Chicago ''a cappella'' is an American classical vocal ensemble founded in 1993 by Jonathan Miller.

History

The artistic director, Jonathan Miller, founded the ensemble in 1993 by performing as a low bass and directing rehearsals for the group's first 14 seasons. One of the founding ensemble members, Matthew Greenberg, joined the administrative staff in 1995 and presently serves as the organization's Executive Director. In 2007, Patrick Sinozich became the ensembles first music director after being appointed by Miller. In 2008, Miller was awarded the Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal from Chorus America and was recognized for turning Chicago ''a cappella'' into a professional vocal ensemble. The organization's audiences have actively grown since the ensembles formation and an ensemble of about ten singers typically perform in a wide array of concert programs each year in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, Evanston,

Naperville Naperville ( ) is a city in DuPage and Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is a southwestern suburb of Chicago located west of the city on the DuPage River. As of the 2020 census, its population was 149,540, making it the state's ...

, and

Oak Park, IL Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, adjacent to Chicago. It is the 26th-most populous municipality in Illinois, with a population of 54,318 as of the 2020 census. Oak Park was first settled in 1835 and later incorporate ...

. The ensemble has performed musical works from their world, national, and local premiere. Chicago ''a cappella'' has presented new music from composers such as Joseph Jennings, Chen Yi, Stacy Garrop, Rollo Dilworth, Tania León, and Ezequiel Viñao. Chicago ''a cappella'' has performed more than 350 concerts and assembled over 200 performances through its Chicago-based sequence. When touring, the ensemble has performed in 13 different states throughout the United States and Mexico. The group has been played regularly on

WFMT WFMT (98.7 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station in Chicago, Illinois, with a classical music radio format. It is part of Window to the World Communications, Inc, in the same company as Chicago's PBS member station WTTW. WFMT seeks donations ...

radio and through broadcasts spread by

American Public Media American Public Media (APM) is an American company that produces and distributes public radio programs in the United States, the second largest company of its type after NPR. Its non-profit parent, American Public Media Group, also owns and o ...

, including the award-winning radio show Performance Today. The ensemble has made nine CD recordings of music extending from Renaissance masses to modern-day music. Currently, the organization's administrative offices are located inside of the Athenaeum Theatre in Chicago.

Discography

*''Palestrina: Music for the Christmas Season'' (1996) *''Mathurin Forestier:Missa Baises moy; Missa L'homme armé'' (1999) *''Go Down Moses: Tracing the Roots of the African-American Spiritual'' (2001) *''Holidays a cappella Live'' (2003) *''Eclectric'' (2005) *''Shall I Compare Thee?: Choral Songs on Shakespeare Texts'' (2005) *''Christmas a cappella: Songs From Around the World'' (2008) *''Days of Awe and Rejoicing: Radiant Gems of Jewish Music'' (2011) *''Bound for Glory: New Settings of African-American Spirituals'' (2014) *''Global Transcendence: Sacred World Harmony and Chant'' (2014)

References

External links

Official web site
* Chicago a cappella at Allmusicbr>chicagoacappella Facebook Page
*Antonia Blumberg

The Huffington Post, 2014-10-17, accessed 3 January 2015. *Natalia Dagenhart
Chicago a cappella lights up Chicagoland with Holidays a cappella
*Natalia Dagenhart
Chicago a cappella brings Love Stories to Chicagoland
*Natalia Dagenhart
Chicago a cappella presents The History of Rock and Soul, Part 2
{{Authority control Choirs in Illinois A cappella musical groups Musical groups from Chicago 1993 establishments in Illinois Musical groups established in 1993 Cedille Records artists Centaur Records artists