Community Chorus

Based in Washington, DC

e mission of The Washington Chorus is to preserve and advance the art of choral singing and share the experience of the transforming power of choral music. TWC does this by performing at the highest artistic level in the nation's capital and before diverse national and international audiences, and by nurturing the next generation of choral singers.

A three-time nominated and two-time Grammy Award winner, the 160-voice Washington Chorus presents an annual subscription series at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, regularly performs at the invitation of the National Symphony Orchestra, and appears annually at the Music Center at Strathmore in Maryland and Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Virginia.

TWC was the first major Washington area chorus to be founded independent of a church or college. In 1961 Hugh Hayward, a medical doctor and classically trained musician, founded the Oratorio Society of Montgomery County, which became known as the Oratorio Society of Washington, and is now celebrated under the name of The Washington Chorus. In 1971, Robert Shafer succeeded Hayward as music

director, leading the chorus for more than three decades with great distinction, including two Grammy Awards. From 2008-2017 Julian Wachner led the organization with education and innovation at the forefront of his programs. Christopher Bell brought unparalleled attention to precision and clarity to the ensemble with his trademark flair during his tenure as Artistic Director from 2017 to 2020. The Chorus' fifth Artistic Director Eugene Rogers is widely regarded as one of the most acclaimed next-generation conductors and musical thought leaders today working at the intersection of classical music and social change.

Directed by Eugene Rogers.

Contact The Washington Chorus