Role

:

Ensemble

Genre

:

Choral

 

 

Opera

 

Back Bay Chorale is a classical music ensemble based in Boston, Massachusetts. The group was founded in 1970 by Scott Jarrett, a conductor and pianist who had recently graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music. Jarrett was inspired to start the ensemble after attending a performance of Handel's Messiah at Boston's Symphony Hall, and he wanted to create a group that could perform choral works at the highest level of excellence. The ensemble's name comes from the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, where Jarrett lived at the time of the group's founding. The Back Bay Chorale began as a small group of singers who rehearsed in Jarrett's apartment, but it quickly grew in size and reputation. Today, the ensemble is made up of over 100 singers from the Boston area, and it is known for its powerful and expressive performances of choral music from a wide range of composers and styles. Over the years, the Back Bay Chorale has performed with some of the world's leading orchestras and conductors, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Handel and Haydn Society, and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. The group has also collaborated with many renowned soloists, such as soprano Dawn Upshaw, mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, and tenor Plácido Domingo. One of the Back Bay Chorale's most notable performances was its 1990 rendition of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, which was conducted by Seiji Ozawa and featured the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. The performance was part of the Bicentennial Celebration of the French Revolution, and it was broadcast live on PBS to an audience of millions. The Back Bay Chorale's performance was widely praised for its energy, precision, and emotional depth, and it helped to establish the group as one of the premier choral ensembles in the United States. In addition to its performances with major orchestras and conductors, the Back Bay Chorale has also presented many of its own concerts and programs. The group's repertoire includes works from the Renaissance to the present day, and it has a particular focus on contemporary music. The ensemble has commissioned and premiered many new works by composers such as John Harbison, Osvaldo Golijov, and Nico Muhly, and it has been recognized for its commitment to promoting new music and supporting emerging composers. The Back Bay Chorale has received numerous awards and accolades over the years, including several ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming and a Grammy nomination for its recording of John Harbison's Requiem. The group has also been praised for its educational outreach programs, which bring choral music to schools and community groups throughout the Boston area. Throughout its history, the Back Bay Chorale has remained committed to its mission of bringing the highest quality choral music to audiences in Boston and beyond. The ensemble's dedication to excellence, innovation, and community engagement has made it one of the most respected and beloved choral groups in the United States, and it continues to inspire and delight audiences with its powerful and expressive performances.

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