VocalEssence – Philip Brunelle, artistic director

VocalEssence reaches out to the community through many educational partnerships and by offering opportunities for enrichment to adults, choral professionals and composers.

Engaging Our Communities

WITNESS – Celebrating the contributions of African Americans to our shared American heritage through concerts, recordings and comprehensive educational programs.

¡Cantare! – Delving into Latino Classical music traditions through composer residencies, school workshops and community collaborations.

Eric Whitacre Minnesota Residency Project and High School Honors Choir — offering auditoned high school students and members of The St. Olaf Choir the opportunity to work with one of choral music's leading young composers and sing with VocalEssence

Exploring Culture through Music

The Guest Artist Series – Collaborating with universities, corporations, high schools and community groups to present a range of public events featuring VocalEssence guest performers and composers.

Elder Learning – Interactively exploring the featured music on selected VocalEssence concerts in partnership with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Minnesota.

Concert Conversations – Presenting interviews with performers, composers or experts designed to offer personal or historical insights into the music on each season concert.

Enriching the Choral Art

Essentially Choral – Training emerging composers to write new choral music of the hightest quality through intensive rehearsals with the Ensemble Singers and feedback from an established composer-mentor. Co-sponsored by the American Composers Forum.

Talented Tenth Apprentice Program – Fostering lifelong singers through side-by-side vocal apprenticeships within the VocalEssence Chorus for high school students from culturally diverse backgrounds.

Encouraging Creativity

Welcome Christmas! Carol Contest – Enlivening each holiday season with world premieres of modern-day carols for chorus selected through a national call for scores. Co-sponsored by the American Composers Forum.

Award for Creative Programming – Rewarding adventurous programming and affirming the importance of quality secondary and college choral training throughout Minnesota with an annual cash prize. Co-presented by the American Choral Directors Association of Minnesota.

For more information, contact VocalEssence Director of Community Engagement, Kimberly Meisten, at 612-547-1456 (kmeisten@vocalessence.org).