Creating Meaningful Experiences Through Interactive Concerts
How Choruses Become Lifelines after Natural Disasters
Reimagining Governance
2025 CONFERENCE ISSUE
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France - June 15-19, 2026
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Costa Rica - June 17-22, 2026
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Discover FRESH CHORAL ADVENTURES at
Whether you are involved directly in making music or you provide the support and resources for the folks that do, right now, your work is in demand.
The Business of Wow
It’s time to double down on our commitment to the art that we make
While I was serving as the executive director of the Cathedral Choral Society, I fell in love with our home—Washington National Cathedral—and undertook the training to become a Cathedral docent. When giving tours, we would refer to the “wow moment”: the moment when you would walk through the doors of the Nave and have your eye drawn up to the stained-glass windows high above the Cathedral floor. Even the most jaded middle schooler, exhausted from a week of being dragged around Washington, couldn’t avoid being captured by the feeling of awe that it creates.
In 2007, I attended my first Chorus America Conference. When I walked into the first session, Alice Parker was speaking to a small group of folks about improvisation in her compositional process, and I had my own wow moment. Here was a legend of choral singing, right there in front of me. I don’t remember entirely what she said, since I spent the whole session just marveling at my proximity!
As musicians, we’re in the business of creating wow moments. If I had to guess, I would imagine that many of you do what you do because you had your own singular moment that set you on a course to make a life in the arts. Do you remember what it was? If you’re at this year’s Conference, stop and share it with me (and I’ll share mine). I love hearing these stories.
There’s a lot of talk about politics right now, and for good reason. We’re facing substantial disruption in the arts sector—more than we’ve seen in quite some time. While it’s important to pay attention to what’s going on, it’s equally (if not more) important to keep our focus on the art that we make and the lives that we touch.
Right now, it is our job to use choral singing to teach the very real skill of empathy. Right now, we need to lift up voices that are once again being silenced. Right now, we need to use art to understand the world around us.
Also, though, we need to remember that we’re in the wow business. In the oft-shared words of Karl Paulnach, pianist and former director of music at Boston Conservatory, “Someday at 8 PM someone is going to walk into your concert hall and bring you a mind that is confused, a heart that is overwhelmed, a soul that is weary. Whether they go out whole again will depend partly on how well you do your craft. […] If there is a future of peace for humankind, if there is to be an understanding of how these invisible, internal things should fit together, I expect it will come from the artists, because that’s what we do.”
Whether you are involved directly in making music or you provide the support and resources for the folks that do, I would encourage you to consider that, right now, your work is in demand. Don’t get distracted by the noise. Double down on your commitment to create wow moments that give folks even a short respite from what is relentlessly coming at us.
Of all the unique things about community singing, there’s one that stands out to me: Singing together is so fundamental to the human experience that it is not subject to changes in politics, borders, language, or personal identity. Because of this, we needn’t worry that it is at risk. Regardless of our circumstances, we will keep singing.
Christopher Eanes
President
& CEO, Chorus America
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he Phoenix Chorale presented its concert “AMERICAN VOICES” in May, which featured contemporary choral music that reflects the heart and story of America. The performance also included the world premiere of “Vista Point” by Jennifer Lucy Cook.
The National Lutheran Choir premiered Melissa Dunphy’s “Mourning into Dancing,”
Catherine
the final movement of her Suite Remembrance, at its May concert.
Rainbow by Bob Chilcott had its world premiere in May during Choralis’s 25th anniversary season. This work was co-commissioned by Choralis and The Children’s Chorus of Washington Under the direction of Dominick DiOrio, the Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia
Dehoney and DC-Area Choruses Honored at the Ovation Awards
Former Chorus America president and CEO Catherine Dehoney received the 2025 J. Reilly Lewis Award for Outstanding Contributions to Choral Music at Choralis’s Gala and Ovation Awards event on May 3. The Ovation Awards were created in 2009 by The Choralis Foundation to recognize and celebrate the rich choral artistry that exists in the Washington DC region. The Children’s Chorus of Washington, The Washington Chorus, and Encore Creativity received Ovation Awards as well.
Dehoney (second from left) with (L–R) Choralis artistic director Gretchen Kuhrmann, Children’s Chorus of Washington artistic director Margaret Nomura Clark, Classical Movements president Neeta Helms, The Washington Chorus artistic director Eugene Rogers, and Encore Creativity board president Anthony Tambasco
A Surprise Musical Tribute to Rollo Dilworth
What started as a seemingly ordinary concert in Wilmington took an extraordinary turn when Dr. Rollo Dilworth realized he was the guest of honor at a surprise celebration of his many contributions to the choral field.
Dilworth arrived expecting to only hear his composition “Weather” performed by Elevate Vocal Arts as part of a concert named “Song of the Revolution.” Instead, he found a venue filled with his colleagues, former students, and friends gathered for a concert solely featuring his compositions.
“I believe we shouldn’t wait for an ‘occasion’ to honor people. We should give them their flowers while they can still enjoy them,” explained Arreon Harley-Emerson, artistic director of Elevate Vocal Arts, in a Facebook post about the event. Harley-Emerson has considered Dilworth a mentor since 2016.
Dilworth has published over 200 choral compositions and arrangements in his career.
and Commonwealth Youth Choir gave the world premiere of On the Horizon by Melissa Dunphy in April. This work focuses on the theme of climate justice.
The Brooklyn Youth Chorus premiered Port(al) at the Agger Fish Building within the Brooklyn Navy Yard on May 1–3. The choral theatre experience, which was co-created by a team including Paola Prestini, Jad Abumrad,
In 2015, he launched his own choral series with Hal Leonard, with the goal of creating space for composers from diverse backgrounds. Beyond composing, Dilworth serves on the board of Chorus America and frequently presents on topics including African American choral music, social justice, and diversity in music education.
and Jessica Grindstaff, explored the history of the Brooklyn Navy Yard in the unique acoustic landscape of the industrial space.
The Dessoff Choirs premiered “It’s a Journey…” by Tania León at a May performance that also included Verdi’s Requiem. The piece was commissioned in celebration of the organization’s 100th anniversary and was inspired by the poetry of Nikki Giovanni. u
GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF WASHINGTON HEADLINES WORLDPRIDE 2025 IN DC
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC (GMCW) presented an International Choral Festival as part of WorldPride 2025, a global Pride festival held in cities around the world. This year is the 50th anniversary of Pride celebrations in Washington DC. For 16 days in late May and June, the DC metro area filled with 50 concerts across 25 venues, featuring 30 choruses showcasing the power of queer choral music. Daily hour-long pop-up performances featured GMCW’s own choruses—Potomac Fever, Rock Creek Singers, Seasons of Love, GenOUT Youth Chorus, and 17th Street Dance— alongside other talented guest choruses from all across America.
The free, public festival included special collaborations with ensembles based both locally and nationally, the DC-area premiere of A Peacock Among Pigeons composed by John Bucchino and based on the children’s book by the same title, and the world premiere of “Our Wildest Imagining” by composer Dominick DiOrio honoring The Right Reverend Bishop Gene V. Robinson. The festival also featured a 500-voice L.O.V.E. Chorus performance and rally on the National Mall.
(L–R) Arreon Harley-Emerson, Eugene Rogers, Rollo Dilworth, and Hannah Grasso-McClain
The 18th Street Singers are premiering five new works as part of the June concert “Synthesis: A 20th Anniversary Celebration.” The premieres include “Listening in Deep Space” by Dale Trumbore, a three-part work commissioned specially for the organization’s anniversary. n
Awards
The Cincinnati Youth Choir has been awarded a Find Your Light Foundation 2025 grant. Find Your Light, founded by Josh Groban, is dedicated to supporting arts programs in areas where there is a great need. Northern Lights Choir received a Kindling Award from the Adirondack Foundation for “building stronger
SPONSORED STORY FROM A CHORUS AMERICA PARTNER
Bringing Choral Music of Our Time Into Focus
Celebrating 30 Years, Ember has found its voice by helping composers develop theirs
“Rehearsal with Deborah is like being in a yoga class,” says Alyson Navarro, referring to Deborah Simpkin King (pictured), the founder and artistic director of New York/New Jersey-based ensemble, Ember. “It’s a practice. It’s a discipline.”
Navarro, who has been singing with Ember for 12 years and serving on its board for many of them, has also come to find that King has a certain way of searching for the character of sound she wants: “She makes a lot of weird noises.”
The process—one of experimentation and openness, channeling personal experience and visceral emotion into a musical shape —also aptly describes the journey of Ember, now in its 30th season. Drawing deeply on the well of life experience has been core to the Ember experience from the beginning.
“We seek to bring new music forward— not just to be ‘cutting edge,’ but for the sake of reaching into hearts and souls, of perhaps having meaningful resonance in people’s lives,” says King. “We program around current realities, and with an eclectic mix specifically for the purpose of making new sounds absorbable and relevant to today’s audiences.” Each entire season is themed to speak to issues of the present moment, thoughtfully balanced and sequenced. “It is part of how I process life.”
Adirondack communities where everyone feels they belong, one connection at a time.” Andrés Holder, executive director of the Boston Children’s Chorus, was awarded the inaugural William Moyer Champion of Change Award. This award honors the legacy of William Moyer, who showed visionary leadership and held a strong commitment to equity in classical music. n
A defining moment in Ember’s journey came when “the second performance problem” (well known among composers) was realized: Once a piece has had its premiere, composers often have trouble finding a second performance. And so PROJECT : ENCORE (P:E) was born, to help composers extend the life and impact of their music, and to serve as a vetted, searchable resource for conductors looking for new repertoire ideas—free of charge to applicants and users. As Ember Choral Arts turns 30, P:E is in its 15th year.
Throughout its evolution, direct engagement with composers has continued to grow in significance to Ember’s mission and identity, including the recently launched Ember Ablaze Composer Lab. Exchanges between singers and composers are hallmark to Ember’s approach that King says has often transformed the singers’ understanding of the work. On the flip side, King is brave enough to try things out on the fly and make suggestions to composers. The dialogue brings out the soul of the music.
“She gets under the notes,” composer Michael Shapiro says of King. “We put them down on paper, but our pieces are not done until someone like Deborah takes them.”
King calls Ember’s 2022 premiere of Shapiro’s multi-movement VOICES of the Holocaust “a pinnacle experience.”
It is the ongoing search for insightful voices that have something to say about the times we live in that looks to propel the organization into the future towards its next 30 years. “Ember’s commitment to the choral art is based in honoring and nurturing individual creativity, through the shared art form of ensemble singing,” says King. “It is a continuing journey of listening and discovery!”
To read the full story of Ember at 30 and PROJECT : ENCORE at 15, visit [bit.ly/ EmberAt30]. P:E’s next quarterly score submission deadline is July 15.
Sponsored by Ember Choral Arts
Appointments and Retirements
Sara Honeywell (pictured) has been named as Boston Children’s Chorus’s chief of staff after previously serving as the director of operations and administration at Acera. Boston Children’s Chorus also appointed Tonasia Jones (pictured) as director of learning, impact, and innovation. Jones previously held the role of director of programs at The Theatre Offensive.
The National Lutheran Choir has chosen Erin Gaffaney (pictured) as its first ever director of education and community outreach. She will be responsible for leading the National Lutheran Choir’s new education initiatives.
Anthony Bernarducci (pictured) has been named Greenville Chorale’s new u
Young New Yorkers’ Chorus Honors Late Board President Daniel Thompson with Renamed Composers Competition
The Young New Yorkers’ Chorus (YNYC) has renamed its annual competition for emerging composers as The Daniel Thompson Memorial Competition for Young Composers. The Thompson family has given a $50,000 endowment to ensure the competition’s future and honor the contributions and dedication of YNYC’s late board president Daniel Thompson.
“Daniel was an essential part of the YNYC community,” says Alex Canovas, YNYC’s general & artistic director. “This astoundingly generous gift from the Thompson family will allow us to continue to commission and premiere new music by the most unique and compelling emerging voices in our field—work that was very near and dear to Daniel’s heart.”
This competition first started in 2004, and since then the competition has celebrated and created a platform for emerging compositional talent. In total, the competition has commissioned and premiered 57 original works from composers under 35. Some of today’s most recognized choral composers received early-career exposure through this competition, including Jake Runestad, Dale Trumbore, Ola Gjeilo, Sydney Guillaume, Jocelyn Hagen, and Matthew Lyon Hazzard.
The newly renamed competition continued this spring. The 2025 finalists had their works premiered by the YNYC Treble Ensemble at their concert, “To the East,” on May 10. The competition winner was announced following the performances.
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“AN OUTSTANDING NOVEL... A TRULY REMARKABLE READ”
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ANGELS’ BLOOD
Murder in the Chorus
By Roberta Mantell
A prestigious chorus. Two unsolved murders. The secrets hidden in an 1899 Requiem.
From Indies United Publishing House
Paperback and ebook available at Amazon.com
ANN MEIER BAKER RETIRES FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS
Ann Meier Baker, former director of music and opera at the National Endowment for the Arts, retired from her position as of April 30, 2025. Baker had just celebrated her tenth anniversary of service to the NEA.
Before joining the NEA, Baker served as Chorus America’s president and CEO for 15 years, strengthening the organization and serving a growing membership of choral leaders and organizations. Chorus America and the choral community are grateful for her immeasurable contributions to the field.
artistic director and conductor. His first performance leading the Chorale will be on December 9th.
David Snead (pictured) has retired as president and CEO of The Handel and Haydn Society after its final performance of the 2024–25 season.
Mark Shapiro, Conductor
The Choral Arts Society of Washington has announced its new executive director, Maria Mathieson (pictured). Mathieson most recently led the Peabody Preparatory at Johns Hopkins University. n
Releases
Cantori New York released an album of three works entitled Found Again
This album includes the works
The New Amorous World by Lembit Beecher and Found Again by Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate, and the song “Beauty by Beauty” by John Rommereim.
The Crossing has released its 37th album, At Which Point. This album features lyrics taken from the poetry of Wang Lu, Emily Carr, and Ayanna Woods. n
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CREATING MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES Through Interactive Concerts
Interactive performances are transforming the traditional concert experience, inviting audiences to participate in ways that feel personal, playful, and deeply meaningful. By breaking the fourth wall, choral groups can offer a radical welcome that opens the door to new voices, new communities, and a new sense of belonging.
BY LINDSEY BRUNER WOODCOCK
When the audience arrived for the North Folk Community Choir’s “Fabric of Gratitude” concert in Paonia, Colorado, each listener received a small paper square, along with a simple request. Guests were invited to reflect on the concert’s theme and write down something they were thankful for as they listened.
The performance was a collaboration with a local quilt club, which displayed a quilt show in the lobby. After the music ended, audience members added their written reflections to a large “Quilt of Gratitude”—a piece of shared art inspired by both the theme and the community partnership. While simple, this communal task deepened the experience for the audience.
“They loved it,” says director Stephanie Helleckson. “It was really top of mind for a long time afterward.”
This phenomenon, where an experience sticks with the participant for a while afterward, is what researchers call an “Impact Echo.” Interactive elements, like the Quilt of Gratitude, can increase the Impact Echo by helping people feel connected to the performers and emotionally moved by the music.
A growing body of research shows that people of all ages are still very interested in classical music, but they are less interested in the passive nature of the traditional concert experience. Today’s audiences are gravitating toward art experiences that are inherently participatory, encourage interpretive opportunities, or feel communal (e.g. music festivals and interactive art exhibits). In short, people are looking to feel more in their encounters with live music. u
The Quilt of Gratitude community project on display.
Creating Meaningful Experiences
As choral musicians, we know that choral music can provide all these things, but the hard truth is that program notes and onstage remarks may not always be sufficient to deeply connect our listeners to the music we perform. The good news is that we do not need fancy light shows or expensive projections to engage audiences. In fact, the most effective audience engagement comes from taking time during the performance to simply invite listeners to interact with the performers and the musical material in ways that deepen their listening.
Our colleagues in visual arts, dance, theater, and instrumental music have been utilizing interactive and immersive performances for quite some time, and choral musicians can also reap the benefits of this practice. According to Helleckson, “Choral singing is already an inherently collaborative, connective experience. Our challenge is connecting with people who are not choral
musicians, those who can’t connect with us directly through singing themselves. It’s important to have ways for those people to access the same emotional wavelength, to experience that same sense of community.”
When we help listeners make these connections, the potential for audience satisfaction and retention is much higher.
What Interactive Concerts Can Do for Your Chorus
Choral audiences usually include patrons with widely varying levels of musical expertise. Our audiences likely include other musicians whose understanding of concert music is deep, but the other largest portion is made up of friends, family, and colleagues of the performers who may have little familiarity with choral music. Despite this dichotomy in musical expertise, a 2016 audience impact study found that both frequent and first-time choral patrons wished “to be emotionally moved or inspired” when
attending concerts (this was consistently cited as a chief motivation for attendance). This is not to say that the desire to witness high-quality singing and craftsmanship has been completely eclipsed. Rather, it demonstrates that both musically experienced listeners and novices place high value on the emotional rewards of live performance.
So how do we emotionally engage both newcomers and veteran patrons? One answer is to invite them to do a little more than just be passive receivers. We can ask them to reflect, ask questions, and connect the concert themes to their own lives to create something more meaningful. We can shift the paradigm from a focus on selling repertoire to selling an experience. We can program challenging repertoire without fear of turning away our subscription base or ostracizing non-musicians. We can combat the persistent idea that one needs to know a lot about this music in order to “get it.” This focus on the listener experience can foster a stronger sense of community within the concert hall and beyond. It can also endear your organization to ticket buyers, showing them that you care about the way your music enriches their lives.
The good news is that creating interactive moments doesn’t require elaborate technology or a total overhaul of your program. In fact, there are many simple strategies for inviting audience participation in thoughtful ways. Below you’ll find some examples of interactive concert elements that are costeffective, easy to implement, and impactful.
Five Interactive Concert Elements to Try
Start with a Sample Performing an excerpt for the audience before the full performance of a piece does not give away any spoilers. In fact, helping listeners make connections to a musical passage makes each subsequent hearing more meaningful. The audience will be more emotionally invested when that excerpt comes around in the context of the full piece. Consider asking listeners to call to mind a feeling, experience, emotion, or life event before performing a small but musically evocative portion of the work for them. When listeners put themselves in a certain emotional frame of mind, hearing the music can amplify those feelings. (Then your favorite part of the work becomes their favorite too.)
The audience watches closely as Blue Heron performs.
You might demonstrate a particularly complicated passage and take it apart for the audience. Show them what each part sounds like alone and piece it back together Ask listeners to describe the overall effect. Ask, “Can you still hear the altos? Can you really hear them?” Scott Metcalfe, artistic director of the Boston area-based Blue Heron Renaissance Choir, often uses demonstrations to help audiences notice the inner workings of complex Renaissance music. In an intro duction to Ockeghem’s the singers demonstrated various modes using the tune of “Happy Birthday” (a video of this demonstration can be found on the Blue Heron YouTube channel).
“The live, illustrated demonstration engages people in a physical way that reading [program notes] does not,” says Metcalfe. “People listen better if they’re given tools with which to listen. If they are more conscious about listening, they’ll enjoy it more. And if they are enjoying being taught about music, they’ll come back. All these things draw people closer to your organization and the purpose you’re there for in the first place.”
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Get the Singers Talking Audiences love to hear from singers. A surprising amount of connection and affinity for the performers can be created simply by breaking down the fourth wall. Ask your singers to share with the audience what it feels like to sing a certain passage. What’s going through their minds at that moment in the music? If you have a fantastic soloist, ask them to demonstrate the toughest part of the solo. What makes it difficult? What do they love about it? What could go wrong while singing it? Maybe you’re able to project an image of the music so the audience can see just how high that note is or just how complex those runs are. When that passage comes around in the full performance, listeners will be holding their breath waiting to see if the soloist can pull it off!
Get the Audience Singing
If you have a piece with a recurring refrain, try teaching it to the audience first (you can even coach them on dynamics or vowels to make it just right). Getting to know the musical material will make listeners more attuned to all the nuances present in your performance. One of my favorite ways to get the audience singing is to create a simpler version of what they’re about to hear. For example, if you have a piece with an aleatoric section, have the audience create something similar using “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” u
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Creating
If there is a moment in the music with a particularly fantastic chord, teach the audience to sing a few of the chord members and have the performers surround the audience while singing the rest of the pitches. Ask the listeners to verbalize what sensations they felt while being part of that sonority.
Of course, there is always the wonderful option of the audience singing in a performance. Composer Reena Esmail has created several works that include audience or community singing. Esmail says that performances of these pieces have created a sense of warmth and connection beyond what she had initially expected. In order for this type of co-performance to take place successfully in a space where audiences don’t usually sing along, Esmail says you may need to create a context where it feels natural to join in. She says, “You want something to be repeated over and over enough that you can invite them to join […] It’s about [the music] being in their body and in their mind so much that they can’t help but sing along.”
Get the Audience Talking
After playing an excerpt, ask the audience to make predictions about what the music will sound like or what the text will be about. Ask them what journey that passage took them on. If this chord were a color, what color would it be? You can ask for responses out loud or have them submit responses through a QR code in the programs. Maybe you show a word cloud or other visualization of the responses received. Or you might give your audience a larger prompt related to the concert’s theme.
Make Their Opinions Matter
Have the performers “audition” for the audience and ask listeners to guess which section of the chorus the excerpt was actually written for. Or, during intermission, have the audience vote for which piece from the first half they’d like to hear again as an encore at the end of the concert. Voting could be done on their phones, slips of paper, or with money! Try holding a discussion about what they picked and why. At their best, interactive elements don’t just break the fourth wall, they build a bridge. When audiences are invited to listen more actively, respond more personally, and even sing alongside performers, they begin to experience music not just as sound, but as connection. As you explore these strategies,
it helps to keep a few core principles in mind as guidelines that can ensure your interactive elements are meaningful, accessible, and deeply connected to the music itself.
Basic Principles for Effective Interactive Elements
Once you’ve decided to incorporate interactive elements, how you do it matters just as much as what you do. The most impactful audience experiences are designed with intention, clarity, and care. Whether you’re experimenting with one new idea or crafting an entire concert with audience interaction in mind, the following principles can help ensure your efforts feel purposeful and enriching for your audience and your performers alike.
• Find a Good Entry Point. An entry point is an aesthetic or textual element that will get a listener excited about a piece of music, unlocking the door to an impactful experience. When selecting an entry point, consider what excites you about the piece. Although the year it was composed or the composer’s hometown may be part of an interesting backstory, it is probably not what drew you to the piece in the first place. Do you love the dissonant harmonies? Demonstrate a few of those chords and show how they change when you remove or alter one of the chord members. Is the text masterfully set? Showcase a few of your favorite moments and let the audience experiment with text stress or melodic direction.
• Experience before Information. Yes, your audience will still be interested in learning the story behind a piece or facts about the composer. However, this information will be so much more significant if they have context for it first. Have the audience experience a musical phenomenon, invite them into a feeling, and then give them any historical or biographical information you’d like to share. This order of operations is much more likely to hook the listener and make them want to learn more.
• Connect to What People Already Know. The most effective interactive concerts focus on the feelings and experience of listening to the music, not specific musicological or technical knowledge. James Blachly, conductor of the Experiential Orchestra, once told me, “You’re speaking to an audience that doesn’t know what ‘deceptive cadence’ means. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t know what a deceptive cadence feels like—because they do. And ultimately, that’s what matters more.” So rather than pointing out themes to listen for, ask the audience to reflect on the experience of hearing the music. Which section of the ensemble are their ears drawn to in this passage? Ask them to squeeze their fists when they feel harmonic tension. Ask them to articulate their preferences. Do they prefer the sopranos or the tenors singing this opening line? If this sonority were a color, what color would it be? Most people can do hand motions, draw shapes in the air, compare/contrast, vote for a favorite, play a simple game, or reflect on a common experience or emo-
The Experiential Orchestra performs The Rite of Spring at National Sawdust in Brooklyn, with the audience invited to dance along.
tion. Our goal is to demonstrate that one does not need specialized knowledge to appreciate this music. The only requirement is to notice in an intentional way.
• People Respond to People. A surprising amount of endearment can be created simply through close proximity to musicians and getting a sense of their candid personas. Get your singers talking and reacting. Find ways to break down that barrier between audience and performers with questions and audience input. You might explore unique venues where singers can surround the audience or vice versa. Maybe you lift the house lights for an interactive introduction, so the audience does not feel so separated from the ensemble.
If we want to connect more deeply with our audiences and help them discover for themselves the ways that choral music moves us, we need to explore some creative strategies and be willing to venture from our usual concert routine. However, it is certainly possible to insert an interactive element without disrupting the concert flow. If this is your goal, I recommend launching into interactive elements with little or no preamble. If I am teaching the audience a melody, I simply turn to them, sing the phrase and
13 Interactive Concert Elements You Can Program at Your Next Concert
• Give them a sample
• Practice emotional framing
• Take it apart and put it back together
• Make their opinions matter
• Use hand gestures
• Teach the audience a part
• Program works that include audience participation
• Create communal artworks based on the theme
• Offer a second hearing
• Get performers talking
• Get the audience talking
• Present unique concert formats
• Perform in an unusual venue
say, “Your turn!” with a smile and inviting gesture. Usually by the second repetition they will be on board, and your ensemble can help support them by singing along. You might also consider the first half of
your concert as an interactive inside look before your full presentation of the program. Of course, not every piece in your concert needs to have an interactive element attached to it. One meaningful invitation to enter into the music in a new way can be enough to inspire curiosity and create a uniquely memorable experience.
Interactive performances can amplify what choral music already does so well: invite participation, foster community, and move people deeply. We can acknowledge why patrons have come to our concert (perhaps to see a friend perform, revisit a beloved work, or experience something new), and invite them to do a little more. By purposefully connecting audiences to the music and to each other, we can unlock the door to more meaningful concert experiences that linger with our patrons long after the last cutoff. n
Lindsey Bruner Woodcock is Director of Choral Activities and Coordinator of Music Education at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina. Lindsey’s research is focused on audience engagement and the ways in which interactive performances can enhance the concert experience.
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How Choruses Become Lifelines after Natural Disasters RESPONDING IN HARMONY
Choral organizations are known for keeping community at the heart of their mission. But when local emergencies or natural disasters strike, choral organizers must pivot quickly to providing guidance and support for their members and staff. Often they also offer the broader community healing and hope in unexpected ways.
BY CHRISTINE ESOBAR AND KAELI TODD
When Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida on September 26, 2024, few anticipated the devastation it would bring. Though hurricanes are common in Florida and coastal areas of the U.S., Helene was the deadliest hurricane to strike the mainland United States since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. This rare event, and its subsequent rainfall, was unprecedented, and mountain communities across North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia were vastly unprepared.
From Emergency to Empathy
In Waynesville, North Carolina, about 20 miles west of Asheville, catastrophic flooding caused by the storm’s heavy rains and widespread power outages upended daily life and quickly derailed any existing plans for Voices in the Laurel Youth Choirs, which had been preparing to perform with the Charlotte Symphony just a week later.
“The first few days we didn’t really know the extent of the damage, nor could we get in touch with anyone else because we had no internet and no phones,” says
Martha Brown, founding artistic director of the chorus. “About three days in, a friend had stopped by and said that there was cell coverage. We live in the mountains, and there is a high school up high. My operations manager and I went up to [the school parking lot] and called every member in our organization, or tried to, just to check in. We were just concerned if everybody was okay.”
It wasn’t until the following Thursday that they confirmed every member was safe. Their rehearsal space had escaped flooding, but with the power out, it remained unusable and left Brown and her staff unable to survey any property damage until the middle of the following week. Some areas of the county, Brown says, were completely destroyed.
When the singers were finally able to gather, they met at a local church to reflect and reconnect. Thankfully, none of the choristers lost their homes, but many families lost income as the storm’s effects shut down businesses throughout Asheville, where many of the children’s parents and caregivers make their livelihoods.
That first gathering at the church became something deeper than a check-in; it gave the youth a way to reunite and share emotional support. Some of the children brought along siblings and friends, easing
the burden of childcare for adults who were assisting in recovery and cleanup efforts and highlighting how much the community had been stretched thin.
Even at a young age, these singers understood the scale of the loss others had faced. Many expressed their desire to help families who had lost their homes and possessions to the floods. While aid organizations provided food, water, blankets, and temporary shelter, the singers of Voices in the Laurel wanted to focus on the needs of the youngest members of their community.
Their response was simple but heartfelt: They began collecting toys, books, and educational supplies to give to other children who had been displaced. From this, “Boxes of Sunshine” was born. These boxes were care packages filled with games, art supplies, toys, and small comforts for kids between the ages of 4 and 14. Many of the items were sourced from local businesses that had been damaged by the storm, creating a ripple effect of support across the region. Later, the chorus hosted a fundraiser, “Sing for Joy,” using their voices to raise additional funds for the community’s ongoing needs.
When rehearsals were finally able to take place, Voices in the Laurel took another step: offering scholarships to cover tuition for students whose families were
financially impacted. Brown and her team were able to aid 100 children who were identified by local school principals. So far, the organization has collected $25,000 to support local families.
Meeting a Need
A couple of hours away, in Bristol, Tennessee, the staff, leadership, and singers of Mountain Empire Children’s Choral Academy (MECCA) were lending a hand to their local community. MECCA serves over 150 children ranging in ages from 6–18 in eastern Tennessee and southwestern Virginia, and while none of the choristers lost their homes, the close-knit nature of the region meant that everyone knew someone who was affected.
“We talked about [volunteering] as a group, but we really didn’t need to because it seemed like everybody was already involved in some way,” says Jane DeLoach Morison, artistic director of MECCA. “Kids really rallied around their communities and did a lot of volunteer work, cleaning out, collecting food, collecting clothing, distributing things like that to people in their community that were in need.”
Led by high-school-aged members, MECCA’s choristers solicited and distributed care items to the communities where they lived. This focus on community support became so important to the singers that staff had to make adjustments to the rehearsal agenda.
“We had to extend our announcement time in our choirs so all of these kids u
“Community choruses mean a lot to the people who sing in them. And it’s a support system, and it’s friends, and it’s an activity, and it’s a thing that gets you out of the rest of your daily life. And I knew that we needed that more than ever.”
–Jeffrey Bernstein
Left: The first gathering of Voices in the Laurel choristers after Hurricane Helene. The singers had to meet in the chapel, where there was natural light, because there was no electricity. Right: Singers and friends at Voices in the Laurel’s Music Day Camp, a program the organization offered to provide childcare for parents who had to work. The children spent the day assembling care packages for members of their community.
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY MARTHA BROWN
Responding in Harmony
could solicit their causes and their different communities, say what they were doing, and ask for other people to help,” Morison recalls. “It’s been great.”
While much of the response was to the tangible needs of friends, neighbors, and loved ones, MECCA was able to provide something more intangible as well: an opportunity for people to come together and experience the healing power of music. Morison estimates the organization’s ensembles have performed 12–15 concerts since the hurricane last September.
“We have noticed that our attendance has been huge,” she says. “It’s definitely meeting a need.”
To continue responding to that need, MECCA has been full steam ahead with its rehearsals while still carving out space to care for its members.
“We get a lot done and the choirs work really hard and they sound really great,”
says Morison. “But we’re a very nurturing organization. It’s just a really great space of support for these kids, and the love they show to each other is really inspiring.”
While the road to recovery is ongoing, the music—and the community—continue throughout the region.
A Region in Crisis
Just four months after Hurricane Helene made landfall, disaster struck in Southern California. In January, the Eaton and Palisades fires in Los Angeles County
wreaked havoc across the urban area and its neighborhoods.
For the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC), based in Pasadena but serving singers from across the region, the disruption was immediate.
“Our whole entire office was covered in ash,” recalls Susan Miller Kotses, LACC’s executive director. “We’re in a very old building and the ash kind of seeped in through the old windows. We rent space from a church, so every day we had to clean everything in order to make it a safe place to sing and exist. Even though we weren’t in a burn zone, we were adjacent.”
The Altadena Community Church after the fires.
The Pasadena Chorale performs at a recent concert. Note: This performance did not take place at the Altadena Community Church.
While their building remained intact, the toll on the LACC community was severe. Eighteen families in the chorus community fully lost their homes, and many more were forced to evacuate. Some still haven’t returned.
Meanwhile, less than four miles away, the Pasadena Chorale lost its home entirely when its rehearsal space at the Altadena Community Church was destroyed by the fire.
“We were there for 15 years,” says founding artistic and executive director Jeffrey Bernstein. “The church was our home. It was a performance space that was magnificent, and it really grew with us. It was like a family member, almost, in that way. So when we lost the church, it was a great big shock.”
The loss of its rehearsal space left the ensemble scrambling. Ten families across the organization lost their homes, with a couple dozen more displaced or disrupted. Several of those affected were Pasadena Chorale staff members, including Bernstein himself.
“The first thing I knew was that we had to keep singing,” Bernstein recalls. “Community choruses mean a lot to the people who sing in them. And it’s a support system, and it’s friends, and it’s an activity, and it’s a thing that gets you out of the rest of your daily life. And I knew that we needed that more than ever.”
Showing Up Anyway
Southern California has a rich choral community, and within a day Bernstein had secured a space for the ensemble’s rehearsal retreat, which was meant to take place in just 72 hours. “I wrote to the choir Wednesday night and said ‘We’re on. Of course, if you can’t, I completely understand.’”
Fifty singers showed up for a rehearsal retreat that Bernstein describes as cathartic, painful, and beautiful.
“There was a real quiet joy in seeing each other again,” he says. “When I look back on it now, I realize how little we all knew about u
“We talked about [volunteering] as a group, but we really didn’t need to because it seemed like everybody was already involved in some way.”
–Jane DeLoach Morison
Responding in Harmony
the magnitude of what had happened, because we were all in shock. One of our choristers is a therapist, and he asked me if he could lead a stress-relieving exercise, so we opened with that. […] Some people were already crying from the release in that moment. And then we started singing.”
LACC also acted quickly to support its singers. The day after the fires began, the organization sent a group email to its entire community, prompting families to report evacuations and losses. The chorus delayed its programming by a week and stayed in close contact with those affected. “Pretty quickly, we found good resources that we were able to share from the county,” Miller Kotses says.
That strong sense of community helped carry LACC through. “It’s a very cohesive community. It’s a very caring community,” she says.
Community Care in Action
The week rehearsals were set to resume, LACC hosted a gathering for choristers and families.
“We divided the older and younger choristers and their families and provided therapists to lead group work and offer private spaces if people needed to speak with them one-on-one,” Miller Kotses recalls. “We had a local restaurant donate a meal and provide snacks. Some of the older choristers sang, and it was a really beautiful time just to gather and reconnect with who we are.”
When rehearsals resumed the following week, staff greeted families who had lost their homes with new music bags and new music as they arrived. LACC also launched a fire relief fund, which has now raised over $60,000. The organization continues to post families’ GoFundMe links on its website to support those still recovering.
“Build that muscle, that internal culture and muscle memory, about how you suddenly pivoted programs, how you stayed relevant to your community.”
–Mollie Quinlan-Hayes
The Pasadena Chorale’s section leaders formed an internal fire relief committee, also raising money via GoFundMe. Additionally, they created a spreadsheet for chorus members to post needs and be matched with other members who could provide those resources. Displaced singers from the middle school ensemble assembled care packages, filling bags with socks, toothpaste, and sweaters.
“They put together dozens and dozens of them to give to shelters, but they also brought them for chorale members,” says Bernstein. “They’re 13 years old, and their first impulse was, ‘How do we help other people?’”
Not every ensemble was directly affected by the fires, but some, like VOX Femina, saw an opportunity to mobilize their resources in support of those who were. The ensemble’s annual cabaret fundraiser was scheduled for January 26, weeks after the worst of the fire activity, but the timing didn’t sit right.
“Everybody was thinking about the fire victims,” says executive director Rebecca Wink. Instead of asking for support for themselves, the members of VOX made a decisive pivot: They transformed the evening into a benefit for fire relief, donating 100% of proceeds—about $5,000—to u
VOX Femina singer Raeanne Pfeifer performing at the VOX Cabaret
MINNEAPOLIS, MN
the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Relief Fund.
The gesture resonated, and the event drew friends, colleagues, and members of the broader L.A. community, including fire victims. “It was a very emotional time; it was still very new and very raw,” says Wink. “I remember one person putting their hand on my shoulder and saying, ‘We really needed this.’”
The performance gave people a reason to gather, which was an experience that might have otherwise felt frivolous or out of place so soon after such devastation. “It probably wouldn’t have occurred to them to go out for a show,” says Wink. “But they went because of what it was raising money for. Music is so nourishing, and it ended up being really powerful.”
Stories like these—of generosity, quick pivots, and community resilience—underscore just how vital the arts are in times of crisis. But they also raise an important question: How can arts organizations be better prepared before disaster strikes?
Planning for the Unexpected
The National Coalition for Arts Preparedness and Emergency Response (NCAPER) is a voluntary coalition of public and private agencies established in 2006 to support artists and arts organizations during crises.
Under the direction of Jane DeLoach Morison and as a branch of MECCA, the East Tennessee Children’s Choir and Emory Virginia Children’s Choir provide children in grades 4 and up with a quality education in music and healthy vocal technique.
These crises include both human-caused events, such as gun violence, and unexpected events like weather disasters.
NCAPER connects arts organizations with critical resources, support, and planning education, and also advocates for those affected by emergencies. In collaboration with Performing Arts Readiness, the coalition also develops educational webinars that organizations can access for disaster and emergency planning.
“We recognize—and try to encourage conversation about—the fact that a lot of the practices and concepts we [promote] are not just about natural and environmental disasters,” explains Mollie Quinlan-Hayes, NCAPER’s fund development and program officer. “They’re also about human-caused disasters, whether those are acts of violence, cyberattacks, or other sudden and unexpected events. We’re working now in partnership with an organization whose co-executive director just died suddenly.”
NCAPER developed a toolkit, Arts Organizations at a Crossroads, to help organizations navigate challenges like mergers, suspending operations, or archiving programs. Originally created during the COVID-19 pandemic, the toolkit is now being updated to reflect ongoing uncertainty in federal arts and emergency funding.
Making an effort to discuss disaster and crisis planning ahead of an event is crucial to weather any storm or setback. Building an internal culture that can be adaptable is the foundation of any crisis planning, says Quinlan-Hayes. “A lot of people during COVID learned a lot,” she says. “So part of what we do is say: Remember how you operated then? Build that muscle, that internal culture and muscle memory, about how you suddenly pivoted programs, how you stayed relevant to your community. What are the things you did in that time that can serve you well in other types of crises?”
Members of the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus perform at the ensemble’s winter concert
Quinlan-Hayes shared several best practices for arts organizations preparing for emergencies:
• Plan and communicate early. Develop and share crisis response strategies internally and externally before a crisis occurs.
• Understand your funding landscape. Educate yourself on where immediate funding may be available and how to secure additional funding as needs change. To get started, visit ncaper.org/disasterresources
• Build relationships. Forge connections with mission-aligned groups, community leaders, and emergency management officials before a crisis hits. These relationships can make a major difference in securing support when it matters most.
• Clarify facility responsibilities. For organizations that lease or rent rehearsal space, it’s important to understand who’s responsible in the event of loss of property, and who would have access to the space during an emergency.
• Digitize your music library. Creating a secure digital archive helps preserve essential materials in the event of property damage or theft.
“I remember one person putting their hand on my shoulder and saying, ‘We really needed this.’”
–Rebecca Wink
Choral organizations will continue to face emerging challenges that cut across the industry. By giving members and staff a sense of agency and purpose during chaotic and traumatic times, organizers can safeguard not only the future of their own programs, but also uplift the wider community in meaningful, lasting ways.
In times of crisis, the resilience of choral organizations lies not only in their ability to adapt, but in their commitment to care for their singers, their communities, and their mission. Whether facing wildfires, floods, or unexpected tragedies, the power of a chorus extends beyond performance. With preparation, connection, and compassion, choral leaders can create a sense of stability and belonging that endures, even when everything else is uncertain. n
Christine S. Escobar is a freelance writer living in the Chicago area. She is the founder and editor of www.greenparentchicago.com. Kaeli Todd is managing editor of The Voice
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2026 ACDA Eastern Region Conference February 25-28, 2026 • Providence, Rhode Island
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Reimagining Governance: Aligning Board Culture with the Mission and Moment
Governance isn’t just the work of a board—it’s a shared system of decisionmaking, accountability, and leadership. This article invites you to expand your understanding of governance itself and discover a liberatory system of governance that is just, collaborative, and representative.
BY MARISSA Q. COLEMAN
The world around us is changing—fast. Gone are the days when everyone looked the same, lived the same way, and shared the same values. The communities where we work, live, and create are now more diverse and complex than ever before, and so are our organizations. The knowledge and skills needed to grow and sustain a healthy nonprofit have evolved.
Once, boards could focus solely on budgets and balance sheets, and consider their job done. Their primary role was fiduciary: to protect the organization’s legal and financial interests and preserve its public credibility and trust. But time has passed. Today, we operate in a multigenerational workforce, with five generations working side by side. That alone requires new approaches to communication, collaboration, and leadership. Add to that the rapid pace of technology, the rise of AI, and the increasing demand for cultural competence, transparency, and accountability, and it’s clear that choral organizations, like many in the nonprofit arts sector, are being called to lead differently.
Governance today isn’t just the responsibility of the board; it’s a system of interconnected roles, responsibilities, and practices that guides how an organization plans for its future, makes decisions, and holds itself accountable to its purpose. To keep pace, we need to expand our understanding of what it means to govern. While the board holds legal authority, governance in practice involves staff, community, and other stakeholders who all contribute to mission alignment, strategic foresight, and organizational relevance.
Governance today isn’t just the responsibility of the board; it’s a system of interconnected roles, responsibilities, and practices that guides how an organization plans for its future.
Many choral organizations are rising to meet the moment. Others are struggling, often due to inherited board structures that no longer fit. When nonprofit laws were first established—like their corporate counterparts— boards were created to provide oversight and accountability. However, the law offered little guidance on how that role should be fulfilled. The introduction of Section 501(c)(3) in the Internal Revenue Code clarified the board’s responsibility for ensuring public benefit and the appropriate use of charitable dollars.
Over time, additional duties, such as hiring leadership and setting policy, expanded the board’s role, positioning directors as fiduciaries responsible for asset protection and legal oversight. As competition among nonprofits increased, fundraising became a higher priority, and the board’s focus began shifting toward organizational preservation. Rather than championing mission and community impact, many boards evolved into hierarchical, bureaucratic entities known more for vetoing forward progress than for fostering meaningful partnership. Others became passive “rubber stamps” for a founding leader’s agenda.
What is Governance, Really?
Before we go deeper, let’s look back for a moment at how governance typically begins in the life of a nonprofit.
Governance is often conflated with structure: bylaws, org charts, policies, and meeting schedules. But governance culture— the unwritten values, assumptions, and norms that guide how decisions actually get made—is just as important. If structure is what’s on paper, culture is what’s practiced. It’s the difference between who is legally empowered to decide and who is actually involved in the decisionmaking process.
Nonprofits are often formed with the bare minimum number of board members assigned on paper in the roles required by law. For many organizations, this establishes a precedent for how board culture and governance will operate for years to come, especially as other startup demands compete for the founder’s attention. Eventually, the need for more strategic leadership becomes clear and focus returns to the board. But what if we took a step back and asked: What does effective governance look like from the beginning? And what might happen if, even now, we updated our structures to reflect the times in which we live? u
Recognizing the Need for Change
If your board is struggling to adapt, you’re not alone. These challenges often stem from outdated structures and evolving expectations of board roles and responsibilities. Signs that an organization may need to update its board structure can range from painstakingly obvious to subtle and unassuming. These signs can range from simple things like missed administrative deadlines and under-attended meetings to role confusion, disengaged members, reduced audience attendance and stalled decisionmaking. All can be indicators that an update is needed. In some organizations, board discussions remain focused on operational tasks (chairs, venues, refreshments) while more pressing strategic questions about audience, mission, and future go unexamined. For others, one or two dominant voices guide the board, even if full votes are unanimous. These behaviors may seem benign, but together they often reveal a need for your board to evolve.
The goal isn’t to change everything overnight; it’s to build sustained momentum that shifts both how you operate and how you lead.
Now more than ever, the need for collaboration across the board, chorus leadership, members, audience, supporters, and the broader community is essential for both relevance and sustainability. Inclusive governance is rooted in shared leadership, shaped by those most impacted by the organization’s work. To be responsive to the moment and effective in their role, boards must consider flipping the hierarchy on its head, centering the mission and the people most affected by it as the loudest voices and the greatest place of accountability. By shifting our approach to governance as a whole, boards evolve into bodies that fulfill their role not just on paper, but in practice— with clarity and purpose.
So how does a board begin to move in this direction, and what does that shift actually look like in practice? I’m glad you asked.
Boards don’t move forward by accident; they do so with intention. A practical starting point is to assess where your board currently sits on the governance continuum described below. Use the reflective questions in the next section to discuss where you’d like to be and what gaps exist. From there, identify which changes will have the most meaningful impact on your organization and prioritize those. Set a few bold goals based on the priorities, assign responsibility, and decide how you’ll track progress. The goal isn’t to change everything overnight; it’s to build sustained momentum that shifts both how you operate and how you lead.
A Continuum for Change: Evolving Your Board’s Governance
Assessing where your board sits on the governance change continuum can be a powerful first step toward meaningful change. This five-stage framework reflects how governance culture typically evolves over time and often parallels the life cycle of the organization itself. By identifying where you are now, your board can gain insight into what’s possible next: setting incremental goals, targeting structural and cultural improvements, and moving with intention toward a more inclusive, mission-centered future.
Start-Up: Governance is informal and founder-led. The board exists mostly on paper and may not be involved beyond incorporation. Decisions are often made quickly by a small group of early organizers.
5 Signs of a Problematic Board Culture
• Struggles with recruitment: The organization has trouble attracting and retaining board members, particularly for leadership positions. This often signals that the board experience feels unclear, uninspiring, or overburdened.
• Over-functioning executive committee: The executive committee meets frequently and makes most decisions, while the full board merely “rubber stamps” those decisions. This model fosters disengagement and limits strategic input.
• Lack of accountability for the executive and/or artistic leadership: There is no consistent or transparent process in place for evaluating leadership, including feedback, goal-setting, or compensation review. Failure to perform in this basic duty is an indication that there may be other fiduciary needs going unmet.
• No committee dedicated to governance health: While the board may have a nominating or development committee, there is no group focused on the full lifecycle of board service—evaluation, development, succession, and governance culture.
Example: A volunteer chorus is founded by a passionate musician who manages operations and artistic direction, with minimal board oversight.
Nominating Model: As the organization grows, the board becomes more structured. Meetings are held regularly and may default to Robert’s Rules of Order for parliamentary procedure. A nominating committee may be established but meets solely for the focus of filling seats. Strategy, evaluation, and board development are limited.
Example: A growing chorus incorporates as a nonprofit and appoints a board, but governance remains task-oriented and compliance-focused.
1 2 3
Board Development Model: The board begins to invest in its own growth. Onboarding, education, and evaluation processes are introduced. Committees
• Audience and constituent voices are missing: There is no system in place to gather or reflect on the needs, feedback, or experiences of the organization’s community, members, or beneficiaries in decisionmaking.
Each of these signs points to a broader issue—governance that is reactive, outdated, or siloed. Boards that want to lead with relevance and integrity must be willing to reflect honestly and make intentional shifts.
are active, and the board reflects more diverse experiences and perspectives. However, decisionmaking may still be top-down, with limited engagement from staff, singers, or the community.
Example: A midsize chorus conducts board self-assessments or strategic planning retreats, but program decisions remain isolated from audience input.
Governance Model: Leadership is shared across the board, staff, and sometimes even the chorus or audience base. A governance committee oversees board health, inclusion, and alignment with mission. Strategic conversations invite multiple voices, and the board begins to operate as a learning body.
Example: The artistic and administrative team co-facilitates board retreats; community members serve on committees and provide program input.
Liberatory Governance: Governance is fully integrated with values, voice, and purpose. Stakeholder input is centered. Power is distributed intentionally. The board leads in partnership with community, staff, and constituents. Equity, accountability, and long-term vision drive every decision.
Example: A chorus board co-creates program direction with singers, audience, and staff, using real-time feedback and shared ownership models.
Once your board has identified its current place on the continuum, the next step is to cast a vision for where you’d like to go. This is the time to name what values you
want your governance culture to reflect and to surface the structural, relational, or cultural gaps that may be holding you back. What needs to shift for your board to operate with greater clarity, collaboration, or impact? By asking honest questions, prioritizing high-leverage changes, and committing to shared responsibility, your board can begin closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be. The reflective questions in the next section can help illuminate that path.
Questions to Help Your Board Reflect and Evolve
Reflection is where culture shifts begin. These questions can help start the conversation:
• Who has voice in our governance system?
• How do we define success beyond compliance?
• Where is leadership shared, and where is it concentrated?
• What assumptions are we holding about our board’s purpose, and are those still serving us?
• What feedback have we been given that points us to an area of focus?
• How do we currently hear from our community, and does that feedback shape decisions?
• When was the last time our board had a generative conversation—not just about what happened, but about what’s possible?
These questions are not meant to overwhelm. They’re an invitation to begin reimagining what governance can look like in your organization and a place to start when you’re interested in developing a plan for progress.
That said, engaging in a major shift can feel daunting, especially in the midst of everything else vying for your attention. You may even determine that governance doesn’t feel like the most urgent priority u
right now. That’s okay. Keep this conversation on your radar by watching for signs that your current approach may need reimagining. Governance issues don’t always announce themselves loudly; they often build quietly over time until suddenly, a crisis emerges. Shared governance helps mitigate that risk by ensuring that multiple people, across roles and perspectives, are paying attention. When leadership is distributed, potential issues surface earlier, and solutions become more collaborative and effective.
Signs Your Board Culture May Be Holding You Back These aren’t failures—they’re invitations to grow.
Missed or Delayed Administrative Responsibilities: Annual registration, late 1099s, or stacks of unread mail can signal an overburdened board or a lack of clear systems. These details may seem minor, but when they fall through the cracks, they indicate a need for shared structure and sustainable support.
Meetings Focused on the Weeds: When board time is dominated by wardrobe choices, venue logistics, or food orders, it’s a red flag. Board meetings should include strategic, generative, and mission-driven dialogue, not just task lists. If the work stays in the weeds, the vision gets lost.
One or Two Dominant Voices: If most decisions reflect the opinions of just one or two members, or if votes are unanimous with little discussion, the board may be operating out of habit or deference rather than genuine engagement. This can stall innovation and create blind spots.
Lack of Relevant Information: When decisions are made without audience feedback, membership data, or community input, it’s easy for the board to drift from its purpose. A healthy governance culture values insight, impact, and responsiveness, not just opinion or tradition.
No Plan for the Board’s Growth: Boards that don’t evaluate themselves, onboard new members thoughtfully, or develop future leadership often find themselves stuck. Even a nominating committee that meets once a year without broader board development can lead to stagnation and missed opportunity.
Leading with Purpose, Not Just Policy
Governance, at its best, is a reflection of an organization’s deepest values. It’s how mission becomes strategy, and how vision becomes reality. To lead with purpose, we must move beyond outdated hierarchies u
Lastfall, I worked with a 15-yearold organization that had been through a leadership transition and the disruption of the pandemic. Their board was down to a few legacy members and a few confused newcomers. We began by helping them articulate a shared theory of governance, grounded in their mission and future goals.
They created a governance committee, engaged in a board-staff retreat to heal and align, and clarified roles and responsibilities. Just a month later, that work was tested: a community member critiqued one of their social media posts. The board chair agreed with the criticism, and the question arose—who has editorial oversight?
Rather than react from the top down, the board invited staff perspectives. In the absence of precedent, they honored staff’s position, then invited the team to draft a future-facing policy. This is what inclusive governance looks like in real time.
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The Governance Change Continuum
Shifting board culture is not a one-time fix—it’s a developmental process.
Whether you’re still forming or ready to co-lead with community stakeholders, it helps to name where you are and where you’re headed.
Start-Up —Informal, founder-led, minimal structure
Nominating —Focus on annual recruitment with limited board engagement
Board Development —Year-round board health practices; training, evaluation, onboarding
Governance —Shared decisionmaking and inclusion of broader perspectives
Liberatory Governance —Values-aligned, community-centered, and mission-led
and embrace governance as a living, inclusive system—one that evolves with the community it serves.
Moving from traditional, hierarchical models to a more inclusive, mission-centered approach isn’t a quick fix—it’s a continuous, intentional process that requires leadership, commitment, and collaboration. By assessing where your board stands on the governance continuum and embracing a culture of shared responsibility, you can ensure that your organization’s leadership not only survives the challenges of today’s complex world but thrives in it, driven by purpose and aligned with the community it serves.
Start small. Rethink a committee. Revisit your theory of governance. Invite more voices to the table. This is the shift that will sustain your mission—and shape your future. n
Marissa Q. Coleman is a transformational coach, strategist, and facilitator. As principal of Make Shift Happen International, she helps leaders navigate life and leadership transitions with courage, competence and clarity.
ST. LOUIS, MO | JUNE 4–7
Lead Conference Sponsor
SCHEDULE-AT-A-GLANCE
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4
8:00 a.m.
9:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m.
4:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
8:00 p.m.
9:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m. 11:00 p.m.
In-Depth Registration
9:00–9:45 am Grand Coat Room
In-Depth Seminars 9:30 am–12:30 pm Park View and Mills 6
In-Depth Registration
2:00–2:45 pm Grand Coat Room
In-Depth Seminars 2:30–5:30 pm Park View and Mills 6
THURSDAY, JUNE 5
8:00–10:00 am Grand Foyer Hall
Meet the Exhibitors 3:00–4:30 pm Grand Foyer Hall Breakout Sessions 2:00–3:00 pm Composer Showcase 3:15–4:15 pm Grand DE Registration and Donor Table Open | 8:00 am–5:30 pm, Grand Foyer Hall Exhibits Open | 8:30 am–5:00 pm, Grand Foyer Hall Quiet Room | 8:30 am–5:30 pm, Mills 4
Opening Plenary: Music and the Mind 9:30–11:30 am Grand Ballroom DE
Speakers: Renée Fleming Anthony Trecek-King
Peer Forums 11:45 am–12:30 pm Grand F, G, & H
Lunch Break 12:00–2:00 pm
Happy Hours 4:45–5:45 pm, Grand F, G, & H (cash bar)
Opening Night Concert: The Bach Society of Saint Louis, St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus, St. Louis Symphony Chorus, St. Louis Women’s Chorale 7:30–9:00 pm, St. Stanislaus (see Conference app for shuttle info)
Opening Night Reception 9:00–10:30 pm, St. Stanislaus (see Conference app for shuttle info)
DCINY Fun Run/Walk/Crawl, 6:15 am (see Conference app for details)
FRIDAY, JUNE 6
Registration and Donor Table Open | 8:00 am–3:30 pm, Grand Foyer Hall Quiet Room | 8:30 am–3:30 pm, Mills 4
8:00–10:00 am Grand Foyer Hall
SATURDAY, JUNE 7
8:30–10:00 am Grand Foyer Hall Exhibits Open | 8:30 am–3:30 pm, Grand Foyer Hall
Speed Networking | 8:45–9:15 am, Grand A&B Speed Networking | 8:45–9:15 am, Grand A&B
Annual Meeting & Awards Presentation
9:30–10:30 am, Grand Ballroom DE
Breakout Sessions 10:45–11:45 am
Lunch on Your Own 12:00–1:00 pm
Breakout Sessions 1:00–2:00 pm
Speed Networking | 2:15–2:45 pm, Grand A&B
Concert: Continuum Vocal Ensemble, The Sheldon All-Star Chorus, The St. Louis Children’s Choirs 3:30–5:00 pm, Third Baptist Church (see Conference app for shuttle info)
Chair’s Reception
5:30–6:45 pm, City Museum (see Conference app for shuttle info)
Gala Celebration
7:00–9:00 pm City Museum (see Conference app for shuttle info)
Registration and Exhibits Open 8:30 am–12:00 pm Grand Foyer Hall
Table Open | 8:30 am–3:30 pm, Grand Foyer Hall
Room | 8:30 am–3:30 pm, Mills 4
Plenary Workshop: Emotional Intelligence for Adaptive Leaders 9:30–11:00 am, Grand Ballroom DE Speaker: Matt Taylor
Roundtables 11:15am–12:15 pm, Grand F, G, & H
Lunch Break and Dine-Arounds 12:15–2:00 pm, Offsite (See Conference app for details)
Former Board Lunch 12:15–2:00 pm Parkview
Breakout Sessions 2:00–3:00 pm
Gospel Sing
4:00–5:30 pm, Lively Stone Church of God (see Conference app for shuttle info)
n Conference Programming
n Public Event
n By Invitation
n Ticketed Event
BREAKOUT SESSIONS AND HOTEL MAPS
DOWNLOAD OUR CONFERENCE APP!
You’ll need our Conference app to access additional Conference schedule details, the most up-to-date information, and more. Be sure to download the Guidebook app on your phone or mobile device.
• Download the Guidebook app.
• Tap “Find Guides” at the bottom of the screen.
• Tap “Have a passphrase?” at the bottom of the screen. The passphrase is “choruscon2025.” Questions? Ask at Registration.
THURSDAY, JUNE 5 | 2:00–3:00 PM
Voices of the Future:
Empowering Youth Through Choral Leadership and Involvement (Grand C)
Speakers: Annie Copiaco, Pelin Küçükerdoğan, Gilles Lamere, Sofía Torres, Reece Windjack
Surveying to Build Audiences, Relationships, and Relevancy (Grand F)
Speakers: Surale Phillips, Kheli Willets
Bringing Together Artistic Vision and Executive Leadership for Organizational Growth (Grand H)
Speakers: Barry Kirk, John McDonald
Voices in Action: Advocacy, Activism, and Impact in the Arts (Grand G)
Speaker: Amy Fitterer
FRIDAY, JUNE 6 | 10:45–11:45 AM
Engaging, Enriching, and Expanding Audiences Through Interactive Concerts (Grand G)
Speaker: Lindsey Bruner Woodcock
Identity-Informed Leadership in Vocal Spaces: Embracing Queerness and Transness in Education and Performance (Grand F)
Speaker: Alex Bravos
The Art of Year-Round Giving: Composing Your Fundraising (Grand C)
Speaker: Andrew Hansen
A Survival Guide for the Small Shop Executive Director (Grand H)
Speaker: Ruth Ann Ritchie
FRIDAY, JUNE 6 | 1:00–2:00 PM
Focus on the Heart: How HeartMath Breathing Techniques Can Elevate Your Rehearsal & Improve the Overall Well-Being of Your Singers (Grand F)
Speaker: Nicole Mattfeld
Five Ways to Mess Up Your Music Director Search (And What to Do Instead) (Grand G)
Speakers: Nick Adams, Jean Y. Bae
Tacoma Refugee Choir: Cultivating a Practice of Culturally Responsive Programming (Grand C)
Speakers: Orlando Morales, Kaelin Lor, J. Woody Lotts
Click, Buy, Cry: How User Experience Destroys (or Saves) Ticket Sales (Grand H)
Speaker: Drew McManus
SATURDAY, JUNE 7 | 2:00–3:00 PM
The Perfect P[AI]R: Using PR & AI to Boost Ticket Sales & Build Media Buzz (Grand F)
Speaker: Taiisha Bradley
Bach Talk Live: Leonard Slatkin Unscripted (Grand DE)
Speakers: Leonard Slatkin, Ron Klemm
The Role of the Board in Today’s Environment (Grand G)
Speaker: Antonio Cuyler
FOURTH FLOOR
EIGHTEENTH FLOOR
CHORUS AMERICA HONORS
2025 AWARD WINNERS
Chorus America’s awards program recognizes remarkable individuals and choruses for their meaningful contributions to the choral community. Our 2025 awards were announced in May and recognized during the 2025 Conference. Visit chorusamerica.org/awards to learn more about our award winners.
MICHAEL KORN DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
The Michael Korn Distinguished Service Award recognizes a member whose long-term service to the choral field has significantly furthered Chorus America’s mission and vision.
• 2025 Recipient: Mary Ann Aufderheide
MARGARET HILLIS AWARD FOR ARTISTIC AND ORGANIZATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT
The Margaret Hillis Award for Artistic and Organizational Achievement is presented to a member chorus that demonstrates both artistic achievement and a strong organizational structure with financial stability, as well as a commitment to access, diversity, equity, and inclusion, community engagement, and education.
• 2025 Recipient: Vancouver Youth Choir (above left)
The Alice Parker Fund Award supports the composition and thoughtful presentation of choral music based in the traditions of Black and Latinx communities. This award recognizes the exemplary work of a Black or Latinx composer or an ensemble that respectfully and authentically presents works incorporating these traditions and experiences.
• 2025 Recipient: Border CrosSing (above)
EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AWARD
The Education and Community Engagement Award recognizes programs that expand a chorus’s role in its community. Successful programs demonstrate mission-based program development, viable music education, effective management and fiscal integrity, a commitment to artistic achievement, and
ALICE PARKER FUND AWARD
collaborations that are sustainable, beneficial, and meaningful for all partners.
• 2025 Recipient: Mosaic Youth Chorus (right)
LOUIS BOTTO AWARD FOR INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The Louis Botto Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship recognizes a mid-career conductor for their contributions to furthering the mission of their ensemble or organization.
• 2025 Recipient: Alex Gartner
CHORUS AMERICA PHILANTHROPY AWARD
The Chorus America Philanthropy Award is given to individuals, corporations, or
foundations whose financial support of Chorus America and the choral art has been especially significant and generous.
• 2025 Recipients: Charles Berardesco and Jeffrey Thurston (right)
CONGRATULATIONS TO MARY ANN AUFDERHEIDE ON BEING SELECTED FOR THE 2025 MICHAEL KORN DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD!
THANK YOU
Chorus America gratefully acknowledges these organizations for their support of the 2025 Chorus America Conference.
LEAD CONFERENCE SPONSOR
PREMIER SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSOR
MAJOR SPONSOR
SILVER SPONSORS
SPECIAL UNDERWRITING
Chorus America is deeply grateful to the following funders for their generous support of the Conference.
John C. Griswold
Family Foundation
Popplestone Foundation
Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis
EXHIBITORS
ACFEA Tour Consultants
Classical Movements
Chorus Connection
DCINY
ECS Publishing Group
GIA Publications
& Walton Music
Giving Voice Initiative
Karen Siegel
KI Concerts
Ludus
Maestro Performance Tour
Specialists
Manhattan Concert Productions
Musical Gifts and Treasures
MyMusicFolders
National Concerts
Pavane Publishing/ Fred Bock Publishing Group
Perform International/
Perform America
The Right Relations
Sing Democracy 250
UpStage Technologies
The United States Air Force Band
This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Roberta Mantell
ARVO PÄRT: ODES OF REPENTANCE
Listing current as of April 28, 2025.
Released on the anniversary of the invasion
Ukrainian War Requiem
by Benedict Sheehan
Axios Men’s Ensemble, tenors and basses of Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton, Canada), directed by Michael Zaugg
world premiere recording. Benedict Sheehan’s Ukrainian War Requiem blends ancient Ukrainian prayers, Latin texts, and Jewish melodies, symbolizing Ukraine’s complex past, present, and future. Ukrainian War Requiem stands as a vigil for the fallen and a celebration of Ukraine’s resilient heritage. Score available at benedictsheehanmusic.com. “solemnly soothes the suffering of milions of Ukrainians” w cultura | “mightily impressive” music - web int ’l | “this music is an important statement in our time. ” pizzicato
ALSO AVAILABLE A UKRAINIAN WEDDING Ukrainian American folklorist and singer Nadia Tarnawsky leads the women of Cappella Romana in a unique offering of Ukrainian wedding songs. “a lot of heart and soul” pizzicato
Cappella Romana presents three odes from Pärt’s monumental Kanon Pokajanen, The Woman with the Alabaster Box, psalmody, and Orthodox hymns. “supreme artistry” concertonet
CORPORATE HIGHLIGHT
Chorus America is grateful for the support of businesses and organizations whose work aligns with our mission of strengthening singing communities with the advocacy, connections, and resources they need to be a vital part of society. Their engagement makes an impact on the Chorus America community, and we are proud to highlight our 2025 program partners.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
We wish to give special recognition to the following partners who have made especially significant contributions in FY25 supporting our work to strengthen and connect the choral field.
ACFEA Tour Consultants
For nearly 70 years, ACFEA Tour Consultants has helped choirs connect with the world around them. By listening to each choir’s touring needs and goals and combining them with our travel expertise and passion for music, we create the opportunity for them to have life-changing experiences. ACFEA Tour Consultants is honored to support the Chorus America community and looks forward to welcoming Conference 2025 attendees to St Louis. Learn more at acfea.com
Lead Sponsor & Exhibitor, 2025 Conference
Contributing Sponsor, 2025 Choral-Orchestral Conducting Academy
Listing current as of April 28, 2025.
KI Concerts
For over 40 years, KI Concerts has created exceptional, enriching, and seamless international tours for music groups of all ages and sizes. Our diverse team of experts, each with their own unique background in music, education, travel, and tour planning, is dedicated to making that a reality for choruses just like yours. Learn more at kiconcerts.com.
Premier Sponsor & Exhibitor, 2025 Conference
Classical Movements
Classical Movements is the premier concert tour company for the world’s great choirs, creating meaningful cultural experiences on six continents. An industry leader since 1992, we understand the travel and performance needs of professional, as well as conservatory, university and youth ensembles. Through our Eric Daniel Helms New Music Program, we’ve commissioned 100+ works from award-winning composers. Classical Movements remains committed to facilitating cultural diplomacy across the world. Learn more at classicalmovements.com.
Major Sponsor & Exhibitor, 2025 Conference Sponsor, Government Affairs Updates
Berkshire Choral International
Berkshire Choral International is the educational non-profit that creates fun and inspiring opportunities for amateur singers to expand their choral horizons. Think of us as the elevated music camp experience for adults. We’re not a tour company—we’re your choral home away from home. Sing amazing repertoire with world-class conductors, sharpen your skills, and bond with new friends who love to sing as much as you do. Significant discounts for first-time applicants and singers 45 and under. Come find your next choral adventure with BCI. Learn more at berkshirechoral.org. Major Sponsor, Choral Executive Leadership Academy Silver Sponsor, 2025 Conference
2025 CHORUS AMERICA CONFERENCE
SPONSORS & EXHIBITORS
Chorus Connection
At Chorus Connection, we’re all about making your life easier. Our chorus management software will streamline your operations, and we’ve got tons of free resources on marketing, fundraising, recruiting new singers, DEI initiatives, and more. Check us out at chorusconnection.com.
Exhibitor, 2025 Conference
DCINY
Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) is the leading producer of world-class concert experiences at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. We bring musicians and vocal artists from around the world together for collaborative performances with renowned conductors including Eric Whitacre, Ola Gjeilo, Christopher Tin and Sir Karl Jenkins, changing lives through powerful musical performance. Learn more at dciny.org
Gold Sponsor & Exhibitor, 2025 Conference
ECS Publishing Group
The ECS Publishing group is supportive of the ADEI work of Chorus America and has been very active in working to find and publish the work of underrepresented composers. We are continually expanding and diversifying our catalog with significant numbers of new composers, and we embrace the work of composers writing pieces that address current events and concerns. These works help choruses reach out to their audiences in ways that create change. Learn more at morningstarmusic.com
Silver Sponsor & Exhibitor, 2025 Conference
GIA Publications & Walton Music
Giving Voice Initiative
We bring together people living with dementia and their care partners to share the joy of singing, connection, and community. The Giving Voice Network provides support, research, connection and resources for organizations and individuals who are running dementia choruses. Learn more at givingvoicechorus.org
Exhibitor, 2025 Conference
Justice Choir
Designed around the Justice Choir Songbook and built to encourage more community singing for social and environmental justice, Justice Choir is a grassroots movement to engage in the empathetic, collaborative, and collective power of singing together to create change. Support for Chorus America’s ADEI programming comes directly from gifts shared by those downloading the Songbook. Learn more at justicechoir.org
Sponsor, Choral Executive Leadership Academy
Karen Siegel, composer
Karen Siegel creates meaningful and innovative choral music, while developing connections with choristers. She engages with singers of commissioning ensembles to create collaborative works that express their perspectives, and leads workshops with performing ensembles to enrich the singers’ experiences. Learn more at karensiegel.com
Exhibitor, 2025 Conference
Ludus
Walton Music and GIA Publications provide music and resources that help singing communities function, grow, and thrive. We feel a deep connection with our community choir customers, and we feel that our music and resources help choirs to better understand and empathize with their audiences and communities. Learn more at giamusic.com Exhibitor, 2025 Conference
Simplify event ticketing and delight patrons. Thousands of organizations of all sizes trust Ludus to power their ticketing, marketing, fundraising, and registration needs—for free. Learn more at ludus.com.
Exhibitor, 2025 Conference
Maestro Performance Tour Specialists
At the heart of our interconnected universe lies our vision, mission and values. To foster connections across cultures in a sustainable and responsible way. To deliver truly inspiring and innovative solutions and opportunities that create value both for our partners and society at large. Maestro Performance curates itineraries for your touring, performance and budgetary goals—benefit from our offices across Europe and the
world, experience immersive inclusions and exchange with local musicians and audiences. Learn more at maestro-performance.com
Silver Sponsor & Exhibitor, 2025 Conference
Manhattan Concert Productions
Manhattan Concert Productions celebrates 25 years of offering professional collaborations, exceptional performances, and educational opportunities to thousands of choral and instrumental musicians of all ages through our acclaimed series set. Like Chorus America, MCP Performance Group is committed to supporting all aspects of the choral field, and its offerings include CODA Concerts and our new online learning center Forward Motion. Learn more at mcp.us
Exhibitor, 2025 Conference
Roberta Mantell, author
MyMusicFolders
Music on your iPad? Singing with sniffling sopranos? Sonata Problem! MyMusicFolders.com offers innovative solutions for modern musicians. We are on a mission to “Make the World More Musical”! Learn more at MyMusicFolders.com
Silver Sponsor & Exhibitor, 2025 Conference
National Concerts
Longtime New York Times arts reporter and photographer Roberta Mantell sets her debut mystery novel in the worlds of music and journalism. Two murders in a prestigious New York chorus. The daring scheme of a forgotten 19th century female composer. When reporter Piper Morgan discovers a 100-year coverup, she realizes her quest for the truth may kill her. “Fun, smart, and compelling!” say early readers of Angels’ Blood: Murder in the Chorus. Learn more at robertamantell.com.
Exhibitor, 2025 Conference
May Festival Chorus
Cincinnati’s May Festival Chorus celebrates over 150 years of engaging, energizing, and connecting their community through choral music. As a leader and catalyst for growth in the choral field, the May Festival Chorus is proud to support the participants of the Choral Executive Leadership Academy, as well as Chorus America’s expanding ADEI programming. Learn more at mayfestival.com Sponsor, Choral Executive Leadership Academy
Musical Gifts and Treasures
Musical Gifts and Treasures offers jewelry, socks, purses, wallets, scarves and more to Choir, Orchestra and Band enthusiasts. Our parent company Costume Holiday House offers theatrical costumes for Broadway Musical shows for Middle School, High School, Colleges, Community Theatre and more. We have been in business since 1959, and we are proud of our support of the Arts over the years. Learn more at MusicalGiftsandTreasures.com
Exhibitor, 2025 Conference
Based in New York City, National Concerts offers transformational performance experiences at iconic venues like Carnegie Hall. By uniting ensembles with leading conductors and composers and supporting access through Title I scholarships, we champion music education and foster an inclusive choral community— uplifting singers and audiences through the power of shared performance. Learn more at nationalconcerts.com
Exhibitor, 2025 Conference
Pavane Publishing/Fred Bock Publishing Group
As a conductor, composer, and publisher, Allan Petker has a unique and profound perspective on the world of community choirs. Allan is the owner of Pavane Publishing (and founder 1989) and the Vice President of Publications for the Fred Bock Publishing Group (since 1977). Allan has composed many choral publications as well as a number of extended works for choir and orchestra. Learn more at pavanepublishing.com.
Exhibitor, 2025 Conference
Perform International/Perform America
Perform International/Perform America takes special delight in providing the best-fit tour for each ensemble. We carefully listen to your needs and values so that together we can craft the perfect travel and performance experience for your program. We partner with you from the initial discussion about meaningful destinations and appropriate performance venues, through registration and travel, as well as the fine-tuned specifics of each performance. Learn more at perform-international.com.
Exhibitor, 2025 Conference
Right Relations
At Right Relations, we take the guesswork out of marketing for choral organizations. We believe in purpose-driven marketing that connects authentically with your audience. Our team helps you achieve your goals by amplifying your mission: the music, the performances and the community you create. With artistic insight and marketing expertise, we bring clarity to your strategy, develop campaigns and drive success. Learn more at therightrelations.com
Silver Sponsor & Exhibitor, 2025 Conference
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus
The United States Air Force Band
As part of The United States Air Force Band, the Singing Sergeants use music to bridge language and cultural differences and to help advance positive diplomatic relations through song. In 1973, the Sergeants became the first premier military chorus to enlist women. Featuring our nation’s finest professional musicians, Air Force bands honor, inspire and connect with communities all over the world, reaching over six million listeners at over five thousand live and televised performances each year. Learn more at music.af.mil/USAFBand Exhibitor, 2025 Conference
We believe in the power of music to build community, inspire activism, and foster compassion. Like Chorus America, we celebrate the vision of a vibrant society in which diverse singing communities affirm and share the full range and depth of our humanity. As we work and dream in our new home, the Chan National Queer Arts Center in San Francisco, we take pride in being a catalyst for connection, bringing together artists of all ages, backgrounds, and genres to create, inspire and lead. Learn more at sfgmc.org
Sponsor, Choral Executive Leadership Academy
Sing Democracy 250
Sing Democracy 250 is a national musicbased project designed to engage singers and audiences, educate them about America’s history, equip them with knowledge of their obligations as citizens, and empower them to participate in renewing democracy in the context of America’s 250th birthday in 2026. We are pleased to promote performances of this special music program in all 50 states in 2026. We invite you to join us! Learn more at SingDemocracy250.org Exhibitor, 2025 Conference
UpStage CRM
At UpStage CRM, we understand the quiet struggle of your reality: managing critical data across disconnected platforms while striving to fulfill your mission. This is why we created a platform where ticketing, fundraising, and patron relationships are united in one system. Reclaim time and see the revenue growth our clients experience. Get your free CRM Impact Report before the conference, then let’s discuss your impact personally and explore how a better, affordable, solution will transform your Chorus: upstagecrm.io/real-cost Silver Sponsor & Exhibitor, 2025 Conference
VocalEssence
At VocalEssence, we engage people of all ages and cultures in our community through innovative, enticing choral music programming. Through “Songs from the Heart”, VocalEssence uses the power of choral music to engage young mothers and their babies in shared music creation and singing experiences, living out our core value to celebrate singing as essential human expression. Learn more at vocalessence.org
Sponsor, Choral Executive Leadership Academy
The Washington Chorus
The Washington Chorus, under the artistic leadership of Eugene Rogers, is an inclusive choral community where musical experiences connect, reflect, and inspire everyone. The organization works to create transformative musical experiences that bring people together, and promotes diversity, inclusion, access, and equity across the choral community. Learn more at thewashingtonchorus.org
Sponsor, Choral Executive Leadership Academy
ROBERT SIMPSON
CHORUS AMERICA ANNUAL MEETING REPORT
MEMBERSHIP & PROGRAMS
Membership
In the past year, Chorus America welcomed Christopher Eanes as our new president and CEO, effective November 1, 2024. Eanes works closely with Chorus America’s Board of Directors and staff to sustain and grow our programs, services, and strategic partnerships. He is also a leading advocate for Chorus America’s 876 members and the thousands of individuals affiliated with choruses, industry-wide businesses, and other member organizations in our community.
Chorus America transitioned to a fully remote workforce model following the sale of our office building in Washington DC. This evolution built on our already distributed team approach, with staff members working from locations across the United States. It allows us to improve services to our geographically diverse membership, removes barriers to collaboration, and demonstrates innovative organizational practices and responsible resource stewardship.
Advocacy and government affairs work has been a major focus this winter and spring, as a new presidential administration in the United States led to sweeping shifts on issues relevant to the choral community. We began working with a government affairs consultant to provide weekly updates
CHORUS AMERICA MEMBERSHIP | SPRING 2025
n Individual (40.3%)
n Student (5.5%)
n Business/Affiliate (3.5%)
n Choruses up to $100,000 (27.8%)
n Choruses $100,000–$250,000 (9.4%)
n Choruses $250,000–$500,000 (5.8%)
n Choruses $500,000–$1 million (3.3%)
n Choruses $1 million+ (4.4%)
to our members, hosted the March webinar “Presidential Actions and the Choral Field”, and published a comprehensive resources page to help the choral community navigate this evolving landscape. We also submitted written testimony to Congress in support of funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.
We enhanced our digital presence, transitioning this winter to a new database that offers a user-friendly member dashboard and enhanced communication capabilities. Articles and news about the choral community are also published in our awardwinning Voice magazine, including topics like “How a Strong Brand Can Amplify
Your Chorus’s Impact,” “How Choruses Already Align—and Can Engage More— with Gen Z,” and “Creating Inclusive Spaces: The Future of ADEI.” The Chorus America Online Community continues to be a muchused member benefit. Currently, around 1,750 members access community discussions on topics like board governance, tuition payment policies, and copyright and licensing issues either online or through email.
This spring, Chorus America launched a survey in partnership with Hanover Research to find out what the choral community really needs from Chorus America and organizations serving the field. Results will be shared later this summer and will inform programs and services going forward.
Programs
Our Music Education Partnership Grants support collaborations between community organizations and schools that increase access to choral music education. Since 2022, Chorus America has distributed nearly u
GET NOTICED!
Storytelling and Advertising Opportunities with Chorus America
• Advertising
• Sponsorship
• Exhibiting
• Custom Opportunities
We’re here to help you draw the attention of choral leaders and share the story of your impact on our dynamic field. Let’s connect to explore the options that could work best for you!
SEE MORE: chorusamerica.org/advertise chorusamerica.org/support/corporate-support
YOUR VOICE MATTERS—
We’re conducting a survey (in partnership with Hanover Research) to find out what you really need from Chorus America and organizations like ours. This survey will take approximately 10 minutes of your time, and the first 500 qualified people to respond will receive a $5 e-gift certificate.* Your responses will help us:
• Understand what you actually need (not what we think you need)
• Develop programs and resources that solve real challenges
• Be stronger advocates for choral music everywhere
• Build our priorities around what matters to you
2025 CHORUS AMERICA CONFERENCE
$2.5 million to increase access to culturally diverse singing opportunities in schools across the United States and Canada. This year, activity focused on providing support and connection to our 23 grant partners through an online peer learning cohort. Grant partners have met monthly for virtual convenings on topics like engaging newcomer and refugee communities, fundraising, and communicating the value of their work. Grant partners also have the opportunity to be part of an in-person gathering leading up to the 2025 Conference.
The 2025 Conference will be held on June 5–7 in St. Louis, Missouri, preceded by an added day of pre-Conference programming on June 4. The Conference will include a plenary talk from artist and advocate Renée Fleming on the connection between group singing and health, along with sessions on relevant issues like expanding audiences through interactive concerts, creating a year-round giving program, and adaptive leadership. Conference programming also includes new networking opportunities, performances that highlight St. Louis-area choral ensembles, and a Gospel Sing community sing event.
The Conference will also include the initial in-person gathering of the 2025 Choral Executive Leadership Academy This leadership development program focuses on the skill development of individuals who have been marginalized because of race or ethnicity, creating career pathways to administrative leadership and a more welcoming field for all. After an in-person Conference convening, the curriculum will address administrative topics through online learning, hands-on guidance from expert faculty, and oneon-one mentorship over the course of six weeks this summer.
Later this summer, the 2025 ChoralOrchestral Conducting Academy will take place July 7–13 at California State University in Fullerton. The seven-day Academy provides participants, including Conducting Fellows and Conducting Scholars, a unique opportunity to develop choral-orchestral skills and enhance their university training by working with a full orchestra under the tutelage of leading conductors.
FINANCIALS
In FY24, Chorus America continued to adapt to the evolving financial landscape alongside new initiatives to support the field. While membership is gradually recovering, participation levels remain below pre-pandemic norms. We remain committed to transparency; a full copy of our most recent audit is available at bit.ly/CA2025AnnualMeeting.
n Grants and Contributions
$757,555 (27.6%)
n Assets Released
$1,457,166 (53.1%)
n Membership Dues
$243,318 (8.9%)
n Conference
$137,822 (5.0%)
n Publications
$75,395 (2.7%)
n Investments
$35,461 (1.3%)
n Other
$39,916 (1.5%)
Total: $2,746,633
n Membership Services and Publications
$398,321 (17.4%)
n Program Services
$1,278,454 (55.7%)
n Management and General
$399,323 (17.4%)
n Fundraising
$218,918 (9.5%)
Total: $2,295,016
FY24 EXPENSES BY CATEGORY
NEW MEMBERS OF THE CHORUS AMERICA BOARD AS OF JUNE 2025
Ahmed Anzaldúa
Ahmed Fernando Anzaldúa
El Samkary is a Mexican conductor and pianist of Egyptian descent and the founder and artistic director of Border CrosSing. He is an active musician, performing in Mexico and the U.S. frequently as a soloist and conductor with choirs and orchestras, and also performs as a pianist in solo recitals and collaborative settings. He is a recognized authority in Latin American and Spanish music, particularly the compositions of Federico Mompou and Miguel Bernal Jiménez, and he collaborates regularly with composers to premiere new works, including music by Helmut Lachenmann, Paul Lansky, and Arturo Márquez. His most recent recordings include Carteles, recorded for FMM, and Contemplating
Weather on Bridge Records. Apart from his work with Border CrosSing, he is coeditor of the Justice Choir Songbook and is director of music ministries at Unity Church-Unitarian in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Gregory Cheng
Gregory Cheng brings over two decades of financial services leadership experience to his role as founding partner, coCEO and president of Cantata Wealth. His career includes key positions at Morgan Stanley, including as an Assistant Complex Manager for their flagship San Francisco office overseeing 150 financial advisors; Western Regional Director at Sterne Agee; and Senior Business Development Officer at BNY’s Pershing Advisor Solutions, where he mentored financial advisor teams. Currently, Cheng serves as
an Independent Director for London and New York-based hedge fund and private equity managers Acasta Partners and Westbourne River Partners. His community involvement has included board service for choral organizations such as Chanticleer, the San Francisco Girls Chorus and the Young Women’s Choral Project, and he currently serves on the board of IlluminArts, a Miami non-profit connecting music and visual art. A classically trained musician with BA and MA degrees in Music (Conducting) from UC Davis, he served as Assistant Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus and has performed as a singer with the San Francisco Opera Chorus and the Grace Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys. His mentors include former Chorus America board members Al McNeil and Vance George and he is an alum of both the Conducting and Choral Leadership academies. u
DIRECTOR LAUREATE
Chorus America’s Director Laureate title is an honorary title given periodically to recognize individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership as a member of Chorus America’s board of directors and had significant impact on the choral field.
Duain Wolfe
Duain Wolfe has served on the Chorus America Board for a total of 21 years, first from 1996-2008 and then again beginning in 2016. His tenure included a term as board chair from 2004–2007 and leadership of the Programs Committee. Wolfe has been instrumental in developing Chorus America’s conducting programs, most recently the ChoralOrchestral Conducting Academy. His
efforts to establish the endowed Wolfe fund help ensure that the next generation of conductors continue to benefit from Chorus America’s Conducting Academy.
The Chorus Conductor Laureate of the Colorado Symphony, Wolfe celebrated his 40th anniversary with that organization this season. He recently retired as director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus after 28 years. He has collaborated with Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, Bernard Haitink, Riccardo Muti, and Sir George Solti on numerous recordings, including Wagner’s Die Meistersinger, which won the 1998 Grammy® for Best Opera Recording. Wolfe’s extensive musical accomplishments have resulted in numerous awards, including the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts
from the University of Denver, the Bonfils Stanton Award in the Arts and Humanities, the Mayor’s Award for Excellence in an Artistic Discipline, and the Michael Korn Award for the Development of the Professional Choral Art. Wolfe is Founder of the Colorado Children’s Chorale, from which he retired in 1999 after 25 years. For 20 years, Wolfe also worked with the Central City Opera Festival as chorus director and conductor, founding and directing the company’s young artist residence program, as well as its education and outreach programs. n
MUSIC EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP GRANTS
2024–2026 Grant Partners
Singing with others is a powerful tool for cross-cultural learning, developing empathy, and building community.
The Music Education Partnership Grants support collaborations between community organizations dedicated to choral singing and schools serving early childhood–12th grade. Grants are distributed across four regions—British Columbia/Northwest U.S., Central Appalachia, Southwest U.S., and Upper Midwest, U.S—providing up to $50,000 USD to support partnerships during the 2024–25 and 2025–26 school years.
These grants are designed to increase access to culturally diverse singing opportunities for students from historically marginalized communities.
ABQ Coro Lux, El Faro Youth Chorus
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Arts in the Gap at Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate, Tennessee
Augusta Heritage Center
Elkins, West Virginia
Bi-National Arts Institute
Bisbee, Arizona
Border CrosSing
St. Paul, Minnesota
ComMUSICation
St. Paul, Minnesota
COMPAS
St. Paul, Minnesota
Gateway Regional Arts Center
Mt. Sterling, Kentucky
The Harmony Project
Los Angeles, California
La Crosse Chamber Chorale
La Crosse, Wisconsin
Los Angeles Master Chorale
Los Angeles, California
Mountain Empire
Children’s Choral Academy
Bristol, Tennessee
Phoenix Boys Choir Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix Chamber Choir
Coquitlam, British Columbia
Phoenix Children’s Chorus
Phoenix, Arizona
Quintessence
Albuquerque, New Mexico
San Diego Children’s Choir
San Diego, California
SNS Choirs
Palmdale, California
Surry Arts Council
Mount Airy, North Carolina
Tacoma Refugee Choir
Tacoma, Washington
Vancouver Youth Choir
Vancouver, British Columbia
VocalEssence
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Voices in the Laurel Lake Junaluska, North Carolina
2025 CHORUS AMERICA CONFERENCE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Board Officers
Anton Armstrong
Chair
Tosdal Professor of Music, St. Olaf College
Mark Lawson
Chair-Elect
President, ECS Publishing Group
Steven Neiffer
Treasurer
Former Chief Financial Officer, Los Angeles Master Chorale
Diana Sáez
Secretary Director of Choral Activities, Towson University
Members of the Board
Ahmed Anzaldúa❖
Founder and Artistic Director, Border CrosSing; Director of Music Ministries, Unity Church–Unitarian
Laura Adlers
Manager of Development and Partnerships, The Burlington Performing Arts Centre
Jeffrey Barnett+ Partner and CFO, Dorsal Capital Management LLC
Charles Berardesco
Former Senior VP and General Counsel, North American Electric Reliability Corporation
Dashon Burton* Professional Singer
Gregory Cheng❖
Co-CEO and President, Cantata Wealth
Thomas Cooke
Board President, Voce
Iris Derke+ Co-Founder and General Director, Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY)
Rollo Dilworth
Professor of Choral Music Education & Vice Dean, Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts, Temple University
Maria A. Ellis
Educator and Conductor, Girl Conductor LLC; Director, Sheldon’s City of Music All-Star Chorus
David Hayes*
Music Director, New York Choral Society; Director of Orchestral and Conducting Studies, Mannes School of Music
Robert Istad
Artistic Director, Pacific Chorale; Director of Choral Studies, CSU Fullerton
Craig Hella Johnson
Founder and Artistic Director, Conspirare; Artistic Partner, Oregon Bach Festival
Anne B. Keiser
Former Board Chair, The Choral Arts Society of Washington
Mary Tuuk Kuras
Founder, MTK Practical Leadership
Alysia Lee
President, Baltimore Children & Youth Fund; Founder & Artistic Director, Sister Cities Girlchoir
Mary Doughty Mauch
Conductor and Grassroots Organizer & Leader
Marcela Molina
Director, Tucson Girls Chorus
David Morrow
Professor and Director of the Morehouse Glee Club, Morehouse College
Brian Newhouse
Former Managing Director, Minnesota Public Radio/American Public Media
John Nuechterlein+
Community Leader and Former President/ CEO, American Composers Forum
Elizabeth Núñez
Creative Director, Young People’s Chorus of New York City; Founding Artistic Director, SoHarmoniums Women’s Choir
Eric V. Oliver+
Minister of Music, Zion Baptist Church; Founder, Loretta C. Manggrum Chorale
Dianne Peterson
Executive Director Emerita, The Washington Chorus; Chair of the Board, New Orchestra of Washington
Molly Buzick Pontin
Grants Specialist, City of Lakewood
and Music
Eugene Rogers
Director of Choral Activities, University of Michigan;
Artistic Director, The Washington Chorus
Steven F. Smith+ President and CEO, Berkshire Choral International
Carrie Tennant
Artistic Director, Vancouver Youth Choir
Anthony Trecek-King+ Resident Conductor, Handel and Haydn Society Chorus; Artistic Director, Berkshire Choral International
Jean-Sébastien Vallée
Artistic Director, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir; Director of Choral Studies, Schulich School of Music of McGill University
Chris Verdugo
President and CEO, San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus
Duain Wolfe*
Chorus Conductor Laureate, Colorado Symphony Chorus; Former Director and Conductor, Chicago Symphony Chorus
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