VocalEssence – Philip Brunelle, artistic director

Single tickets for this event go on sale on July 1, 2008.
Order along with your season tickets now!

Celebrating its 32^nd year, Welcome Christmas! is a beloved Twin Cities holiday tradition! This season's centerpiece is the world premiere of "El Niño de los Andes" (The Child of the Andes), written for VocalEssence by Ecuadorian composer Diego Luzuriaga. Alongside familiar Christmas favorites, VocalEssence premieres two brand new carols from the 11^th annual VocalEssence/American Composers Forum Welcome Christmas! Carol Contest for French horn and chorus.

Four performances:
Sunday Dec. 7, 2008 (4 pm) - Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis
Friday, Dec. 12, 2008 (7:30 pm) - Trinity Lutheran Church, Stillwater
Saturday, Dec. 13, 2008 (7:30 pm) - Normandale Lutheran Church, Edina
Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008 (4 pm) - Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis

Single tickets for this event go on sale on July 1, 2008.
Order along with your season tickets now!

Celebrating its 32^nd year, Welcome Christmas! is a beloved Twin Cities holiday tradition! This season's centerpiece is the world premiere of "El Niño de los Andes" (The Child of the Andes), written for VocalEssence by Ecuadorian composer Diego Luzuriaga. Alongside familiar Christmas favorites, VocalEssence premieres two brand new carols from the 11^th annual VocalEssence/American Composers Forum Welcome Christmas! Carol Contest for French horn and chorus.

Four performances:
Sunday Dec. 7, 2008 (4 pm) - Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis
Friday, Dec. 12, 2008 (7:30 pm) - Trinity Lutheran Church, Stillwater
Saturday, Dec. 13, 2008 (7:30 pm) - Normandale Lutheran Church, Edina
Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008 (4 pm) - Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis

Sing with superstar choral composer Eric Whitacre!

The composer will lead a community sing event, conducting a number of his greatest hits, including Animal Crackers, Sleep, The Seal Lullaby, and Lux Aurumque.* Eric will also discuss his compositions and will participate in a question and answer session.

Attendance is limited to 225 singers. Tickets for this event are $25 and include sheet music.

Reserve your space for the community sing event now!

You may also be interested in attending the Eric Whitacre Extravaganza concert on Sunday, March 22, 2009 at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis.

Conducted by the composer, the concert will feature VocalEssence, The St. Olaf Choir and the Minnesota High School Honors Choir performing an Eric Whitacre world-premiere composition composed for specifically for this event.

Purchase single tickets for the Eric Whitacre Extravaganza performance beginning July 1st.

Purchase tickets online NOW as part of a VocalEssence subscription package!

*Repertoire is subject to change

Celebrating its 32^nd year, Welcome Christmas! is a beloved Twin Cities holiday tradition! This season's centerpiece is the world premiere of "El Niño de los Andes" (The Child of the Andes), written for VocalEssence by Ecuadorian composer Diego Luzuriaga. Alongside familiar Christmas favorites, VocalEssence premieres two brand new carols from the 11^th annual VocalEssence/American Composers Forum Welcome Christmas! Carol Contest for French horn and chorus.

Additional performances:
Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008 (4 pm) - Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis
Friday, Dec. 12, 2008 (7:30 pm) - Trinity Lutheran Church, Stillwater
Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008 (4 pm) - Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis

Create your subscription of three or more VocalEssence performances and save!

Celebrating its 32nd year, Welcome Christmas! is a beloved Twin Cities holiday tradition! This season's centerpiece is the world premiere of "El Niño de los Andes" (The
Child of the Andes), written for VocalEssence by Ecuadorian composer Diego Luzuriaga. Alongside familiar Christmas favorites,
VocalEssence premieres two brand new carols from the 11th annual
VocalEssence/American Composers Forum Welcome
Christmas! Carol Contest for French horn and chorus.

Additional performances:
Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008 (4 pm) - Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis
Saturday, Dec. 13, 2008 (7:30 pm) - Normandale Lutheran Church, Edina
Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008 (4 pm) - Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis

Create your subscription of three or more VocalEssence performances and save!

Celebrating rich Mexican musical traditions, ¡Cantaré! is a cross-cultural exchange program connecting composers from Mexico with students of all ages across the metropolitan area. Composers Jorge Córdoba, Sabina Covarrubias, and Jorge Cózatl (pictured) will work with students to create a deeper understanding and appreciation of Mexican classical and folk music, while writing new music that will be premiered at the performance. This new initiative showcases the rich contributions of Mexican music and celebrate the culture that is now a part of our local heritage!

Create your subscription of three or more VocalEssence performances and save!

Children of all ages are welcome at Star of Wonder, our annual one-hour family holiday concert. The VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and the Mississippi Stars dance troupe perform a feast of favorite holiday music.

Create your subscription of three or more VocalEssence performances and save!

Six prestigious professional and community choirs in Minnesota join forces with the VocalEssence Chorus and Ensemble Singers for a celebration of the incredible choral music tradition in our community. Kantorei, Magnum Chorum, Minnesota Chorale, National Lutheran Choir, The Singers and Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus each perform a work premiered or commissioned by VocalEssence over its 40 year history. Then, over 500 magnificent voices join together for the world premiere of a work composed for this occasion by Dominick Argento.

Listen to Minnesota Public Radio host John Birge and conductor Philip Brunelle as they discuss Dominick Argento's music, including samples of his music performed by the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers

Create your subscription of three or more VocalEssence performances and save!

The London Times calls his music "extraordinarily beautiful." Classics Today says it is as "electrifying as anything you've ever heard." Young singers agree that Eric Whitacre is the hottest thing in choral music-his music has been played over a million times on MySpace. Eric Whitacre conducts the VocalEssence Chorus and Ensemble Singers, joined by the St. Olaf Choir and the 160-voice Minnesota Honors Choir, including a world premiere composed for this occasion.

Listen to Minnesota Public Radio host John Birge and conductor Philip Brunelle as they discuss Eric's music, including samples of his music performed by the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers

Join us for an Eric Whitacre Festival Weekend! Choral singers can participate in a community sing event with the composer. The date, location and how to register will be announced soon.

Minnesota high school students in Grades 11-12 can audition for the Minnesota Honors Choir this fall.

Create your subscription of three or more VocalEssence performances and save!

VocalEssence celebrates the 90^th birthday anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with music dedicated to and inspired by his life and vision. Influenced by Dr. King, jazz legend Dr. Billy Taylor performs his composition Peaceful Warrior, a three-movement work written for chorus, orchestra and jazz trio.

Listen to Minnesota Public Radio host John Birge and conductor Philip Brunelle as they discuss Billy Taylor's music, including samples of music from Peaceful Warrior

Create your subscription of three or more VocalEssence performances and save!