MUSAE
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Mission Statement
Musae offers a new experience of treble voices by combining musical artistry with an innovative and generous approach to performance. Music is an essential part of our lives. Our commitment to excellence and collaborative learning challenges us to push artistic boundaries each season. We believe that Musae's heartfelt and adventurous music making inspires audiences and builds community.
About This Cause
Musae is a treble vocal ensemble based in San Francisco. The group takes its name from the original "ladies of song," the classic nine muses of Greek mythology. Since its founding in 2004, Musae has performed diverse and accessible music throughout the Bay Area, and continues to stretch the boundaries of traditional repertoire for treble voices. Musae functions as a musical collective in which each singer identifies as a leader and soloist contributing actively to the artistic process. The group's singers are trained in the choral tradition, but not bound by it. Each singer may sing a range of voice parts based on the aesthetic demands of the music, and the group performs without a conductor. In its first six seasons, Musae established itself as an up-and-coming member of the Bay Area music community. The group workshopped with acclaimed vocal ensembles Kitka and Chanticleer, performed at charity events, hosted a series of open houses, and produced a full schedule of seasonal concerts. Whether in Berkeley, Marin, on the Peninsula, or at home in San Francisco, Musae offers its audiences a new experience of treble voices with a repertoire including sacred chants, baroque masterpieces, choral standards, chamber pieces with string quartet, spirituals, folk songs, jazz, and popular music from five continents. In 2005, Musae released its debut album, From Argentina to Appalachia, featuring music from North America, Venezuela, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil. Alegría y Placer: A Musae Christmas followed in 2007, showcasing local composer Conrad Susa's "Carols and Lullabies: Christmas in the Southwest" for treble chorus, harp, marimba, vibraphone, and guitar. In 2008-2009, Musae celebrated its 5th Anniversary Season, during which the group presented its first ever Meet the Composer event, premiered works composed especially for the group, hosted a party and fundraiser at The City Club of San Francisco, and brought its annual December and May concerts to audiences in San Francisco, Berkeley, and Tiburon. In 2009, the group released Five, a fifth anniversary CD, and in 2010, the group premiered its first full-length commission from local composer Dwight Okamura. In 2012, Musae welcomed Ben Johns of Chanticleer as its artistic director. Musae performed at Chanticleer's 35th Anniversary Gala and participates in the New Music for Treble Voices Choral Festival held annually in Palo Alto. With the 2013-2014 season, Musae celebrated its 10th Anniversary Season, continuing to perform around the Bay Area and produce music of the highest caliber. In 2016, Laney Armstrong became Musae's artistic director. She is a singer and conductor who has made choral music and choral music education her life’s work. As a conductor and educator, Dr. Armstrong strived to cultivate a love of music in each singer through quality programing, building skills and musicianship, and devotion to the music and texts. During Laney’s tenure, Musae collaborated with other Bay Area ensembles including Ragazzi Continuo, Kronos Quartet, Fog City Singers, and San Francisco Girls Chorus. In 2018, Musae established a new administrative director position. Previously, administrative tasks had been shared by the singers who served on committees to facilitate the organization and functioning of the group. There had developed a need to alleviate time commitment to singers and centralize administrative projects. Kim McClain became the administrator director and began managing bookkeeping, budgeting, auditions, personnel, calendar, logistics, venues, marketing, concert production, and fundraising. In 2019, Musae was invited to perform at the California Choral Directors Association state convention in San Jose. During this same year the ensemble celebrated its 15th anniversary season. The following season was cut short due to the pandemic, and after an extended break from rehearing and performing in person, the group returned for the 2021-2022 season. During the 2022-2023 season Musae welcomed two interim artistic directors: Joel Chapman for the fall concert cycle and Elizabeth Kimble for the spring concert cycle. Musae is supported by a loyal group of supporters, donors, and audience members.