Festival Choir of Madison

"Misa Criolla" by Festival Choir Madison!

Experience Ariel Ramírez's masterwork, Misa Criolla, along with North American premiers of two Ecuadorian composers, Leonardo Cardenas and Segundo Condor, who recreate the traditional folk songs of the Andes.

7:30pm, First Unitarian Society of Madison, 900 University Day Drive  

press release: Festival Choir is an auditioned mixed-voice choir of 40-45 singers who come from all walks of life to make music together. This dedicated group of singers, some of whom travel from far outside of Madison, gather every week to rehearse the varied music you hear during their regular season concerts. They do so because they love singing and because there is nothing quite like the experience of collective artistry.

Festival Choir has long championed living composers by commissioning and performing new works. Recent Composers-in-Residence have included Stephen Paulus, Elizabeth Alexander, Paul Carey, Eric Whitacre, and Scott Gendel. In addition to its regular subscription season, the Choir has performed live broadcasts from the Chazen Museum for Wisconsin Public Radio, appeared as part of Overture Center's Grand Opening Festival, and toured across the state and abroad. In 1999, the Choir travelled by invitation to Austria as the first choral ensemble ever asked to participate in the prestigious Ost-West Musikfest.

Founded in 1973 as the Diocesan Choir by Vernon Sell, Festival Choir was led by David Lewis Crosby from 1975 to 1993, Eric Townell from 1993 to 2006, Drew Collins from 2007 to 2008, Dr. Bruce Gladstone from 2009 through 2011, and Dr. Bryson Mortensen from 2011 through 2015.