Louisville Chorus

The Louisville Chorus, established 1939 in Louisville, Kentucky, is the longest-thriving most frequently performing choral arts agency in Kentuckiana and neighboring states—also exceeding the longevity of opera, ballet, and theatre in the area. As well, within the realm of major arts agencies, The Louisville Chorus is only two years younger than the Louisville Orchestra.

The Louisville Chorus has filmed concerts for international broadcast on EWTN, the largest religious media network in the world and has recorded music for Hollywood in the making of movies. The Louisville Chorus is also a member of Chorus America and has had music chosen for nationwide broadcast on the first nationally distributed radio series to focus exclusively on the art of choral music performance.

A professional chorus of auditioned singers, The Louisville Chorus annually provides the widest variety of music from choral masterworks to pops, children-oriented, holiday, Broadway, and even Bluegrass music; releases professional commercial CDs available through CD Baby in-store and international digital outlets, and aired on XM Satellite Radio; performs regularly with other arts agencies; presents annual benefit shows for charitable organizations; offers its own very active season of concerts and events; and performs for arts series and outreach opportunities throughout Kentuckiana.

The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, provides operating support to The Louisville Chorus with state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

History

In 1939, Fr. Joseph Emrich founded The Holy Name Band and Choral Club, which later became: The Holy Name Choral Club (1968), The Choral Club of Louisville (1972), and finally, The Louisville Chorus (1987). Joseph Herde succeeded Father Emrich. Richard Spalding, Conductor Emeritus, devoted 20 years to this choral arts agency and made possible the 1985 European Sister Cities Concert Tour. From 1991-2002, Music Director Daniel Spurlock, a graduate of the Juilliard School and for many years the lead bass player in the Louisville Orchestra, ushered this high-calibre ensemble and its audiences into inspirational, poignant, and emotional musical experiences. In Jan., 2003, The Louisville Chorus welcomed Maestro S. Timothy Glasscock as Artistic Director. Therese Davis, Executive Director and Pianist, has collaborated with the music directors since 1969 to ensure high standards and the successful growth and development of The Chorus. The Louisville Chorus, since the return of Music Director Daniel Spurlock in June 2009, continues to maintain its artistic distinction under his dynamic direction!

Highlights

Ongoing Annual Events: MasterWorks with orchestra • Performance collaborations with other arts institutions, including the youth • Local and Outreach Concerts • Celebrations of Christmas, Valentine's Day, Fourth of July, and more • Active season of concerts

2013/ 2014 —75th Diamond Jubilee Anniversary Season

2009 6/09—Return of Daniel Spurlock as Music Director

2009 Filming for perpetual INTERNATIONAL Broadcast on EWTN, largest global religious media network

2006 Collaborative performances of A German Requiem (Brahms) with Jewish Community Center Orchestra and YPAS Concert Choir

2003 Appointment of S. Timothy Glasscock as Artistic Director

2002 A 9/11 Memorial Musical Tribute

2000 "60th" Anniversary feature concert - Mozart Requiem + with members of The Louisville Orchestra

1999 "60th" Anniversary season opening performance of the Fauré Requiem with The Louisville Orchestra

1997 Iroquois Amphitheater Diamond Jubilee Season Opener and Kickoff Concerts

1996 Release of first CD Christmas from the Heart

1995 First annual Unforgettable Valentine Dinner Concert

1994 Host Chorus for Symphony No. 8 (Mahler) "Symphony of A Thousand" with The Louisville Orchestra; Daniel Spurlock, Chorus Master

1993 Lonesome Pine Special Celebration of Irish Folk Music Concert with Mick Moloney

1992 My Old Kentucky Home, sung in Russian, to 300 million former Soviet citizens, during a Kentucky Derby telecast

1992 Host Chorus for the Kentucky Bicentennial Concert

1991 Appointment of Daniel Spurlock as Music Director

1989 Designation of Richard Spalding as Conductor Emeritus

1988 First Super Pops with The Louisville Orchestra; Initial induction into Chorus America, the National Association for Professional Vocal Ensembles

1987 Name change to The Louisville Chorus; "Resurrection" Symphony No. 2 (Mahler) with The Louisville Orchestra

1985 European Sister Cities Concert Tour to Mainz, Germany and Montpellier, France; Carmina Burana with the Louisville Ballet

1984 Official Brown & Williamson sponsored "Light Up Louisville" Entertainment for the next 10 years

1982 Benefit Concert for Hearing Impaired Children

1972 Name change to The Choral Club of Louisville. Chorus becomes non-denominational.

1970 Verdi Requiem with The Louisville Orchestra

1967 Appointment of Richard Spalding as Music Director

1958 Appointment of Joseph Herde as Music Director

1957 Selected to record for the National Sacred Heart Program and the Hour of the Crucified

1942 Recruitment of Catholic women. Began Iroquois Amphitheater performances with proceeds to the U.S.O.

1940 First performance in Columbia Auditorium (Knights of Columbus - now Spalding Auditorium)

1939 Founding of the Holy Name Band and Choral Club (all male Catholics) by Father Joseph Emrich

See also


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/3/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.