Phoenix Chorale Announces Finalists for Artistic Director Search

The Phoenix Chorale Artistic Director Finalists bring a wealth of talent and a variety of expertise including leadership positions with professional choirs and symphony choruses, performing around the world, founding new ensembles, winning honors from Grammys to Gramophones, and teaching the next generation of singing artists.

Each finalist will lead a concert weekend in the 2018/19 Season, which is also the Phoenix Chorale's 60th Anniversary. In total, five distinct programs will be presented over the course of the year, with an additional guest conductor leading the annual holiday program, "A Chorale Christmas."

"It's not very often that there is an opening for a position like this anywhere across the country, and we were thrilled by the quality and number of individuals expressing their interest in the Artistic Director position," said

Jen Rogers, President & CEO of the Phoenix Chorale. "It was clear early on that narrowing the field to four finalists was going to be difficult, which is a wonderful problem to have! Each of the finalists brings a unique artistic voice and dynamic vision for the ensemble and we are excited to be working with such talented individuals."

The Artistic Director Search process began in the summer of 2017 and by November, fifty qualified individuals from across the United States and abroad had applied for the position. The Search Team reviewed the first round of materials: cover letters, resumes, and both audio and video files, narrowing the field to 11 Semifinalists. The Semifinalists submitted a second round of materials including additional video and audio files, sample concert programs, and each semifinalist was tasked with designing a concert program for the Chorale; interviews were held, and references were checked. At the end of that round, four finalists were identified and invited to continue in the Search process. Each of the four finalists will be conducting the Chorale for the first time during the 2018/19 Season.

"The singers in the Chorale are excited at the prospect of working with each of these talented conductors," said Alison Chaney, Phoenix Chorale Soprano and Singer Representative to the Board. "Rehearsing and performing with different conductors is a wonderful development opportunity for us - individually and collectively - we will gain such valuable knowledge from each of these artists. We also look forward to the final outcome of the Search process, when our next Artistic Director will chart the artistic path forward for our ensemble."

Each finalist will come to Phoenix and lead the ensemble in rehearsals and concerts and will meet with the board, staff, singers, and the Phoenix community over the course of their concert series. The final selection for the Artistic Director position is expected in late Spring of 2019, with the new Artistic Director taking the helm in the 2019/20 Season.

"What an amazing journey for the Phoenix Chorale - sixty years of creating exquisite music and a legacy of sound that is unmatched in its ability to move the heart," said Rebecca McClain, Phoenix Chorale Board Chair. "It is my joy to serve as Board Chair in this time of transition and change. We are delighted to share the news that our Search Team has been hard at work, reading, listening, discussing, reviewing, conversing, and ultimately, choosing four final candidates for the position of our next Artistic Director. Our goal was clear: a list of finalists, any of whom would be great for the Chorale. And now, we are ready for the next part of this journey. We invite everyone to be with us next season as we embark on our next era - the best is yet to be!"

Get to know the four finalists at Search.PhoenixChorale.org. This special website has been created with information about The Search and includes full bios and videos for each finalist.

To post a comment, you must register and login.