In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Jussi Chydenius. Jussi Chydenius b. 1972 Finnish composer and vocalist, Jussi Chydenius is a pioneering choral composer whose music combines pop and jazz harmonies to create vital original works. Born in Helsinki, he was very… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Giovanni Gabrieli. Giovanni Gabrieli 1557-1612 Giovanni Gabrieli was an Italian Renaissance composer, organist, and teacher celebrated for his sacred music, including massive choral and instrumental motets for the liturgy. While not much is known about… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Carlo Gesualdo. Carlo Gesualdo 1566-1613 Italian composer Carlo Gesualdo was Prince of Venosa and known for writing madrigals and pieces of sacred music that use a chromatic language not heard again until the late 19th… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Alexandre Gretchaninov. Alexandre Gretchaninov 1864-1956 Alexandre Gretchaninov was a prolific composer from Russia’s Romantic age who explored the art of musical writing within an extensive number of genres and forms. Gretchaninov began his studies with… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Tina Davidson. Tina Davidson b. 1952 Tina Davidson is a highly regarded American composer whose music stands out for its emotional depth and lyrical dignity. She received her BA in piano and composition from Bennington… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Richard Dirksen. Richard Dirksen 1921-2003 American composer, Richard Dirksen, was well known for his liturgical pieces and his service as organist and choirmaster at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Awarded a scholarship, he studied… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Larry Farrow. Larry Farrow b. Larry Farrow is an American composer, arranger, producer, conductor and keyboardist, clinician, and teacher known for his compositions rooted in the southern gospel tradition. He began taking lessons on the… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Henry Walford Davies. Henry Walford Davies 1869-1941 Henry Walford Davies was an English composer and organist well known for his broadcast talks and gramophone records. He was a prolific composer and many of his… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Harold Friedell. Harold Friedell 1905-1958 Harold Friedell was an American organist, educator, and composer of a large number of choral anthems and solo organ pieces. Born in Jamaica, New York he became the organist of… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Frode Fjellheim. Frode Fjellheim b. 1959 Norwegian composer Frode Fjellheim is best known for his band Transjoik and for being the composer of the opening theme of the Disney movie “Frozen.” Fjellheim was educated as… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Edward Barnes. Edward Barnes b. 1958 Edward Barnes is a renowned composer, Broadway producer, and public speaker. Barnes studied music composition at the Juilliard School with composers Vincent Persichetti and David Diamond, and at Dartington… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Arthur Foote. Arthur Foote 1853-1937 Arthur Foote, was an American church musician, influential music teacher, and a leading member of a group of composers known as the “Boston Six.” Foote was especially known for chamber… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Kyle Pedersen. Kyle Pederson b. 1971 Kyle Pederson is a Minneapolis-based composer, lyricist, pianist, and educator. Kyle was awarded the ACDA Genesis Prize in 2020 and the American Prize in Choral Composition in 2019. His… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Judith Bingham. Judith Bingham b. 1952 British composer and singer Judith Bingham is best known for her choral works. She was born in Nottingham, raised in Mansfield and Sheffield, and began composing at a… Read More →
Up-and-coming Norwegian composer Kim André Arnesen considered a few different factors when he sat down to choose the pieces that would become Nordic Christmas. “I looked at works that have been personal favorites in my life and those I thought had the greatest potential in this larger setting,” said Arnesen, “but I also hunted for… Read More →
