whitacre and the Eric Whitacre Singers | Inspirations: North American Debut Tour

Eric Whitacre and the Eric Whitacre Singers | Inspirations: North American Debut Tour

Boston, MA

DCINY | Audiences, Conducting, Impact/Value, Performance, Professional, Singing

  Announcing the debut US tour of Eric Whitacre and his professional choir, the Eric Whitacre Singers in March 2013 – Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia and New York City. The programme will include recent works from Eric such as “Alleluia” and “The City and the Sea” as well as some of the greats of his catalogue, “When David Heard“, “A Boy and a Girl” and “Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine“. Other composers featured include Lauridsen, Monteverdi and Bach. Read more

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Eric Whitacre and the Eric Whitacre Singers | Inspirations: North American Debut Tour

Eric Whitacre and the Eric Whitacre Singers | Inspirations: North American Debut Tour

North Bethesda, MD

DCINY | Audiences, Composing/Commissioning, Conducting, Impact/Value, Performance, Professional, Singing

  Announcing the debut US tour of Eric Whitacre and his professional choir, the Eric Whitacre Singers in March 2013 – Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia and New York City. The programme will include recent works from Eric such as “Alleluia” and “The City and the Sea” as well as some of the greats of his catalogue, “When David Heard“, “A Boy and a Girl” and “Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine“. Other composers featured include Lauridsen, Monteverdi and Bach.     Read more

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Choral Conducting Master Class with Dr. Jan Harrington

Choral Conducting Master Class with Dr. Jan Harrington

Princeton, NJ

The Princeton F... | Adults/Seniors, Conducting, Education, General, Performance, Rehearsal, Technique/Tool

This 5-day professional choral conducting master class will offer practical rehearsal strategies, choral warm-up ideas, and sessions on performance issues, score study and preparation, creating compelling performances, and readings of new and recently published choral literature for choirs of all levels. 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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