2020-2021 Season Announcement Coming Soon!
Artistic Director Philip Brunelle and a special guest update you about the progress of our 2020-2021 season announcement.
Performing Ensembles
Where in the World are the Conductors – February 2020
For Artistic Director and Founder Philip Brunelle, February is always ‘planning month’ putting together all the music for the 2020-21 season—choosing the repertoire for each concert, working with composers on commissions and also looking at plans for 2021-22! And with Philip’s creative mind it is also an important time for him to help find those… Read More →
Deep Roots Honors 30 Years of WITNESS at Orchestra Hall
Join us at Deep Roots at Orchestra Hall on Sunday, February 23, 2020 at 4:30 PM. Tickets start at just $10! https://www.vocalessence.org/event/concert-deep-roots/
Celebrate MLK Weekend with VESOTA
Come and celebrate the incredible legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with our radically diverse youth choir VocalEssence Singers Of This Age (VESOTA). See below for more information. Together We Sing Festival Date/Time: Saturday, January 18,2020 from 1:30-5 PM Location: Minnesota History Center, Saint Paul Cost: Free, but registration required More Information: https://www.vocalessence.org/event/family-together-we-sing-festival-2020/… Read More →
Composer Kim André Arnesen Talks about Nordic Christmas
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 →
Winter Wonder at Mia will feature music, crafts, and a story
Join us at Winter Wonder at Mia on December 14th! NEW this year will be a reading of the book Where Are All The Minnesotans interspersed with crafts and music. Learn more and purchase your tickets here: https://www.vocalessence.org/winter-wonder-2019/
Composer Kim André Arnesen and Nordic Christmas Premiere
Composer Kim André Arnesen is in town from Norway and is so excited for the premiere of his new piece Nordic Christmas, commissioned in honor of the 125th anniversary of Sons of Norway. Join us at a performance this December. Click here to learn more.
Dr. André Thomas Preview for What a Mighty God
Join us for What a Mighty God conducted by Dr. André Thomas on Sunday, November 17th from 4-6 PM at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi, MN. Tickets start at $10. https://www.vocalessence.org/event/concert-what-a-mighty-god/
Where in the World are the Conductors – October 2019
After conducting the opening Divine Light concerts of the season, Artistic Director Philip Brunelle traveled to Toronto for meetings with several composers as well as former MPR favorite, Eric Friesen, back in his native Canada. The Ensemble Singers are now busy working on music for both November and December concerts including the world premiere of… Read More →
VocalEssence Singers Of This Age Annual Retreat
Year three for the VocalEssence Singers Of This Age (VESOTA) promises to be our most exciting one yet! We are thrilled to welcome over 20 new young artists to join our 22 returning singers. It’s also exciting to note that we have expanded the number of schools with VESOTA representation by three! The second annual… Read More →
Behind the Music for Divine Light
Artistic Director Philip Brunelle carefully selected each piece for the Divine Light concert on Sunday, October 13th. Watch and read more about why below and purchase your tickets today! The Ensemble Singers are an amazing group—certainly Minnesota’s finest! I want them to sing for you a program that gives you, the listener, an idea of… Read More →
Explore the Limits of the Human Voice at Divine Light
Purchase your tickets to Divine Light on Sunday, October 13, 2019 by clicking here! A Silence Haunts Me In 2017, Jake Runestad travelled to Vienna and found himself in the Haus der Musik Museum in Vienna, where he encountered a facsimile of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Heiligenstadt Testament. It was the first time he had read… Read More →
Where in the World are the Conductors – September 2019
Returning from a VERY successful series of 4 concerts in Mexico City with the Ensemble Singers, Philip Brunelle immediately plunged into rehearsals for his 51st VocalEssence season as well as planning a number of special events for the fall and winter (with lots of meetings!). Following the opening Retreat rehearsal the Ensemble Singers presented a… Read More →
VocalEssence Vintage Voices Season Begins at Three Senior Centers
There are a lot of exciting opportunities in store for the VocalEssence Vintage Voices singers during the 2019-2020 season! Rehearsals have kicked off for the Park Singers at Parkshore Senior Community in Saint Louis Park, where 40 participating singers are working together to prepare a concert of folk songs, spirituals, doo wop, Broadway hits, and… Read More →
Postcards from Mexico-Days 8 & 9
SUNDAY 9/1/2019 and MONDAY 9/2/2019 The End and the Beginning We are home, and after the whirlwind of Saturday and Sunday, the dust has settled. I’m late in writing about our last days of our trip because I’m dazed, and it all seems like a dream. But then I open my Facebook page, and… Read More →