Role

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Ensemble

Period

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Classical

Genre

:

Choral

 

The William Appling Singers is a classical music ensemble that was founded in 1979 by William Appling, an American conductor, pianist, and composer. The ensemble is based in New York City and has gained a reputation for its performances of choral music from the Renaissance to the present day. William Appling was born in 1942 in North Carolina and began his musical career as a pianist. He studied at the Juilliard School in New York City and later earned a doctorate in music from the University of Michigan. Appling was a versatile musician who was equally at home conducting, composing, and performing on the piano. He founded the William Appling Singers as a way to showcase his love of choral music and to provide a platform for talented singers to perform in a professional setting. The ensemble's early performances were held in churches and community centers in New York City, but it quickly gained a following and began to perform in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. The William Appling Singers became known for their innovative programming, which often included lesser-known works by composers such as William Byrd, Thomas Tallis, and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. One of the highlights of the ensemble's early career was a performance of Bach's Mass in B Minor at Carnegie Hall in 1982. The performance was widely praised for its clarity and precision, and it helped to establish the William Appling Singers as one of the leading choral ensembles in the United States. The ensemble also gained a reputation for its performances of contemporary music, and it commissioned and premiered works by composers such as Ned Rorem, John Harbison, and William Bolcom. Over the years, the William Appling Singers has undergone several changes in personnel, but it has always maintained a high standard of excellence. The ensemble has included some of the finest singers in the United States, many of whom have gone on to successful careers in opera and concert performance. Some of the ensemble's most notable members have included sopranos Christine Brewer and Elizabeth Futral, mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, and tenor Vinson Cole. In addition to its performances in New York City, the William Appling Singers has toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe. The ensemble has performed at festivals such as the Tanglewood Music Festival, the Ravinia Festival, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It has also collaborated with orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra. The William Appling Singers has received numerous awards and accolades over the years. In 1990, the ensemble was awarded the ASCAP/Chorus America Award for Adventurous Programming. In 1995, it received the WNYC/WQXR Award for Best Choral Performance of the Year for its performance of Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem. The ensemble has also been featured on several recordings, including a critically acclaimed recording of Ned Rorem's War Scenes. Sadly, William Appling passed away in 2008, but his legacy lives on through the William Appling Singers. The ensemble continues to perform under the direction of Eugene Sirotkine, a former member of the ensemble who has also conducted the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera.

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