Opus 7

Since its inception, Opus 7 Vocal Ensemble has established a reputation for continually featuring a diverse range of new and rarely performed works, along with time-honored classics of choral literature. Formed in 1992 as a professional choral group by founding director Loren Ponten, Opus 7 specializes in 19th- through 21st-century a cappella choral music. As a resident ensemble of St. James Cathedral in Seattle, Washington since 1994, Opus 7 is firmly dedicated to performing the works of local and regional composers, regularly commissioning new choral compositions. In addition, since 2000 Opus 7 has fostered new talent in the field of choral music through their unique Student Choral Composition Awards Program.

Oxford Pro Musica Singers

The Oxford Pro Musica Singers was founded by Michael Smedley in 1977 as the Oxford Pro Musica Chorus, to sing with the then Oxford Pro Musica Orchestra in major choral works. In its early years the choir performed with some distinguished conductors, including Simon Preston, Christopher Seaman and Jane Glover. It also had a long and happy relationship with Denis Arnold, Professor of Music at Oxford University, who conducted many concerts of his beloved Venetian music. But the choir increasingly performed apart from the orchestra, and in 1985 claimed independence and adopted its current name.

Pacific Chorale

Founded in 1968, Pacific Chorale is internationally recognized for exceptional artistic expression, stimulating American-focused programming, and influential education programs. Pacific Chorale presents a substantial performance season of its own at the Orange County Performing Arts Center and is sought regularly to perform with the nation's leading symphonies. Under the inspired guidance of Artistic Director John Alexander, Pacific Chorale has infused an Old World art form with California's hallmark innovation and cultural independence.

Pacific Chorale is comprised of 160 professional and volunteer singers. In addition to its long-standing partnership with Pacific Symphony, the Chorale has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Disney Hall on numerous occasions. Other noted collaborations include the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Boston Symphony, the National Symphony, and the Long Beach, Pasadena, Riverside and San Diego symphonies.

Pentatonix

Pentatonix (often abbreviated as PTX) is an American a cappella group of five vocalists originating from Arlington, Texas; Scott Hoying, Kirstin Maldonado, Mitch Grassi, Kevin Olusola and Matt Sallee. Avi Kaplan was formerly a member of the group. Their work - mostly in, but not limited to, the pop music style - consists of covers of existing songs, sometimes in the form of medleys, and some original material. Their music is defined by their own arrangement style, a strong presence of low bass vocals, and a diverse range of vocal percussion. In 2011 they won the 3rd season of "The Sing-Off". This won them $200,000 and a recording contract. Since then Pentatonix has been selling out shows all over the world.

Phoenix Bach Choir

The Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Chorale is regarded as one of the finest choral ensembles in North America. The 28-voice chorus, made up of highly trained singers residing in Arizona, has developed this reputation through live performances across the U.S. and Canada. Each season, the Chorale reaches over 7,500 local individuals through concerts and outreach events across the Valley. Annually, the Chorale's video and audio recordings reach over one million listeners around the world.

Phoenix Chorale

The Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Chorale is regarded as one of the finest choral ensembles in North America. The 28-voice chorus, made up of highly trained singers residing in Arizona, has developed this reputation through live performances across the U.S. and Canada. Each season, the Chorale reaches over 7,500 local individuals through concerts and outreach events across the Valley. Annually, the Chorale's video and audio recordings reach over one million listeners around the world.

Polyphony

Polyphony was formed by Stephen Layton in 1986 for a concert in King's College Chapel, Cambridge . Since then the choir has performed and recorded regularly to critical acclaim throughout the world. Recent reviews declare Polyphony 'one of the best small choirs now before the public' (Daily Telegraph) and 'possibly the best small professional chorus in the world' (Encore Magazine, USA ).

For more than a decade Polyphony has given annual sell-out performances of Bach's St John Passion and Handel's Messiah at St John's Smith Square . These have become notable events in London 's music calendar and have been broadcast by BBC Radio 3 and the EBU. According to the Evening Standard 'no one but no one performs Handel's Messiah better every year than the choir Polyphony', and the Times 'would rate it among the finest John Passions I have ever heard'.

Princeton Singers

The Princeton Singers is a small, professional, independent chamber choir. In recent years, it has earned a reputation as one of the nation's preeminent chamber choirs. Founded in 1983 by John Bertalot, then choir-master organist at Trinity Church in Princeton, New Jersey, the ensemble was soon hailed by critics for its clarity of tone, elegance of execution, and purity of tuning. Since being appointed Artistic Director in 1998, composer-conductor Steven Sametz has expanded the group's repertoire to range from medieval to modern, including gospel, jazz, and popular song. Today, The Princeton Singers is a vital force in the creation of new works for choir. Both through a strong commissioning program and participation in workshops for aspiring composers, The Princeton Singers is strongly committed to the creation of new choral repertoire.

Quink Vocal Ensemble

Since Quink's debut in 1978, this remarkable Dutch vocal ensemble has risen to the top of its field and is invited to perform on prestigious concert series around the world. These five professional singers have developed a unique sound which allows them to illustrate with style and expressiveness the great variety of a cappella music. Quink's repertoire varies widely and consists of a cappella music from the Renaissance and Baroque eras, as well as works by Romantic composers. The ensemble often performs folk song and close harmony arrangements and it concludes its performances with lighter arrangements. Quink has introduced many new works both of established and modern masters. A number of contemporary Dutch, German and American compositions have been dedicated to Quink.

RIAS - Kammerchor

Founded in 1948, the RIAS-Kammerchor played an important role in the revival of the musical life of Berlin in the aftermath of the Second World War, notably in partnership with the Berlin Philharmonic and RIAS-Symphonie-Orchester (Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra). Conductors like Ferenc Fricsay, Karl B?hm, Herbert von Karajan and Lorin Maazel were closely associated with the Choir at that period, and in more recent years special mention may be made of its collaboration with Claudio Abbado, James Levine and Daniel Barenboim. Right from its foundation, the RIAS-Kammerchor has consciously placed contemporary music at the centre of its preoccupations, with the result that such major composers as Hindemith, Blacher, Kagel, Krenek, Boulez, Henze and Reimann have written for the ensemble or chosen it to premiere their works. As its name indicates, the RIAS-Kammerchor has developed essentially as a chamber choir. At the beginning of the 1970s, thanks to the impetus given by its artistic director of the time Uwe Gronostay, the choir affirmed its position as one of the finest on the international scene, going from strength to strength under his successor, Marcus Creed. In 2003 the latter was in turn succeeded by Daniel Reuss; under his leadership the choir continues to broaden its repertory to include performances of early and Baroque music.

Rockefeller Chapel Choir

Singing sacred masterworks of all periods and styles, this choir of 30-40 voices performs at Sunday morning services in the magnificent acoustics of Rockefeller Memorial Chapel. Firmly rooted in the tradition of Palestrina, Victoria, Bach, and Mozart, the choir also performs music of Africa and South America, modern and forgotten treasures, and even liturgical chant from Hildegard to Anglican. With an infinity to the great academic cathedrals of Europe, the choir strives to provide professional level performances, with a University of Chicago flair for innovation and recreation. The choir also presents three additional concerts per season, such as performances of Bach's St. John Passion with period instruments and world premieres of new music. From within the group, the Decani (formerly the Rockefeller Sixteen) sings 2-3 Sundays each quarter, concentrating on music written before 1700. Thanks to a generous grant from the University of Chicago Women's Board the Rockefeller Chapel Choir will be awarding four $4,000 scholarships to outstanding undergraduate singers of all faith and cultural backgrounds.

Salt Lake Children's Choir

The Salt Lake Children's Choir, founded in the fall of 1979 by Ralph B. Woodward, as long regarded as one of the finest ensembles of its kind in the nation. The choir consists of boys and girls, generally between the ages of 8 and 15, who hail from the Salt Lake Valley and nearby communities. It emphasizes natural vocal production and works of the immortal masters, as well as oustanding folk and contemporary music from around the world. The children have sung music from the countries of Sweden, Norway, Finland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Namibia, Zambia, Mexico, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Japan, Korea, China, and Native and African America. A prize winner in international competition, the choir has appeared with many internationally celebrated artists and organizations -- including Grant Johannessen, Frederica von Stade, Marvin Hamlisch, Pete Seeger, Kurt Bestor, and on numerous occasions with The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Utah Symphony, with whom it has also recorded. The choir has been featured at several conventions of the American Choral Directors' Association, and has been heard on Public Radio International and PBS. Its singers are also regularly requested for major sound-tracks and promotions, including projects for CBS, NBC, and Walt Disney Productions).

San Antonio Vocal Arts Ensemble

SAVAE (San Antonio Vocal Arts Ensemble) is a unique ancient world music ensemble that accompanies ancient vocal music on a diverse collection of early and traditional instruments from the Middle East, Europe, and North and South America.

San Francisco Chamber Singers

Established in 1989, the San Francisco Choral Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the performance of beautiful, inspiring choral music. To date, we have shared our joy and enthusiasm for choral music with more than 60,000 concertgoers.

San Francisco Choral Artists

San Francisco Choral Artists (SFCA) are a Bay Area chamber choir with a mission to foster new American choral music and to present eclectic, imaginative programs consisting of both new works and repertoire spanning 600 years in performances of uncompromisingly high quality.

Santa Fe Desert Chorale

Founded in 1982 by Lawrence Bandfield, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale is one of the longest-running professional music organizations in New Mexico, as well as one of the most distinguished.

The ensemble performs at historical sites in Santa Fe such as the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and Cristo Rey Catholic Church, as well as other venues throughout the Southwest and across the nation. The Desert Chorale prides itself on its strong relationships within the community of Northern New Mexico, and enjoys collaborations with the Center for Contemporary Arts, Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, The Jewish Film Festival, Museum of International Folk Art, and galleries throughout Santa Fe, among others.

Schola Cantorum of Oxford

Schola Cantorum is Oxford University's longest-running chamber choir, and one of the most long-established and widely known chamber choirs in the UK. It was founded in 1960 by the Hungarian dissident Laszlo Heltay as the Collegium Musicum Oxoniense. Over the last four decades many of the choir's former members have become involved in professional music at the highest levels. Former singers include Emma Kirkby and Jane Glover, while Andrew Parrott, Stephen Cleobury, and Ivor Bolton are among the choir's former conductors. Schola Cantorum's patrons have been Sir Michael Tippett and Lord Yehudi Menuhin, and for specific projects the choir has worked under Leonard Bernstein, Gustav Leonhardt, Sir Colin Davis, and Sir Neville Marriner as well as Benjamin Britten, Tippett, and Igor Stravinsky in performances of their own music. Current distinguished patrons of the choir include Emma Kirkby (a former member), John Mark Ainsley and the choir's former conductor Andrew Parrott. Schola Cantorum is comprised of around thirty singers, most of whom sing with the choir while they are students at Oxford University. Studying a wide range of academic subjects including music, the choir members rehearse during university term-times, perform regularly in Oxford and give concerts all over the UK.

Seattle Children's Chorus

In 1997, director Kris Mason and the board of Seattle Children's Chorus pursued an opportunity to serve the Puget Sound area children's choir community by hosting a festival for young, newly formed children's choirs The Seattle Children's Chorus hosted the Puget Sound Children's Choral Festival at Fort Worden in Port Townsend, Washington, in June, 1997, which included a grand performance in the McCurdy Performing Arts Pavilion.

In June of 1998, the Chorus fulfilled one of its long time dreams as they embarked on their first overseas tour to England , performing in London and southern England and participating in a week of concerts and events at the MusicMakers Festival in Bournemouth, England . The Chorus (with choristers ages 10-18) received top honors as Senior Youth Choir of the Year, competing against all-high school groups.

Seattle Pro Musica

This distinguished ensemble consists of 80 talented singers from diverse backgrounds with a shared passion for beautiful and precise expressions of classical music. Seattle Pro Musica also has three smaller ensembles: Vox (our mixed voices chamber ensemble), Chroma (our select SSAA ensemble), and Orpheon (our select TTBB ensemble). They perform under the direction of award-winning conductor and artistic director, Karen P. Thomas.

Shenandoah Valley Children's Choir

In the Shenandoah Valley Children's Choir great music of all styles and historic periods is performed. The repertoire includes classical music, contemporary music, folk songs of many cultures, newly-composed works and sacred and secular songs with emphasis on love, peace, and friendship. Concerts are given both locally and in major centers of the United States and the world. Rehearsals are conducted with strict discipline with emphasis on regular attendance, preparation, punctuality, and excellence. Technical knowledge is imparted through practice and performance. Solfege-inspired teaching is at the heart of the rehearsals. Because learning to read music is an important part of SVCC participation, choristers receive weekly solfege instruction and will complete solfege memorization, practice sight-singing, and homework based on these lessons. Children with treble voices in grades 3-12 who have passed an audition may participate. Financial assistance is provided to qualified, interested children who would not otherwise be able to participate.

Singing Sergeants

The Singing Sergeants, the official chorus of the United States Air Force, is one of the world's most versatile and traveled choral organizations. It is also one of a select few singing groups internationally recognized for its commitment to excellence in vocal performance. Originally formed in 1945 from within the ranks of The United States Air Force Band, the chorus is now composed entirely of professional vocalists who have come from leading colleges, universities and music conservatories throughout the world; and who are all sergeants in the United States Air Force. Available positions are filled by audition only and are reserved for those singers who demonstrate the finest qualities of musicianship and vocal production..

The Singing Sergeants have appeared before every chief executive of the United States since President Truman, as well as with the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia, Cleveland, Houston and National Symphony Orchestras, and both the Boston and Cincinnati Pops. The group has performed at White House, State Department, Supreme Court, Congressional, Department of Defense and high-level civilian functions. The Singing Sergeants have performed at the New York World's Fair, in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts..

Sixteen

The Sixteen is one of the jewels in the musical crown of Britain. Internationally recognised as one of the finest choirs of our time, it is admired for performances combining clarity and precision with beauty and dramatic intensity. It concentrates on the heritage of early English polyphony, masterpieces of the Renaissance and Baroque, and a diversity of twentieth century choral work. The choir is complimented for larger scale works by its orchestra, The Symphony of harmony and Invention, and through it Harry Christophers brings fresh insights to the music of Purcell, Monteverdi, JS Bach and Handel. Many prize-winning recordings reflect the quality and inspiration of the group's work. Recent years have seen the group's debuts at the Vienna Musikverein, the Brisbane, Covent Garden, Halle, Istanbul and Lucerne festivals, and at the Lisbon Opera in a new production of Monmteverdi's "Il Ritorno d'Ulisse". In 2000 The Sixteen made a Choral Pilgrimage to the finest English cathedrals, returning pre-reformation music written for these buildings to its home. This met with a huge public response. In coming months the group makes major tours of Japan and the USA, returns to the Covent Garden Festival, New York's Lincoln Center, Manchester's Bridgewater Hall and London's Barbican Centre, and makes debuts at the Scarlatti Festival, Italy, Theatre des Champs-Elysees, Paris, and the Belfast, Brighton, Chicester, Norwich and Three Choirs festivals.

Slavyanka

Slavyanka is a mixed voice a cappella chorus based in San Francisco, California, and made up of amateur musicians from varied professions, including computer programmers, scientists, lawyers, and businessmen. The musical demands placed on the Chorus are quite high both because of technical content of the music and the nearly four octave range often required to sing it. We perform most of our music in Russian, though most of us do not speak Russian. Our chorus consists of 25 singers united by a common interest in the choral music of the peoples of Russia and Eastern Europe. Over the years we have compiled an enviable record of achievement.

South Bay Children's Choir

The South Bay Children's Choir (SBCC) is a select group of talented young singers sponsored by El Camino College (ECC) in Torrance, California. Comprised of over 125 boys and girls ranging in age from 7 to 17, these young singers come from over 25 communities in the Los Angeles and South Bay areas, from Long Beach to the south and Santa Monica to the north.

Co-founded in 1996 by Artistic Director Diane Simons and the late Dr. Jane Hardester, the choir performs annually in the Marsee Auditorium at El Camino College, and has appeared at many other venues throughout the southland, including Royce Hall at UCLA, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in the Los Angeles Music Center, Segerstrom Hall in Orange County, and the Armstrong Theater in Torrance.

Southern California Children's Chorus

In response to requests for a child-focused organization, the Southern California Children's Chorus was founded in 1996 as an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to "enriching children's lives through distinguished choral music education and world-class performance."

Over 300 children are enrolled in a sequential choral program consisting of seven choirs: Ensemble, Concert, Advanced, Intermediate, Apprentice, Primary and Kinder levels. Guided by a talented and diverse Board of Directors and a highly-skilled musical and administrative staff, choral members perform locally throughout the year at special events and venues like the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Auditions are held in May, August, and early September.

St Charles Singers

Conductor and Artistic Director Jeffrey Hunt founded the St. Charles Singers (SCS) in St. Charles, Illinois in 1984. This thirty-two voice, internationally-recognized, professional choir performs throughout the Chicagoland area and appears as guest performers with other arts organizations in concert including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Elgin Symphony Orchestra. St. Charles Singers has toured France and the U.K. and has performed under the direction of Timothy Brown, James Conlon and John Rutter (six times). SCS engages in educational and community outreach through its outreach ensembles and educational scholarship programs. The SCS discography includes three commercial CDs on the Naxos and Proteus labels and three self-produced CDs. In order to add to the choral music repertoire, the ensemble has commissioned new works from respected composers including Charles Forsberg, George Shearing, Robert Boyd and Gyula Fekete.

St John's College Choir, Cambridge

The Choir of St John's College, Cambridge is one of the finest collegiate choirs in the world - known and loved by millions from its recordings, broadcasts and concert tours. The Choir is directed by Mr Andrew Nethsingha, who has previously been Director of Music at Gloucester and Truro Cathedrals. The services follow the Cathedral tradition of the Church of England, Evensong being sung during Term six days a week and Sung Eucharist in addition on Sunday mornings. It has fulfilled this role in the life of the College since the 1670s.

The consistency and particular quality of the Choir has led to many invitations to perform throughout the world; recent tours have taken the Choir to France, Austria, Holland, Estonia, Hungary and America. Its renowned "continental sound" sets it apart from most other English cathedral choirs - there is brilliance and vigour as well as control and discipline.

St Martin's Chamber Choir

Founded in 1994 as Colorado's only year-round, fully professional choir, St. Martin's has delighted Colorado audiences for more than 20 years with its exhilarating sound, its exquisite blend, and its fascinating repertoire, drawn from 1,000 years of choral music.

St. Louis Children's Choir

The Children's Choirs includes about 500 talented young singers (ages 6 to 18) from more than 230 schools in Missouri and Illinois who bring their artistry and love of classical, sacred, contemporary, and world music to the concert stage for everyone to enjoy.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Berner, an outstanding music faculty trains young singers through a challenging and diverse curriculum with six ensemble levels that match the children's musical abilities. Now entering its 33rd season, The St. Louis Children's Choirs offers young artists world-class performance opportunities and a choral music experience that emphasizes musical excellence and character education.

St. Marys Children's Choir

St. Marys Children's Choir and Festival Youth Singers was founded in 1981. Over its history, more than seven hundred young people have participated in its training programs. Because of their involvement with the choir, many choristers have made and continue to make a contribution to the cultural life of Canada through their participation in church choirs, school and community bands, professional and community orchestras and some have chosen a professional singing career.

The choir has three divisions. Piccolo is a preparatory choir for children as young as six. Presto is the senior treble choir, which performs advanced-level repertoire and tours widely. Festival Youth Singers is a choir for boys with changed or changing voices and girls sixteen years of age and older. Individual coaching , by professional vocal coaches, and theory instruction is offered to choristers in the three treble divisions.

St. Olaf Choir

The St. Olaf Choir, with 75 mixed voices, is the pioneer a cappella choir in the United States. For nearly a century, the choir has set a standard of choral excellence and remained at the forefront of choral artistry. Conducted since 1990 by Anton Armstrong, the St. Olaf Choir continues to develop the tradition that originated with its founder, F. Melius Christiansen.

Since its founding in 1912, the St. Olaf Choir has set a standard in the choral art, serving as a model for choirs of all levels. The ensemble's annual tour brings its artistry and message to thousands of people across the nation and around the world. The St. Olaf Choir has taken 13 international tours and performed for capacity audiences in the major concert halls of Norway, France, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, and the Twin Cities.

Stile Antico

Stile Antico is an ensemble of young British singers, now established as one of the most original and exciting new voices in its field. Much in demand in concert, the group performs regularly throughout Europe and North America. Their recordings on the Harmonia Mundi label have enjoyed great success, receiving the Diapason d'Or de l'annee, the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik and twice attracting GRAMMY nominations. Their recent release Song of Songs won the 2009 Gramophone Award for Early Music and reached the top of the US Classical Chart.

Swedish Radio Choir

Since the 1950s the Swedish Radio Choir has been one of the world's finest a cappella ensembles. It is also unique in its mastery of the entire choral repertoire in all its breadth and depth, from Bach and Palestrina, through the Romantics like Schumann and Brahms, to Strauss, Ligeti and other contemporary composers.

The choir was founded in 1925, but it was only in 1952 that the newly appointed Musical Director Eric Ericson set about moulding it into the flexible choral instrument that it still remains today. Ericson made the choir into an instrument capable of performing advanced choral repertoire that had been gathering dust until then - works by such composers as Richard Strauss and Max Reger as well as music of own day. Arthur Honegger came to Sweden and heard his own choral music sung for the first time the way he had imagined it. On returning home he began spreading the word about this choir that could sing practically anything.

Swingle Singers

There are few music lovers who haven't heard the name the Swingle Singers. Since the release of that ground-breaking debut album in 1963, this virtuosic eight-voice a cappella group (complete with their own vocal rhythm section) has performed on the world's most famous stages, sustaining over four decades a level of international popularity beyond the dreams of its founder, American-born Ward Swingle. The current London-based line-up of young and talented singers is, of course, several incarnations of "Swingles" older than the original team (Ward Swingle affectionately refers to them as his "grandchildren"). They represent a modern incarnation of an ensemble whose music has evolved and expanded to encompass styles far and beyond the swung Baroque and infamous "ba va da" of the 1960s, although audiences will usually hear a tribute to the original French group. Along with the repertoire, the stage show has also grown into a full-blown lights-and-choreography spectacle. The beauty is that however the group has changed, the sound remains unmistakeably that of the Swingle Singers, the same sound which caught the world's attention all those years ago.

SWR Stuttgart Vocal Ensemble

Founded in 1946 as a special ensemble for the particular needs of the radio station, the SWR Stuttgart Vocal Ensemble has devoted itself to the propagation of new, less familiar or virtuoso choir music for more than fifty years in concerts and radio productions, setting new standards in the process.

As one of five choirs of the ARD (group of public radio and television stations in Germany) and part of a choir landscape probably unparalleled in quality and intensity in the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg, the 36 singers have developed a very specific artistic profile under their chief conductor Rupert Huber. And for this reason the Ensemble is the first choice of many promoters at home and abroad for the performance of modern classical music, however above all when the most difficult works of contemporary music are to be performed - and for many composers, conductors and orchestras it is an invaluable partner. As a result, the choir has a reputation as one of the best ensembles of its kind anywhere in the world.

Tapiola Chamber Choir

The Tapiola Chamber Choir was founded in 1984 by former members of the world-famous Unesco Prize winning Tapiola Choir who wished to continue singing together. The independent 36-member Choir, dedicated to achieving a professional standard of excellence, soon established itself as a major representative of its generation in Finnish music. The Choir's adventurous programming, diverse repertoire and ambitious recording schedule have found recognition in the form of audience response, critical acclaim and awards both in Finland and abroad.

The Choir's clients and partners include Finland's leading professional orchestras (like the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, the Sinfonia Lahti, the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, the Tapiola Sinfonietta and the Sixth Floor Orchestra), conductors (like Esa-Pekka Salonen, Sakari Oramo, Jukka-Pekka Saraste), music festivals, concert agencies, record companies and composers.

Tapiola Children's Choir

This Finnish childrens choir is considered one of the best in the world with an emphasis on both individuality and the singer's ability to blend with the other voices. The basic element is the young singer's own voice, moulded by the vernacular. The ideal sound is that of a stringed instrument: it is warm, light and translucent, the phrasing is musical and the singing gives the impression of being easy and effortless. But the ideal sound of the Choir is not just one closely-defined concept; it is a combination of different choral timbres and is always adapted to the music being performed.

Ever since the 1960s the Choir has been associating with many of Finland's leading composers. The result has been new repertoire of a high standard, free of all the mannerism of "songs for children". This collaboration has not been confined merely to premiering new works but has involved active participation in the process of composition.

Taylor Festival Choir

The Taylor Festival Choir is a semi-professional chamber choir based in Charleston, SC. Founded and conducted by Robert Taylor, the choir is inspired by the life and career of Bob Taylor, the conductor's late father and a noted choral musician and pedagogue. Since its inception in 2001, the Taylor Festival Choir has been heard in prestigious venues and festivals throughout the US, and has garnered a reputation of excellence among critics and choral specialists alike. Their second compact disc recording, This is Thy Hour, O Soul, was recently released on the Centaur label, and has been hailed by critic Lindsay Koob as "Fabulous...Tremendous." Last season, the Taylor Festival Choir was one of only two American adult chamber choirs featured at the prestigious 2009 American Choral Directors Association National Convention and 50th anniversary celebration.

The Musica Choir

The Musica choir was founded under the aegis of the Jyvaskyla University Department of Musicology in 1977 and has been conducted throughout its history by Pekka Kostiainen. Over the years it has aimed at combining different styles and thereby expanding its range of expression. This also allows the singers to enhance their knowledge and experience of choral music. The friendly mood within the choir and its regular rehearsals have been rewarded in a number of international choral competitions. In the 31 years since it began Musica has travelled as far afield as South Africa and nearer home to Germany, Ireland, Estonia and numerous other European countries. At home in Finland this band of former and present students from the University of Jyvaskyla has likewise won the recognition it deserves. In addition to its frequent concerts it has released many discs, and its album Mull' on heila ihana was voted Choral Record of the Year in 2000.

Theatre of Voices

Theatre of Voices was founded by Paul Hillier in 1990 and is widely recognized as one of Europe's foremost vocal groups. Current projects include music ranging from Perotin to Dowland, and many of today's most eminent composers such as Berio, Part, Reich, Cage, and Stockhausen.

During 2007 members of the group performed John Adams's Grand Pianola Music in Los Angeles, conducted by the composer; they also premiered a new John Cage event - John Cage and the Music of Always - at the Stimmen Festival in Germany; and in Australia performed the premiere of Part's Passio with special film by Paolo Cherchi-Usai (European premiere in Copenhagen in September with Ars Nova). In August the group gave two concerts at the Edinburgh Festival, and in October they premiered a new work by David Lang, The Little Match Girl Passion, at NewYork's Carnegie Hal - the program also included Berio's A-Ronne.

Toronto Children's Chorus

Founded in 1978, the Toronto Children's Chorus is Canada's premier treble choir. Having performed around the world and having won numerous choral competitions, the Chorus's musical education model is copied around the world.

The Toronto Children's Chorus consists of six choirs: five Training Choirs and the Main Choir. Within the Main Choir are the Cantare, Chorale, Chamber, and Choral Scholars. As choristers become more and more accomplished, they graduate to higher levels within the choir structure. The highest level a chorister can achieve is to be a member of the Choral Scholars.

The Chorus is a world class treble choir. The Toronto Children's Chorus has performed on numerous professional classical recordings and has been invited as guest artist in acclaimed concerts around the world.

Trapp Family Singers

The Sound Of Music is one of the most popular musical films ever made. It is the story of the von Trapps- seven motherless children, their stern sea-captain father, and most of all, their feisty, but sweet governess. Yet, the von Trapps Family is not just a Hollywood creation. They are an actual family-and the story of the real von Trapps could not be more different from the musical version. Georg von Trapp, a widowed Austrian aristocrat did marry the governess, Maria Kutschera. When the von Trapps lost their considerable fortune in a bank crash, Maria took over. With the help of a local priest, she took the family hobby-singing-and turned it into the family profession. Before long, the von Trapp Family was performing all over Europe.

Treble Chorus of New England

Over its thirty four year history, TCNE has performed a rich diversity of choral music with programming that includes opera and professional collaborations. Serving young people from over 35 diverse communities, TCNE has achieved many significant artistic milestones.

Weekly rehearsals prepare our students by teaching and building teamwork, encouraging confidence and fostering creativity.

Our choirs have performed and have shared Boston's Symphony Hall stage with many Boston area choruses. TCNE has commissioned many works and has participated in domestic and international exchanges. Recent tours have included destinations such as New York, England, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Austria.

Tudor Choir

Hailed as "a superb choir" (Gramophone), as well as "a choir to watch" (Fanfare), the Tudor Choir and its director Doug Fullington have received national and international attention as interpreters of Renaissance polyphony and early American music. Founded by Fullington in 1993, the Tudor Choir is a Seattle-based professional vocal chamber ensemble of 12 core singers; the group can expand to up to 40 members for works such as Thomas Tallis's monumental Spem in alium. The Tudor Choir is a resident ensemble at historic Blessed Sacrament Church in Seattle.

Doug Fullington and the Tudor Choir have established themselves as leading interpreters of early American music. Their Shapenote Album (Loft) is widely regarded as the definitive professional recording of the shapenote genre and has been regularly broadcast on National Public Radio. Other recordings-Gentle Words: Shaker Songs arranged by Kevin Siegfried and An American Christmas, shapenote carols from New England and Appalachia (both Loft)-have reinforced this reputation. The choir recorded another CD of Americana, Simple Gifts, in April 2006.

University of Louisville Cardinal Singers

The University of Louisville Cardinal Singers, a select chamber choir in the School of Music, were founded in 1970 under the name "University Singers" by the late William C. Lathon, former University of Louisville professor, as an outreach organization for the University. In 1980 they were appointed by then Governor Brown as Commonwealth of Kentucky "ambassadors of good will." Mr. Lathon conducted the University Singers until 1991, when Shirley Wilkinson took over leadership of the ensemble. Dr. Hatteberg became conductor of the Singers in 1997, and changed the name in 1998 to "Cardinal Singers."

The outreach mission of the Cardinal Singers continues as a focus today, and the Singers have made numerous appearances locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally, performing at community functions, official University gatherings, choral conventions, serving as a demonstration choir, and competing on the international stage. Through performances at events such as the 7 th World Symposium on Choral Music in Kyoto, Japan, the Marktoberdorf Chamber Choir Competition in Germany, and the International Choir Olympics, the Cardinal Singers have developed a remarkable international reputation.

University of Miami Chorale

We are home to the nearly 200 voice students pursuing one of the diverse undergraduate and graduate degree options in the Frost School of Music. Many additional student singers from throughout the University of Miami participate in our esteemed choral and opera programs, or they study voice as a music minor or as an elective.

University of Texas Chamber Singers

The UT Dallas Chamber Singers (MUSI 3385/4347) is a performing ensemble of 20-24 singers. The repertoire for the ensemble is selected from a broad range of chamber vocal literature, including both sacred and secular music spanning the Renaissance to the contemporary periods of music history and modern jazz arrangements. The ensemble performs regularly on campus, including performances at Best of Broadway, the Renaissance Faire, the Annual Holiday Sing during the fall semester, and in concert as a Jazz Singers Ensemble in the spring semester. The UT Dallas Chamber Singers collaborate with many other ensembles on campus, including the Jazz Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble and Dance Ensemble. They also perform on the Fall and Spring Arts Festivals every semester. In the spring, the Chamber Singers join the UT Dallas Community Chorale for a choral concert of large works with orchestra.

University of Utah Singers

The internationally acclaimed University of Utah Singers recently returned from a triumphant concert tour of France and Spain where they were the Winners of the European Grand Prix Conspirare is a dynamic ensemble of professional singers from around the country. Led by renowned conductor Craig Hella Johnson, Conspirare brings together outstanding vocal artistry and great music to inspire passion, sensitivity and playfulness. Conspirare combines the classics with contemporary works taking the audience on a journey of innovative sound, colorful images and thought- provoking literature. Formed in 1991 as The New Texas Festival, Conspirare began as an annual spring festival, and moved to a year round concert season in 1999.

Vasari Singers

Vasari Singers, under Jeremy Backhouse, is one of the UK's leading chamber choirs. Now in its 31st year, the choir performs a wide range of repertoire with passion and sensitivity to exacting standards and considerable press acclaim.

Recent reviews of the choir's commission and premiere CD of the oratorio The Cloud of Unknowing by Francis Pott, included "a top flight choir and, moreover, one that is at the top of its form, a performance that goes way beyond the printed page of the score" - MusicWeb International, "passionate and precise" - The Times, and "The Mighty Vasari Singers give it everything they can muster" - The Gramophone.

MusicWeb International's review of recording of Will Todd's Mass in Blue described Vasari as "one of the world's finest choirs". In Gramophone Magazine's November 2005 review of Anthems for the 21st Century, Vasari was described as "a consistently outstanding choir" and "one of the most accomplished small choral groups of our time".

Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati

Founded in 1979, for over 40 years VAE has brought the power of spectacular, powerful and thrilling choral performances to audiences of all generations.