More than 50 students from 13 Twin Cities High Schools have attended the first three rehearsals of the inaugural year of the VocalEssence Youth Choir led by VocalEssence Associate Conductor and Education Program Manager G. Phillip Shoultz, III. Each rehearsal includes a mix of singing, social bonding activities, and work with the guest artists that… Read More →
VocalEssence is expanding upon the work we have done for nearly three decades in providing Minneapolis and St. Paul students access to choral music. We are creating a VocalEssence Youth Choir that revolutionizes our concept of choir and seeks to reflect the diversity of our community in its membership. Through this choir, we seek to… Read More →
VocalEssence Vintage Voices is an exciting new choral program that integrates the arts into the everyday lives of older adults by fostering the creation of choirs in assisted living communities and senior centers. Activities include choral rehearsals with conductor Rob Graham and accompanist John Jensen for 12 weeks, culminating in an on-site concert for friends, family, residents and community… Read More →
Hear more hammered dulcimer by Stu Janis at the VocalEssence Welcome Christmas concerts December 9, 10, and 11, 2016 in Roseville and Minneapolis, MN. Click here for more information.
The Voyage librettist Charles Bennett talks about what inspired him to compose the text for this new work. Hear the U.S. Premiere of The Voyage at the VocalEssence concert on Sunday, October 16, 2016 at 4 pm at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, MN.
VocalEssence WITNESS guest artist Melanie DeMore visited Minnesota the week of September 19-24, 2016 where she breathed life into the Underground Railroad theme for hundreds of students, teachers, and community members. Below is a list of all of Melanie’s activities that week: School Visits at Parkway Middle, North High School, Parkway Middle, Johnson Senior High School), where… Read More →
It was a surprise like no other. In cahoots with Philip Brunelle, Kay’s husband Mike commissioned five women composers to write a song based on one of Kay’s quilts. She was speechless at the reveal. “I can’t tell you how excited I am about this project,” Kay described later with tears in her eyes. “This… Read More →
Students are buzzing with excitement about the upcoming VocalEssence ¡Cantaré! Community Concerts on Monday, May 23 at 6 and 8 pm at the Ordway Concert Hall. Northport Elementary School students have been practicing moving while singing. Composer Alephsus Valdés has written a song for them using iPads. “Máscaras” or “Masks” includes students covering and uncovering… Read More →
Students from six Twin Cities high schools gathered on Monday, November 16 at Southwest High School in Minneapolis for their first rehearsal with VocalEssence Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III to prepare for their performance with VocalEssence and the Morehouse College Glee Club for the WITNESS concerts in February 2016. Students learned five songs, rehearsed… Read More →
https://vimeo.com/70340076 Voz en Punto is “one of the world’s great vocal sextets,” says VocalEssence Artistic Director Philip Brunelle. “This amazing group of singers has a 25-year history of celebrating the musical culture of Mexico, past and present, as well as performing music from around the world. Their blend, their flexibility, and their love for music… Read More →
Mexican composers Francisco Zúñiga Olmos and Alephsus Valdés will spend four weeks in the Twin Cities over the course of three visits with elementary schools and community choral singers, exploring Mexican cultural and choral music traditions as part of VocalEssence ¡Cantaré! 2015-2016. The new music they write will be premiered at the ¡Cantaré! Community Concerts… Read More →
For those who would like a preview of one of the pieces that will be performed at the VocalEssence Dreams of the Fallen concert on October 11, 2015, which features songs of survival, hope and healing, here is a look at “Controlled Burn.” The VocalEssence Chorus & Ensemble Singers, conducted by Tesfa Wondemagegnehu, performed “Controlled… Read More →
A new VocalEssence program is working wonders for senior singers and their communities! Vintage Voices, which integrates the arts into the lives of older adults by creating choirs in assisted living communities and senior centers, has inspired older adults at Ecumen Seasons at Maplewood (shown above in their spring concert video), Sabathani Community Center Senior… Read More →
Mexican composers Julio Morales and Jean Angelus Pichardo share a bit of the impact of the VocalEssence ¡Cantaré! program in this video, as well as their excitement about the upcoming ¡Cantaré! Community Concert on Thursday at the Ordway. The concert features music they wrote specifically for the choral groups they have been working with during… Read More →
We are very excited and honored to announce today a wonderful addition to our VocalEssence team. G. Phillip Shoultz, III will be joining Philip Brunelle as the new full-time Associate Conductor of VocalEssence this July. This is an expanded position with our organization, one that we hope will have far-reaching impact on both VocalEssence and… Read More →
