The Community Concert Choir of Baltimore, Inc. (MD)
Marco K. Merrick
Founded in 2010, The Community Concert Choir of Baltimore was established to preserve the musical heritage of the African American Church. The inaugural concert at Baltimore's Union Baptist Church met with a standing room only audience and enthusiastic support, which continues 15 years later. This ecumenical choral aggregation of nearly 200 singers spans age, race, faith, cultures, traditions and geography, celebrating music that has shaped history and reinforced the power of music, faith and hope over generations.
The choir's repertoire includes spirituals, anthems, hymns and the evolution of gospel music, meeting the commanding presence of patrons in the Baltimore/Washington Metropolitan areas. In addition to its four seasonal signature concerts in area churches and concert halls, the choir has been featured at Washington's MLK, Jr. Memorial, at Morgan State University, The National Urban League Convention, The US Presbyterian Assoc. Convention, in Baltimore’s Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, and a tour Rome, Italy in 2023 before sold out audiences and standing room only crowds, including a private performance for the Vatican. This fall, the choir will perform its annual concert in the nation's first Cathedral, Baltimore's Basilica of the National Shrine of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
As a 501 c(3), all concerts are free and open to the public. Donors enable the choir to support music education and cultural enrichment programs in Baltimore, including providing annual scholarships for worthy students and aspiring musicians. Your tax deductible contributions may be sent to The CCCB, Inc. P.O. Box 26666 Baltimore MD 21207
Baltimore native, Marco Merrick's music contributions span nearly 50 years. He began piano studies at 8 years old at the Peabody Conservatory of Music. His church music positions in Baltimore and Boston led to him subsequently, founding the Community Concert Choir of Baltimore in 2010. He is deeply committed to preserving the sacred music of the Black Church.
A member of the Choir Directors & Organists Guild of the Hampton Ministers Conference and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the nation’s oldest music fraternity, he has been piano faculty at the Nathan Carter School of Music and is sought after as consultant, facilitator, lecturer and has been director for the ACT-SO Chorus during NAACP national conventions.
His TV news and programming career informed Marco producing features and specials on music and arts; and he was Performing Arts Coordinator at Morgan State University with Dr. Nathan Carter, where he produced the master class featuring world renowned soprano Leontyne Price and coordinated MSU Choir’s Bonn, Germany tour. A member of The Society of Living Makers of Black History, the Nat'l Assoc. of Negro Musicians, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and the Carter Legacy Singers, he is board member for the MD State Boychoir.
Merrick holds a M.A. from the Univ. of Baltimore, B.S. from Towson University, numerous awards and commendations, including an honorary doctoral degree in Sacred Music from Eastern Theological Seminary.
Warwick Valley High School Chamber Orchestra; Warwick Valley High School Combined Symphony & Chamber Orchestras
E'lissa Jones Maynard
The Warwick Valley High School (WVHS) Chamber Orchestra is a distinguished ensemble within the Warwick Valley Central School District's music program. Under the guidance of director Elissa Maynard, the orchestra has achieved significant milestones, including collaborations with renowned musicians and performances at esteemed venues. This is an audition based honors orchestra. The Warwick Valley High School (WVHS) Symphony Orchestra is a cornerstone of the school's vibrant music program, offering students the opportunity to engage in a comprehensive orchestral experience. This ensemble is open to all students proficient in violin, viola, cello, or string bass; the Symphony Orchestra does not require an audition for participation.
E'lissa Jones Maynard is a multifaceted musician renowned for her exceptional skills as an educator, singer, songwriter, and violinist. Hailing from Colorado and landing in New York, she has made significant contributions to the world of education and the folk-jazz genre. E'lissa has been an educator for 24 years and is the Director of Orchestras, Music Theory, and Music Production at the Warwick Valley High School. Throughout her performance career, E'lissa has been recognized with several accolades, including being a Grammy Ballot Nominee and was voted Hudson Valley Singer-Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist of the year on multiple occasions. In 2012, she was honored as the Best Multitalented Musician by Hudson Valley Magazine. E'lissa founded the Hudson Valley Ebony Strings in 2017, a chamber group dedicated to promoting classical music among young African American musicians. This initiative continues the legacy of her mentor, Tom Humphrey, aiming to inspire future generations in the classical music scene. E'lissa has graced numerous prestigious venues and festivals, including New York's The Blue Note and Birdland, as well as international stages like the Newport and Montreux Jazz Festivals. Her performances are celebrated for their emotional depth and musical prowess, captivating audiences worldwide. Beyond her musical endeavors, E'lissa is deeply committed to community engagement, using her platform to mentor aspiring musicians and advocate for cultural enrichment. Her story is a testament to passion, dedication, and the transformative power of music.
South Holland Master Chorale
Philip J. Bauman
South Holland Master Chorale’s 80-plus active members have a long history as one of the premiere singing ensembles of the Chicago Southland. The Chorale draws singers from no fewer than 40 cities and villages extending from the South Side of Chicago to Kankakee and from Orland Park to Chesterton, Indiana. Broadly diverse and proudly non-discriminatory, the Chorale enjoys membership from across a wide range of demographics. The Chorale has always remained a non-auditioned group – all who love fine choral music and are willing to work hard to bring it to perfection are welcome, regardless of previous choral experience.
The South Holland Master Chorale has performed many of the greatest masterpieces of classical choral and choral/orchestral literature.
Recognized by critics as offering “tremendously sensitive direction” and being “a gifted and spirited conductor,” Philip Bauman brings to the chorale decades of leadership and enthusiasm energizing the imagination of musicians and audience members. Maestro Bauman is also the Music Director of the Michigan City Messiah. Known for his charismatic presence on and off the podium he is frequently hailed for his innovative programs and consistently captivating performances.
Mr. Bauman brings to the chorale a rich history of work with choruses and choral ensembles including work with Chicago Opera Theater, Downers Grove Oratorios Society, The Opera Factory, Light Opera Works, Boise Opera, Starlight Theater, and da Corneto Opera.
Christelijke Oratorium Vereniging Veenendaal
Hans Lamers
The Christian Oratorio Association in Veenendaal (COV) was founded on January 31, 1942, and has existed for 80 years with around 50 members.
COV has high artistic ambitions and stands out for its high-quality performances, attracting renowned soloists and orchestras. Its repertoire includes both classical and modern choral works, oratorios, and passions.
A selection from our recent concert history:
Both St. Matthew Passion and St. John Passion by Bach, Gloria by Vivaldi, Misa a Buenos Aires (Misa Tango) by Palmeri, St. Paul by Mendelssohn, and The Creation by Haydn.
Hans Lamers initially studied orchestral conducting for wind ensembles, as his roots lay in wind music.
His passion for choral music led to a choral conducting diploma in 1984 at the Arnhem Conservatory. In 1987, he joined a masterclass with renowned conductor Kurt Sanderling.
Through the Gelderland Opera and Operetta Society (GOOG) and Toonkunst Choir Zutphen, he developed a deep affinity for major choral and orchestral works. In 2023, he bid farewell to the choir with Mendelssohn’s Elijah.
Since 2008, he has been the conductor of COV Veenendaal, proud of their 2015 freedom concert and Haydn’s The Creation in the Basilica.
Ensemble de Provence
Bisser Kostadinov
Under Bisser Kostadinov artistic direction, has performed works from the major repertoire such as W.A. Mozart and G. Fauré Requiems, J.B. Bach, A. Vivaldi, G.B. Pergolesi Magnificats, Ethel Smyth Mass in D, but also contemporary works :
M. Duruflé Requiem, B. Britten Cermony of Carols, J. Rutter Magnificat.
Bisser graduated from the National Music Conservatoire in Sofia, Bulgaria. In 1987 he won the singing competition organised by Nikola Giuzelev, the famous Bass.
He has been living in France since 1990, singing in lyrical performances alongside renowned soloists.
In 2009 he opened a singing school - in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Provence – to teach Bel Canto, and also started conducting choirs.
Passionate about Orthodox singing, in 2010 Bisser created and conducted Cantus Dixit, a choir which has performed throughout Europe, notably at the Pomorie Orthodox Music Festival in Bulgaria. In 2023, he founded the Vocalys choir, dedicated to major classical works.
The Arlington Chorale
Dr. Ingrid Lestrud
The Arlington Chorale is a vibrant, multi-generational chorus featuring talented singers from Virginia, D.C., and Maryland. They perform a diverse repertoire that includes well-known masterpieces by composers such as Haydn, Mozart, and Brahms, alongside contemporary works that address pressing societal issues. Committed to supporting living composers, the Chorale commissions new works that resonate with the community partnerships they have established with local non-profits. Their youth ensemble, Performers with Purpose (PWP), empowers young singers to engage with community organizations, emphasizing service through choral music. In 2024, the Chorale received the Greater Washington D.C. Choral Excellence “Ovation” Award for Exemplary Community Engagement.
Dr. Ingrid Lestrud enjoys an active career as a conductor and educator. She holds a Doctor of Music from Northwestern University, where she studied with Victor Yampolsky. She spent three years as Voice Department Chair of the Merit School of Music, a community music school focused on underserved communities. She worked with Renée Fleming and the Lyric Opera of Chicago to develop curriculum for Merit’s programs, and her choir performed with Ms. Fleming for special events. In 2022, she won the Mid-Atlantic Teaching Artists Innovate + Create contest for her work with Performers With Purpose, a youth ensemble that combines music with service projects.
Konzertchor Ratingen
Thomas Gabrisch
Konzertchor Ratingen (www.konzertchor-ratingen.de) was founded in 1973 and directed by Josef Waggin for 40 years. Thomas Gabrisch took over the direction in 2013. The choir is 52 years old, now with currently 90 members.
The choir has developed an extensive repertoire of symphonic oratorios, masses, secular choral music, and increasingly also contemporary music. It regularly travels abroad, e.g. to France, Hungary, USA, Israel, Italy, Cuba, Uruguay, Argentina, Spain and Portugal. In 2019 the choir sang Misatango in Buenos Aires with Martín Palmeri on the piano. In New York, Carnegie Hall, in June 2025, the choir will be represented by 16 singers (5S,6A,2T,3B).
Thomas Gabrisch ( www.thomasgabrisch.com) was born in Hamburg, where he went to school and university. He began his career at the “Deutsche Oper am Rhein”, Düsseldorf, where he become head of the opera studio. Afterwards he became first conductor in Freiburg and chief conductor of the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra.
He has conducted several hundred opera performances in Germany as well as symphony concerts in Germany and abroad.
He is professor at the Robert Schumann University for more than 25 years, and every year in April he performs a major opera project with the students of his opera class.
Since 2013 he is the artistic director of the Ratingen Concert Choir.
Fürstenland Chor Gossau
Guido Helbling
Fürstenland Chor Gossau was founded in 1885 as a women’s chorus in Gossau near St Gallen. Since 1971 it has been a mixed choir. Today it comprises around 45 singers from Gossau and the surrounding area (Fürstenland). Its varied repertoire ranges from oratorios and sacred music to traditional folk songs and popular music from all over the world.
Every year a major work is performed in collaboration with a regional orchestra while a series of smaller events are dedicated to the performance of church music or lighter entertainment.
Since 1982 it has been under the direction of Guido Helbling.
Guido Helbling is trained in musicology, piano, school music, singing, choral conducting and orchestral direction. For many years he taught at the Catholic Friedberg High School Gossau and at the St. Gallen School for Church Music. He was President of the Swiss Federation Europa Cantat (SFEC) and a member of the board of the Europa Cantat International Board from 2006-2015. He was a member of the Swiss Music Council and the umbrella organization of all Swiss choral associations. Guido Helbling chaired the music committee for the Swiss Song Festival at Gossau in 2022.
As an expert, choir coach and course leader he continues to be involved in the Swiss choral scene.
Toronto Mendelssohn Choir
Jean-Sébastien Vallée
The TMChoir is one of Canada’s oldest, largest, and best-known choral organizations. Its first concert was on January 15, 1895, during Massey Hall’s inaugural season. A leader in Canadian choral music, the choir commissions works by Canadian composers and presents world and Canadian premières. It regularly performs and records with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. In May 2021, Jean-Sébastien Vallée became Artistic Director, the eighth conductor in TMChoir’s 130-year history. This anniversary season includes two commercial recordings: Remember: 130 Years of Canadian Choral Music and a recording with Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra and Orchestre symphonique de Québec celebrating Jacques Hétu.
Jean-Sébastien Vallée is a renowned Canadian-American conductor, scholar, and pedagogue specializing in vocal, choral, and orchestral repertoires. He is the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and Full Professor of Music, Director of Choral Studies, and Coordinator of the Conducting & Ensembles Area at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University. Vallée has conducted across North America, Europe, and Asia, and prepared choruses for leading orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony and Toronto Symphony. His recordings, including Remember (2024) and Distance (2021), have been internationally broadcast.
The Hudson-Mohawk Chorale
Susan Hermance-Fedak
Organized in 2015 by Founder and Artistic Director Susan Hermance-Fedak, The Hudson-Mohawk Chorale is a 70 voice, non-auditioned community chorus, primarily performing works by contemporary living composers. Accompanied by their Composer-in-Residence Alfred Fedak, the group has given two European concert tours, performs to full houses, does outreach to nearby nursing homes and elder facilities, and has premiered several of Mr. Fedak's works. This is the group's first appearance on the Carnegie Hall stage.
Well-known throughout New York's Capital Region as an oratorio soloist, vocal teacher and conductor, Susan Hermance-Fedak has held church, synagogue and college positions and has conducted choral ensembles and festivals for singers of all ages, often with full orchestra. Over the course of her long career, Ms. Fedak has sung or conducted in 10 foreign countries and taught at five colleges ... so far!
Vocalino Classic Pop Jazz Chor
Beat Dähler
The Vocalino Choir is renowned for its diverse repertoire, ranging from classical to pop, jazz, and gospel. Classical highlights include the Swiss premiere of Dvořák's Requiem with a chamber orchestra and performances at Tonhalle Zürich featuring works by Haydn, Mozart, and Orff. The choir has also performed pop concerts like Beatles Revival, jazz oratorios, and staged productions such as Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, and Dähler's musical "Deal is Deal." In 2023, they captivated audiences with tango music and Palmeri's Misatango. Notable events include 'CinemaParadiso - Film Music Live' and the sold-out 30th-anniversary performance "Kings & Queens" at Tonhalle Zürich in 2024.
Beat Dähler, a versatile musician from Zurich, has made significant contributions to the Swiss music scene. Trained in piano, organ and conducting, Dähler's career spans composing, arranging, performing and teaching. He conducts several choirs, including the 100-strong Vocalino ensemble, which he founded, and has led numerous performances in prestigious venues including the Tonhalle Zürich. Besides conducting hit musicals ‘Heidi’, ‘Fame’ and ‘The Addams Family, Dähler's work also extends to television productions and musical compositions, including „Deal ist Deal“, «Home Office» and „Shaking Quotes“. Dähler's versatile expertise, his humorous rehearsals and his commitment continue to inspire students, musicians and audiences alike.
Choeur Arioso de Mudaison
Jean-Marc NORMAND
The Arioso choir was founded over 30 years ago. For more than 20 years, under the direction of Jean-Marc Normand, it has counted some forty amateur singers and is one of the region's finest vocal ensembles. Arioso's repertoire is vast and eclectic, ranging from the great classics of sacred and secular music (Bach, Gounod, Monteverdi, Vivaldi, Fauré, Schubert, Handel...) to gospel and contemporary works. Arioso performs throughout the Montpellier region in the south of France.
Jean-Marc Normand is a classically trained musician and teacher (teaching diploma in musicology, diploma in piano/harmony).
He has won gold medals in France in musical training and piano accompaniment. He also trained as a singer and choral conductor.
His great skill and leadership qualities have enabled the Arioso choir to make spectacular progress in all the major repertoires.
Ottawa Choral Society
Gabrielle Gaudreault
Since its inaugural concert in 1941, the Ottawa Choral Society (OCS)’s focus on choral excellence and meaningful presentation has made it one of Canada’s most ambitious and accomplished large choruses. OCS concerts feature up to 120 auditioned voices performing sacred and secular masterworks, as well as modern and traditional choral gems. OCS proudly shares the stage with world-class concert artists, distinguished conductors and Ottawa’s leading instrumentalists. In addition to presenting its own subscription series, OCS regularly appears as the guest of the National Arts Centre Orchestra and has partnered with the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra and the Ottawa International Chamber Music Society.
In addition to being the artistic director of the Ottawa Choral Society, Gabrielle Gaudreault leads the Saint-Lambert Choral Society and is an instructor in the Choral Department at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music. A sought-after conductor, pedagogue and collaborative pianist, Dr. Gaudreault has previously served as Assistant Conductor to Maestro Kent Nagano at the Staatsoper Hamburg and Associate Conductor of the National Children’s Chorus in Washington, D.C. In 2020, she co-founded CG Music Academy in Arlington, Virginia with her husband, Chris LaRosa. Gabrielle completed her Doctorate in Choral Conducting at McGill University and holds an MA in Music Theory and Choral Conducting from Indiana University.
IU East Richmond Chorale
Jessica Raposo
In 2016, the Indiana University East choir opened itself to community members, forming the IU East Richmond Chorale in Richmond, Indiana. Made up of students, alumni, faculty, staff, parents, and others, the IU East Richmond Chorale performs on campus and in the community for concerts, fundraisers, and other special events. In 2024, under director Dr. Jessica Raposo, the Chorale formed a partnership with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, the Earlham College Choirs, and the RSO Singers to come together for large choral works as the Richmond Symphony Chorus. Their first collaboration in March 2025 was a performance of the Fauré Requiem.
Jessica Raposo is chair of Fine and Performing Arts at IU East, teaching classes in performance, theory and history, and the IU East Richmond Chorale. A flutist by trade, she began her work in choral music in church music ministry, first as a singer, then as a director of traditional, folk and youth choirs in London, Vancouver and Connecticut. Dr. Raposo holds degrees from University of Michigan, Royal Academy of Music, and University of British Columbia, and is a certified K-12 music educator. She completed additional training at the International Workshops in Norway, and the Choral Conducting Symposium in Michigan.
Martinskantorei Pfullingen
Bettina Maier
The Martinskantorei Pfullingen under the direction of Bettina Maier is a choir with an inter-community catchment area and charisma. The choir currently consists of around 60 singers. It sings once a month at church services, mainly in St. Martin's Church in Pfullingen, and performs two concerts a year with challenging oratorio and a cappella literature.
The choir's repertoire includes:
Bach, C. Ph.: Magnificat
Bach, J. S.: Christmas Oratorio, St. John Passion, St. Matthew Passion, St. Mark Passion, motets
Brahms, Joh.: Gypsy songs, motets
Dvorak, A.: Mass in D major
Handel, G. Fr.: The Messiah
Keiser, R.: St. Mark Passion
Pärt, A.: St. John Passion
Mendelssohn, F.: Motets, Paulus, Elias
Mozart, W. A.: Requiem
Rossini, G.: Petite Messe solennelle
Schütz, H.: St. John Passion, St. Matthew Passion, Motets
Zelenka, J. D.: Lamentationes for Holy Week
District cantor Bettina Maier received her first organ lessons at the age of 14 from KMD Otto Heymann in Metzingen.
After her C examination and A-levels, she spent a social year in Paraguay and trained as a nurse. She then studied church music at the University of Church Music in Tübingen from 2008 to 2012. After successfully completing her B examination, she completed her one-year internship at the town church in Münsingen with district cantor Stefan Lust.
From October 2013 to March 2018, she worked as a deanery cantor in Wörrstadt and moved to the district cantor position in Pfullingen in April 2018.
Arts Chorale of Winchester
Dr. Karen Keating
The Arts Chorale of Winchester was formed in 2001 by founding artistic director, Michael Main, to perform, promote and preserve the choral arts in Winchester and beyond. Now entering our 23rd season, Arts Chorale of Winchester continues to provide a performance opportunity for people of all walks of life who love to sing and aspire to a high standard of music-making. The repertoire ranges from the choral classics, both sacred and secular, to the music of Broadway. Programming is designed to be both challenging and enjoyable.
Karen Keating, Professor Emerita, is honored to be the Artistic Director of the Arts Chorale of Winchester since 2021. She taught over 30 years at Shenandoah University serving as director of Shenandoah Chorus, Cantus Singers and the music director/conductor for SU’s innovative Opera Up Close. Karen earned a Bachelor of Music degree from James Madison University and has Diplomas in organ performance and choral conducting from the University of Salzburg “Mozarteum”. She has a Doctoral degree in performance
from Shenandoah University and studied with Grammy award winner Robert Shafer.
Throughout her career, Karen has worked with many distinguished artists
including singers Julianne Baird, Werner Hollweg, Christopher Merritt and Barbara Bonney. Her choirs have performed for Alice Parker, Chanticleer, Anonymous 4 and at ACDA regional conventions. While at Shenandoah Unviersity, Shenandoah Chorus was invited to sing the world premiere of composer Stephen Melillo’s Kakehashi: That We Might Live. She travelled with her choir to Tokyo, Japan to record the work.
Medina Community Choir
Hannah Brear
Hannah Brear founded Medina Community Choir on the Isle of Wight in 2006, initially for students and their parents to sing together. The choir now has over 120 members, performing a wide range of music from musical theatre to rock, pop, jazz, and classical. They tour France every two years, showcasing their award-winning gospel concert, with performances at Le Mans Cathedral and Tours Basilica. For their 20th anniversary, they will perform in Paris’ iconic places of worship. The choir regularly performs in theatres and festivals in the UK, with this being their second performance in New York, having performed Rutter's Magnificat here in 2019 .
Hannah Brear (Director of Medina Community Choir) was a member of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, performing as a soloist at Notre-Dame and Sacré-Coeur as a teenager, and for the Pope at the Vatican at 19. At 20, she became Principal Voice Coach for the Conservatoire of Music, Perpignan. After moving to London in 1999, she trained as a teacher and founded the MCC in 2006. Recent achievements include performing with Lesley Garrett and Russell Watson, arranging for Fatboy Slim, and winning a BBC Glee competition. She performed at Carnegie Hall in 2019 and works as MD for several choirs on the Isle of Wight. She was nominated to run with the Olympic Torch in 2012 for her services to music in the community.
