Welcome to the Kalamazoo Singers website! We are pleased that you found us, and we hope that you enjoy exploring this site.
Our 2007-2008 season is now complete, with the completion of our Michigan Festival of Sacred Music concert, our "Music of Harold Arlen" concert, our "Music for Voices, Brass and Organ" concert (in honor of Thomas Kasdorf and his many years of service as Director of Music at First Presbyterian Chruch of Kalamazoo), and our annual "Concert in the Park".
The opening concert of our 2007-2008 season was a collaboration with the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music . The concert took place on Sunday, November 11, 2007, and featured both the Kalamazoo Singers and the Kalamazoo Children's Chorus Touring Choir, under the direction of Fred Sang. Two of the featured compositions were Leonard Bernstein's "Chichester Psalms" and Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Song of Thanksgiving". The Vaughan Williams composition was written to commemorate the end of World War I, and the Bernstein work was composed for the 1965 Choral Festival, sponsored by the Chichester Cathedral in Chichester, England.
The second concert of our 2007-2008 season featured a return to the site of many of our concerts over the years, the Dalton Center Recital Hall at Western Michigan University. The concert took place on Sunday, February 3, 2008, at 3:00 PM. The concert program featured music by the well-known composer of popular music, Harold Arlen. Not only did Harold Arlen write music for the film "The Wizard of Oz", but he also composed over 400 songs, many of which are in the standard repertoire of popular music. This concert featured soloists, duets, and small ensembles, in addition to the entire chorus.
The third concert of our 2007-2008 season was a "Festival of Music for Voices, Brass and Organ", on Sunday, April 20, 2008, at 3:00 PM, and featured brass ensembles, organ and chorus in a variety of combinations of sacred music from various periods of music history. Janlee Richter, organist at First Presbyterian Church, played the 63-rank Casavant organ in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church. In advance of the concert, a new rank of en chamade trumpets was installed (in honor of Thomas Kasdorf and his many years of service as Director of Music at First Presbyterian) and was featured in works on the concert program.
The closing concert of our 2007-2008 season, as it has been in previous seasons, was our annual "Concert in the Park". The Kalamazoo Singers has been honored to be the first group to perform on the "Concerts In The Park" Summer concert series every year since the inception of the series in the Summer of 2000. The series, presented by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo and the City of Kalamazoo, is sponsored by the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, and is held at the Kalamazoo Rotary Club Bandshell in Bronson Park. This season's concert took place on Sunday, June 8, 2008, at 4:00 PM, and due to inclement weather, it was held in the Kalamazoo First Baptist Church. The concert featured of variety of music, ranging from traditional choral arrangements by F. Melius Christiansen, John Ferguson, John Rutter, and Vaclav Nelhybel, to showtunes by Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein II and George Gershwin, to less traditional choral arrangements by Richard Barnes and Jean Berger, to showtunes by Harold Arlen, and finally to arrangements of traditional African-American spirituals. The concert also featured music by Nelhybel performed by the Western Michigan University Graduate Brass Ensemble.
We wish to extend our thanks and appreciation for the continued interest in the Kalamazoo Singers. None of this would be possible without the support of our audience, for which we are extremely grateful. Please scroll down, or click on any of the links on the left-hand side of the page, in order to learn more about the Kalamzoo Singers!
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Check your mailboxes in August, 2008, for information on season tickets for the Kalamazoo Singers 2008-2009 season. You may purchase yours via return mail at that time, or you may call our office at (269) 373-1769 for more information. Season tickets for the 2008-2009 season are $40.00, and include a ticket for each of our concerts. Our season ticket price represents substantial savings over individually purchased tickets for these events. Please take advantage of this economical opportunity. Be sure to order your season tickets today!
If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please send us your name and address, either via e-mail, or by phone at (269) 373-1769.
Individual tickets for our concerts are $18.00 for Adults and $15.00 for Seniors and Students.
Both season tickets and individual tickets may be purchased from members of the Kalamazoo Singers, or by calling our office at (269) 373-1769, or through the following ticket outlets:
| Miller Auditorium Ticket Office Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan (269) 387-2300 |
Epic Center Box Office 359 S. Burdick Street (at the corner of Burdick Street and Lovell Street) Kalamazoo, Michigan (269) 337-2300 |
Group discounts are given for purchases of 10 or more tickets. Please call our office at (269) 373-1769 for more information.
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The Kalamazoo Singers would like to thank the individuals and organizations who are our patrons and supporters. Their generous contributions help to make the Kalamazoo Singers, according to the Kalamazoo Gazette, "one of this area's premier choral organizations."
If you are not already doing so, we hope that in addition to purchasing tickets, you will consider supporting the Kalamazoo Singers in the following ways:
Your contributions to the Kalamazoo Singers are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. Michigan is particularly generous in allowing tax deductions and credits for charitable contributions. If you need information about our tax status, please call our office at (269) 373-1769.
We welcome volunteers to usher at our concerts, to facilitate publicity, to participate in planning, and to perform many other functions. You will receive recognition in our program booklet (if you'd like), as well as our eternal gratitude. In addition, some local employers will match volunteer effort with monetary contributions. If you have an interest in volunteering, please call our office at (269) 373-1769.
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The Kalamazoo Singers attracts some of the finest voices in Southwest Michigan. Auditions occur at various times throughout each year, and include a piece from your repertoire, scales, and sight reading. An accompanist is provided. Auditions are recorded for anonymous and impartial review.
Auditions are scheduled for August, 2008. If you have an interest in auditioning for the Kalamazoo Singers, please e-mail our audition coordinator, or call our office at (269) 373-1769.
An audition is not necessary to sing with the Kalamazoo Singers Community Chorus for our large-scale works with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. Although the core of the Kalamazoo Singers is made up of people who have successfully auditioned for a position, the Kalamazoo Singers frequently draws upon a wider group of performers for large-scale works. Choruses of up to 180 people have performed Puccini's "Turandot" and "Madama Butterfly", the Verdi Requiem, and other major choral works with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra.
It is the policy of the Kalamazoo Singers that rehearsals are a vital part of concert preparation, and that no more than two rehearsals may be missed in preparation for a concert. Missing more than two rehearsals will result in the singer being asked to not participate in the concert. Additionally, missing two consecutive concerts will result in the singer being required to re-audition.
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Our 2006-2007 season included a performance of Randall Thompson's setting of Michael Drayton's poem "Ode to the Virginian Voyage", a concert of solos, ensembles, and choruses from opera, musical theatre, and choral literature influenced by the writings of William Shakespeare, a collaborative performance of Charles Gounod's magnificent romantic opera "Faust" with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, as well as a concert of solos, ensembles, and choruses from opera, musical theatre, and choral literature (as the kickoff of the 2007 "Concerts In The Park" summer concert series presented by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo and the City of Kalamazoo, and sponsored by the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation).
Our 2005-2006 season included a "Concert in a Garden of Glass" (in conjunction with the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts "Chihuly in Kalamazoo" exhibit of works by Dale Chihuly), a concert celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, an "Operetta Favorites" concert, a concert of season highlights (as the kickoff of the 2006 "Concerts In The Park" summer concert series presented by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo and the City of Kalamazoo, and sponsored by the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation), as well as a performance of season highlights (as part of the "Taste of Portage", the opening event for the 2006 "Summer Entertainment" concert series presented by the City of Portage and the Portage District Library, and sponsored by the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, and the National Endowment for the Arts).
Our 2004-2005 season included a Thanksgiving concert featuring works by Bach, Mozart and Britten, Handel's "Coronation Anthems" with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, the world premiere performance of Gwyneth Walker's "Love Flows From God", a "Salute to Stephen Schwartz" (featuring the Michigan premiere performance of selections from the hit Broadway musical "Wicked"), as well as a concert of favorite songs from the stage and cinema (as the kickoff of the 2005 "Concerts In The Park" summer concert series presented by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo and the City of Kalamazoo, and sponsored by the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation).
Our 2003-2004 season included "Home for the Holidays" with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, a Valentine concert featuring the P.D.Q. Bach "Liebeslieder Polkas", a concert of French choral music from 1850-1950 (in conjunction with the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts "Millet to Matisse" exhibit of paintings from 1850-1950), as well as a concert of French-influenced music from the stage and cinema (as the kickoff of the 2004 "Concerts In The Park" summer concert series presented by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo and the City of Kalamazoo, and sponsored by the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation).
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We hope that you will be sure to check out the WMUK (102.1 FM) Forum Boards & Program Blogs, particularly the "In Concert!" Blog. Portions of our concerts may occasionally be heard on WMUK's "In Concert!" program, which is typically broadcast on Sundays at 3:00 PM, and again on Mondays at 8:00 PM. Thanks, WMUK! Click here to listen to WMUK online!
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In addition to the excellent reviews of the performances of the Verdi Requiem, as well as Puccini's "Turandot" and "Madama Butterfly", the Kalamazoo Singers has received favorable acclaim from music lovers and reviewers since its formation.
20-Feb-2005 KSO's 'Zadok vs. Vader' a musical triumph for compositions old and new
24-May-2004 Variety is key to KIA performance by Kalamazoo Singers
01-Dec-2003 Lori Moore helps KSO ring in holidays in lively program
02-Dec-2002 'Holidays' finds KSO and collaborators in superb form
04-Mar-2002 Weather Makes Kalamazoo Singers' Concert All The Warmer
27-Nov-2000 Pleasing performance assures another 'Home for the Holidays'
03-Apr-2000 Singers Offer Fine Take on Film Music
29-Nov-1999 KSO and Singers provide everything but the snow
27-Dec-1998 Kalamazoo Singers: 1998 Critics' Pick!
09-Dec-1998 Dancers, Harpist Join with Kalamazoo Singers for Holiday Treat
26-Sep-1998 Beautiful, energetic 'Carmen' a stellar start for KSO season
28-Apr-1997 Singers' anniversary celebration a success
06-Apr-1997 KSO's 75th Anniversary Performance is a Knockout
23-Nov-1996 KSO's Butterfly Another Winner
13-Apr-1996 KSO's Turandot Thrilling
22-Apr-1995 Some Verdi To Remember
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The Kalamazoo Singers is a choral ensemble of approximately forty voices under the direction of Thomas Kasdorf. All members are admitted by audition and include some of Southwest Michigan's finest singers.
The prime objective of the Kalamazoo Singers is to perform quality music from the opera, operetta, musical theatre, and choral repertoire. The group typically performs three or four major concerts per season, with additional appearances for community groups.
The group's commitment to excellence began in 1976, under the direction of Mel Ivey, when the group performed as the opera chorus in the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra / Michigan Opera Theatre production of Puccini's "Madama Butterfly". The members of the chorus enjoyed their participation so much that discussions were started which eventually led to the formation of the Kalamazoo Singers. It was agreed that not only would the group continue as an opera chorus, but that it would also branch out into other repertoire. The group remained under the direction of Mel Ivey until 1979, when Thomas Kasdorf took the helm.
The Kalamazoo Singers has many musical credits to its name. The many operas the group has performed include:
The Kalamazoo Singers has also formed the core of several large community choruses for concerts in collaboration with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, including:
The Kalamazoo Singers has been honored to be the first group to perform on the "Concerts In The Park" Summer concert series every year since the inception of the series in the Summer of 2000. The series, presented by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo and the City of Kalamazoo, is sponsored by the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, and is held at the Kalamazoo Rotary Club Bandshell in Bronson Park.
In the Spring of 2006, the Kalamazoo Singers performed during the "Taste of Portage", the opening event of the Summer Entertainment Series. The series, presented by the City of Portage and the Portage District Library, is sponsored by the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, and the National Endowment for the Arts, and is held at the Overlander Bandshell in Central Park.
In the Fall of 2005, the Kalamazoo Singers performed a "Concert in a Garden of Glass" (in conjunction with the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts "Chihuly in Kalamazoo" exhibit of works by Dale Chihuly).
In the Spring of 2005, the Kalamazoo Singers participated in the world premiere of Gwyneth Walker's "Love Flows From God" with the Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church Adult, Westminster and Youth Choirs, as well as the Western Michigan University Brass Quintet. The composition and performance were commissioned by the Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church, in honor of the 75th anniversary and rededication of its Gothic Sanctuary. The composer of the piece, Gwyneth Walker, participated in the final rehearsals, gave a workshop, and attended the performance in Kalamazoo.
Also in the Spring of 2005, the Kalamazoo Singers performed the Michigan premiere of selections from the hit Broadway musical "Wicked", by Stephen Schwartz.
In the Spring of 2004, the Kalamazoo Singers performed a concert of French choral music from 1850-1950 (in conjunction with the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts "Millet to Matisse" exhibit of paintings from 1850-1950).
In the Spring of 2001, the Kalamazoo Singers performed the Michigan premiere of Benjamin Britten's "The Company of Heaven" with members of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra.
In the Fall of 2000, the Kalamazoo Singers participated in two performances of the Faure Requiem with the Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church Adult Choir and members of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. The performances commemorated the 30th anniversary of the installation of the magnificent 63-rank Casavant organ at First Presbyterian.
In the Fall of 1997, the Kalamazoo Singers participated in the world premiere performances of Andrew Carter's "Beauty for Ashes" with the Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church Adult Choir and members of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. The composition and performances were commissioned by the Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church, in honor of Thomas Kasdorf and his many years of service as Director of Music at First Presbyterian. The composer of the piece, Andrew Carter, participated in the final week of rehearsals and attended the performances in Kalamazoo.
Appearances in conjunction with the 1994 and 1996 Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festivals, the Fontana Festival, and the Allegro Festival have added further recognition.
The Kalamazoo Singers was honored during its 1985-1986 season to perform in Indianapolis before the Central Division of the American Choral Directors Association.
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