Artistic Council & Education Outreach Reports
Communications – Paul Scholtz
Artist Activities Week by Week
Programming – Chris Foss
We have received a draft for a new piece from Catherine Dalton ahead of schedule! The artistic council approved it, and we’ll begin rehearsals for this piece (and the rest of One Giant Leap) in a few weeks! Even though we didn’t not receive the New Music USA grant that was to fund the commission, Catherine was gracious enough to agree to waive her fee and write the piece anyway.
The ensemble has agreed on a final repertoire list for One Giant Leap, our main touring show next season. New pieces have been ordered, and the ensemble will begin music learning and rehearsals in early August.
We’ve made final decisions for our Emerging composers contest relating to our 25th anniversary. Our winner (not yet for public announcement) is Grace Brigham. Her piece, Discoveries, is a wondering setting of quotations by famous female scientists. We will premier the work on our touring show One Giant Leap in the fall.
We have officially decided on our touring programs for the 21-22 season. The working titles, blurbs, and repertoire lists are being collected and will be sent to AAM for sales and marketing by the end of July. We have also completed the same for Xmas 2020, for which we will reprise our popular format Lessons and Carols for Our Time.
MPR is presenting Cantus at the State Fair again this year, and they are excited to continue the same community sing format developed last year as an addition to their “Bring the Sing” series.
I have also assemble the work sample portion for the NEA grant submission, and have forwarded that on to Joe, as the grant is due before the end of July.
Education Outreach – Samuel Green
No updates to report, other than that we were not awarded the Boychoir grant for next season.
Spread the word that Cantus offers a variety of educational outreach opportunities locally and around the country each year. If you know educators/organizations interested in working with us, refer them to education@cantussings.org, or contact Sam at sgreen@cantussings.org.
Production – David Geist
We are coming to the end of what has definitely been the busiest and also most fulfilling season since I have joined (three years ago). Even though it is summer we have still been busy wrapping up many projects, getting things in order for next year’s big 25th anniversary season (!!!), and of course rehearsing and performing our final concert series of the season. Unrequited opened at the Landmark Center, presented in collaboration with the Schubert Club, and people loved the concert! We had a rave review in the paper, which makes for 5 out of 5 incredibly solid reviews for us this season (reviews aren’t everything but it’s always nice when they are good!)
The week before and after the 4th of July were packed filled with rehearsals, programing meetings, photo shoot day for next year’s promotional material, Cantus Karaoke, the TownTalks event at Westminster where our project with Voices of Hope was being shared and discussed, and a full day of recording at MPR with American Public Media for a very exciting project we are working on to be released next year. We have one final touring gig after Unrequited closes in Nashville next week and it is Zac’s last ever concert with us, so we are all prepping for some tears and hope to send him off with a stellar final show.
I wanted to thank the Board for being such amazing and generous supporters over this last season, we absolutely couldn’t do this without you. See you next season!
Artist Activities Week by Week
- June 23 - Voices of Hope Final Visit and Debrief
- June 30 - Chamber Series Rehearsal
- July 7 - American Public Media Recording Session; Chamber Series Rehearsal; Photo Shoot Day; Headshots; TownTalks Performance; Cantus Karaoke
- July 14 - Chamber Series Dress Rehearsal; Chamber Series Performances (Landmark Center, St. Paul; American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis; Museum of Russian Art, Minneapolis; Westminster Hall, Minneapolis); WCCO Appearance
Programming – Chris Foss
We have received a draft for a new piece from Catherine Dalton ahead of schedule! The artistic council approved it, and we’ll begin rehearsals for this piece (and the rest of One Giant Leap) in a few weeks! Even though we didn’t not receive the New Music USA grant that was to fund the commission, Catherine was gracious enough to agree to waive her fee and write the piece anyway.
The ensemble has agreed on a final repertoire list for One Giant Leap, our main touring show next season. New pieces have been ordered, and the ensemble will begin music learning and rehearsals in early August.
We’ve made final decisions for our Emerging composers contest relating to our 25th anniversary. Our winner (not yet for public announcement) is Grace Brigham. Her piece, Discoveries, is a wondering setting of quotations by famous female scientists. We will premier the work on our touring show One Giant Leap in the fall.
We have officially decided on our touring programs for the 21-22 season. The working titles, blurbs, and repertoire lists are being collected and will be sent to AAM for sales and marketing by the end of July. We have also completed the same for Xmas 2020, for which we will reprise our popular format Lessons and Carols for Our Time.
MPR is presenting Cantus at the State Fair again this year, and they are excited to continue the same community sing format developed last year as an addition to their “Bring the Sing” series.
I have also assemble the work sample portion for the NEA grant submission, and have forwarded that on to Joe, as the grant is due before the end of July.
Education Outreach – Samuel Green
No updates to report, other than that we were not awarded the Boychoir grant for next season.
Spread the word that Cantus offers a variety of educational outreach opportunities locally and around the country each year. If you know educators/organizations interested in working with us, refer them to education@cantussings.org, or contact Sam at sgreen@cantussings.org.
Production – David Geist
We are coming to the end of what has definitely been the busiest and also most fulfilling season since I have joined (three years ago). Even though it is summer we have still been busy wrapping up many projects, getting things in order for next year’s big 25th anniversary season (!!!), and of course rehearsing and performing our final concert series of the season. Unrequited opened at the Landmark Center, presented in collaboration with the Schubert Club, and people loved the concert! We had a rave review in the paper, which makes for 5 out of 5 incredibly solid reviews for us this season (reviews aren’t everything but it’s always nice when they are good!)
The week before and after the 4th of July were packed filled with rehearsals, programing meetings, photo shoot day for next year’s promotional material, Cantus Karaoke, the TownTalks event at Westminster where our project with Voices of Hope was being shared and discussed, and a full day of recording at MPR with American Public Media for a very exciting project we are working on to be released next year. We have one final touring gig after Unrequited closes in Nashville next week and it is Zac’s last ever concert with us, so we are all prepping for some tears and hope to send him off with a stellar final show.
I wanted to thank the Board for being such amazing and generous supporters over this last season, we absolutely couldn’t do this without you. See you next season!