Coro Allegro

Founded in 1990, "Coro Allegro" is a chorus for members, friends, and allies of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community that strengthens and enriches the lives of its members and the greater Boston community through its performances of outstanding classical choral repertoire and recordings. It is dedicated to its mission to provide broad audiences access to choral music, perform works by diverse composers, serve as a model of a successful and valued LGBT community group through artistic excellence and visibility, and create an affirming, welcoming, and supportive environment for its membership. Each year Coro Allegro offers a subscription series that includes three concerts at venues such as the Church of the Covenant and Sanders Theatre at Harvard University. Coro Allegro also reaches national and international audiences through broadcasts on WGBH “Classical Performances,” and performances at the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses Festivals and the Eastern Division Convention of the American Choral Directors Association.

Profile and performances

Coro Allegro was founded specifically to be a chorus of both gay men and lesbians who share a passion for music, and it remains the only organization in Boston committed to bringing exciting classical repertoire to the GLBT community. The chorus also succeeds in bringing classical music to a wider audience. In its first twenty years, its numbers grew from just twenty singers to more than sixty.[1]

The chorus regularly collaborates with other musical ensembles.[2] Among its most notable collaborations have been performances of Mendelssohn’s Elijah in 1999 with the Boston Cecilia and the Handel and Haydn Society under the direction of Christopher Hogwood;[3] of Robert Kapilow’s baseball cantata, a setting of Casey at the Bat for chorus, in 2001 with Musica Viva in collaboration choreographer Daniel Pelzig;[4] of Brahms’ German Requiem in 2003 with Boston Cecilia under the baton of Donald Teeters; and of both Poulenc's Gloria and Bernstein's Chichester Psalms in 2004 with Boston Cecilia.

Coro Allegro participates in the quadrennial GALA Choruses Festival.[5] It has also traveled to participate in the following music festivals:

Among the world premieres Coro Allegro has presented are:

The Artistic Director is David Hodgkins. That post has been held in the past by Thomas Kim and Jane Ring Frank.

Pinkham Award

Since 2008, Coro Allegro has chosen the recipient of the Pinkham Award, given annually in memory of the gay composer Daniel Pinkham. The award is granted to those who make significant contributions in both the LGBT and classical music communities. Award recipients are:


References

  1. ↑ Arts Boston: Coro Allegro, accessed Dec. 1, 2009
  2. ↑ Boston Globe, "Cecilia, Coro Allegro Find Balance With Brahms ," Mar. 19, 2003
  3. ↑ Boston Globe, "Elijah Affirms One's Faith in H & H," Oct. 21, 2000
  4. ↑ Boson Globe, "This Casey Doesn't Strike Out", May 14, 2001
  5. ↑ GALA Choruses: GALA Choruses Member Choruses Archived 2010-04-18 at the Wayback Machine., accessed Dec. 15, 2009
  6. ↑ Boston Secession: Composer in Residence, accessed Dec. 16, 2009
  7. ↑ "Charles Fussell" in International Who's Who in Classical Music 2003 (Routledge, 2003))
  8. ↑ Blue Lantern Press: Patricia Van Ness
  9. ↑ Boston Musical Intelligencer: "Shofar Highlights Concert with Coro Allegro at Sanders", accessed Dec. 15, 2009
  10. ↑ Boston Globe: "An award for Sylvan," Feb. 22, 2008, accessed Dec. 15, 2009
  11. ↑ Bay Windows: "Coro Allegro to honor gay bishop," April 2, 2009, accessed Dec. 15, 2009
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