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DISCOVER THE MYSTERY & MAGIC OF COMPOSERS FROM FRANCE’S SACRED MUSIC TRADITION WITH THE VOCALESSENCE ENSEMBLE SINGERS FEATURING GREG ZELEK
In the hands of Juilliard-trained organist Greg Zelek, the Foley-Baker pipe organ of Saint Mark’s Cathedral, and the Ensemble Singers bring to life works by Messiaen, Duruflé, Poulenc, and others—April 10

MINNEAPOLIS—February 20 2026—VocalEssence, one of the nation’s premier nonprofit choral and community-building organizations, announces that acclaimed organist Greg Zelek will perform with the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers in a concert program of music by 20th-century French composers.

Ensemble Singers Featuring Greg Zelek, conducted by Philip Brunelle, will be presented on Friday, April 10, 2026, at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Minneapolis, the first time the Ensemble Singers have performed in this beautiful space. The program showcases French choral and organ masterworks by Jean-Jules Roger-Ducasse, Maurice Duruflé, Francis Poulenc, Camille Saint-Saëns, Claude Debussy, and others performed in one of the Twin Cities’ most resonant sacred spaces.

“I’m thrilled to have found a surefire way to spread my love of the French composers who worked in the traditions of sacred music,” says Philip Brunelle, VocalEssence founder and artistic director. “My secret weapons are the astoundingly gifted organist Greg Zelek, whom Twin Cities audiences have been getting to know since he became the official organist at Northrop, and the exquisite concert site of Saint Mark’s Cathedral, with its magnificent four-manual Foley-Baker pipe organ. When you add in the voices of our Ensemble Singers–it’s almost unfair! The audience will feel, as I do, that this all-French program offers something incredibly rare and beautiful.”

Press images are available here.

VocalEssence: Ensemble Singers Featuring Greg Zelek will be performed from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on Friday, April 10 at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, 519 Oak Grove Street, Minneapolis. Tickets are available online or by phone at 612-371-5656.

VocalEssence, the choral organization Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones says “sings magnificently,” provides opportunities that draw upon the power of singing together to nurture community, inspire creativity, affirm the value of all persons, and expand the impact of choral music. VocalEssence was founded in 1969 and through its performance series has debuted more than 300 commissions and world premieres. VocalEssence Learning & Engagement programs help people of all ages bridge, create, and learn across cultures by connecting them with renowned choral experts to provide exceptional role models, grow community self-esteem, self-expression, and engagement. For more information, visit www.vocalessence.org.

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