About Choralis
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Choralis was established by Artistic Director Gretchen Kuhrmann in 2000 to nurture a passion for choral music through excellent choral performances, professional development opportunities for young soloists and conductors, education and training for young choristers, and community outreach events. Nearly 100 singers perform across two ensembles: Choralis, an auditioned SATB chorus and Ä’chos, a semi-professional chamber group Lauded by reviewers for The Washington Post and other publications, Choralis annually presents a season of choral masterworks as well as works by contemporary composers and world music.
Our Mission
The Choralis Foundation was founded by Artistic Director Gretchen Kuhrmann in 2000 to nurture a passion for choral music by offering excellence in choral performance, educational outreach, and professional development opportunities. The organization sponsors two auditioned ensembles, offers education programs for both youth and adults, and is the creator and long-time sponsor of the Greater DC Area Choral Excellence (Ovation) Awards, which recognize excellence in the field of choral music across Metro DC. Choralis also sponsors an annual Young Artist Competition to support emerging vocal soloists, and offers a Conducting Fellowship to assist young conductors with broadening their experience
Meet the Team
OUR TEAM
Board of Directors
Scott Carlson
Treasurer
Marti Olson
Secretary
Gosia Bochenek
Counsel
Len Discenza
Capt. Dennis M. Egan (USCG Ret.)
Tanya Hoffmann
Nicholas Kyrus
Hollice Looney
Advisory Board
Gisele Becker
Music Director, Emerita, Cantate Chamber Singers
William Carroll
Educational Consultant, Hinshaw Music
Bob Chilcott
Composer
Thomas Colohan
Artistic Director, Washington Master Chorale
Dennis Edelbrock
Founder/Director, The National Trumpet Competition
Stan Engebretson
Artistic Director, National Philharmonic Chorale
Anne Hodges
Director, Graduate Arts Administration Program,
Florida State University
Jean Fritter
Jawdat, Independent Arts Consultant
Donald McCullough
Composer and Conductor
Cecilia McDowall
Composer
Mark Ohnmacht
Performing Arts Consultant
Francis Pott
Composer
Robert Shafer
Artistic Director Emeritus, The City Choir of Washington
André Thomas
Associate Artist, London Symphony Orchestra
Scott Tucker
Artistic Director, Choral Arts Society of Washington
Val Withams
Choral Connections
Staff
Zain Shariff
Operations Manager
(zshariff@choralis.org)
Jeannette Oliver
Chorus Manager
(joliver@choralis.org)
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Sarah Damers
Marketing