Cantus

CANTUS ENGAGES AUDIENCES IN A MEANINGFUL MUSIC EXPERIENCE AND ENSURES (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) THE FUTURE OF ENSEMBLE SINGING BY MENTORING YOUNG SINGERS AND EDUCATORS. CANTUS WAS FOUNDED ON THE IDEALS OF COLLABORATIVE MUSIC-MAKING: ARTISTS AND STAFF WORK TOGETHER TO REACH NEW LEVELS OF ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE, INNOVATION AND AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT. OUR VISION IS TO GIVE VOICE TO SHARED HUMAN EXPERIENCES.

CONCERTS: CANTUS EMBRACED A HYBRID IN-PERSON/ONLINE CONCERT MODEL AS THE ENSEMBLE CONTINUED TO NAVIGATE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. IN THE 2021-22 SEASON, THE ENSEMBLE PERFORMED SIX SUBSCRIPTION CONCERTS, AS WELL AS A COLLABORATIVE CONCERT WITH SAN FRANCISCO-BASED VOCAL ENSEMBLE CHANTICLEER AND A TWICE-DEFERRED 25TH ANNIVERSARY GALA CONCERT THAT BROUGHT TOGETHER 27 CURRENT AND FORMER CANTUS MEMBERS. THE SEASON ALSO INCLUDED PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE BACH SOCIETY OF MINNESOTA AND RENOWNED LATIN JAZZ PIANIST NACHITO HERRERA. THE ENSEMBLE ALSO PREMIERED NEW WORKS BY SUCH COMPOSERS AS MELISSA DUNPHY, CHRIS FOSS, AND OTHERS. IN ADDITION TO PERFORMING FOR IN-PERSON AUDIENCES, CANTUS MADE EACH PROGRAM AVAILABLE ONLINE ON A PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN MODEL THAT PRIORITIZED(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)ACCESS AND ULTIMATELY REACHED THOUSANDS OF LISTENERS ACROSS ALL 50 STATES, 13 COUNTRIES, AND 73 OF MINNESOTA'S 87 COUNTIES. OPEN REHEARSALS WERE NOT POSSIBLE DURING THE PANDEMIC.

TOURING: CANTUS GRADUALLY RESUMED ITS NATIONAL TOURING IN THE 2021-22 SEASON, WITH ENGAGEMENTS ACROSS 13 STATES. OF PARTICULAR NOTE, THE ENSEMBLE APPEARED AT WOLF TRAP IN VIENNA, VIRGINIA, AND AT MEYERSON SYMPHONY CENTER IN DALLAS, TEXAS, WHERE IT WAS PRESENTED BY THE DALLAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. CANTUS MADE ITS TANGLEWOOD DEBUT IN JULY 2022 IN A COLLABORATION WITH PIANISTS EMANUEL AX AND MACKENZIE MELEMED. IN CONJUNCTION WITH NATIONAL TOURING, THE ENSEMBLE ALSO CONDUCTED MASTER CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS WITH STUDENTS AT LUTHER COLLEGE IN DECORAH, IOWA; BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY IN BOWLNG GREEN, OHIO; EMORY & HENRY COLLEGE IN EMORY, VIRGINIA; THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR IN BELTON, TEXAS; AND ELSEWHERE.

MEDIA INITIATIVES: BRITISH RECORD LABEL SIGNUM CLASSICS RELEASED CANTUS' POPULAR "COVID-19 SESSIONS" ALBUM IN HARD COPY IN MARCH 2022, PROMPTING GRAMOPHONE TO DUB THE ENSEMBLE "A CLASS ACT VOCALLY." MEANWHILE, CANTUS' DEBUT ALBUM ON THE SIGNUM LABEL "MANIFESTO," RELEASED IN JUNE 2021 AND FEATURING WORKS BY DAVID LANG, YSAYE BARNWELL, AND OTHERS CONTINUED TO GENERATE CRITICAL ACCLAIM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WITH BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE DEEMING IT "A POWERFUL HYMN TO HUMAN CONNECTION." IN MAY 2022, CANTUS REAFFIRMED ITS ARTISTIC BREADTH WHEN IT RELEASED "COVERS LIVE!," A DIGITAL-ONLY ALBUM OF MUSIC BY ELTON JOHN AND OTHER POP ICONS. MEANWHILE, THE ENSEMBLE WAS ALSO HEARD ON YOURCLASSICAL MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO IN LIVE BROADCASTS OF ITS (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)CHRISTMAS CONCERT, ITS COLLABORATION WITH CHANTICLEER, AND ITS ANNIVERSARY GALA CONCERT. THE ENSEMBLE ALSO RELEASED 30 MUSIC VIDEOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT HAVE BEEN VIEWED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TIMES, PART OF THE ORGANIZATION'S ONGOING STRATEGY TO ENGAGE BROADER AUDIENCES AND EXPAND ACCESS.

EDUCATIONAL RESIDENCIES: COMMITMENTS TO DEEPENING THE MUSIC-EDUCATION EXPERIENCE IN THE LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND FOSTERING A FUTURE FOR ENSEMBLE SINGING REMAIN INTEGRAL TO CANTUS' MISSION. AFTER A ONE-YEAR PANDEMIC-INDUCED HIATUS, CANTUS RESUMED ITS AWARD-WINNING HIGH SCHOOL RESIDENCY PROGRAM, THIS YEAR WORKING WITH THE CHOIRS OF MINNEAPOLIS SOUTH, ROBBINSDALE ARMSTRONG, AND STILLWATER HIGH SCHOOLS. CANTUS ALSO PARTNERED WITH MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO TO PARTICIPATE IN THE "CLASS NOTES" PROGRAM, WHICH BROUGHT THE ENSEMBLE INTO K-12 CLASSROOMS IN A DOZEN COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT MINNESOTA. ADDITIONALLY, CANTUS PARTNERED WITH ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA-BASED CHORAL ARTS ENSEMBLE FOR A TWO-DAY WORKSHOP WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA.