Since its founding in 1986, LACC has educated more than 2,200 young singers.[1] It includes over 400 choristers divided into seven ensembles and two introductory programs, from more than 60 communities across the greater Los Angeles area. Members rehearse once or twice weekly, with weekly musicianship classes and regular performances with the Chorus.
Repertoire covers a spectrum of musical genres including established classical works, art songs, American jazz pieces and spirituals, and arrangements of folk songs from around the world.
About
Los Angeles Children's Chorus was founded by Rebecca Thompson and Stephanie Mowery in 1986. It has office and rehearsal space in Pasadena Presbyterian Church.
In addition to their contracted performances, LACC presents its own annual Winter and Spring Concerts. The Chorus performs compositions that range from established works by classical composers to contemporary arrangements of folk songs from around the world. The Chorus presents new compositions written specifically for children's voices. Works performed by LACC's Concert Choir include Benjamin Britten's Missa Brevis and A Ceremony of Carols, Gabriel Faure's Messe basse, and Dancing Day by John Rutter. In June 2000, LACC produced its first children's opera, Benjamin Britten's Noye's Fludde (Noah's Flood). Eighty choristers joined with the Orchestra da Camera of the Colburn School and three adult singer/actors.
In July 2007, LACC produced a new choral opera written for LACC by composer Peter Ash and librettist Donald Sturrock, Keepers of the Night. Conductor Grant Gershon, director Corey Madden and soloists Suzanna Guzmán, Malcolm MacKenzie, Lynette Tapia and Lauren Libaw joined 65 LACC choristers for four performances of the world premiere production at the Alex Theatre in Glendale.
On August 1, 2018, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz replaced Anne Tomlinson as artistic director after her 22-year tenure came to an end.[2]
At the closing of the 2018–2019 season, Diana Landis stepped down from her position as Apprentice Choir Director. Eric Lifland assumed her role alongside his existing role as Assistant Conductor for the Young Men's Ensemble, effective from the 2019–2020 season onward.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, LACC established virtual choir rehearsals and produced their first online concert, titled E pluribus unum (English: From many, one) in December 2020. The choir has since returned to rehearsing and performing in physical venues with safety protocols in place.[3]
LACC announced on November 18, 2022 that Mandy Brigham, the chorus' Associate Artistic Director, would retire after 22 years at the end of the 2022–2023 season.[4] Fred Meads, Education Director for the Westrick Music Academy, was named the new Associate Artistic Director starting in the 2023–2024 season. Meads will also assume Brigham's roles as director of the Preparatory and Intermediate choirs, as well as overseeing the musicianship program.
On April 28, 2023, the chorus announced the departure of executive director J. Andrew Bradford, effective July 5, 2023, and started a search for a new executive director.[5]
Choirs & Programs
The Los Angeles Children's Chorus is made up of two introductory programs and seven ensembles, each designed for a specific level of musical experience. Choristers are promoted from one ensemble to the next after acquiring the required skills through the musicianship program.
First Experiences in Singing
Prior to admission into Preparatory Choir, children ages 6–8 may participate in a two-level beginner program called First Experiences in Singing (FES). Level I of the program introduces children to solfège, pitch, rhythm, the music staff, the use of head voice, and more. Level II builds upon the content introduced in Level I, adding the Bel canto technique, basic dictation, vocal exercises, and tempos.[6]
First Experiences in Choral Singing
Following FES is First Experiences in Choral Singing (FECS). This introductory ensemble is designed for children who have the skills taught in FES, but who aren't ready for Preparatory Choir. It primarily encourages listening skills and development of the upper vocal range, and addresses other skills like reading octavos and recognizing musical phrasing.[7]
Preparatory Choir
The youngest performing ensemble is the Preparatory Choir, directed by Fred Meads, which serves young children with little to no music experience. Though Preparatory Choir does not perform with LACC's other ensembles, it still hosts two concerts each season for choristers' family members.[8]
Apprentice Choir
Choristers in Apprentice Choir, which is directed by Eric Lifland, may be promoted from Preparatory Choir or may audition. As such, this ensemble caters to choristers with basic music experience. Apprentice Choir performs with the higher-level ensembles at the Winter and Spring concerts, along with occasional performances at community events.[9]
Intermediate Choir
Intermediate Choir, directed by Fred Meads, accepts auditions or promotions from Apprentice Choir. This ensemble introduces choristers to more advanced pieces, along with the opportunity to perform with professional musical organizations including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Opera. Intermediate Choir performs with the other ensembles twice each season, in addition to community events, concerts, and its own annual spring tour.[10]
The Young Men's Ensemble (YME) is composed of male singers whose voices are transitioning. The ensemble, directed by Dr. Steven Kronauer, accepts singers from Apprentice Choir, Intermediate Choir, Concert Choir, or through audition. Choristers work with Dr. Kronauer during separate vocal coaching sessions to enhance techniques that promote healthy singing throughout their vocal transition.[12]
Chamber Singers
The Chamber Singers are also directed by Fernando Malvar-Ruiz. This ensemble of exclusively female choristers is invitation-only, chosen from members of the Concert Choir who have completed all 7 levels of musicianship lessons. Chamber Singers have the opportunity to perform with artists including the Calder Quartet, Anna Christy, and Grant Gershon.[13]
Chorale
LACC's newest ensemble is Chorale, a mixed voices choir directed by Fernando Malvar-Ruiz. Choristers from Concert Choir and the Young Men's Ensemble with a high degree of musical ability are invited to audition for Chorale, which performs a variety of pieces designed specifically for mixed voice ensembles.[14]
Musicianship Classes
Starting in Preparatory Choir, choristers receive weekly musicianship lessons from September to May of each season. These classes, which are separated into eight skill-based levels, incorporate the Kodály Method and teach how to read sheet music and identify rhythms, keys, scales, dynamics, and more. The highest levels introduce basic conducting.[15]
Tours
LACC's higher-level ensembles take part in annual tours of various locations across the world. Each tour is designed to provide the choristers with enriching experiences, opportunities for collaboration with other musical groups, and to teach the choristers to be cultural ambassadors for the city of Los Angeles.[16]
LACC's Concert Choir and Young Men's Ensemble tour across the United States and worldwide, generally alternating between domestic and international tours occurring at the end of each performing season. Their June 2022 tour to Mexico marked the first time the two ensembles toured jointly, in addition to being Chorale's first tour. The chorus is continuing this multi-ensemble touring format into future seasons, with a trip to Spain upcoming in June 2023.[citation needed]
Tours often include participation in festivals or events. For example, Concert Choir's 2006 tour saw them in Italy as the featured choir at the Tuscany International Children's Chorus Festival. Two years later, they participated in the China International Youth Arts Festival preceding the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.[citation needed]
In Summer 2010, they traveled for the first time to Finland, Sweden, and Estonia. Summer 2012 took the members of Concert Choir to South Africa for the first time. In Summer 2016, the Concert Choir Touring Ensemble traveled to Japan.[citation needed]
LACC holds an all-choir retreat in the autumn, with time dedicated for workshops, combined rehearsals, individual rehearsals, and recreation. Intermediate Choir takes a weekend tour every spring, traveling to cities in the western United States to visit and perform with many other children's choirs.[citation needed] Apprentice Choir and Preparatory Choir take a day trip in the spring to visit and perform with other children's choirs.[citation needed]
Los Angeles Children's Chorus occasionally hosts visits from, and performs with, other children's choirs, including the Leningrad Children's Choir, Toronto Children's Chorus, Tapiola Choir of Finland, Dawn Children's Choir of Moscow, Carmina Slovenica of Maribor, Slovenia, Australian Girls Choir, American Boychoir, The Phoenix Boys Choir, Phoenix Girls Chorus, Central California Children's Choir, Lawrence Children's Choir, Portland Symphonic Girlchoir and Pensacola Children's Chorus, Hamburg Girl's Choir.[citation needed]
News Articles
Looseleaf, Victoria. "Classical Music Raising Kids' Voices." Los Angeles Times February 22, 2004, E44.
Esa-Pekka Salonen is a Finnish conductor and composer. He was the music director of the San Francisco Symphony and conductor laureate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra in London and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. He resigned from the San Francisco Symphony in 2024.
The Los Angeles Master Chorale is a professional chorus in Los Angeles, California, and one of the resident companies of both The Music Center and Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. It was founded in 1964 by Roger Wagner to be one of the three original resident companies of the Music Center of Los Angeles County. Grant Gershon has been its music director since 2001, replacing Paul Salamunovich.
Mass is a musical theatre work composed by Leonard Bernstein with text by Bernstein and additional text and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Commissioned by Jacqueline Kennedy, it premiered on September 8, 1971, conducted by Maurice Peress and choreographed by Alvin Ailey. The production used costume designs by Frank Thompson. The performance was part of the opening of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Mass premiered in Europe in 1973, with John Mauceri conducting the Yale Symphony Orchestra in Vienna.
The American Boychoir School was a boarding/day middle school located in Princeton, New Jersey, and the home of the American Boychoir. The school originated as the Columbus Boychoir in Columbus, Ohio. In 1950, the school relocated after receiving property in Princeton, New Jersey from the Lambert estate. The relocated school was renamed the American Boychoir School. It remained in this location until the sale of Albemarle in 2012. The school served boys in grades 4–8, many of whom came from across the United States and from many countries. It was one of only two boychoir boarding schools in the United States, the other being Saint Thomas Choir School in New York City. The school provided opportunity to boys from across the world to experience the rich world of music. The Boychoir toured across the contiguous United States, through Canada, as well as internationally, allowing students to gain diverse cultural perspective while performing at the professional level. The American Boychoir performed with numerous orchestras, frequently including the New York Philharmonic as well as the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra.
David Lang is an American composer living in New York City. Co-founder of the musical collective Bang on a Can, he was awarded the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Music for The Little Match Girl Passion, which went on to win a 2010 Grammy Award for Best Small Ensemble Performance by Paul Hillier and Theatre of Voices. Lang was nominated for an Academy Award for "Simple Song #3" from the film Youth.
The San Francisco Girls Chorus, established in 1978 by Elizabeth Appling, is a regional center for music education and performance for girls and young women, ages 4–18, based in San Francisco. Each year, more than 300 singers from 45 Bay Area cities participate in SFGC's programs. The organization consists of a professional-level performance, recording, and touring ensemble and a six-level Chorus School training program.
Christopher Chiyan Tin is an American composer of art music, often composed for film, television, and video game soundtracks. His work is primarily orchestral and choral, often with a world music influence. He won two Grammy Awards for his classical crossover album Calling All Dawns.
The Colorado Children's Chorale is a singing group in Colorado established in 1974, a result of the assembly by founder Duain Wolfe of a youth ensemble to perform in Central City Opera's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Mr. Wolfe recognized the opportunity to fulfill an ongoing need for a professionally trained children's choral resource and as such, the primary mission of the Chorale as a performing ensemble remains to this day.
Musica Angelica is an internationally renowned Baroque orchestra based in Long Beach, California and led by music director Martin Haselböck, award-winning organist, conductor, and composer. Musica Angelica is dedicated to the historically informed performance of Baroque and early Classical music on period instruments. Its programs include a mixture of known masterworks by composers such as Bach, Handel and Vivaldi, along with rarely heard ‘musical gems’ by lesser-known composers.
Pacific Chorale, founded in 1968, is a professional chorus performing in Costa Mesa, California at the Renée and Henry Segerstom Concert Hall at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
David Hayes is an American conductor.
Mark Grey is an American classical music composer, sound designer and sound engineer.
The Master Chorale of Washington, formerly the Paul Hill Chorale, was a symphonic choir based in Washington, D.C., composed of approximately 126 auditioned volunteer choristers and twenty-four professional choristers. Its most recent music director was Donald McCullough (1997–2009).
Masterworks Chorale is a choral ensemble based in San Mateo, California.
Andrew Keith Wailes is an Australian conductor and music director. Winner of the Australasian International Choral Conducting Competition in Brisbane in 1999, he is the current artistic director and Chief Conductor of the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra, Principal Conductor of the Melbourne University Choral Society, and music director and Conductor of the Box Hill Chorale. From 1999 to 2020 he served as artistic director of The Australian Children's Choir, and for a decade was Director of the Australian Catholic University Melbourne Campus Choir. He is a former president of the Australian Intervarsity Choral Societies Association, and is a former Artistic Administrator and artistic director of The Chamber Strings of Melbourne.
In 1983, Marguerite McCormick founded the Children’s Chorus of San Antonio to develop the artistic and personal potential of young people across the city. Today, more than 450 young musicians ages 5–18 gather every week to learn choral music and singing in a healthy, diverse, and inclusive environment. The organization runs eight core ensembles, one of which is in special collaboration with the Boys and Girls Clubs, as well as an extensive early-childhood music and movement program for babies and toddlers called Music Together. Through their specially crafted programming, CCSA continues to cultivate the arts and culture in San Antonio, while transforming the lives of young people through the power of music and friendship.
Jake Runestad is an American composer and conductor of classical music based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has composed music for a wide variety of musical genres and ensembles, but has achieved greatest acclaim for his work in the genres of opera, orchestral music, choral music, and wind ensemble. One of his principal collaborators for musical texts has been Todd Boss.
Washington, D.C., and its environs are home to an unusually large and vibrant choral music scene, including choirs and choruses of many sizes and types.
Maîtrise de Radio France is the choir school of Radio France. The school and its choir were founded in 1946 by the composer Henry Barraud and the pedagogue Maurice David. Its first Director was Marcel Couraud. As a performing ensemble the Maîtrise choir has appeared on numerous recordings and in live concert performances, with a particular emphasis on choral works by French composers. It is one of the four permanent ensembles of Radio France along with the Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre national de France and Chœur de Radio France.
wp:soap
References
↑ "Our History". Los Angeles Children's Chorus. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
