Los Angeles Children's Chorus Hosts Dinner in support of “Emerging Voices Choir” Initiative

Los Angeles Children's Chorus (LACC) is making plans to launch an “Emerging Voices Choir,” the region's first choir for boy vocalists with changing voices, giving them the opportunity to nurture their vocal talent and pursue choral studies at one of the nation's finest institutions for young singers.  The new choir would fill a void for boys who traditionally “graduate out” of treble children's choirs once their voices change.  The “Emerging Voices Initiative” and plans were introduced by Mary Blodgett (San Marino), LACC Board Member and Chair of the Emerging Voices Task Force, at a dinner hosted at the San Marino home of Task Force Committee Member Nancy Annick and Greg Annick on February 7.

According to Blodgett, LACC hopes to introduce the choir in September 2009 and is designing it to “cultivate the deep passion of boys who wish to pursue singing and the choral arts as they enter high school.”  The dinner helped raise important funds, which Blodgett noted, “will help launch the program effectively and sustain it during its nascent years.”

One of the evening's highlights was a beautiful performance led by LACC Artistic Director Anne Tomlinson of several LACC's boy choristers, including Josiah Yiu (Marina del Rey), Justus Bradshaw (Pasadena), and Gregory Sliskovich (Bel Air). Isaac Calvin (San Marino), Daniel Reardon (South Pasadena), Christopher Adams-Cohen (San Marino) and Evan Roberts (San Marino) also performed. 

Among the guests in attendance were LACC Board Chair Patti Paniccia (La Canada); Vice Chair/Chair Elect David Scheidemantle and Cheryl Scheidemantle (Pasadena); Board Members Antoinette Adams (San Marino) and Norma Williams (La Canada), who are also Task Force Members; George H. McCrimlisk, president of Pasadena's The Green Foundation; Fred Cohen (San Marino); George Reardon (South Pasadena); Stephen Hinchliffe, Jr.; Lois and Robert Erburu (Los Angeles); Christopher Adams-Cohen (San Marino), a student at Flintridge Prep; Tania Cahill (La Canada); and LACC Executive Director Rachel Fine (Eagle Rock).

Los Angeles Children's Chorus membersJosiah Yiu, Justus Bradshaw, Isaac Calvin, and Evan Roberts sang at the fundraising dinner for LACC's planned "Emerging Voices Choir." - photo courtesy of Los Angeles Children's Chorus

Los Angeles Children's Chorus was founded in 1986 and is noted throughout the country for its exceptional artistic quality and technical ability.  It frequently performs with such leading musical ensembles as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Under Ms. Tomlinson, LACC also assists Los Angeles Opera by providing and training children for opera productions that require children's chorus or soloists.  LACC currently serves more than 270 choristers from 60 communities across Los Angeles in five choirs (Concert, Chamber Singers, Intermediate, Apprentice and Preparatory) and one new class for young singers, First Experiences in Music. The intensive training program includes weekly or twice weekly rehearsals.  All children receive individual voice coaching and take comprehensive musicianship classes.  LACC has toured Brazil, China, Great Britain, Italy, Australia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland as well as many parts of the United States and Canada.  It is featured in the Academy Award-nominated documentary film, “SING!,” which chronicles a year in the life of the choir and is shown periodically on PBS stations nationwide, and the recently-released documentary “SING OPERA!.”  Open auditions take place each May.

For more information on Emerging Voices Choir or the Los Angeles Children's Chorus, please call (626) 793-4231 or visit www.lachildrenschorus.org.