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VOCALESSENCE SINGERS OF THIS AGE KICK OFF SUMMER TOUR WITH LOCAL CONCERT

Before Chicago trip, diverse youth choir perform at Augsburg University—May 30

MINNEAPOLIS — December 17, 2019 — The VocalEssence Singers of This Age, or VESOTA, are taking the show on the road with the VESOTA Voices Calling tour this summer. This diverse choir, comprised of high school-aged singers from the Twin Cities area, is now in its third year, and it’s ready to see a little bit more of the world. The choir will journey to Chicago to share the joy of singing, but before it leaves town, it will perform a VocalEssence Family Series concert.

The Voices Calling pre-tour concert is on May 30, 2020 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Hoversten Chapel at the Foss Center at Augsburg University, Minneapolis. Adult tickets are $15, and admission is free for children under 18 years. Tickets are available via the online box office and as part of a 2019-20 Family Series Subscription. Call 612-371-5656 for more information on ticket purchases.

Press images are available here.

“It’s thrilling to watch VESOTA hit another milestone—its first week-long tour,” says G. Phillip Shoultz III, VocalEssence associate conductor. “Many of the singers have been in the choir since it was founded three years ago—they even chose the name themselves! Watching them lift each other up as they grow as singers, scholars, and citizens and witnessing the energy they unleash when they come together as a choir is tremendously moving. We want to show off the immense talent of these singers in their hometown one last time before we set off on the next VESOTA adventure, the Voices Calling tour!”

The Voices Calling tour brings a message of acceptance and hope, peace and love to all who will hear it. In addition to performing, VESOTA members will participate in service projects, collaborate with local choirs, and enjoy free time tour in museums and amusement parks.

VocalEssence Singers Of This Age (VESOTA) is a dynamic group of urban high school students from 17 different Twin Cities schools whose repertoire spans the globe. In addition to singing music from many cultures and time periods, students also dance, rap and create their own music. Under the visionary leadership of founding conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III, this ensemble revolutionizes the concept of choir, and reflects the diversity of the Twin Cities community in its membership. VESOTA was a featured performer at both Minnesota American Choral Directors Association Conference and the North Central Regional American Choral Directors Association Conference this season. The program won the Chorus America Education and Community Engagement Award  at the 2019 Chorus America Awards.

VocalEssence, called “one of the irreplaceable music ensembles of our time” by Dana Gioia, past chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, impacts thousands of students, singers, and composers each year through its initiative programs, contests, and support for innovative art. VocalEssence was founded in 1969 and has debuted more than 300 commissions and 500 world premieres. For more information, visit www.vocalessence.org.

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