VocalEssence ¡Cantaré! is a unique program designed to bring the talents of composers from Mexico directly into Minnesota classrooms.
Through VocalEssence ¡Cantaré!, selected composers from Mexico participate as artists-in-residence with elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and community organizations. The composers work directly with student choirs and community choruses throughout the year, becoming familiar with the ensembles and writing new music specifically for each. At the end of the school year, community and school partners present world premieres of new music in concert.
- In the 2019-2020 school year, Mexican composer Julio Morales will spend four weeks with elementary, high school, and community choral singers, exploring Mexican cultural and choral music traditions.
- The program will culminate in the creation of new music compositions by our composers-in-residence, premiered at the VocalEssence ¡Cantaré! Community Concert at Ordway Music Theater in St. Paul on Thursday, May 21, 2020 at 7 pm. PLEASE NOTE: This concert has been cancelled due to the spread of COVID-19. For more information, visit: https://www.vocalessence.org/category/covid-19-updates/
- Extending across the country for the fourth time, VocalEssence supports Chicago a cappella as they implement ¡Cantaré! with Julio Morales in the Chicago metro area, which will premiere new choral works at the ¡Cantaré! Chicago Community Concert in May 2020.
- VocalEssence will provide partner schools with a map of Mexico, a toolbox of Mexican cultural objects, a teacher resource guide, and companion CD to address social, historical and cultural contexts of Mexican choral music that teachers can use as a springboard for integration into the school curriculum before, between, and after residencies.
- Evaluation is an important component of the program, as VocalEssence builds upon the evaluation tools developed by UpFront Consulting to ensure greatest student impact.