Colorado Children's Chorale

For more than three decades, the Colorado Children's Chorale has brought its artistry and charm to audiences throughout the world. With a diverse repertoire ranging from fully staged opera and musical theater to standard choral compositions in classical, folk and popular traditions, the Chorale performs with an innovative stage presentation and a unique theatrical spirit. In recognition of its artistic excellence, the Chorale was awarded the Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts, the Mayor's Award for Excellence in the Arts and the prestigious El Pomar Award for Excellence in Arts and Humanities.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Deborah DeSantis and Executive Director Diane Newcom, the Colorado Children's Chorale annually trains 400 members between the ages of seven and 14. Since its founding in 1974, the Chorale has sung countless performances with some of the world's finest performing arts organizations, including the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Central City Opera, Opera Colorado, Opera Omaha, Toledo Opera, the Aspen Music Festival, the Grand Teton Music Festival, and the BBC Orchestra and Chorus of Wales. The Chorale has appeared with world-renowned artists Placido Domingo, Zubin Mehta, James Levine and Richard Hickox. It also has performed for numerous dignitaries, including Pope John Paul II and the Dalai Lama, as well as presidents, emperors and first ladies of the world. Broadcast appearances include NBC's Today Show, CBS' Christmas Special, the annual Spirit of the Season broadcast on CBS 4 Denver, and BBC broadcasts of the Chorale's Promenade Music Festival performance at Royal Albert Hall.

The Chorale’s Performance Program includes a series of self-produced concerts, numerous performances with other arts organizations in Colorado, and touring around the world.  In addition to Christmas with the Children’s Chorale and Spring with the Children’s Chorale, the Chorale collaborates with The Denver Brass in December for The Angel Choir and the Trumpeter and with the Denver Young Artists Orchestra for a concert in April, all at Boettcher Concert Hall in the Denver Performing Arts Complex. The Chorale is especially pleased to premiere a newly commissioned musical, A Stream of Voices, in June at the National Performing Arts Convention in Denver. The popular Around the Town community concert series features Coo Coo Cachoo, A Classical Afternoon, Performing Small Miracles and Spring Fling Sing! in venues across the metro area.  This season also includes the Chorale performing in Cendrillon and The Saint of Bleecker Street with Central City Opera; Carmina Burana at the Aspen Music Festival; the Colorado Christmas concerts, with a December 15 broadcast on CBS 4 Denver, and Carmina Burana and Chichester Psalms with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. 

The Chorale performs by invitation across Colorado, nationally and internationally.

National tours have taken the Chorale across the U.S.A., including performances at the American Choral Directors Association national conference in Los Angeles, The White House, and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.  International tours have featured the Chorale in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Switzerland, Taiwan, Spain, the BBC Promenade Music Festival in England's Royal Albert Hall, the Ste. Baume and the AICLER Provence International Choral Festival in France and Italy, St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the Aberdeen International Music Festival in Scotland, and the World Vision Children's Choral Festival in South Korea. This season the Tour Choirs will present a series of concerts in Brazil in February and across southern Colorado and New Mexico in April.    

In addition to the Performance Program, the Chorale's mission includes its Education Program, with weekly choral music and performance training in targeted schools through School Partnerships, offering instruction to students and support for teachers with professional conductors, accompanists, choreographers and other resources as needed;  school workshops and concerts serving elementary students; annual Youth Performances at Boettcher Concert Hall giving thousands of school children the opportunity to experience a concert in a professional venue; and non-auditioned community choirs, Aplausos de Colorado Children's Chorale - a dual language choir, and the Commerce City Choristers.  This unique program was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts grant and received an Education/Outreach Award from Chorus America.