CCW News

Click here to download a printable version of this report! Dear Friends, I am pleased to share the Children's Chorus of Washington’s 2023-2024 Organizational Report, and to express my heartfelt thanks for your ongoing support. We’ve started the year with wonderful fundraising momentum with new grants from organizations including Sirius XM, the Philip L. Graham Fund, and the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation. This early success is a testament to our shared commitment to empowering young voices and creating opportunities for artistic growth. Two weeks ago we had the privilege of partnering with the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum for the world premiere of ‘Agents of Deterioration’, written to celebrate the Hirshhorn’s 50th anniversary. Our choristers performed in the stunning setting of the Revolutions permanent collection. To hear a bit more about this impressive collaboration, click here for a short video from the creative team behind it. I’m also excited to introduce the new members of our Development team: Michelle Ravitsky, Development and Operations Manager, and Kirsten Ferlazzo, Development Coordinator. Both Michelle and Kirsten bring a deeply held passion for the performing arts as well as tremendous energy to the CCW team, and I know you will enjoy getting to know them in the coming months. Looking ahead, please mark December 15th on your calendar for our Winter Concert which will feature the incredible soprano Aundi Marie Moore. It will be a festive celebration, and we look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be a spectacular performance. I hope you enjoy the attached report, where you’ll see the full scope of our accomplishments last season. Thank you for standing with us as we continue to nurture the next generation of choral artists. Robbie Jacobs Executive Director

WASHINGTON, April 25, 2024 – Children’s Chorus of Washington will host 200 elementary-aged public school students tomorrow in its role as co-producer of the DC Public Schools All City Chorus. The Chorus (formerly the DC Honors Chorus) is an elementary choir of unchanged voices. Teachers from every elementary school across the District are invited to nominate students with a love of singing to participate in this annual event. Teachers and students prepare at school, prior to coming together with other schools for a day of rehearsal, culminating in a live performance for parents and other community members. “DC Public Schools is grateful for the opportunity to continue working alongside the Children’s Chorus of Washington to nurture the musical abilities of our students,” said DCPS Chancellor, Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee. “This annual performance not only fosters a love for singing for our elementary-aged students, it gives them a sense of belonging in their school communities and among their friends.” Artistic Director of CCW, Margaret Nomura Clark said, “We are delighted to be co-producing the All City Chorus with our partners at DCPS Arts for the sixth consecutive year. Participating in the Chorus gives students the opportunity to build confidence singing and allows them to grow as artists. They also have a great time connecting with other students from across DC.” Maury Elementary School fifth grader, Malachi Hall, who participated last year, agrees. “Last year’s All City Chorus was a great experience because I made new friends at my school. The songs we sang made my heart skip a beat. The sound that was made when we all sang together was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard.” About Children’s Chorus of Washington Children’s Chorus of Washington nurtures artistic excellence and empowers young singers by celebrating our shared humanity and the value of every voice. For more than 28 years, we have offered K-12 students throughout the District of Columbia, adjacent Maryland counties and northern Virginia high quality musical education and performance opportunities, irrespective of socioeconomic background or prior experience. One of the country's leading youth choruses, we collaborate with professional ensembles including the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, INSERIES and The Thirteen, and partner with adult choruses including The Washington Chorus and Cathedral Choral Society. We serve over 240 students after school each week through our eight auditioned ensembles, and work with hundreds more elementary and middle school students annually as the longstanding co-producer of DC Public Schools' All City Chorus. ### Media contact: Catherine Whitby (202) 340 9400

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2024 – Children’s Chorus of Washington will perform with INSERIES opera in the final performances of Las Místicas de México this weekend. The critically acclaimed Místicas is an immersive performance incorporating the creative expression of over four centuries of Mexican female mystical artists. Poetry, music, and artworks, including those of Frida Kahlo, form the backdrop to a new English translation of the 11th century drama, the Slaughter of the Innocents . CCW’s high-school aged choristers play the titular innocents. Artistic Director of CCW, Margaret Nomura Clark, said, “Children's Chorus of Washington is proud to be in partnership with INSERIES to bring this unique, creative production to life. Performing in twelve shows during the month of March throughout DC and in Baltimore has enabled our choristers to adapt and fine tune their acting and singing skills. Our young singers have greatly enjoyed the opportunity to learn from the artistic direction of Timothy Nelson and Maribeth Diggle, and are inspired by INSERIES' immensely talented principal artists.” In order to ensure all choristers had the opportunity to perform, CCW’s artistic staff divided singers into three separate casts, with each cast performing four times. DC arts space Dupont Underground hosted the first two performances, with the third and fourth performances held at Columbia Heights’ Mexican Cultural Institute. This weekend’s performances will be at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in central Baltimore. CCW chorister and cast member Evelyn Goldin said of her experience: “It was challenging and out of our comfort zone, but we had a lot of fun and grew a lot as performers. It was incredible to see the show come together – a combination of visual art, instrumentalists, singers, and actors. I am so glad that CCW got to participate in this special project and help tell such a powerful story.” About Children’s Chorus of Washington Children’s Chorus of Washington nurtures artistic excellence and empowers young singers by celebrating our shared humanity and the value of every voice. For more than 28 years, we have offered K-12 students throughout the District of Columbia, adjacent Maryland counties and northern Virginia high quality musical education and performance opportunities, irrespective of socioeconomic background or prior experience. One of the country's leading youth choruses, we collaborate with professional ensembles including the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, INSERIES and The Thirteen, and partner with adult choruses including The Washington Chorus and Cathedral Choral Society. We serve over 240 students after school each week through our eight auditioned ensembles, and work with hundreds more elementary and middle school students annually as the longstanding co-producer of DC Public Schools' All City Chorus. ### Media contact: Catherine Whitby (202) 340 9400 media@childrenschorusdc.org

Click here to download a printable version of this season!

The DCPS Honor Chorus is an annual, city-wide choral program that brings together public school students in grades 4-6 for a one-day rehearsal and performance experience. Among the goals are building community across DC; learning diverse, culturally responsive, age- and skill-appropriate repertoire; minimizing and eliminating barriers to participation; building rehearsal and performance skills; and fostering a love of singing. This is the fourth year that the Children’s Chorus of Washington has partnered to co-produce this event with DC Public Schools. This year, the program had two major components: a song sourcing lab in November and a rehearsal and performance day in May.

D ear CCW Community, On behalf of CCW’s Board of Directors, I am pleased to announce that following a rigorous national search, Robbie Jacobs will join us as Executive Director later this summer.  Robbie joins us from Boston Children’s Chorus (BCC) where he served for six years, most recently as Executive Producer. CCW and BCC have enjoyed many years of close collaboration, and many of our choristers have performed with BCC in Three Trebles festivals and the “We Are One” virtual choir. Robbie brings a depth of experience in leading and developing children’s choruses, and a strong connection to the regional, national, and international choral community. After graduating with a choral scholarship from King’s College, Cambridge, Robbie began his career as a Music Teacher with Teach First, the UK equivalent of Teach for America, before developing his career in arts leadership and education. A passionate advocate for widening participation in music education, Robbie comes to CCW with a national reputation for expanding access to choral singing for young people. Through his work with BCC, Robbie has led partnerships with public and charter schools across Boston, engaging over 1,500 singers, and extending the reach of choral programming broadly across the city. He is an authentic relationship-builder, as evidenced by his leadership through the pandemic and his network of champions across Boston and in his home city, London. The Board is excited about the future partnership of Robbie and CCW’s Artistic Director, Margaret Clark. Robbie’s experience as an artistic collaborator with various organizations, including the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, London Youth Choir, and Royal Academy of Music, make him a perfect partner to help fully realize the exciting and ambitious vision that Margaret has set for CCW. Robbie is accepting the baton on July 31, from Betsy Bates, who announced her departure earlier this season. During her tenure, Betsy has enabled CCW to make significant progress in many areas. In addition to providing steady, thoughtful leadership during the pandemic, Betsy spearheaded the evolution of the DCPS Honor Chorus and CCW scholarship programs, which are just two of many examples of her impressive legacy. Stay tuned for an opportunity to celebrate Betsy’s significant contributions, and a chance for the community to wish her well before the end of this season. The Board voted unanimously to bring Robbie to CCW. We believe he will be an excellent steward of our community and will challenge us to think and grow in new ways and build our reputation as a premier artistic institution. Many thanks to our recruitment partner LeaderFit and the members of the Search Committee who together helped design and execute our comprehensive search process. Please join me in welcoming Robbie to the CCW community. Warmest regards, Katherine Silverthorne President, Board of Directo rs

What could we do if we set aside our egos, shared the stage, and passed the mic? Our upcoming youth choral symposium, taking place from July 1-3 at the University of Maryland, will explore this question by offering opportunities for different voices from across the youth choral continuum to share their knowledge and wisdom. An idea that grew from a c ollaboration between the Children’s Chorus of Washington, Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir , Young Voices of the Philippines , and Toronto Children’s Chorus , the Voices Together symposium will feature an exciting line-up of choral experts presenting sessions that range from workshops to lectures covering topics from repertoire to rehearsal strategies for K-12 choral educators and conductors. Whether you are just starting a school choir, or you are leading an established community chorus, the Voices Together symposium will be a place where you can learn, share, and contribute to the conversation. DC is known as a chorus town, with one of the highest number of choruses per capita in the country. However, youth choruses are often given less weight in the choral landscape, or considered to be merely training opportunities intended to produce capable adult singers. At CCW, we believe that youth can perform on the same level as adult professionals given the right support. To achieve this, educators must have knowledge and training to empower them to lead their choruses with confidence and care. While we serve a broad geographic region covering over 50 zip codes and our student body represents over 100 schools, we cannot possibly serve every young singer in the city. One of the best tools we have to reach more students and encourage more singing is to partner with educators. This increases our impact exponentially. The symposium is one way we envision expanding our reach beyond DC, creating opportunities for choral directors from anywhere to build their skills, learn how to select and teach more diverse repertoire, and be more effective in the rehearsal room. The symposium will conclude with a joint performance by the four partner choirs, which will showcase the “finished product” of the strategies and approaches from the sessions in action. Our singers will then take their show on the road, traveling to New York City before concluding this experience with a performance at Carnegie Hall on July 8th. It should be an inspiring convening, and we can’t wait to share space with those who attend! Registration is open , and financial aid is available!

By CCW Chorister Haley Armstrong