In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Robert Harris. Robert Harris b.1938 The African American composer and educator Robert A. Harris, is best-known for his choral settings of sacred and secular texts. Dr. Harris received his education from Wayne State University in… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Edward Elgar. This episode features Mezzo-Soprano Clara Osowski. Edward Elgar 1857-1934 The British composer Edward Elgar was a composer and violinist whose compositional methods led to an ambitious output of works. His family was musical… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Alan Bullard. Alan Bullard b.1947 Alan Bullard is a British composer known for his religious choral works featuring gorgeous melodies and rich harmonic textures. Bullard grew up in London and studied with Geoffrey Flowers and… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Carl Rütti. Carl Rütti b. 1949 Carl Rütti is one of the most notable Swiss pianists, organists, and choral composers of this era. Living in Zug, Switzerland, after taking his high school education at the… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Franz Liszt. Franz Liszt 1811-1886 Franz Liszt, Hungarian composer, pianist, and teacher, was a leader of the Romantic movement with music known for his imaginative and technical approach to composition. Born in Raiding, his father… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov 1844-1908 The Russian composer and educator Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was a luminary of orchestral orchestrations. Born in Tikhvin into an aristocratic family, Rimsky-Korsakov showed musical ability from an early age but instead… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Sir John Stainer. John Stainer 1840-1901 Sir John Stainer was an English organist, church composer, and a pioneering early musicologist. As a boy, Stainer sang in the choir of St. Paul’s Cathedral and was appointed… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Harold Darke. This episode features Tenor Bradley Greenwald. Harold Darke 1888-1976 Harold Darke bears a distinguished and honorable place in the annals of 20th-century choral music. As organist of St Michael’s Church, Cornhill, in the… Read More →
Today marks the first day of 28 Days of Black Excellence created by VocalEssence Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III. Phillip highlights the work of Garrett Augustus Morgan (1877-1963), best known for creating the Safety Hood and the Stoplight. His musical inspiration comes from the Supremes the 1965 hit song, “Stop! In The Name Of Love.”… Read More →
By Rob Hubbard | Star Tribune PUBLISHED: DECEMBER 3, 2020 — 4:09PM Our guide to virtual holiday concerts for classical fans. HAVIN’ A BLAST EVENTS VocalEssence Welcome Christmas Yet one more loss to mourn this year is that of the holiday concert. Whether your December destination is Orchestra Hall, the Ordway or a local church, COVID-19… Read More →
By Pamela Espeland | MINNPOST PUBLISHED: December 4, 2020 Christmas concerts coming up; Louise Erdrich at One Book, One Minnesota Dr. Anton Armstrong conducting the Massed Choirs and St. Olaf Orchestra during the 2019 Christmas Festival. Courtesy of St. Olaf College And suddenly it’s December. Hard to believe almost nine months have passed since the first… Read More →
By ROSS RAIHALA | rraihala@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer Press PUBLISHED: November 29, 2020 at 5:28 a.m. | UPDATED: November 29, 2020 at 9:48 a.m. https://www.twincities.com/2020/11/29/holiday-arts-guide-from-blenders-to-brickman-music-traditions-continue-online/ Nearly all of this year’s holiday concerts are virtual, but many familiar faces both local (the Blenders, Lorie Line, the SPCO) and national (Jim Brickman, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) have planned online events… Read More →
This year our beloved Welcome Christmas concert is available on VocalEssence On Demand AND will be televised across Minnesota on Twin Cities PBS (TPT) three times during the peak of the holiday season, and making it available to stream on their family of platforms. Relevant dates include: December 19th: Welcome Christmas becomes available to stream…
VocalEssence is blessed to have so many committed supporters. Thank you for all that you do to keep our community singing! Although we make every effort to ensure that our Honor Roll list is accurate and complete, we are capable of error. Please let us know if your name does not appear the way you…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jennifer Weismann 612-716-0556 jennifer@owl-marketing.com UPCOMING VOCALESSENCE 2020-2021 SEASON ANNOUNCEMENT IS A SEASON IN… AND ON… DEMAND MN Choral Ensemble’s performances will be broadcast in high-definition video to a new website—VocalEssence On Demand. MINNEAPOLIS—September 30, 2020—VocalEssence, one of the world’s premier choral music organizations—is announcing its digital 2020-2021 concert season. The new season will available on a new website, VocalEssence On Demand, and includes a Chorus & Ensemble Singers series, a series of… Read More →
