The Washington Chorus

The Washington Chorus is a choir based in Washington, D.C., United States. The ensemble has 160 members and often performs at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Strathmore, and the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, as of 2020.[1]

The Washington Chorus
Choir
Former nameOratorio Society of Washington
Founded1961 (1961)
Members160
Music directorEugene Rogers (2020–present)
Headquarters4301 Connecticut Ave, NW
Washington, D.C. 20008
Websitethewashingtonchorus.org

History

The choir was founded as the Oratorio Society of Washington in 1961.[2] The organization had a $1.4 million budget, as of 2012.[3]

Leadership

The Washington Chorus has had five artistic directors. Founding director Hugh Hayward was followed by Robert Shafer, who served for more than three decades.[4] Subsequent directors included Julian Wachner (2008–2017), Christopher Bell (2017–2020),[5][6] and Eugene Rogers, who became the choir's first Black artistic director in 2020.[4] Rogers' Mahogany Series, slated to debut in 2021, will highlight composers and vocalists of color.[1]

Stephen Marc Beaudoin has served as executive director since February 2019.[7] Dianne Peterson held this role previously.[8]

See also

References
  1. Frale, Jason (August 4, 2020). "Washington Chorus' first Black artistic director announces virtual fall season". WTOP-FM. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  2. Stevenson, Joseph. "Washington Chorus". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  3. Midgette, Anne (June 11, 2012). "A long finish for a choral director, a new look for Washington's choruses". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  4. "Washington Chorus Names Eugene Rogers As Its Fifth Artistic Director". BroadwayWorld. February 6, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  5. Midgette, Anne (May 11, 2017). "Washington Chorus names new music director". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  6. Midgette, Anne (May 15, 2017). "Julian Wachner leads his last concert as music director of Washington Chorus". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  7. Midgette, Anne (May 14, 2019). "Washington Chorus is in the market for another music director". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  8. Midgette, Anne (November 14, 2014). "A polymath in D.C.: The long ascendancy of conductor-composer Julian Wachner". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.