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The Mission of the New Haven Chorale is to present excellent choral music to the greater New Haven region through public performance and community outreach, to enable singers to improve their musicianship, to support the creation of new music by young composers and to be an integral and active member in the cultural life of its community. At the heart of the New Haven chorale's mission is SERVICE: service to its members, to its larger community, and to the corpus of historically significant and outstanding contemporary and classical choral repertoire.
1. As we move forward in the 24-25 Season, the Chorale needs to continue its efforts to add young singers and broaden the diversity of its membership, Board, and audiences. It needs to continue its outreach into the community to foster choral singing and facilitate opportunities for collaborations with instrumental and choral music groups. The Chorale is committed to becoming a premiere arts resource to provide opportunities to educate young students about the beauty and joy of singing and to foster their appreciation for choral music. 2. The Chorale needs funding to commission new music from young composers and fund the costs of premiering their compositions in its concerts. 3. The Chorale needs to find content writers to create articles to make our website and social media outlets more current, informative, and reflective of our goals for the community. 4. We need to continue to develop the resources for keeping our membership and Board up to date on DEI initiatives, for seeking additional avenues of engagement, and for monitoring our organization’s progress.
For 75 years, the New Haven Chorale has served as the musical voice of New Haven. We put our talents to work in the community by building bridges to young people, budding composers, singers, and musicians, and by offering quality concerts multiple times each season. We tap the power of great choral music to provide programs of uplifting music and inspire singers and musicians with opportunities to grow. We regularly collaborate with other community arts organizations to broaden our appeal and to provide provocative programs, nurture local musicians, and help raise money and awareness for local charities. While traditional choral music is a pillar of our repertoire, we have broadened the cultural base of our music by featuring new compositions, theme-based programs, and under-performed great works, which has challenged our singers. Each year the Chorale offers a varied program of concert performances, collaborative projects, charity fundraisers, and free community appearances including public events, retirement communities, and Christmas morning caroling for patients and families at YNHH’s Children’s Hospital. The following is a summary of our busy 2024-2025 concert season: In October, we will resume a popular children’s Halloween program that focuses on introducing youngsters to classical music and how a chorus functions. In December, we will present our traditional Holiday concert, which is typically a well-received and sold-out event. In June, a spring celebration of Americana will be featured. Additionally, the Chorale will support the NHSO’s performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in September and be the chorus for African-American composer Nathaniel Dett’s oratorio “The Ordering of Moses,” both pro bono. In February, The Chorale will also collaborate with the Jeremiah Paul Ensemble gospel singers on the Hamden green in a benefit for HeArts for Justice in August 2024. Over the years, the Chorale has performed to benefit many charities and non-profits, including The Childrens’ Center of Hamden, St. Theresa’s Church, Neighborhood Music School, the Center for Children in Crisis, St. Martin de Porres Academy, Integrated Refugee and Immigration Services (IRIS), and the Hartt School of Music. We have also collaborated generously to build bridges within the arts community such as NHSO, Orchestra New England, the choruses and orchestras of Yale University and the Hartt School, the folkloric Alturas Duo, the Jeremiah Paul Ensemble, and the Heritage Chorale, which the New Haven Chorale helped found over 25 years ago. Today, the Chorale contends with the same daunting financial conditions that challenge all art organizations. We are deeply grateful to our community partners who help make our community service initiatives possible and have generously supported us for many years. We are hopeful that they will continue this tradition and underwrite the vital work of our 2024-2025 season. As we move forward in the 24-25 Season, the Chorale needs to continue its efforts to broaden the diversity of its membership, Board, and audiences. It needs to continue its outreach into the community to expose young students to the beauty and joy of listening to, and singing, choral music. Emerging from the effects of Covid-19, the Chorale recognized that it was faced with a unique challenge requiring creative solutions. An intense evaluation of how our energies could be redirected and refocused to best serve our members and the community, given the altered landscape, was essential. The virus dried up our pathways to the community in terms of our concerts programs, educational initiatives, collaborations with musicians, and every aspect of our choral organization. We suffered, but made adjustments where possible, as a result of the pandemic. Although it was difficult, we made the adjustments needed to keep our membership intact and develop and utilize our resources. Unlike many choral groups which became dormant during the pandemic, we found a silver lining. Our music director transitioned to online rehearsals via Zoom which, while less than ideal, allowed our community to both continue weekly practice and stay connected, a factor critical to our esprit de corps. Together, we learned how to produce virtual performances. Choristers recorded themselves and uploaded their recordings, which were then mixed by a production team to simulate a combined group performance, augmented with graphics. As the Chorale advanced along its learning curve and became more knowledgeable and confident about virtual singing projects, instrumentalists and soloists were also added. Ultimately, we produced seven recordings, which were posted on YouTube, social media sites, and the NHC website. To date, over 20,000 people have enjoyed viewing our work! Music director Dr. Ed Bolkovac, whose commitment to keeping the organization alive was essential to its survival, further extended his generous leadership by offering separate weekly, online classes in both musicianship and music history, allowing participants the opportunity to explore music from different periods and genres and familiarize themselves with varying composers and performers. These classes were offered free of charge to all who were interested—anywhere in the country. Not only did the Chorale survive during this incredibly challenging time, it thrived! The vocal skills of members continued to be developed, along with performance techniques, and new music was explored and embraced. Subsequently, our membership size increased appreciably. During 2024-2025, our 75th season, our goal is to attract broader audiences, expand community outreach, provide collaborative opportunities to engage young people and students, and expand our audience. In a time of social, religious, and racial division, we feel music has an important role to play in bringing people together and in healing our community.
As Executive Director of the Chorale, I am very excited about the 75th Anniversary Season of the New Haven Chorale. For 74 years the Chorale served the community and is recognized as a cultural treasure in the Southern Connecticut region. In my role, I work closely with the Chorale Board, embracing the views expressed in previous editions of the Chorale’s mission statement and working diligently to realize the full scope of that statement. I am acutely aware that the Chorale's future success will depend on its ability to grow and diversify its membership and audience, present innovative and compelling performances, expand its community-service offerings, and build community awareness of the enduring value and relevance of choral music. Observing the steady decline of audiences and funding for arts organizations in many communities, the Chorale counts itself fortunate to work in a culturally vibrant environment like New Haven and takes very seriously its responsibility to keep choral music fresh and relevant for current and future generations. It has been quite moving to observe the membership's passion for musical excellence and their sincere desire to put choral music to work in the community as performance entertainment and as a vehicle for education and mentorship. This focus has brought about a significant evolution from an all-volunteer organization to one still volunteer-driven but professionally managed in order to achieve the greatest impact as a community and cultural resource. I feel proud to manage such a dedicated, creative, and forward-thinking organization. The Chorale recognizes the need to focus on this transformation from an informally-managed community group to a formally-managed nonprofit organization with a community service orientation, remaining 'volunteer-fueled' and self-governed as it adheres to a professional standard for management. I am confident that this strategy will tap the power of its volunteer members and make the organization more effective in leveraging resources to ensure sustainability in this new and challenging economic environment. Too often, there is a bias about funding small art organizations out of concern that they don't touch the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. This narrow thinking overshadows all the benefits the community does receive from groups like the Chorale, and it makes funding harder to generate, thus affecting outreach and programming. Using sound fiscal principals, the Board has moved gradually over the course of several years to bring about this transition in a way that preserves the fiscal stability of the organization while maintaining essential programs. The Chorale has planned several new programs this season and is poised for a great leap forward. I feel humbled and invigorated to work so closely with such committed people, and I am excited to use my skills as Executive Director to help the Chorale realize its important work.
I sang in choruses and played clarinet and oboe in orchestra and band throughout my middle and high school years. I continued to sing in a chorus for my first two years of college, but then, as happens to so many young people, my life became busy with school and starting a career and family, and I didn’t have time for music. Just over twenty years ago, I was reading my local paper and came across an audition announcement for the New Haven Chorale. My second child was about to turn two, and I had been longing to have music back in my life. Even though my musical skills were a bit rusty, I was accepted into the group, and it has enriched my life in a multitude of ways. Every Monday night, I am with a community of people who, like me, have a busy personal and professional lives, but who make time each week to find joy in choral singing. Our music director likes to say that most Chorale members don’t just love to sing; they HAVE to sing. During my time in the Chorale, I have had the opportunity to participate in a variety of outreach experiences within the local New Haven community. The Chorale has sung in the Pediatrics and Maternity wards at Yale-New Haven Hospital on Christmas morning, done educational programs at schools such as Saint Martin de Porres Academy, performed holiday concerts for retirement communities such as Whitney Center, Elim Park, and Evergreen Woods, and sung for the tree-lighting ceremony on the New Haven Green. Some of my favorite outreach concerts were the pre-pandemic annual Halloween concerts at Trinity Church on the Green that were free to families, which we will bring back next October during our 75th season. There is nothing quite like seeing the look on a child’s face when they come to the podium and hold our conductor’s light-saber “baton” and conduct the chorus in the final chords of the “Hallelujah Chorus”. Equally rewarding are the looks on the faces of people in wheelchairs in a retirement community, some of whom can no longer speak, but who still can remember the lyrics and sing along to a familiar Christmas carol. We are lucky to have an extremely dedicated team including our Music Director, Executive Director, Business Manager, Board of Directors and many other Chorale members who volunteer their time and energy to keep the group going. We are also grateful to have generous financial support from the annual giving of our members and from the community through the Great Give, grants and sponsorships, and fundraisers. As a small mostly-volunteer arts organization, we continue to rely on the greater New Haven and Connecticut businesses and grant funders who help us raise the funds that we need in order to operate. The importance of the word “community” in “community chorus” cannot be overstated. While music may be the glue that binds us together, our community of members check in on each other, especially when people are sick or have lost loved ones. We continue to live-stream rehearsals for members who are unable to attend due to illness, and also for some who moved out-of-state. Two of those members have traveled from Pennsylvania and California to sing a concert with us. We are excited for our 75th anniversary season in 2024-25 when we will collaborate with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra for two of their concerts: Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Nathaniel Dett’s The Ordering of Moses. We will also bring back our Halloween concert (free for families and children), will hold our December holiday concert at East Haven High School (to include some of the East Haven high school choruses), and finally will close our anniversary season in June with a celebratory concert that will include works by classical and contemporary composers.
Areas Served |
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Greater New Haven |
Other (please describe using the Areas Served narrative fields) |
The Chorale serves as a music resource for the South Central Connecticut area through its concerts and community outreach, and through the many opportunities it creates for personal growth, music education, participation in a chorus, performance opportunities, and enhancements to the quality of living. It trains local singers, molds them into a quality chorus, and provides them with concert performances at area venues. It reaches out to young people through musical collaborations, performs for local nonprofits, and gives performances for seniors, veterans, and the hospitalized. It commissions work from promising area composers and debuts their work. It provides voluntary and paid opportunities for area soloists, ensembles, and arts organizations, many through collaborations. This year, as it has done in the past, the Chorale will perform pro-bono, giving a performance to benefit HeArts for Justice in a concert with the Jeremiah Paul gospel ensemble in August, and collaborating twice with the New Haven Symphony, performing in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony in September, and as the principal chorus in Nathaniel Dett’s oratorio The Ordering of Moses in February. The Chorale also looks forward to increasing its mentoring in local New Haven area schools now that the Covid-19 virus restrictions have eased. It continually works to increase the diversity of its membership, Board, and audiences to better reflect the demographics of the area it serves.
The Chorale's concert series, its main program component, serves its members, the music community, and greater New Haven in many ways: it enriches the community’s cultural climate and quality of living by offering quality choral music concerts, often with the collaboration of first-rate soloists and musicians; it promotes Connecticut-based composers by encouraging and supporting their work through commissions, collaborations, and public performances of their work; it educates and nurtures the members of the Chorale through rehearsals and concert preparation which are led by a highly talented and dedicated music director and assistant conductor; it provides artists and ensembles opportunities to perform, learn, and expand their repertoire through collaborations, often bringing underperformed or themed music to audiences to broaden their experience and explore issues of community relevance; and it introduces and educates young people about classical music and choral singing, offering free admission, in coordination with other educational initiatives. Most seasons, the Chorale offers 3-4 primary concerts at New Haven venues, some with additional performances in other Connecticut locations. Over the years, collaborations have occurred with the following organizations: The Hartt School, Manchester Community College, Connecticut Children's Chorus, Trinity Boys and Girls Choirs, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, The Heritage Chorale, and The Neighborhood Music School. Recent forums and performances have highlighted Black History Month, French, Hungarian, Jewish, and Latin American music, in addition to thematic programs emphasizing the need for peace, our shared humanity, and other uplifting themes. To support the creativity of new composers in Connecticut, the Chorale commissions and premiers new works and forges relationships with them through a composer-in-residence position. During the years of the pandemic, two full seasons were significantly modified and adapted. The result was the creation and communication of many virtual recordings which were ultimately shared on YouTube, a process requiring our members to use new and unfamiliar technologies and expand their skills to fit the medium. This alternative to public performance enabled us to continue singing, connect with current and past members, attract new singers, and share our concert music on YouTube. Recently we completed our 2023-24 season, our 74th year of performing live concerts. A sold-out December holiday performance at St. Joseph Church on December 3rd opened the holiday season, featuring classical composers like Handel and Vivaldi, new repertoire by Esenvalds and Arneson, and holiday favorites for a sing-along with the audience. A February event at Battell Chapel saw a spectacular collaboration with Jeremiah Paul, winner of the "Voice" TV competition, with his ensemble. This concert highlighted gospels by Smith and Powell and actively engaged the audience which showed their appreciation with standing ovations. At our spring concert at Woolsey Hall in June, the Chorale presented "Requiem for the Living" by Dan Forest and beautiful musical compositions by Johnson, Bach, and Theofanidis. The Chorale is enthusiastic about being able to sing once again before full audiences unencumbered by the fears, restraints, and modifications caused by the pandemic, and it looks forward to bringing the joy of choral music to the community it loves. We look forward to an exciting and challenging 75th Anniversary Season. We continue our Student Singer program offering students an opportunity to sing with the Chorale and be mentored by our outstanding choral conductor. We will include pro-bono performances with the NHSO in September and February, Our concert schedule includes a resumption of a delightful free Halloween concert. Children and Chorale members will be dressed in costume for an afternoon of choral music and singing, and singing in a choir will be introduced to children in a way that is fun and educational. In addition, our traditional Holiday Concert will be held at East Haven High School. It is our plan to mentor many of the East Haven students who will be singing along with our Chorale members.Last, our June concert with a full orchestra will feature an outstanding classical choral repertoire. | |
Example of Program Success | At the height of the pandemic, the Chorale produced many virtual recordings which kept our membership focused, active, and engaged with the community. These were enjoyed via social media by over 15,000 viewers who provided the Chorale with much positive feedback about the quality and impact of their efforts. We returned to live performance in December 2021 with a modified version of our annual holiday concert. After having no in-person concerts for 20 months, returning to live performances was a major morale booster for our organization. The Chorale distinguished itself in the adjustments it chose to make, such as on-line classes and rehearsals to keep members engaged and to stay connected with the public. When many other arts organizations had to suspend operations entirely or closed, we rebounded with an increase in the size of our membership. As the threat of Covid began to recede, our June 3, 2022 concert featured Bloch’s “Sacred Service,” sung in Hebrew, and a premiere of a commissioned work by 18-year-old composer David Stein. The Chorale received standing ovations from our 300-person audience. Reviewing our last few years, we found that virtual gatherings during the height of the pandemic and adopting a live-streaming format for our rehearsals have helped increase our presence in the community. It generated more prospective singers at auditions due to the all-welcome format we utilized for classes run by our music director and for virtual rehearsals. Consequently, the Chorale's size has grown appreciably with a rich addition of young, vibrant singers and more diversity. Our evolution through the pandemic and eventual return to public concerts reinforced our commitment to adapt to challenges, persevere, and continue a long tradition of being a cultural resource for the greater New Haven community. Our December 4th Holiday Concert at St. Joseph’s Church was sold out. The majesty of the music, the beauty of the lyrics, and the mood and enthusiasm of the audience combined to make for an uplifting and inspirational afternoon despite the requirement to mask because the audience was participating in a sing-along of Carols. Lengthy standing ovations from the audience and many post-concert congratulatory messages confirmed that the Chorale’s preparation and hard work had paid off. The Chorale has broadened its collaborative scope and the types of programs emerging from the effects of the pandemic. Our May 2023 concert was a two-tiered program. For the first half, the choir performed the magnificent Duruflé “Requiem.OP 9” with soloist Rebecca Alameida. The second half focused on a tribute to Winfred Rembert, an African American artist and author who resided in New Haven, and included the personal remembrances of Dr. Charles Warner and other community leaders, along with the Rev. Jeremiah Paul singing inspirational gospel songs with the Chorale. Attended by the largest audience in the history of Chorale concerts, our spring program was a huge success, as evidenced by a standing ovation and many expressions of appreciation and approval from the audience. Our 23-24 Concert series featured a sold-out Holiday concert at St. Joseph’s Church in New Haven. A thrilling Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Battell Chapel in February featured a collaboration with the Jeremiah Paul ensemble and was received by an enthusiastic audience. Our final spring concert, Remembrance and Gratitude, highlighted Dan Forest’s “Requiem for the Living.” Many comments from the audience, along with a glowing review, gave testimony to the beauty and poignancy of a truly uplifting concert. We look forward to a very active, exciting and challenging 75th Anniversary Season including pro-bono collaborations with the New Haven Symphony in September and in February. Our concert season will feature a short Halloween performance free for children and families, our traditional Holiday concert and a major June concert at Woolsey Hall in New Haven with a full orchestra. |
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.Tapping the power of choral music to change lives in the community through benefit performances has been a fundamental Chorale activity since its founding, a tradition that continues. Chorale members feel strongly that using the art of choral singing to support other causes and to inspire social justice and civic causes is an important function and benefit to the community. The Chorale has raised amounts from a few thousand dollars to over $10,000 for other local nonprofits, even though it is not primarily a philanthropic organization. The Chorale remains committed to tapping the power of the arts, especially choral music, to make a difference in lives. Beneficiaries, selected by the board, over the years have included the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, the Neighborhood Music School, The Hartt School, St. Martin de Porres Academy, the Greater New Haven NAACP, Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services, and Coordinating Council for Children in Crisis, St Theresa's Church, and the Hamden Children's Center. | |
Example of Program Success | Over the years, the Chorale has donated its time and talent to helping other non-profits raise funds for their organizations by providing its choir for performances for fundraising events, providing services without charge, and actively raising funds on its own to donate to these organizations. The New Haven Chorale has raised many thousands of dollars and donated thousands of volunteer hours to fulfill its mission to be an integral and active member of the cultural community. |
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Our work in the Community was dramatically affected by the pandemic. Prior to onset of the pandemic, innovative Chorale performances had taken music out into the community since 1950 when the Chorale first helped light the city's Christmas tree and caroled at area hospitals. This program does not follow a set formula but seeks out new and unusual opportunities, watches for community needs, and responds to community requests, sometimes compensated and sometimes free. Chorale ensembles large and small have enriched a variety of community and private occasions and appeared at municipal events, organizational functions, and senior communities. The Chorale has provided choruses for Shubert Theater productions and performed for the benefit of The International Festival of Arts and Ideas. For 30 years Chorale members caroled for patients and families at Yale New Haven Hospital's Children's Hospital on Christmas morning. The Chorale has performed veterans at the VA Hospital in West Haven, at St. Martin de Porres Academy for the entire school population, for the City of New Haven, for the International Arts and Ideas Festival, for seniors in residences who are unable to attend off-site concerts and presented the outstanding 'Dialogue Continues' utilizing the power of beautiful chorale music to open a dialogue with a panel of community leaders about the serious issues facing our community and sharing ideas on how to work toward solving them. Now that the Chorale can plan on being free from the restrictions brought on by the pandemic, we look forward to once again being and active and participating member of the cultural community and have planned pro- bono collaborations with the New Haven Symphony in September 2024 and February 2025. | |
Example of Program Success | Due to the repercussions of the pandemic, the Chorale had to curtail much of its community work. With the onset of the virus, the Chorale refocused its energies and produced seven videos of choral music for the public to enjoy while they were unable to attend concert halls. Prior to the pandemic, the Chorale ensembles appeared in community performances at the Unitarian Society of Hamden to premier the Summer European Tour repertoire, at Yale New Haven's Children's Hospital for Christmas morning caroling, at the Pine Orchard Club, The Quinnipiac Club, The New Haven Country Club, Knights of Columbus Museum, International Arts and Idea Festival and Whitney Center for a variety of fundraisers and corporate events, and at Evergreen Woods as community entertainment and enrichment. Total audience for these events has been estimated at approxiamtely 1500 people. The Chorale has also performed multiple times at senior residences like Whitney Center and also at the Veteran’s Hospital in West Haven. |
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The heart of the New Haven Chorale's educational program is the training of our singers at rehearsals and through concert preparation, along with opportunities to hone skills, collaborate with professional and amateur musicians, learn new music, and see the fruition of cumulative learning through concert performance. Each season the Chorale participates in a carefully-selected concert repertory which exposes them to many new, and sometimes under-performed, choral masterpieces, as well as new works by promising new composers. Our director teaches many techniques to sing challenging music, molds our singers into a unified chorus to produce superior sound, and provides intense training in music performance. The camaraderie of a caring and committed ensemble encourages members to improve vocal musicianship, enhance their life experience, and embrace their role as a cultural resource for the community. The Student Singer Program makes this environment available to students. Collaborations allow others to learn side-by-side with Chorale members. Promising pilot projects explore new ways to apply Chorale educational resources to benefit the community. These include incorporating solo artists and offering master classes at local schools. These are taught by members with trained music experience, particularly the music education field, and those with instrumental training. In the past members have taught and mentored at St. Martin de Porres Academy where musical training helps inner-city students develop skills to succeed academically and be successful at college. We will continue to mentor student singers, in our 24-25 Season, we look forward to working with the students at East Haven High School. Before the pandemic, the Chorale regularly had a successful short Halloween performance specifically for young children and early elementary students that introduced them to choral singing and the basics of music. Themed children's concerts are now under consideration as the Chorale seeks ways to further develop and broaden community initiatives to advance music education, particularly in schools that do not have funding for vocal music programs. In addition, the Chorale has collaborated with school choruses when appropriate, and our conductor has mentored young composers, and provided a platform for their work at Chorale concerts, as it did for the compositions of Noah Stein, presently a student at Yale, and many other promising composers. Through a broadened repertoire of theme-based works incorporating speakers, the Chorale acts an educational resource for the community, as it did with a dedication at a recent concert to Winfred Rembert, a civil rights activist, acclaimed artist, musician and resident of New Haven, who experienced oppression and racism growing up in the Jim Crow South. | |
Example of Program Success | Between the program's inception in 1990 and the onset of the pandemic, the Chorale had over 85 student participants, a significant number. Of these participants, several are now working music teachers. In addition, at least three of the 85 are active professional opera singers. One was a successful finalist in the Metropolitan Opera's 2011 competition, and another currently sings on the international opera stage. We have alumni feedback emphasizing the impact of the Chorale on participants' musicianship and life experience. Documented comments follow. "At first it was hard but I learned so much." "I found it very challenging to be in a room full of mentors...exposed to music so rare and heavenly that it was as if it had been summoned by angels." "The tutelage of experienced and enthusiastic musicians, and their nurturing camaraderie, challenged and taught me more than I ever imagined." "It opened my heart to classical music and led me down a path I would not otherwise have imagined walking." Recovering from the effects of the pandemic, the Chorale expects the Student Singer Program to attract eager young singers again. The increase of younger people in our membership bodes well for the program, on hold since the pandemic, going forward. As part of our educational mission, we created pilot projects for mentoring students and giving master classes, including one at New Haven's St. Martin de Porres Academy by a Student Singer alumni, Albert Lee, who is now a professional opera tenor and who was in town serving as a soloist in a Chorale concert. Our plans for 24-25 will include mentoring High School students at East Haven High School and young singers from the Jeremiah Paul ensemble. The expansion of educational programs and opportunities is under development for implementation over the next three seasons. |
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CEO First Name | CEO Last Name | CEO Email |
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Alice | Hummel | alys2@comcast.net |
Number of Full-Time Staff | 0 |
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Number of Part-Time Staff | 0 |
Number of Volunteers | 130 |
Number of Contract Staff | 4 |
American Indian or Alaskan Native | 0 |
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Asian | 0 |
Black or African American | 0 |
Middle Eastern or North African | 0 |
Mixed | 0 |
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander | 0 |
White | 4 |
Other | 0 |
Choose Not to Answer | 0 |
Hispanic or Latino/a/x | 0 |
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Not Hispanic or Latino/a/x | 4 |
Choose Not to Answer | 0 |
Male | 2 |
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Female | 2 |
I am: (Fill In Below) | n/a |
Choose Not to Answer | 0 |
Board Chair First Name | Board Chair Last Name | Board Chair Email Address | Board Chair Term Start Date | Board Chair Term End Date |
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Theres | Bennet | terribennett1964@gmail.com | July 1, 2022 | June 30, 2025 |
Board Member First Name | Board Member Last Name | Board Member Affiliation |
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Giovanni | Esposito | Treasurer, 6th year Board service, Formulations XChemist, Absolute Standards, Hamden, CT |
Kevin | Buno | Vice-President 3rd yr Board Service, . Principal, Aces,-ECA, .New Haven |
Lawrence | Copes | 6th year of Board Service, Director ISEM |
Meghan | Fitzgibbons | 4th yr. Board Service -ESOL Instructor-New Haven Adult and Continuin Education |
Brenda | Naegel | 3rd yr Board Service, Director of Recognition and Engagement, Yale University |
Paul | Mangels | 5th year Board service, Owner CT Engravers |
Cindy | Morgan | 6th year of Board serive, Human Resources Generalist, Yale University |
Austin | Rauschuber | Secretary. 5th yr of Board service, Seniot Software Engineer, Salesforce |
Rachel | Robertson | 6th year Baard Service, St Principal Software Engineer, Perkin Elmer, Shelton, CT |
Zoë-Clare | Matsui | 1st yr Board Service, not employed |
Shelby | Zold | 5th year new term,, prior service as board member, not employed for 6 years |
Rebecca | Van Tassel | 2nd year Board Service,Cary Institute of Ecosystems Studies |
Ann | Datunashvili | 1st year of Board service , , Clinical Director, NEMG Yale Geriatric Services, Primary Care and Home-Based Primary Care Assistant Clinical Professor, Yale School of Medicine. New Haven |
Alan | Kliger | 1st year of current Board service - Former Board member and Past President – 8 yrs prior Board service. Clinical Professor of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine (active), Physician- Retired, Board of Directors for Temple Emmanuel, Greater New Haven Fellowship Place, New Haven |
Current List of Board Members as of | July 1, 2024 |
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American Indian or Alaskan Native | 0 |
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Asian | 0 |
Black or African American | 0 |
Middle Eastern or North African | 0 |
Mixed | 0 |
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander | 0 |
Other | 0 |
White | 15 |
Choose Not to Answer | 0 |
Hispanic or Latino/a/x | 0 |
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Not Hispanic or Latino/a/x | 15 |
Choose Not to Answer | 0 |
Male | 6 |
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Female | 9 |
I am: (Fill In Below) | n/a |
Choose Not to Answer | 0 |
Additional Comments (Optional) |
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Fiscal Year Start Date | Fiscal Year End Date | Projected Revenue | Projected Expenses |
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July 1, 2024 | June 30, 2025 | $219,500 | $219,500 |
Fiscal Year | 2023 | 2022 |
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Total Revenue | $246,337 | $289,368 |
Total Expenses | $190,461 | $207,690 |
Financial Statements | Download |
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Financial Documentation Year | 2022 |
Financial Documentation Type | Year End Financial Statement (unaudited) |
Financial Statements | Download |
Financial Documentation Year | 2023 |
Financial Documentation Type | Year End Financial Statement (unaudited) |
Financial Statements | Download |
Financial Documentation Year | 2021 |
Financial Documentation Type | Year End Financial Statement (unaudited) |
The Chorale's leadership encourages members to focus on challenges of achieving financial sustainability as it continues its transition from all-volunteer to professional management in order to ensure growth and innovation. Financial challenges lie ahead, each of which presents opportunities as well. The Chorale has identified 4 needs:(1) fundraising in a challenging economy, with opportunities for varied community engagement, expanded collaboration, and improved efficiency; (2) Creative budgeting to sustain program growth and innovation; (3) building professional leadership by expanding Executive and Development roles into two distinct, full-time Directorships, and; (4) building an endowment to achieve financial sustainability by establishing enduring relationships with individual, organizational and corporate supporters. The Board is acutely aware that growing the endowment is a necessity in these uncertain times. The Board is gratified to see that the Capital Campaign has raised over $200,000. While the Capital campaign has been completed, the Chorale continues to generate additional Endowment funding due to the enduring relevance of the Chorale's community-service mission. The Chorale has established a New Haven Chorale Foundation to administer this endowment effectively on behalf of the community. Our leadership enthusiastically endorses the Chorale's commitment to sustain program growth, to innovate and to serve the community, in spite of many challenges, including finding the resources to make good on this commitment. We feel strongly that bold initiatives founded on sound financial planning, not retreat from the cultural arena, are the way to thrive. The arts can provide vital cultural leadership, especially in stressful times, to the community, and the Chorale proudly accepts this role along with the inherent financial responsibilities. The New Haven Chorale is not required to have an Annual Audit. It does use an accounting firm to generate its 990 statements. The Treasurer and the Finance Committee are charged with the internal monitoring of all accounts.
Federal EIN Number | 06-6070715 |
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Organization's type of tax exempt status | 501(c)(3) |
Website | http://www.newhavenchorale.org |
http://www.facebook.com/newhavenchorale | |
http://www.twitter.com/NewHavenChorale |
The New Haven Chorale nurtures over 100 singers of varying ages and backgrounds, providing them with the opportunities to present extraordinary music in performance, mentor and educate young musicians, and use the power of music to change lives.
At this time, our members are hard at work preparing for our May 7th concert, “Music of Remembrance and Resilience,” at Woolsey Hall in New Haven, featuring the Duruflé "Requiem, Op.9" with full orchestra and other beautiful pieces of choral music by Nadia Boulanger, Sarah Quartel, and Jake Runestad. In addition to these magnificent choral works, the program will include a tribute to Winfred Rembert, an African-American artist who resided in the New Haven community. Rembert’s memoir about his personal struggles growing up in the segregated South won a Pulitzer Prize. The Chorale is especially excited about this performance which will take place in front of a full live audience and mark the completion of a normal concert season after two long years without live performances.
It would be almost impossible to overstate the monumental impact of the pandemic on the Chorale. Our 70th Anniversary concert, scheduled for May 2020, had to be canceled. Prior to a return to face-to-face rehearsals in the fall of 2021, we met online for over 18 months and recorded our music virtually. Reinventing ourselves at that most difficult time, the Chorale refocused its energies on producing music videos, which it subsequently released on social media. This meant that members had to learn to rehearse virtually and record choral pieces independently. We are proud of the success of our choral videos which were streamed on YouTube to extremely positive responses. We also continued commissioning new works by young composers, in addition to offering online music education classes open to everyone. Thankfully, we were able to return to in-person rehearsals this year supported by live-streaming. These changes required a huge amount of extra work for our staff, but the Chorale was committed to producing quality programs and to keeping its singing membership engaged with the music, each other, and the community it serves.
The New Haven Chorale was founded not only to give local singers the opportunity to channel their talent and time in order to perform, but also to serve as an important educational and artistic resource, one that openly affirms the inspirational power of choral singing.
Accordingly, we have a rich history of community involvement. Our programs feature a high-quality repertoire of music and often present works which, due to their complexity and demands for resources, are less-frequently performed. Our holiday concerts, in particular, have become a beloved seasonal event. Each Christmas morning, members of the Chorale bring joy to young patients and their families at YNHH’s Children’s Hospital. Ensemble groups make appearances at senior living facilities, the Veterans Hospital, and other community events to give joy to many who are unable to attend concerts. Collaborations with colleges, other choruses, and musicians create opportunities to share learning experiences and expand horizons. Last, our Student Singer Program allows area youths to participate in the above programs at a formative time in their lives, an initiative we are currently seeking to expand by adding additional university and high school students.
The Chorale is truly delighted to fully continue its 73-year legacy of serving the Greater New Haven community as an artistic and cultural resource.
PO Box 1897
New Haven, Connecticut 06508
Alice Hummel
alysh26@comcast.net
Phone: 2037767664
http://www.newhavenchorale.org
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