VocalEssence recognized with 6th Chorus America/ASCAP Award

Chorus America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming

For the sixth time, VocalEssence has been honored with the prestigious Chorus America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming. The award recognizes Chorus America member choruses that demonstrate a commitment to fostering
and promoting new music. Awards are based not only on the number of
works performed which were written in the last 25 years, but also on the
variety and creativity of the new music programmed during the most
recently completed season. The selection panel gives special attention
to commissioned works and to world, United States, and regional
premieres.

Winners of these awards receive an engraved plaque and a cash award.
The winners are selected by an anonymous panel of choral composers
appointed by Chorus America; these people serve on a rotating basis so
that each year’s panel represents a fresh mix of choral composers.

The recipients of the 2013 Chorus America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming are:

Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia, Alan Harler, artistic director
VocalEssence, Philip Brunelle, artistic director
Anima—Young Singers of Greater Chicago, Emily Ellsworth, artistic director

The award will be presented during Chorus America’s 2013 Annual Conference, taking place June 12-15 in Seattle, Washington.

The 2013 award recognizes programming in the 2011-2012 VocalEssence Season, which included major commissions/premieres by William Bolcom, Michael Daugherty and Hannibal Lokumbe as well as the U.S. premieres of works by British composers Jonathan Dove and Tarik O’Regan. VocalEssence previously received the Award for Adventurous Programming in 1992, 1994, 1997, 2002 and 2005.