In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer William Dawson. William Dawson 1899-1990 William Dawson was a leading African-American arranger of spirituals as well as a distinguished choral conductor. At age 13, Dawson ran away from home to enter Tuskegee (Institute) University. He… Read More →
By ROSS RAIHALA | rraihala@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer Press PUBLISHED: November 29, 2020 at 5:28 a.m. | UPDATED: November 29, 2020 at 9:48 a.m. https://www.twincities.com/2020/11/29/holiday-arts-guide-from-blenders-to-brickman-music-traditions-continue-online/ Nearly all of this year’s holiday concerts are virtual, but many familiar faces both local (the Blenders, Lorie Line, the SPCO) and national (Jim Brickman, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) have planned online events… Read More →
Are you an essential worker? Have you been adversely affected by COVID-19? As a small show of our heartfelt gratitude for your bravery in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are offering you a FREE VocalEssence On Demand subscription for the 2020-2021 Season. This discount is available to: Essential workers Unemployed people People diagnosed with…
How do I watch? Go to https://bit.ly/VEOnlineGala2020 and click “sign up” to register. Enter your personal information and click “I am not a robot.” Then click the green “sign up” button again. This is where you can watch, bid, and give. To start watching the video, click the red and white play button. To chat, click… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Gerald Near. Gerald Near b.1942 Gerald Near, one of the foremost composers of church music writing today, first studied theory and composition with Leslie Bassett, organ with Robert Glasgow, and conducting with Elizabeth Green at… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Evelyn Simpson Curenton. This episode features a performance by singer Jearlyn Steele. Evelyn Simpson Curenton b. 1953 The versatile musician and composer Evelyn Simpson Curenton is one of today’s leading arrangers of gospel music… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Timothy Takach. Timothy Takach b. 1978 Inspired by captivating narrative, speculative fiction and making better humans through art, the music of Timothy Takach has risen fast in the concert world. Applauded for his melodic lines,… Read More →
Ysaÿe M. Barnwell | Musical Moments with Philip Brunelle Moses Hogan | Musical Moments with Philip Brunelle https://www.vocalessence.org/what-we-do/virtual-projects/musical-moments-with-philip-brunelle/andre-thomas-musical-moments-with-philip-brunelle/ Steve Heitzeg | Musical Moments with Philip Brunelle Randall Davidson | Musical Moments with Philip Brunelle Timothy Takach | Musical Moments with Philip Brunelle Dominick Argento | Musical Moments with Philip Brunelle Carol Barnett… Read More →
Sponsoring the VocalEssence Gala 2020 has many advantages: Visibility to audience of more than 600 prominent business and community leaders Opportunity to support and partner with VocalEssence, an organization with decades of experience presenting concerts and education programs that engage, inspire, and entertain more than 30,000 people of all ages annually Brand equity in THE… Read More →
Purchase your tickets to Divine Light on Sunday, October 13, 2019 by clicking here! A Silence Haunts Me In 2017, Jake Runestad travelled to Vienna and found himself in the Haus der Musik Museum in Vienna, where he encountered a facsimile of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Heiligenstadt Testament. It was the first time he had read… 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 →
by Terry Blain | Star Tribune April 21, 2019 — 2:00PM: http://www.startribune.com/the-week-s-five-best-twin-cities-classical-concerts/508820582/ Ireland’s best The Palestrina Choir was formed in Dublin, Ireland, in the 1890s, with a home base at St. Mary’s pro-Cathedral. Part of a Midwest tour, the choir’s St. Paul date is definitely a must-see for choir lovers. (7:30 p.m. Wed., Cathedral of… Read More →
A musical visionary and tireless self-promoter, VocalEssence founder Philip Brunelle is a world-renowned force.
Our brand new choir made up of local high school students has a holiday gift to share—check out the video above to hear their incredible performance of “Deck the Halls.” The young singers have been hard at work learning to perform as a unified chorus, and will celebrate their inaugural concert at VocalEssence WITNESS: Of Such… Read More →
VocalEssence Singers Of This Age is a dynamic group of 50 young people from Twin Cities high schools who sing, dance, write their own music, rap, and—most importantly—reflect the diversity of our community in its membership. Under the visionary leadership of G. Phillip Shoultz, III, the students sing a wide range of music—from classical to… Read More →
