By Pamela Espeland | MINNPOST Published: FEBRUARY 18, 2020 — 9:17AM ‘Twelfth Night’ at the Guthrie is pure joy; Russian Renaissance at Aria Photo by Dan Norman Emily Gunyou Halaas, Sun Mee Chomet and Michael Hanna in “Twelfth Night.” The Guthrie’s new production of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy “Twelfth Night” is pure joy. Filled with live music, movement and color,… Read More →
Who is your inspiration? On February 24, 3,462 students from 34 schools will hear our radically diverse youth choir VocalEssence Singers Of This Age at the WITNESS Young People’s Concerts. But here is the catch… In order to make the concerts possible for all, we need to raise $25 per student. Sponsor a seat (or two)… Read More →
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jennifer Weismann 612-716-0556 Jennifer@owl-marketing.com HONOR THE MUSICAL FOUNDATIONS THAT GAVE RISE TO 30 YEARS OF SONG WITH DEEP ROOTS A galaxy of incredible artists and a special 30th Anniversary Community Choir will join the VocalEssence Chorus & Ensemble Singers and VocalEssence Singers Of This Age—Feb. 23 at Orchestra Hall … Read More →
Returning from a VERY successful series of 4 concerts in Mexico City with the Ensemble Singers, Philip Brunelle immediately plunged into rehearsals for his 51st VocalEssence season as well as planning a number of special events for the fall and winter (with lots of meetings!). Following the opening Retreat rehearsal the Ensemble Singers presented a… Read More →
The VocalEssence WITNESS Young People’s Concert is a 50-minute concert geared toward students in grades 4-12. 2020 Performance Dates: Monday, February 24, 2020 at 10:00am Monday, February 24, 2020 at 11:35am Monday, February 24, 2010 at 1:15pm All performances take place at Orchestra Hall in Downtown, Minneapolis. Tickets to the concert are $3.50 each (for students and… 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 →
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 →
The vision of VocalEssence is to transform lives by singing together, assuring a place for everyone’s voice. One way we have been living out this vision is through our work with residents who attend the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center in St. Paul and the Senior Center at the Sabathani Community Center in Minneapolis, many… Read More →
Let’s fill the hall! Orchestra Hall, that is. 4,245 students are slated to attend the VocalEssence WITNESS Young People’s Concerts this February, and celebrate the amazing African and African American women who change our world for the better! But here’s the catch… The cost of the VocalEssence WITNESS program and Young People’s Concerts is $28.50… Read More →
Artistic Director Philip Brunelle started the month of September by conducting the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers in Mexico City for an amazing week of concerts and workshops. They performed solo concerts and also joined 30 professional Mexican singers in concerts of Brahms and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Orquesta Symphonica de Minería. September is the month… Read More →
Dancer/Choreographer Roxane Wallace is active in the arts as a performer, dance instructor, and choreographer. Originally from California, she holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of California at Berkeley. Constantly engaged in her field, she has worked with numerous choreographers and directors of both regional and international acclaim and earned the “Best Dancer” title in… Read More →
Arts Educator/Performer/Choreographer/Literary Artist Karla Nweje is an arts educator, choreographer, performer, and literary artist. She holds a BFA in Dance Performance from Brooklyn College/CUNY. As a literary artist, Karla is a published author and contributing writer to literary publications and writes/presents interactive workshops and assemblies for youth. After obtaining teaching credentials, she worked as a… Read More →
Drummer/Music Producer Brandon Commodore is a talented musician, producer and businessman. Brandon’s passion for music started at a very young age, when he picked up drumsticks and followed very close in his father’s footsteps; playing in school bands and continuing his music studies into college. Shortly after graduating high school, Brandon joined the Grammy Award winning Sounds of Blackness… Read More →
While the busy holiday season is behind them, the new year holds plenty of exciting projects for our in-demand conductors, Artistic Director Philip Brunelle and Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III. Our Ensemble Singers are putting the final polish on their preparations for the Super Bowl LIVE kickoff concert. Philip Brunelle is leading them in… Read More →
