It is concert week for the VocalEssence Vintage Voices programs at Parkshore Senior Community in St. Louis Park and Ecumen Seasons at Apple Valley. Both choirs have been working hard with conductor Rob Graham and accompanist John Jensen. The Vintage Voices program from VocalEssence brings the many benefits—physical, psychological, and social—of choral participation to older… Read More →
This fall, more than 60 older adults from Ecumen Seasons at Apple Valley and Parkshore Senior Living in St. Louis Park are warming up their voices at VocalEssence Vintage Voices rehearsals. Vintage Voices, a program of VocalEssence, brings the many benefits—physical, psychological, and social—of choral participation to older adults. It removes barriers to engagement and… Read More →
VocalEssence is pleased to announce the following winners of the 20th annual VocalEssence Welcome Christmas Carol Contest, and the second year of VocalEssence ReMix. Congratulations to the winners and thank you to all who applied. Welcome Christmas Carol Contest Winners Sponsored by the American Composers Forum and VocalEssence, the Welcome Christmas Carol Contest is now… Read More →
In the 2016-2017 season VocalEssence partnered with the Teen Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenting Program at Longfellow Alternative High School in Minneapolis. VocalEssence Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III and an octet of VocalEssence Ensemble Singers collaborated with guest artist Melanie DeMore to help four African American teen moms and one grandmother write lullabies. These lullabies were… Read More →
Creative Minnesota highlights the positive impact being made by artists and creative workers. The 2017 study found that every region of the state has a robust arts economy, from the prairies of southwest Minnesota to the busy Twin Cities area to the tourist magnet that is the North Shore. The combined annual economic impact of… 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 →
BEDROOM COMMUNITY AND FRIENDS Featuring Valgeir Sigurðsson, Jodie Landau, Sam Amidon and Daníel Bjarnason with Mariam Wallentin and Pekka Kuusisto Copresented with the American Swedish Institute Tuesday, May 9, 2017 Doors at 6pm | Music at 7:30pm (purchase tickets) American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis Bedroom Community, “a creative hub of sonic geniuses that continues to evolve and… Read More →
In case you missed it, these were just a few high points from the 2017 VocalEssence WITNESS concert at Orchestra Hall: 1. Hearing songs from three local composers (Daniel Kantor’s “River Holy”, Emily Feld’s “The Gift to Sing”, and Jake Runestad’s “We Can Mend the Sky”). The concert served as the world premiere of Feld’s… Read More →
For the next three months, VocalEssence will feature its education programs to promote Music Makes Us Whole, an initiative that brings together non-profit and for-profit organizations in Minnesota to raise awareness about the ways a rich music education enhances a child’s development. This month, we’re highlighting VocalEssence WITNESS School Program and Lullaby Project. VocalEssence WITNESS… Read More →
VocalEssence is spreading holiday cheer all around the Twin Cities metro this holiday season. In addition to our four Welcome Christmas concerts December 3-11, 2016 and two Star of Wonder concerts on Saturday, December 10, 2016, our voices will be heard far and wide. Review our schedule below and add us to your holiday festivities.… Read More →
As a professional choir conductor for 20 years, I’ve learned to read the subtle cues in the room before the singing starts, but I’d never before experienced a feeling quite like the one at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis on that July night. It was only a week since the tragedies in Falcon Heights and… Read More →
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 →
VocalEssence is thrilled to be the first choir nationally to offer the Lullaby Project, a national program of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute. The Lullaby Project creates musical experiences for women facing pregnancy while enduring other hardships, such as teenage pregnancy, homelessness, or incarceration. Lullabies are powerful tools for parents. According to research, the experience… Read More →
