Vocalessence

VOCALESSENCE CHAMPIONS CHORAL MUSIC OF ALL GENRES, CELEBRATING THE VOCAL EXPERIENCE THROUGH INNOVATIVE CONCERTS, COMMISSIONS, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS.

ARTISTIC SERIES - CONTINUALLY ADAPTING TO THE EVOLVING PANDEMIC, VOCALESSENCE RETURNED TO IN-PERSON CONCERTS IN THE 21-22 SEASON WHILE STILL OFFERING AN ONLINE VIDEO COMPONENT FOR EACH CONCERT TO SERVE THE DIFFERING PREFERENCES OF OUR AUDIENCE. CONCERT VIDEOS WERE PROFESSIONALLY RECORDED AND EDITED AND HOSTED ON THE VOCALESSENCE WEBSITE FOR FREE VIEWING. IN-PERSON CONCERTS FOLLOWED THE ORGANIZATION'S COVID SAFETY POLICIES WHICH WERE ENFORCED THROUGHOUT THE PERFORMING SEASON. THE ARTISTIC SERIES FEATURED 6 CONCERTS INVOLVING OUR 32-MEMBER PROFESSIONAL ENSEMBLE SINGERS, OUR 120-VOICE VOLUNTEER CHORUS, OUR 30-MEMBER YOUTH CHOIR (VESOTA), GUEST ARTISTS OF CULTURALLY DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS, AND PROFESSIONAL ORCHESTRAL MUSICIANS, ALL LED BY THE VOCALESSENCE ARTISTIC STAFF. THE CONCERTS WERE PERFORMED AT NOTABLE VENUES AROUND THE TWIN CITIES INCLUDING ORCHESTRA HALL, ORDWAY, AND THE BASILICA OF ST. MARY. 4,700 PEOPLE ATTENDED IN-PERSON CONCERTS; CONCERT VIDEOS RECEIVED 8,296 VIEWS; 45,000 PEOPLE INTERACTED WITH VOCALESSENCE VIA ELECTRONIC AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, AND TV AND RADIO BROADCASTS REACHED 2,652,000.

LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS - OUR LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS ARE FOCUSED IN SEVERAL AREAS. WITNESS CELEBRATES AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE AND MUSIC, REACHING 27 SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE GREATER TWIN CITIES METRO AREA AND ENGAGING THE VOCALESSENCE SINGERS AND 8 WITNESS TEACHING ARTISTS OF VARIOUS DISCIPLINES. CANTARE CONNECTS MEXICAN COMPOSERS WITH TWIN CITIES METRO AREA SCHOOLS WHERE PARTICIPANTS LEARN ABOUT MEXICAN CULTURE AND MUSIC THROUGH REHEARSING AND PERFORMING NEW CHORAL WORKS. TEACHING RESOURCES AND VIDEOS ARE ALSO MADE AVAILABLE ON A TEACHERS' PORTAL ON THE VOCALESSENCE WEBSITE. OUR VINTAGE VOICES CHOIRS ARE IN TWO LOCATIONS AND ENGAGED 80 OLDER ADULTS THROUGH FOUR 13-WEEK SESSIONS OF CREATING, REHEARSING, AND PERFORMING A PROGRAM OF MUSIC, POETRY, AND PERSONAL REFLECTIONS PRESENTED TO AUDIENCES TOTALLING 609 PEOPLE. THE VOCALESSENCE SINGERS OF THIS AGE (VESOTA) BROUGHT TOGETHER 35 TEENAGE STUDENTS OF DIVERSE CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS FROM 15 HIGH SCHOOLS IN MINNEAPOLIS, ST. PAUL, ST. LOUIS PARK, ROBBINSDALE, AND MAPLEWOOD. 40 WEEKLY REHEARSALS INVOLVED INSTRUCTION IN CHORAL MUSICIANSHIP, MOVEMENT, CHOREOGRAPHY, DRAMA, LYRICS, AND AN INTRODUCTION TO MULTIPLE MUSICAL STYLES THROUGH GUEST PRESENTERS. VESOTA WAS FEATURED IN ITS OWN 90-MINUTE PROGRAM AS PART OF THE VOCALESSENCE ARTISTIC SERIES.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS -INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AS A LEADER IN CHORAL PERFORMANCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT, VOCALESSENCE IS ENGAGED IN OTHER SPECIAL PERFORMANCES AND WORKSHOPS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. IN 2021-22, VOCALESSENCE ENGAGED IN 20 ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES, REACHING AN AUDIENCE OF 46,551, AND 2 ADDITIONAL WORKSHOPS, REACHING AN AUDIENCE OF 900. ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES INCLUDE CONFERENCES, CORPORATE APPEARANCES, FUNDRAISERS, SENIOR RESIDENCES, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS' PERFORMING SEASONS, AND, OF NOTE, THE NHL WINTER CLASSIC IN JANUARY 2022. IN OCTOBER 2021, VOCALESSENCE WAS AWARDED AN UPPER MIDWEST REGIONAL EMMY FOR ITS 2020 TELEVISED PRODUCTION OF WELCOME CHRISTMAS.