The Washington Chorus is a

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based in

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, United States. The three-time nominated and two-time Grammy Award-winning ensemble has 160 members and often performs at the

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

, Strathmore, and the

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, as of 2020.

History

The Washington Chorus was the first major Washington area chorus to be founded independent of a church or college. In 1961 Hugh Hayward, a medical doctor and classically trained musician, founded the Oratorio Society of Montgomery County, which became known as the Oratorio Society of Washington, and is now celebrated under the name of The Washington Chorus. The organization has a $2.4 million budget, as of 2021.

Leadership

The Washington Chorus has had five artistic directors. Founding director Hugh Hayward was followed by Robert Shafer, who served for more than three decades. Subsequent directors included

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(2008–2017), Christopher Bell (2017–2020), and Eugene Rogers, who became the choir's first Black artistic director in 2020. Rogers' Mahogany Series, slated to debut in 2021, will highlight composers and vocalists of color. Stephen Beaudoin served as executive director from February 2019 to August 2022. Dianne Peterson held this role previously.

Notable performances

The Washington Chorus has appeared at the invitation of leading orchestras including the

National Symphony Orchestra The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1930, its principal performing venue is the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It also performs for the annual National Mem ...

and the

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore SO has its principal residence at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, where it performs more than 130 concerts a year. In 2005, it bega ...

. The Chorus has sung with the National Symphony in more than 300 performances, under the direction of many of the world's leading conductors, including Gianandrea Noseda, Christoph Eschenbach, Leonard Slatkin,

Mstislav Rostropovich Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich, (27 March 192727 April 2007) was a Russian cellist and conductor. He is considered by many to be the greatest cellist of the 20th century. In addition to his interpretations and technique, he was wel ...

, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos,

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, Kent Nagano,

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Gustavo Dudamel Gustavo Adolfo Dudamel Ramírez (born 26 January 1981) is a Venezuelan conductor and violinist who is the music director of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Paris Opera. Early life Dudamel was bor ...

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, and many others. The Chorus has sung for numerous prestigious events throughout its history: inaugurations, papal visits, with the

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during their 50th anniversary tour, and at the White House in 2013 and 2014 for the President and First Lady. The Chorus was a featured performing group at the 2018 Kennedy Center Honors to pay homage to composer

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and a guest collaborator on “

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’s Pass the Mic” segment broadcast on the 2021 Biden-Harris Inauguration “ Parade Across America”.

Projects through COVID-19 Pandemic

Although 20+ in-person concerts and special appearances were forced to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Washington Chorus remained active with special virtual programming, including the annual Candlelight Christmas concert. On November 14, 2020, the Chorus premiered “Cantata for a More Hopeful Tomorrow,” a work for virtual chorus composed by Damien Geter and set to a 25-minute short film directed by filmmaker Bob Berg. The film tells a covid-era love story centered on an elderly Black couple separated by the virus, and the music is modeled after Bach's redemptive “Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen” cantata (BWV 12). Nearly 40 Chorus members appear through green-screen and more than 100 lent their voices to the recording. The Chorus also launched the Cause For Song marketplace, a digital music platform which specializes in custom, musical dedication videos for any occasion. The platform features Chorus singers, staff, as well as guest artists including

Nicholas Phan Nicholas Phan (last name pronounced /ˈPan/; b. Hartford, Connecticut, January 3, 1979) is an American lyric tenor who has performed internationally with orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philha ...

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

soprano Aundi Marie Moore and Sister Cities Girlchoir.

References

External links