¡Cantaré! pairs composers, local students for community concert and
education

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jennifer Weismann, 612-716-0556
Jennifer@owl-marketing.com

Download high resolution photographs for press use

MINNEAPOLIS — April 29, 2013 — Internationally renowned choral organization VocalEssence
celebrates the vibrant culture and music of Mexico with two special performances
on May 21 — ¡Cantaré! (I Will Sing!). The concerts are the culmination of the organization’s annual ¡Cantaré! program, and will be held Tues., May 21 at Wayzata Community
Church.

¡Cantaré!, founded
and conducted by VocalEssence, pairs Mexican composers-in-residence with select Twin Cities elementary, high school and
college choirs and community choruses to explore Mexico’s cultural and choral
heritage.

This year’s
composers, Gerardo
Cárdenas and Novelli
Jurado, have visited quarterly, working with Minnesota
students to compose original pieces, which will be world-premiered at the
concerts. At 6 p.m., the VocalEssence Chorus will perform with students from Minneapolis’s
Windom Dual Spanish Immersion, St. Louis Park’s Park Spanish Immersion, St.
Anthony Park Elementary and the Latino Children’s Choir. At 8 p.m., the chorus
will perform again with high school choirs from Blaine, Central (St. Paul) and
Hopkins High Schools.

“If music is a
universal language, then ¡Cantaré! is one of its tenderest expressions,” said
Gerardo Cárdenas, composer. “This year’s residency with VocalEssence and the
students has meant so much to me and my work.”

“¡Cantaré! is an
amazing experience that has overwhelmingly enriched my approach to writing
choral music,” added composer Novelli Jurado. “Through my music, I strive to
touch each one of those beautiful voices with the deepest emotions.”

High School Rehearsal: Novelli Jurado – CLIP from VocalEssence on Vimeo.

“The aim of VocalEssence
is to spotlight all forms of vocal music, from all corners of the world,” said
Philip Brunelle, founder and artistic director, VocalEssence. “While ¡Cantaré!
enables Minnesotans to discover, celebrate and create music from Mexican
traditions past and present, our hope is that this program will inspire more composer-in-residence programs,
with composers from all around the world, in even more schools.”

Both ¡Cantaré! Community Concerts are free
and open to the public. Tickets are available at
Wayzata Community Church, the Consulate of Mexico, the Latino Communications
Network and the Neighborhood House at Wellstone Center. For more information,
visit www.vocalessence.org or call 612-547-1456.

VocalEssence is
comprised of the 100-voice VocalEssence Chorus, the 32-voice professional
Ensemble Singers, as well as guest soloists and instrumentalists, and offers
audiences a broad series of concerts. VocalEssence engages with Minnesota youth
through musical education and exploration programs such as ¡Cantaré!. The 2012-2013 school year marks the fifth
year of the program.

Called “one of the
irreplaceable music ensembles of our time” by Dana Gioia, past chairman of the
National Endowment for the Arts, VocalEssence was founded in 1969 by Artistic
Director Philip Brunelle. VocalEssence, which just announced its 45^th season for 2013-2014, has
championed the vocal experience in unconventional ways through concerts,
commissions, and community engagement, and has debuted more than 150
commissions and world premieres. Beyond performances and recordings,
VocalEssence impacts thousands of students, singers, and composers each year
through its initiative programs, contests, and support for innovative art. For
more information, visit www.vocalessence.org.

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