VocalEssence reaches out to the community through many educational partnerships and by offering opportunities for enrichment to adults, choral professionals and composers.

Engaging Our Communities

WITNESS – Celebrating the contributions of African Americans to our shared American heritage through concerts, recordings and comprehensive educational programs.

¡Cantare! – Delving into Latino Classical music traditions through composer residencies, school workshops and community collaborations.

Exploring Culture through Music

The Guest Artist Series – Collaborating with universities, corporations, high schools and community groups to present a range of public events featuring VocalEssence guest performers and composers.

Elder Learning – Interactively exploring the featured music on selected VocalEssence concerts in partnership with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Minnesota.

Concert Conversations – Presenting interviews with performers, composers or experts designed to offer personal or historical insights into the music on each season concert.

Enriching the Choral Art

Essentially Choral – Training emerging composers to write new choral music of the hightest quality through intensive rehearsals with the Ensemble Singers and feedback from an established composer-mentor. Co-sponsored by the American Composers Forum.

Talented Tenth Apprentice Program – Fostering lifelong singers through side-by-side vocal apprenticeships within the VocalEssence Chorus for high school students from culturally diverse backgrounds. 

Encouraging Creativity

Welcome Christmas! Carol Contest – Enlivening each holiday season with world premieres of modern-day carols for chorus selected through a national call for scores. Co-sponsored by the American Composers Forum.

Award for Creative Programming – Rewarding adventurous programming and affirming the importance of quality secondary and college choral training throughout Minnesota with an annual cash prize. Co-presented by the American Choral Directors Association of Minnesota.

For more information, contact VocalEssence Director of Community Engagement, Kimberly Meisten, at 612-547-1456 (kmeisten@vocalessence.org).