Santa Barbara Choral Society

Santa Barbara Choral Society
Name	Santa Barbara Choral Society
Origin	Santa Barbara, California
Founded	1953
Genre	Choral music, Classical music, Sacred music

Santa Barbara Choral Society is a volunteer-based performing ensemble rooted in Santa Barbara, California, presenting choral works spanning Renaissance polyphony to contemporary premieres. The organization collaborates frequently with orchestras, soloists, and institutions across the United States, engaging audiences through concert seasons, education programs, and recordings. Its activities intersect with regional cultural centers, touring artists, and national choral networks.

History

Founded in 1953 during a period of postwar artistic expansion, the ensemble developed alongside institutions such as the Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra, University of California, Santa Barbara, and local arts organizations like the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and Santa Barbara Bowl. Early seasons featured works by composers from the Baroque era such as Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel, alongside Giuseppe Verdi and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the nineteenth-century canon. Over decades the society premiered contemporary works tied to figures like Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen, Arvo Pärt, and John Tavener, and engaged with civic events involving the City of Santa Barbara and cultural festivals such as the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The choir’s history intersects with touring ensembles including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and guest conductors associated with institutions such as the New York Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Organization and Leadership

Governance has combined volunteer leadership, a board of directors, and artistic staff collaborating with administrative partners like the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture and philanthropic entities such as the California Arts Council and private foundations. Artistic directors and guest conductors have included conductors trained at conservatories including the Curtis Institute of Music, Juilliard School, Royal College of Music, and universities such as Harvard University, Yale University, and University of Southern California. The society often contracts soloists with ties to the Metropolitan Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Royal Opera House, and faculty from conservatories including the Conservatoire de Paris and New England Conservatory. Administrative collaborations have taken place with presenters like the Carnegie Hall Corporation, regional presenters in San Diego, San Francisco, and partner choirs including Los Angeles Master Chorale, Pacific Chorale, and collegiate choral programs.

Performance and Repertoire

Programming spans choral-orchestral works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Antonín Dvořák, Johannes Brahms, and Felix Mendelssohn; large liturgical cycles by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina and Tomás Luis de Victoria; twentieth-century compositions by Benjamin Britten, Igor Stravinsky, Olivier Messiaen, and Dmitri Shostakovich; and contemporary pieces by Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and Julia Wolfe. The ensemble regularly performs oratorios such as Handel's Messiah, Haydn's Creation, and Bach's Mass in B minor, and has presented reconstructed or lesser-known works tied to archives at institutions like the Library of Congress and British Library. Collaborations have included appearances with orchestras featuring principals from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, and Los Angeles Philharmonic, and staged projects drawing designers from the Sundance Institute and local theaters like The Granada Theatre (Santa Barbara).

Education and Community Outreach

Educational programs connect with K–12 schools in the Santa Barbara Unified School District, choral programs at Santa Barbara City College, and music departments at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Outreach initiatives mirror models used by organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts and Young Audiences Arts for Learning, offering workshops, masterclasses, and side-by-side performances with youth choirs including ensembles modeled after American Choral Directors Association guidelines. Community partnerships have involved cultural institutions like the Carpinteria Arts Center, Isla Vista Recreation & Park District, and social service organizations active in the County of Santa Barbara.

Recordings and Media

The choir’s discography and media presence include live recordings, studio projects, and broadcast performances disseminated through regional public radio affiliates such as KCRW and KCLU, and via digital platforms used by ensembles like the Los Angeles Philharmonic and New York Philharmonic. Releases have featured repertoire by Morten Lauridsen, Eric Whitacre, Benjamin Britten, and lesser-known contemporary composers promoted by labels akin to Naxos Records, Harmonia Mundi, and Deutsche Grammophon. Media collaborations have included interviews and features with outlets such as the Santa Barbara Independent, Los Angeles Times, NPR, and classical music magazines like Gramophone and BBC Music Magazine.

Awards and Recognition

Over its history the organization has received civic proclamations from the City of Santa Barbara and acknowledgments from statewide arts bodies including the California Arts Council and national recognition from cultural organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts. Artistic achievements and recordings have been noted in publications like The New York Times and recognized by competitions and festivals administered by the American Prize and the American Choral Directors Association. Collaborating soloists and conductors associated with the ensemble have been laureates of institutions including the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, recipients of awards such as the Pulitzer Prize for Music, Grammy Awards, and fellowships from foundations like the Guggenheim Foundation and National Endowment for the Humanities.

Category:Choirs in California Category:Musical groups established in 1953