Coro Allegro
Coro Allegro is a classical music choral group based in Boston, Massachusetts, drawing its members from the LGBT community. It was founded in 1990.
Profile and performances
Coro Allegro was founded specifically to be a chorus of both gay men and lesbians who share a passion for music, and it remains the only organization in Boston committed to bringing exciting classical repertoire to the GLBT community. The chorus also succeeds in bringing classical music to a wider audience. In its first twenty years, its numbers grew from just twenty singers to more than sixty.[1]
The chorus regularly collaborates with other musical ensembles.[2] Among its most notable collaborations have been performances of Mendelssohn’s Elijah in 1999 with the Boston Cecilia and the Handel and Haydn Society under the direction of Christopher Hogwood;[3] of Robert Kapilow’s baseball cantata, a setting of Casey at the Bat for chorus, in 2001 with Musica Viva in collaboration choreographer Daniel Pelzig;[4] of Brahms’ German Requiem in 2003 with Boston Cecilia under the baton of Donald Teeters; and of both Poulenc's Gloria and Bernstein's Chichester Psalms in 2004 with Boston Cecilia.
Coro Allegro participates in the quadrennial GALA Choruses Festival.[5] It has also traveled to participate in the following music festivals:
- Tampa, Florida, 1996
- San Jose, California, 2000
- Place des Arts, Montreal, Quebec, 2004
- Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Miami, Florida, 2008
- Denver Performing Arts Complex, Denver, Colorado, 2012
Among the world premieres Coro Allegro has presented are:
- Ruth Lomon's Requiem for soprano and chorus accompanied by brass and woodwinds, 1997[6]
- Charles Fussell’s Infinite Fraternity, May 16, 2003 at Sanders Theatre[7]
- Patricia Van Ness's Requiem for baritone, chorus, two violins, viola, cello, bass and oboe, October 31, 2004[8]
- Robert Stern’s “Shofar,” November 5, 2006 at Sanders Theatre[9]
The Artistic Director is David Hodgkins. That post has been held in the past by Thomas Kim and Jane Ring Frank.
Pinkham Award
Since 2008, Coro Allegro has chosen the recipient of the Pinkham Award, given annually in memory of the gay composer Daniel Pinkham. The award is granted to those who make significant contributions in both the LGBT and classical music communities. Award recipients are:
- Sanford Sylvan, 2008[10]
- Bishop Gene Robinson, 2009[11]
- Fenwick Smith, 2010
- Patricia Van Ness, 2011
- Donald Teeters, 2012
- David Hodgkins, 2013
References
- ↑ Arts Boston: Coro Allegro, accessed Dec. 1, 2009
- ↑ Boston Globe, "Cecilia, Coro Allegro Find Balance With Brahms ," Mar. 19, 2003
- ↑ Boston Globe, "Elijah Affirms One's Faith in H & H," Oct. 21, 2000
- ↑ Boson Globe, "This Casey Doesn't Strike Out", May 14, 2001
- ↑ GALA Choruses: GALA Choruses Member Choruses, accessed Dec. 15, 2009
- ↑ Boston Secession: Composer in Residence, accessed Dec. 16, 2009
- ↑ "Charles Fussell" in International Who's Who in Classical Music 2003 (Routledge, 2003))
- ↑ Blue Lantern Press: Patricia Van Ness
- ↑ Boston Musical Intelligencer: "Shofar Highlights Concert with Coro Allegro at Sanders", accessed Dec. 15, 2009
- ↑ Boston Globe: "An award for Sylvan," Feb. 22, 2008, accessed Dec. 15, 2009
- ↑ Bay Windows: "Coro Allegro to honor gay bishop," April 2, 2009, accessed Dec. 15, 2009
External links
- Official website
- Bay Windows: Boston’s Coro Allegro launches new season on high note, Nov. 18 2003, accessed Dec. 15, 2009