VocalEssence is in the midst of an extended strategic planning process. The following mission, vision, and values statements are the first outcomes of this work. We are thrilled to present the following statements with you and look forward to sharing more with you as our plans for the future of VocalEssence unfold. Mission VocalEssence draws…
VocalEssence is thrilled to announce that our VocalEssence Singers Of This Age (VESOTA) graduating seniors and mentor singers will receive scholarships to help them pursue their future dreams! In addition, VocalEssence will secure funding to continue to offer scholarships to future graduating members of VESOTA. Graduating VESOTA singers will be awarded funds for each year…
Philip Brunelle: The 54th VocalEssence season is in full swing and Philip Brunelle, VocalEssence Founder and Artistic Director, is delighted to be rehearsing the Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn music with the Ensemble Singers and the Chorus, preparing for the October 15 opening concert of the season, The Mendelssohns. On September 18 he was inducted into…
VocalEssence is thrilled to announce the addition of six new members to its Board of Directors. The VocalEssence Board of Directors serve as ambassadors for the organization in the larger community. They also guide VocalEssence in all major policy decisions while ensuring the financial stability of the 54-year-old nonprofit. “I’m delighted to welcome our new…
Philip Brunelle: The summer months have been fascinating for Philip Brunelle, VocalEssence Founder and Artistic Director–not only the time devoted to planning and studying repertoire for the upcoming 54th season, but also time in Europe and concerts at home. The end of June found Philip and his wife Carolyn in Stockholm visiting friends and meeting with…
Philip Brunelle: Summer has arrived and the level of activity at VocalEssence has not diminished for Artistic Director and Founder Philip Brunelle! All the planning for season 54 continues and is very exciting! A 5 year project has been completed and Philip is very pleased to announce that the two volume set of Stephen Paulus…
The VocalEssence Singers Of This Age were invited to perform at the second annual Arc Toward Justice program at the last Westminster Town Hall Forum of the season on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. The event featured Michele Norris and Yamiche Alcindor who discuss all that has happened in the two years since the murder of George Floyd. The… Read More →
Philip Brunelle: With the conclusion of VocalEssence 53rd season and the completion of auditions for season 54, Artistic Director and Founder Philip Brunelle will be working on plans for the coming season as well as time to “attack” the filing of music and correspondence that awaits him! He is very pleased that this month his… Read More →
Philip Brunelle began Musical Moments as a way to connect and bring joy to people during the pandemic, but now the catalog of composers and their works will be shared broadly through the American Choral Directors Association’s Choral Journal. Click the link below to read the article OR explore the collection of Musical Moments. Read the Article Explore… Read More →
There are times where it is difficult to know how to respond to tragedy. On the evening of Ash Wednesday, composer John Rutter heard Valentin Silvestrov’s choral setting of the following text, “Good Lord, protect Ukraine. Give her strength, courage, faith, hope. Amen.” He decided to use his talents to compose his own setting of… Read More →
Our hearts are with the people of Ukraine. Please enjoy “Ščedryk”, a Ukrainian New Year’s carol by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovich, arranged by Philip Brunelle. This carol, traditionally sung on January 13, tells the story of a swallow flying into a house to sing of wealth that will come the following spring (you can hear the bird… Read More →
VocalEssence has several opportunities to listen and watch over the holidays. Here are the ways you can enjoy VocalEssence programming: 2021 VocalEssence Digital Concerts These concerts can be accessed anytime, anywhere! Bach’s Christmas Oratorio Welcome Christmas Broadcasts YourClassical MPR is airing each of the four Bach Cantatas on the following dates and times. Tune in… Read More →
This fall, VocalEssence welcomed seven new members to our board of directors. We are thrilled to introduce you to our new directors! Cassie Garnett, Senior Director of Human Resources at Ecolab. Garnett drives strategic talent initiatives for the global function of more than 1,200 employees in areas of development, diversity, organizational design and employee relations.… Read More →
Watch as Philip Brunelle and and G. Phillip Shoultz, III, share their artistic vision for the VocalEssence 2021-2022 season opener, Hope Lives Here. Get your tickets to Hope Lives Here today! LEARN MORE AND BUY TICKETS
Watch as Philip Brunelle and Lise Houlton, Artistic Director of Minnesota Dance Theatre, discuss the partnership between Minnesota Dance Theatre and VocalEssence. Philip asks what it is like to dance to live singing, to which Lise responds, “Sublime.” Lise and Philip talk about how the dancers create a physical representation of Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms,”… Read More →
