April brought a huge thrill as Chorus America recognized VocalEssence with its 2019 Education and Community Engagement Award for our youth choral program, VocalEssence Singers Of This Age (VESOTA). Chorus America is a prominent advocacy organization for our nation’s choral groups, and its Education and Community Engagement Award recognizes the best emerging program (less than… Read More →
In his “wonderful and busy” June and July, Artistic Director Philip Brunelle has been making music with old friends and new. He returned to the podium to conduct the Lake Harriet Pops Orchestra, a post he held for 10 seasons, and filled the air outside the Lake Harriet Bandshell with the music of Bernstein and… Read More →
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jennifer Weismann 612-716-0556 Jennifer@owl-marketing.com VOCALESSENCE SINGERS OF THIS AGE RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY Youth choir named “Best New Education Program” by Chorus America MINNEAPOLIS — July 22, 2019 — VocalEssence is not just a revered performing ensemble, but an award-winning educational institution as well. Its groundbreaking high school choir, VocalEssence Singers Of This… Read More →
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jennifer Weismann 612-716-0556 Jennifer@owl-marketing.com SET YOUR SOUL FREE WITH VOCALESSENCE WITNESS: WHAT A MIGHTY GOD Spirituals are in the spotlight as the VocalEssence Chorus & Ensemble Singers welcome Dr. André Thomas, NaGuanda Nobles, and Christian Mark Gibbs—November 17 MINNEAPOLIS — June 26, 2019 — VocalEssence is honoring the tradition of… Read More →
Teacher Orientation Seminar October 5, 2019 This year’s VocalEssence WITNESS Teacher Orientation Seminar will take place on Saturday, October 5, 2019 at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis. The cost of the seminar is $20, which includes up to 5 clock hours of professional development CEU credit and copies of the VocalEssence WITNESS Teacher Resource Guide… Read More →
The VocalEssence WITNESS School Program is an exciting opportunity for Minnesota students and teachers to learn more about the contributions African Americans have made, and are making, to the fine arts. 2020-2021 VocalEssence WITNESS: Will you be a Witness? Movements of Social Change Throughout history and across many cultures, music and movement, art and creative expression have all… Read More →
VocalEssence offers WITNESS partner schools the opportunity for their students to interact with one of our VocalEssence Teaching Artists. Teaching Artists explore the yearly program theme through their artistic discipline, creating an integrative academic experience for students combining the study of African American culture with art, music, social studies, literature, character building, and other areas… Read More →
Sing a wide range of music—from classical to hip-hop & everything in between Perform in world-class venues—Orchestra Hall, The Ordway Center for Performing Arts Awaken your creativity by studying voice, dance, theatre, and spoken word Travel throughout the state and region Rehearse at Augsburg University to provide exposure to life in college Belong to an accepting community of your peers from… Read More →
Each year dozens of experienced singers from the Twin Cities and beyond audience or interview to be a part of the VocalEssence performing ensembles. If you’d like to sing with us, please click on the page below. VocalEssence Chorus & Ensemble Singers Come and sing with one of our adult choirs, the VocalEssence Chorus or… Read More →
By: Patty Dexter | SUN Thisweek Published: April 11, 2019 https://www.hometownsource.com/sun_thisweek/community/apple_valley/vocalessence-music-program-comes-to-westview-elementary/article_6c0cac8c-5bd5-11e9-8b5b-477346985913.html Two local musicians visited Westview Elementary School in Apple Valley on April 4 as part of the school’s participation in VocalEssence’s Witness program. VocalEssence is a Minnesota arts organization that “uses the power of choral music to enhance our community by producing innovative vocal… Read More →
Following the amazing success of Candide, Artistic Director Philip Brunelle was in Mexico City for meetings about the Ensemble Singers next visit there in August 2019. He and his wife Carolyn also spent four days vacationing in Oaxaca (a rarity!). On Sunday, April 7 he will accompany the five Plymouth Church soloists in a concert as… Read More →
VocalEssence ¡Cantaré! invita a un compositor mexicano a escuelas de las ciudades gemelas como parte de un enriquecedor programa de residencia artística y cultural. Minneapolis, 24 de Enero, 2019. -Un concierto en el Ordway celebrando la música de México cerrará este año el programa VocalEssence ¡Cantaré! y dará a los estudiantes de las ciudades gemelas… Read More →
By Pamela Espeland MinnPost FEBRUARY 28, 2019 — 08:24AM https://www.minnpost.com/artscape/2019/02/vocalessence-to-present-witness-times-two-joffrey-ballet-to-perform-anna-karenina/ VocalEssence was born in 1969 as the Plymouth Church Music Series. Just another concert series at a local church, founded by an ambitious, tireless and hypercreative choir director and organist named Philip Brunelle. In 2002, the Plymouth Music Series became VocalEssence. Today, Brunelle and his singers are… Read More →
Both Artistic Director and Founder Philip Brunelle and Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III will be attending the national convention of ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) in Kansas City the last days of February. It is an important time for them to connect with colleagues and also to attend the premiere of Dr. André Thomas’… Read More →
by Ross Raihala | Pioneer Press February 21, 2019 at 1:00 pm https://www.twincities.com/2019/02/21/vocalessences-witness-concert-honors-ilhan-omar-hallie-q-brown-other-trailblazers/ Back in 2017, VocalEssence associate conductor G. Phillip Shoultz III was starting to plan the group’s annual Witness concert and was thinking about influential women who changed everything. “I was struck by what is going on in our society with the rise and… Read More →
