In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Sydney Guillaume. Sydney Guillaume b. 1982 With his spirited, rhythmic, and passionate compositions, Sydney Guillaume captivates singers and audiences around the world. Guillaume is originally from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, graduated from the University of Miami in… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Daniel Kantor. Daniel Kantor b. 1960 As a composer, Daniel Kantor is best known for his beloved and widely popular piece “Night of Silence”. Additionally, Kantor is very active outside of the music world. Kantor… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Steve Heitzeg. This episode includes a world premiere written by Steve called Water on Rocks Waltz, which was composed in honor of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and is dedicated to Will Steger. Steve… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Jocelyn Hagen. Jocelyn Hagen b. 1980 Jocelyn Hagen is a distinguished and innovative composer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hagen’s musical talents were apparent from an early age, as she accompanied a choir in Valley City,… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Randall Davidson. Randall Davidson b. 1953 Minnesota composer Randall Davidson is praised for the originality, humor, and passion in his works. Davidson studied at Cornell College under Alf Houkom and at the University of Minnesota… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor 1875-1912 The gifted English composer, conductor, and professor Samuel Coleridge-Taylor achieved great popularity during his life. He was the son of a Sierra Leone doctor and an English woman. Coleridge-Taylor studied… Read More →
Ballet dancers, jazz musicians, the Minnesota Orchestra, VocalEssence—they’re keeping us entertained and themselves in good shape By Erik Tormoen https://www.minnesotamonthly.com/arts-entertainment/feeling-fine-with-the-fine-arts-6-ways-to-enjoy-online/ G. Phillip Shoultz III, conductor of the Twin Cities’ VocalEssence choral ensemble, sits at a piano, belting Ella Fitzgerald’s “Blue Skies,” livestreaming from his home—because it’s another morning of self-quarantine, and this is what he’s doing… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Dave Brubeck. Dave Brubeck 1920-2012 The highly acclaimed composer and musician Dave Brubeck was born into a musical family in Concord, California. He studied at the College of the Pacific before enlisting in the Army… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Aaron Copland. Aaron Copland 1900-1990 Prolific and beloved American composer Aaron Copland was born into a family of Jewish immigrants in Brooklyn, New York. He studied piano, music theory, and composition from his sister Laurine,… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Dame Ethel Smyth. Dame Ethel Smyth 1858-1944 Dame Ethel Smyth was a British composer, writer, and feminist born into a military, upper middle-class family in London, England. She studied harmony and counterpoint in Leipzig, Germany… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer John Rutter. John Rutter b. 1945 Prolific composer John Rutter captures audiences around the world with his choral compositions and arrangements. Rutter attended Highgate School in London and went on to study at Clare College,… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Paul Manz. Paul Manz 1919-2009 Composer and organist Paul Manz is known for his widely-admired motet “E’en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come” and for the hymn festivals he organized and led. Manz attended Concordia River… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Undine Smith Moore. Undine Smith Moore 1904-1989 American composer Undine Smith Moore composed in a variety of different forms and genres, but is best known for her arrangements of spirituals and other choral compositions and… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Conrad Susa. Conrad Susa 1935-2013 American composer Conrad Susa is best known for his choral music, incidental music, and operas. Susa studied at Carnegie Mellon University and The Juilliard School and his teachers included Nikolai… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Stephen Paulus. Stephen Paulus 1949-2014 Prolific American composer Stephen Paulus composed over six hundred works, including four hundred choral pieces. He obtained his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from the University of Minnesota, where he… Read More →
