Education

The Los Angeles Master Chorale is committed to providing meaningful arts education programs to Los Angeles area schools. Each year, more than 14,000 students participate in the Master Chorale's Voices Within program, High School Choir Festival, or attend a Chamber Singers in-school performance.

  • HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR FESTIVAL - Grades 9 to 12

    Founded by the Master Chorale Associates (the Chorale's volunteer support organization) in 1989, the Festival brings together more than 25 schools and 900 students for a day of singing under the baton of Music Director Grant Gershon. The 20th annual Festival takes place April 24, 2009. The Festival includes a year-long mentoring process between the choir directors and the Master Chorale, including masterclasses and invitations to dress rehearsals at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Participating ensembles prepare the Festival selections on their own throughout the year and in the spring, students attend an area rehearsal where they rehearse the selections with fellow students and Maestro Gershon. On the Festival Day all participating ensembles join together at the Walt Disney Concert Hall to perform the selections as a massed choir of voices. Participating ensembles may also audition to be selected for the morning's Showcase of Choirs Concert, where they are featured center stage to an audience of their peers and invited guests.

  • VOICES WITHIN - Artist Residency Program - Grades 5 and 6

    The award-winning Voices Within is an artist residency program, designed for fifth and sixth grade classrooms, that has a flexible curriculum design combining elements of music composition, writing, improvisational games and ensemble performance into eight or ten weekly in-class instructional sessions, a culmination performance, and follow-up evaluative visit. Working in close partnership with teachers and administrators at participating schools, the three teaching artists create a safe environment that encourages collaboration and creative risk taking. Students learn to identify and courageously express their inner voices. The curriculum is aligned with the California VAPA standards and introduces key ideas such as pitch, rhythm, melody, lyrics and how to apply these concepts into songwriting. The program is designed to focus on collaborative learning, creative expression and the artistic process.

  • LA MASTER CHORALE CHAMBER SINGERS - Grades K to 12

    The Chamber Singers present 45-minute school concerts designed for elementary, middle school or high school audiences. During the completely a cappella performance, the singers guide audiences through a musical journey of song. Schools can choose from "Americana Music," which highlights several genres of American music including spirituals, jazz, and folk-songs such as Shenandoah; "Our World of Music," with songs from such places as Argentina, Malaysia, Kenya, and Brazil - with many of the songs sung in the native language; or a combination of these two shows, "The Musical Journey." Along the way, students learn the history of these songs and interact with the singers as they are introduced to what makes a vocal chamber ensemble. Students even become part of the performance when the Chamber Singers lead them in a sing-along.