San Francisco Symphony Chorus

Last updated
San Francisco Symphony Chorus
Also known asthe SFS Chorus
Origin San Francisco, California, United States
Genres Choral,  classical,  opera
Occupation(s) Chorus
Instrument(s)152 voices
Years active1972-present
LabelsSFS Media
MembersMusic Director
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Chorus Director
Jenny Wong
Past membersFounder
Seiji Ozawa
Website www.sfsymphony.org

The San Francisco Symphony Chorus is the resident Chorus of the San Francisco Symphony (SFS).

Contents

Background

Established in 1972 at the request of then-music director Seiji Ozawa, the chorus first performed in the 1973-74 Symphony season. The SFS Chorus today has 152 members and gives a minimum of 26 performances each season at Davies Symphony Hall. They have performed with some of the world's greatest conductors such as Michael Tilson Thomas, Kurt Masur, Neville Marriner, Roger Norrington, and many others.

Leadership

During its first decade, Louis Magor served as the SFS Chorus director. Magor was succeeded in 1982 by the director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus, Margaret Hillis. In 1983, Hillis was succeeded by Vance George who served as Chorus Director for twenty-three years until his retirement in 2006. [1] The current director is Ragnar Bohlin, who came to the SFS Chorus from Stockholm, Sweden where he was awarded with the prestigious Johannes Norrby medallion in 2006, for expanding the horizon of the Swedish choral community. [2]

Awards

Emmy Award, Outstanding Classical Music-Dance Program

Grammy Award for Best Classical Album

Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance

Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Classical

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Symphony</span> American symphony orchestra in San Francisco, California, United States

The San Francisco Symphony, founded in 1911, is an American orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980 the orchestra has been resident at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in the city's Hayes Valley neighborhood. The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus (1972) are part of the organization. Michael Tilson Thomas became the orchestra's music director in 1995, and concluded his tenure in 2020 when Esa-Pekka Salonen took over the position.

The 20th Annual Grammy Awards were held February 23, 1978, and were broadcast live on American television. They were hosted by John Denver and recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1977.

The 26th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 28, 1984, at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1983. Michael Jackson, who had been recovering from scalp burns sustained due to an accident that occurred during the filming of a Pepsi commercial, won a record eight awards during the show. It is notable for garnering the largest Grammy Award television audience ever with 51.67 million viewers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Tilson Thomas</span> American conductor, pianist and composer (born 1944)

Michael Tilson Thomas is an American conductor, pianist and composer. He is Artistic Director Laureate of the New World Symphony, an American orchestral academy based in Miami Beach, Florida, Music Director Laureate of the San Francisco Symphony, and Conductor Laureate of the London Symphony Orchestra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Girls Chorus</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret Hillis</span> American conductor

Margaret Eleanor Hillis was an American conductor. She was the founder and first director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus.

The Pacific Boychoir was formed in 1998 with 6 boys, and it now includes more than 175 singers from ages 4 to 18. The New York Times said the PBA goes “beyond the reach of most youth choirs” and the Los Angeles Times described the PBA quality of sound and musicianship as “astonishing.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manfred Honeck</span> Austrian conductor

Manfred Honeck is an Austrian conductor. He is currently the music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Vance George is an American choral conductor from Nappanee, Indiana.

Frank Scott Albinder is a conductor of male choral music. A former director of Chanticleer, Albinder currently conducts the Washington Men's Camerata, the Woodley Ensemble, and the Virginia Glee Club, and is president of Intercollegiate Men's Choruses, Inc., a national association of men's choruses. Albinder designed the concept and chose the repertoire for Chanticleer's Grammy Award winning album Colors of Love. Albinder holds degrees in conducting and vocal performance. Perhaps his best known work is the vocal solo of Loch Lomond, featured on the Chanticleer album Wondrous Love. He is a past president of the Alumni Association of Pomona College in Claremont, California. Albinder lives and works primarily in the District of Columbia.

Grant Gershon is a Grammy Award winning American conductor and pianist. He is Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, formerly Resident Conductor of the Los Angeles Opera, member of the Board of Councillors for the USC Thornton School of Music and a former member of the Chorus America Board of Directors.

The Chicago Symphony Chorus began on September 22, 1957, when the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) announced that Margaret Hillis would organize and train a symphony chorus. The music director Fritz Reiner's original intent was to utilize the chorus for the two weeks of subscription concerts that season, performing George Frideric Handel's Messiah in December and Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem in April. When Bruno Walter informed the orchestra's management that his March 1958 appearances would be his last in Chicago, the board president, Eric Oldberg, insisted that Walter conduct Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requiem utilizing the new chorus. During that first season, it was logistically impossible for Hillis to audition and prepare a new Chorus for three major works within less than four months. As an interim fix, the Apollo Chorus of Chicago was used for the Christmas Messiah concerts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathaniel Stookey</span> American composer and musician (born 1970)

Nathaniel Stookey is an American composer and musician.

Ragnar Bohlin is a Swedish conductor born in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra</span> Youth orchestra based in San Francisco, California

The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra (SFSYO) is a youth orchestra organized by the San Francisco Symphony. The SFSYO performs an annual concert series and has made several recordings. The orchestra rehearses in Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall and has been directed by Daniel Stewart since the 2019-2020 season.

A. Duain Wolfe is an American choral conductor, conductor of the Colorado Symphony Chorus and the Colorado Children's Chorale. He is the former chorus director and conductor of the Chicago Symphony Chorus (1994-2022) and a past president of Chorus America.

John Vlahides is a professional travel journalist, creative producer, television host, and classical musician. Vlahides co-hosted and co-produced the travel TV series Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled, which aired internationally beginning in 2009 on National Geographic Adventure, and in 2012 on the Travel Channel. For this unscripted adventure travel series, Vlahides hosted the pilot in Morocco and the first season's closing episode in Madagascar, where he cracked a rib wrestling a bull for the camera. He also sings tenor with the Grammy-winning San Francisco Symphony Chorus.

Patrick Dupré Quigley is an American conductor, producer, and arranger. Quigley is Founder and Artistic Director of Seraphic Fire and Artistic Director Designate of Opera Lafayette.

Cappella SF is a choir founded in 2014 by Ragnar Bohlin, artistic director of the Grammy-award-winning San Francisco Symphony Chorus. Cappella SF is one of the only groups in the Bay Area singing acappella music from all periods of the choral repertoire.

References

  1. Joshua Kosman (2004-08-19). "S.F. Symphony Chorus director to leave at end of '05-06 season". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2006-12-26.
  2. Joshua Kosman (2006-11-15). "Symphony names Chorus Director". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2006-12-26.