VocalEssence

VocalEssence
  • Who We Are
    • About VocalEssence
    • Performing Ensembles
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
      • VocalEssence ¡Cantaré! Advisory Council
    • VocalEssence WITNESS Advisory Council
    • Advancing Inclusion, Access, and Equity
  • What We Do
    • Why Sing?
    • Concerts and Events
    • Virtual Projects
      • Musical Moments with Philip Brunelle
        • Musical Moments: Composers of the 17th, 18th, & 19th Centuries
        • Musical Moments: Composers of the Early-Mid 20th Century
        • Musical Moments: Composers of the Late 20th and 21st Centuries
        • Musical Moments: United States Composers
        • Musical Moments: Latin American Composers
        • Musical Moments: British and Irish Composers
        • Musical Moments: Scandinavian Composers
        • Musical Moments: German and Austrian Composers
        • Musical Moments: French Composers
        • Musical Moments: Canadian Composers
        • Musical Moments: Women Composers
        • Musical Moments: Black Composers
        • Musical Moments: Composers from Minnesota
    • Learning and Engagement Programs
    • Contests and Awards
    • Commissioning and Recording
    • Accessibility
  • Stories & Results
    • #vesotashareshope
    • COVID-19 Updates
    • GPS & Friends
    • Inclusion Access and Equity
    • Musical Moments
    • Performing Ensembles
    • Podcast
    • Schools & Education
    • Take 5 with GPS
    • Together We Sing
  • Get Involved
    • Donate
      • Fundraising Events
    • Engage a Choir
    • Sing with Us
    • Volunteer
    • Join the Board
    • Work at VocalEssence
  • My Profile
  • Logout
  • Login
  • Buy Tickets
  • Donate
Search
More...

Philip Brunelle

Share

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • email

Artistic Director and Founder
phone 612-547-1451
fax 612-547-1484
philip@vocalessence.org

Philip Brunelle, artistic director and founder of VocalEssence, is an internationally renowned conductor, choral scholar and visionary. He has made his lifelong mission the promotion of the choral art in all its forms, especially rarely heard works of the past and outstanding new music. Under his leadership, VocalEssence has commissioned more than 300 works to date. Philip has conducted symphonies (New York Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, and Minnesota Orchestra among others) as well as choral festivals and operas on six continents. He is editor of two choral series for Boosey & Hawkes and chairman of the review committee for Walton Music. Philip is also Organist-Choirmaster at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis.

Over the past two decades Philip has been deeply involved with the International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM). He served as president of the Sixth World Symposium on Choral Music, held in Minneapolis in 2002. He was a Vice President of the IFCM Board and served as Executive Director for the 2014 World Symposium on Choral Music in Seoul, South Korea. Philip served as Artistic Advisor for the 2017 World Choral Symposium in Barcelona, Spain and later that summer he was Artistic Director of the 2017 China (Qiandongnan) International Folk Song Choral Festival in Kaili, China. He also served on the national boards of the National Council for the Arts (NEA), Chorus America, and the American Guild of Organists.

For more than 40 years he served as a guest conductor and pianist on American Public Radio’s A Prairie Home Companion, appearing on the very first and the final broadcasts and many in between. Since January 1982 he has written “Choral Old and New”, a column for The American Organist. This year, 2019, he celebrated his 50th anniversary with VocalEssence and at Plymouth Church and looks forward to his 51st season with both organizations. Also this year, he was awarded The American Prize in Choral Conducting in the community division and in 2020 he will be presented with the Honorary Member Award by the Society for American Music at their annual conference.

Philip is the recipient of the Weston H. Noble Lifetime Achievement Award, given by the North Central American Choral Directors Association; the F. Melius Christiansen Lifetime Achievement Award, American Choral Directors Association-Minnesota Chapter’s highest honor; and the Michael Korn Founder’s Award for Development of the Professional Choral Art, Chorus America’s highest lifetime achievement award.

Philip holds five honorary doctorates and has been recognized for his commitment to choral music by Norway (Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit), the United Kingdom (Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire), Hungary (Kodály Medal), Sweden (Royal Order of the Polar Star) and Mexico (Ohtli Recognition Award).

And, listen to the new podcast on Philip: renaissancemanpodcast.com

Updated July 2019

Philip Brunelle Press Photos

Download High Res photos by control-clicking or right-clicking on the images. For press/promotional use related to VocalEssence events only.

Photo Credit: Ann Marsden
Photo Credit: Ann Marsden


Recent Stories

  • Vintage Voices Trillium Woods Chorale Mini Concert January 4, 2021
  • DOUBLE the Joy and Together We Will Meet Our Goal December 31, 2020
  • What moment do YOU treasure in 2020? December 23, 2020
  • Spend Christmas Eve with VocalEssence December 22, 2020
  • How do you measure a year? December 22, 2020
  • About Us
    • About VocalEssence
    • Press Room
    • Annual Report
    • Financial Information
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
  • Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Sing with Us
    • Volunteer
    • Work at VocalEssence
  • Connect
    • Email Sign Up
    • Contact Us/Location
    • Chorus Connection
    • VocalEssence Board Login
  • VocalEssence
  • 1900 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403
  • Phone: 612-547-1451
  • Fax: 612-547-1484
  • info@vocalessence.org
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 VocalEssence. All rights reserved.

https://www.vocalessence.org/who-we-are/staff/philip-brunelle

This website uses cookies for necessary functions and to enhance your browsing experience.

Accept & Continue