Children's Chorus of Washington's Holiday Favorites

Tickets: http://lisner.gwu.edu/childrens-chorus-washington-holiday-favorites
Information about Children's Chorus of Washington: www.childrenschorus.com

About Children’s Chorus of Washington

This season, the Children’s Chorus of Washington (CCW) celebrates 20 years of choral excellence and the vision of founder Joan Gregoryk.

Widely recognized as one of the country’s leading youth choruses, CCW provides outstanding choral music education to young vocalists, ages 6-18, from throughout metropolitan Washington, DC, regardless of their background, economic status, or prior experience. Emphasizing artistic excellence, responsibility and personal development, CCW’s choral programs foster students’ growth as young musicians and leaders. CCW’s five auditioned ensembles perform frequently in self-produced concerts and a variety of public and private engagements throughout greater Washington, DC. These include performances with leading music organizations at venues such as Strathmore Music Hall, The Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, numerous embassies, and Washington Nationals Park. Recent engagements include a concert at the White House for President Barack Obama and the First Lady, Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra, Bernstein’s Symphony No. 3 “Kaddish” with John Axelrod and the National Symphony Orchestra, and Britten’s War Requiem with The Washington Chorus and Julian Wachner.

Recognizing the tremendous need for high-quality vocal training, CCW shares its choral education with the broader DC community through SING DC!, an introductory vocal music program for under-served DC schools provided at no cost to the students or host schools, PREP Class for first-time singers, and Teacher Workshops. CCW powerfully influences the evolution of youth choral repertoire through its history of commissions including Wonderful Day Out With Nature by Emmy Award-winning composer Nathan Wang, premiered by CCW during its 10-day China tour in July 2013. CCW regularly tours domestically and internationally and has just toured France for the first time, singing in venues such as Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and Chartres Cathedral.

CCW has been selected for the 2015/2016 Catalogue for Philanthropy as “One of the best small charities in the Greater Washington region.”  In 2012 and again in 2014, CCW was recognized by the Washington Area Music Awards (“Wammies”) – Best Choral Group – and Greater Washington Area Choral Excellence Awards (“Ovations”) – Best Educational Outreach. CCW is the winner of the 2014 DC Mayor’s Arts Awards. For more information about CCW’s choral programs, visit childrenschorus.com.

Joan Gregoryk, Founder and Artistic Director of the Children’s Chorus of Washington (CCW), is internationally recognized as a leader in the field of children’s vocal music. After developing a children’s chorus at Chevy Chase Elementary school, which often performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, she founded in 1995 CCW with the goal of providing outstanding choral music education for children from throughout metropolitan Washington, DC. She has prepared choruses for performances with leading conductors such as Mstislav Rostropovich, Leonard Slatkin, Valery Gergiev, and Christoph Eschenbach. Ms. Gregoryk is in constant demand as a workshop leader and guest conductor throughout Northern America and Europe. She has conducted numerous district and state children’s honors choruses and the American Choral Directors Association Children’s Honors Chorus in the Southern, Southwestern, and Eastern Divisions. Ms. Gregoryk has received many honors including Outstanding Arts Educator in the United States from the Rockefeller Brothers Funds Awards in Arts Education, the Maryland Outstanding Elementary Music Educator Award, the Conservatory Medal of Excellence from Shenandoah University, and the 2015 DC Area Choral Excellence “Ovation” Award for her outstanding contributions to choral music. After 20 wonderful years with CCW, Ms. Gregoryk has announced she will “pass the baton” to a new artistic director at the end of the 2015-2016 season.