HOUSTON CHAMBER CHOIR
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Mission Statement
The Houston Chamber Choir is a professional ensemble dedicated to increasing the awareness, appreciation and esteem of choral music and musicians through performance, outreach and education
About This Cause
Cited by the Houston Chronicle as “one of the jewels of this city’s cultural scene,” the Houston Chamber Choir is one of the premier professional choirs in the United States, serving Houston through concerts and educational initiatives that enlighten, entertain, and educate people of all ages. In 2019 the Houston Chamber Choir released its fifth commercial recording, DURUFLÉ: COMPLETE CHORAL WORKS, on the Signum Classics label. The album was nominated for and subsequently received the Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance in January 2020. The album features the complete choral works of 20th-century French composer Maurice Duruflé with renowned organist Ken Cowan of Rice University. Signum Classics is the United Kingdom's leading independent classical label. The Houston Chamber Choir was recognized as one of the top 24 choral ensembles in the world by the International Federation for Choral Music and was invited to perform at the prestigious World Symposium on Choral Music in Auckland, New Zealand, in July of 2020. 179 choirs from 44 countries applied to earn one of the coveted spots at what is sometimes referred to as the ‘Choral Olympics’. In 2018, the Houston Chamber Choir received the prestigious Chorus America Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence. This award is presented annually by Chorus America to a chorus that demonstrates the highest level of artistic excellence and a strong organizational structure. The award also recognizes commitment to outreach, education, and culturally diverse activities. Led by Artistic Director Robert Simpson, the Houston Chamber Choir has been described by Tallis Scholars founder Peter Phillips as “one of this country’s leading ensembles." The Choir is comprised of 24 professional singers, trained at the top music schools and conservatories in the United States. These musicians are selected through rigorous, annual auditions from the finest singers in our region and are compensated for all rehearsals and performances. Throughout its 25-year history, the Houston Chamber Choir has brought audiences a fresh look at music of all periods. It was the first ensemble to present a period instrument performance of Bach’s Mass in B minor, an occasion that Dr. David Ashley White, former Director of the Moores School of Music described as “fundamentally changing the way early music is performed in Houston.” It brought Dave Brubeck and his quartet back to Houston after a 20-year absence and presented the first Houston performance of Duke Ellington’s Third Sacred Concert with members of the Ebony Opera Guild and a big band including several instrumentalists who played the premier with Duke Ellington at Westminster Abbey, London. It has commissioned works from multi-Grammy Award-winning jazz bassist, Christian McBride, as well as Houston native Christopher Theofanidis, now teaching at Yale, Dominick DiOrio of Indiana University, and Houston’s own David Ashley White. The Houston Chamber Choir has performed in Mexico City with the Orquesta del Nuevo Mundo and traveled to Wales where it won honors at the International Choral Festival in Llangollen. It has been selected to perform at regional and national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association. It made its New York debut at Trinity Church, Wall Street in 2012 before traveling to New Haven to present masterclasses and a concert at Yale University at the invitation of the Institute of Sacred Music. It was a featured choir at the 2016 national convention of the American Guild of Organists. CORE PROGRAMMING Each season the Houston Chamber Choir presents a diverse repertoire showcasing the beauty and depth of choral music. Our seasons are designed to make concerts financially and culturally accessible to our greater community. In 2018 we implemented new ticket pricing for music educators, first responders, and members of the military, active and veteran status. With venues across the city, a diverse group of singers, innovative new lighting and staging not typically presented during choral concerts, as well as strategic collaborations with our performing arts partners across the city, choral music in Houston is more accessible and approachable than ever. In March of 2020 the Houston Chamber Choir started the With One Accord podcast. Initially created as an auditory escape from the social isolation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the project has blossomed into a three-component, visually interactive digital experience cherished by Houston Chamber Choir patrons, and new audiences all over the world. This digital outreach has extended the Choir’s geographic and cultural footprint far beyond its Houston home. Each podcast episode showcases the diverse range of choral music, spanning an array of unique artistic experiences, heartwarming traditions, and compelling storytelling. Music Mondays with Artistic Director Robert Simpson presents performances by the Houston Chamber Choir and outstanding North American choirs. Viewers and listeners catch a glimpse of the personalities of the Houston Chamber Choir on Behind the Music with arts and culture expert St. John Flynn. Finally, we dive into showcasing the choral world’s rising stars on our Education Spotlight with April Harris, on the last Friday of every month. In November of 2020 the Houston Chamber Choir launched a new virtual entertainment platform, The Houston Chamber Choir Digital Stage. Here patrons enjoy access to all the Choir’s premium content, streaming straight to their computers or directly to their smart TVs. Patrons enjoy high quality concerts, dynamic original programming with behind-the-scenes footage, and favorites from the Houston Chamber Choir’s concert archive.