Philip Brunelle, Artistic Director

Philip Brunelle, artistic director and founder of VocalEssence, is an internationally renowned conductor, choral scholar and performer. Believing that listeners and musicians alike must experience music of many genres and styles, he has worked enthusiastically—and tirelessly—to expand audiences for rarely heard works of the past and worthwhile new music. His conducting engagements have taken him across the United States, South America and Europe. Recently he has conducted the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Oregon Bach Festival and the Berkshire Choral Festival.

For the past ten years he has been very involved with the International Federation of Choral Music: serving as president of the Sixth World Symposium on Choral Music held in Minneapolis in 2002, on the Artistic Committees planning the Eighth Symposium in Denmark (2008) and the Ninth Symposium in 2011 in Argentina.  Last summer he was elected Vice President/Treasurer of the IFCM Board. In 2006 he served as artistic director for the NEA initiative, American Masterpieces: Choral Music. He serves on the boards of Chorus America and Musica, and previously served on the St. Olaf College Board of Regents. He is also in his 41st year as Organist-Choirmaster at Plymouth Congregational Church.

Among his many awards are honorary doctorates from St. Olaf College, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. John’s University and United Theological Seminary. Chorus America has honored Philip with its most prestigious award, the Michael Korn Founder’s Award for Development of the Choral Art, and he has also been recognized with the F. Melius Christiansen Lifetime Achievement Award by the Minnesota chapter of the American Choral Directors Association, its highest honor. In December 2005, Philip was invested as an Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire in recognition for his service as an “ambassador for the United Kingdom within the music world.” The American Composers Forum named Philip Brunelle “2007 Champion of New Music” and in December 2007 he was invested as a Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit for his promotion of Norwegian music in the United States.  He has also been honored by Sweden and Hungary. General Mills and the United Negro College Fund named Philip a "Local Legend" in January 2010 for his work in creating WITNESS, to highlight the contributions of African Americans to the fine arts.

Awards and accolades

• Honorary doctorates: St. Olaf College, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. John's University, United Theological Seminary
• Awards: Kodaly Medal (Hungary), Royal Order of the Polar Star (Sweden), Minneapolis Award, F. Melius Christiansen Award (highest honor of the Minnesota Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association), Minnesota Music Hall of Fame, U.S. Bank Sally Ordway Irvine Award, GMCVA Copper Top Award, Mpls.St.Paul "Best Impresario", Michael Korn Founder's Award for Development of the Professional Choral Art (Chorus America's highest lifetime achievement award), honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE); Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit; "Local Legend" award presented by General Mills and United Negro College Fund (January 2010)
• Board of Regents of St. Olaf College, Board of Directors of International Federation for Choral Music, Board of Directors of Chorus America
• Recent guest conductorships: BBC Singers, Houston Symphony, Hollywood Bowl, Berkshire Choral Festival

Updated March 2010