Be part of creating new choral repertoire AND support Chorus America!
Chorus America Commission Consortiums
Every year, Chorus America presents commission consortium opportunities to choruses for SATB choruses and treble (children and youth) choruses. These consortiums bring together choruses of all sizes to be a part of commissioning a new work from a well-loved composer and premiering the work in their community for a fraction of what it would cost a single chorus to commission such a piece. All proceeds from the commissioning fees go to support the core programs and services of Chorus America. Chorus America is pleased to have leading concert tour company Classical Movements as the exclusive partner of our Commission Consortium program.
In partnership with Classical Movements, as part of the Eric Daniel Helms New Music Program, the 2020 commission is jointly underwritten by a consortium of choruses to benefit the programs and services of Chorus America.
Register for the 2020 Commission Consortiums Today!
Deke Sharon (SATB), Karen P. Thomas (SATB), and Sarah Quartel (Treble)
Deke Sharon - SATB
Born and still living in San Francisco, California, Deke Sharon has been performing professionally since the age of 8. As a child he toured North America and shared the stage performing in operas with the likes of Luciano Pavarotti.
Heralded as "the father of contemporary a cappella" (Entertainment Weekly), Deke has his a cappella fingers in many pies, arranging (Broadway’s In Transit), music directing movies (Pitch Perfect 1, 2, & 3), and producing television's The Sing Off (US, Holland, China, South Africa), music directing BBC’s Pitch Battle, directing professional groups (Vocalosity), performing (TotalVocal at Carnegie Hall), coaching (Lifetime’s Pitch Slapped) producing albums (Straight No Chaser) and events (Camp A Cappella), publishing arrangements with Hal Leonard, while teaching and promoting a cappella worldwide.
Register
Details: You can join this consortium with a contribution of $500. Participating choruses will receive the completed piece by February 1, 2021 via PDF. They can premiere the work in their communities until August 31, 2021, at which time the piece will be available for sale to the public. Participating ensembles will share the commissions (and printed dedications) equally. Participation must be confirmed and payment processed prior to September 30, 2020.
Karen P. Thomas - SATB
Karen P. Thomas is a nationally known leader in the field of choral music and performance, as a conductor, composer, and arts advocate. An award-winning composer, her music has been praised as “superb work of the utmost sensitivity and beauty.” Her music is regularly performed internationally by groups such as The Hilliard Ensemble, The Vocal Consort of Brussels, NOTUS, and Cathedra of the Washington National Cathedral. Among her numerous commissions are works for the Harvard/Radcliffe Choirs, the Grand Jubilee in Rome, the American Guild of Organists, and the Association of Anglican Musicians.
In addition to her work as a composer, Karen is also the artistic director and conductor of Seattle Pro Musica. Named the Washington State “Outstanding Choral Director” for 2012, she has been recognized for her “charismatic…magnetic podium presence” and “sweeping vision.” For her leadership in multiple areas, including making choral ensembles welcoming spaces for transgender and nonbinary singers, she received a 2018 Seattle Mayor’s Arts Award.
Register
Details: You can join this consortium with a contribution of $500. Participating choruses will receive the completed piece by February 1, 2021 via PDF. They can premiere the work in their communities until August 31, 2021, at which time the piece will be available for sale to the public. Participating ensembles will share the commissions (and printed dedications) equally. Participation must be confirmed and payment processed prior to September 30, 2020.
Sarah Quartel - Treble
Sarah Quartel is a Canadian composer and educator known for her fresh and exciting approach to choral music. She celebrates the musical potential of all learners by providing singers access to engaging repertoire and transformative musical experiences. Deeply inspired by the life-changing relationships that can occur while making choral music, Sarah aims to write in a way that connects singer to singer, ensemble to conductor, and performer to audience.
Sarah publishes exclusively with Oxford University Press and is their only signed Canadian composer. Although she has been a full-time composer since 2017, Sarah chooses to remain connected to her past as a music educator and is a guest teacher in her hometown of London, Canada. Sarah continues to work as a clinician and conductor at music education and choral events at home and abroad.
Register
Details: You can join this consortium with a contribution of $300. Participating choruses will receive the completed piece by February 1, 2021 via PDF. They can premiere the work in their communities until August 31, 2021, at which time the piece will be available for sale to the public. Participating ensembles will share the commissions (and printed dedications) equally. Participation must be confirmed and payment processed prior to September 30, 2020.
Engage with the Consortium Community
This year Chorus America's Commission Consortium is powered by Consortio.io, an online service that connects choruses and composers to commission new music. Consortio.io lets you collaborate with your composer and consortium community. You can easily see other ensembles that are part of the Commission Consortium to coordinate premiere dates or plan partnership opportunities.
The 2020 Chorus America Commission Consortium is powered by
Questions? Participating as a Canadian or other international chorus? Contact André Coleman, associate director of development, at andre@chorusamerica.org or call 202-331-7577 x241.
| Previous Commissions: | |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Ola Gjeilo (SATB): Roots |
| 2019 | J. Reese Norris (children & youth): This is Who I Am |
| 2018 | Hussein Janmohamed (SATB): The Wedding |
| 2018 | Joan Szymko (children & youth): WORDS |
| 2017 | Craig Hella Johnson (SATB): Song From The Road |
| 2017 | Tom Shelton (children & youth): Old Tunes |
| 2016 | Dominick DiOrio (SATB): Change My Sorrow Into Song |
| 2016 | Andrea Ramsey (children & youth): But a Flint Holds Fire |
| 2015 | Bob Chilcott (SATB): The Real of Heart |
| 2015 | Mack Wilberg (children & youth): Come, Little Leaves |
| 2014 | Rene Clausen (SATB): Now Talking God |
| 2014 | Caldwell & Ivory (children & youth): Bengi Lele |
| 2013 | Rollo Dilworth (SATB): Shine the Heavenly Light |
| 2013 | Alice Parker (children & youth): Coo-Coo Bird |
| 2012 | Dale Warland (SATB): The Voices |
| 2012 | Jim Papoulis (children & youth): A World We Cannot See |
| 2011 | André Thomas (SATB): Someday Is Today |
| 2011 | Eleanor Daley (children & youth): A Celtic Blessing |
| 2010 | John Rutter (SATB): Dedication and Amen |
| 2010 | Rollo Dilworth (children & youth): Every Time I Feel the Spirit |
| 2009 | Eric Whitacre (SATB): Little Man in a Hurry |
| 2009 | David Brunner (children/youth): Spiritual Musick |
| 2008 | Caldwell & Ivory (children & youth): Witness |
| 2007 | Bob Chilcott (children & youth): Like a Singing Bird |