Welcome to the Kalamazoo Singers website! We are pleased that you found us, and we hope that you enjoy exploring this site!
The Kalamazoo Singers is pleased to announce the naming of our new Music Director and Conductor, Richard (Rick) Phelps! Rick brings over twenty years of conducting experience with youth choirs, adult choirs, and orchestras in a wide array of musical genres. Rick earned his Bachelor of Music from Central Michigan University and his Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Rick is originally from Mt. Pleasant, where he taught for many years while also serving as adjunct faculty at his alma mater, CMU. Rick is currently the choir director at Holland High School, and has taught at Interlochen every summer since 1997. Please join us in welcoming Rick to the Kalamazoo arts community!
In other news, the Kalamazoo Singers is pleased to announce our 2011-2012 season, our 35th concert season!
Our 2011-2012 season will begin with "O Magnum Mysterium", a concert of sacred vocal music from Renaissance to Rutter. Featuring works by Tomas Luis de Victoria, Morten Lauridsen, Francis Poulenc, Pablo Casals, David MacIntyre, Franz Biebl, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Randol Bass, Giovanni Gabrieli, and John Rutter, this promises to be an inspiring and uplifting event. The concert will take place at Holy Family Chapel (on the Nazareth campus near the intersection of Gull Road and Nazareth Road), on Sunday, November 6, 2011, at 3:00 PM.
The second concert of our season will be a collaboration with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Handel's "Messiah". This performance will take place at Chenery Auditorium (near the intersection of Westnedge Avenue and Vine Street), on Saturday, December 17, 2011, at 8:00 PM.
Our season will continue with "A Gilbert and Sullivan Celebration", a celebration of the operettas written and composed by this prolific duo. The concert will take place at Kalamazoo First Baptist Church (315 West Michigan Avenue, on the north side of Bronson Park), on Sunday, March 25, 2012, at 3:00 PM.
The final concert of our 2011-2012 season will be "Concert in the Park". The Kalamazoo Singers is thrilled once again to participate in the 2012 "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. The concert will take place on the Kalamazoo Rotary Club Stage in Bronson Park, on a Sunday in June, 2012 (date TBD), at 4:00 PM .
Tickets for Kalamazoo Singers concerts (including collaborations with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra) may be purchased from the Miller Auditorium Ticket Office.
Auditions for the Kalamazoo Singers will be held on Monday, January 9, 2012, time TBD. Auditions consist of a piece from your repertoire (opera, operetta, musical theatre, or choral literature), scales / vocalizations (in order to determine vocal range), and sight reading. An accompanist is provided. Audio recordings of auditions may be made for later review. 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.
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Our 35th Concert Season
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Individual tickets for our concerts are $18.00 for Adults, $15.00 for Seniors, and $5.00 for Students. Individual tickets may be purchased at the door on the date of the concert, or in advance from members of the Kalamazoo Singers, by calling our office at (269) 373-1769, or through the following ticket outlet:
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Miller Auditorium Ticket Office |
Individual tickets for our "O Magnum Mysterium" concert at Holy Family Chapel (on the Nazareth campus near the intersection of Gull Road and Nazareth Road) on Sunday, November 6, 2011, at 3:00 PM, may be purchased from the Miller Auditorium Ticket Office at the following link:
https://aeweb.auxe.wmich.edu/scripts/max/5000/maxweb.exe?ACTION=ORDER&MAXWEB_127.0.0.1_5213=#magnum
Individual tickets for Handel's "Messiah" with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra (as well as other collaborations with the KSO) have their own pricing structure, and may be purchased through the Miller Auditorium Ticket Office.
Our "Concert in the Park" on the Kalamazoo Rotary Club Stage in Bronson Park on a Sunday in June, 2012 (date TBD), at 4:00 PM is free, and does not require a ticket.
Group discounts are given for purchases of ten or more individual tickets to Kalamazoo Singers concerts (excluding collaborations with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra). Please call our office at (269) 373-1769 for more information.
If you would like to receive mailings with information regarding our upcoming concerts and 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.
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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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Auditions for the Kalamazoo Singers will be held on Monday, January 9, 2012, time TBD. Auditions consist of a piece from your repertoire (opera, operetta, musical theatre, or choral literature), scales / vocalizations (in order to determine vocal range), and sight reading. An accompanist is provided. Audio recordings of auditions may be made for later review. 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, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, and other major choral works with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra.
The Kalamazoo Singers typically performs three or four major concerts per season, with additional appearances for community groups. Rehearsals typically occur from early September through late May / early June, and are typically held on Monday evenings, from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM, at Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church, 321 West South Street (across from Bronson Park, next to the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre). Additionally, dress rehearsals are typically held the day prior to a concert, at the concert venue.
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 2009-2010 season included a collaboration with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra in a semi-staged performance of Giacomo Puccini's "Turandot", a Christmas concert entitled "Christmas at Nazareth" at Holy Family Chapel at Nazareth, a concert entitled "All Things Spring" featuring musical selections celebrating love and springtime, including George Shearing's "Songs and Sonnets From Shakespeare" and John Rutter's "Birthday Madrigals", as well as selections from Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Gondoliers", Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Aspects of Love", and Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel", "South Pacific", and "State Fair", as well as a concert of solos, ensembles, and choruses from musical theatre and choral literature (as the kickoff of the 2010 "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 2008-2009 season included a collaboration with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Jeremy Koch and Denene Mulay Koch, and the Kalamazoo Children's Chorus in a pops concert featuring selections from Broadway shows such as "South Pacific", "Big", "The Music Man", and "Hairspray", a Christmas concert entitled "Christmas at Nazareth" at Holy Family Chapel at Nazareth, a collaboration with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra in a performance of "Video Games Live" (described as "an immersive event created by the game industry featuring the best game music performed by top orchestras and choirs combined with synchronized lighting, video, live action and audience interactivity... the first and most successful video game concert tour in the world!"), a concert entitled "Cathedral Classics" recognizing the contributions to choral music of Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809), on the 200th anniversary of his death, and Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), on the 200th anniversary of his birth (including Haydn's "Missa In Tempore Belli" ("Mass In Time of War") (a.k.a. "Paukenmesse" ("Kettledrum Mass")) and Mendelssohn's "Die Deutsche Liturgie" ("The German Liturgy")), as well as a concert of solos, ensembles, and choruses featuring selections from Broadway shows of 1959, such as "Gypsy", "The Most Happy Fella", "The Music Man", "My Fair Lady", "Once Upon A Mattress", "The Sound of Music", and "West Side Story" (as the kickoff of the 2008 "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 2007-2008 season included performances of Leonard Bernstein's "Chichester Psalms" and Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Song of Thanksgiving" (in collaboration with the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music and the Kalamazoo Children's Chorus Touring Choir (under the direction of Fred Sang), a concert of music by the well-known composer of popular music Harold Arlen, a "Festival of Music for Voices, Brass and Organ" (featuring the 63-rank Casavant organ in the sanctuary of the Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church, including a new Trompette en Chamade rank installed in honor of Thomas Kasdorf and his many years of service as Director of Music at First Presbyterian), as well as a concert of solos, ensembles, and choruses from musical theatre and choral literature (as the kickoff of the 2008 "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 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 J.S. Bach, Mozart and Benjamin 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. 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. Thomas Kasdorf directed the group for thirty years, retiring in 2009, after which the Kalamazoo Singers Board of Directors granted him the title of Music Director and Conductor, Emeritus.
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 generously funded by the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, and is held at the Kalamazoo Rotary Club Stage in Bronson Park.
In the fall of 2009, the Kalamazoo Singers collaborated with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Jeremy Koch and Denene Mulay Koch, and the Kalamazoo Children's Chorus, in a pops concert featuring selections Broadway shows such as "South Pacific", "Big", "The Music Man", "Hairspray", and many more.
In the spring of 2009, the Kalamazoo Singers collaborated with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra in a performance of "Video Games Live", described as "an immersive event created by the game industry featuring the best game music performed by top orchestras and choirs combined with synchronized lighting, video, live action and audience interactivity... the first and most successful video game concert tour in the world!".
In the spring of 2008, the Kalamazoo Singers presented a "Festival of Music for Voices, Brass and Organ". The concert featured brass ensembles, organ and chorus in a variety of combinations of sacred music from various periods of music history. Janlee Richter, organist at Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church, played the 63-rank Casavant organ in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian. In advance of the concert, a new Trompette en Chamade rank 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.
In the fall of 2007, the Kalamazoo Singers collaborated with the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music . The concert 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.
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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